We have had a fun filled first full time week. The children have been learning new routines and have adapted beautifully. We are so proud of how the children are settling into their school life.

Thank you to everyone who came to our reception meeting today. If you were unable to attend, you will be sent a recording of the meeting soon.

RWI

I am pleased to let you know that we have now started Read Write Inc. phonics and have begun learning our Set 1 sounds. So far, the children have learnt the sounds m, a, s, d and t. We are looking forward to building on this learning over the coming weeks.

On our website, you will find a phonics tab with helpful information about how we teach the sounds, how you can support your child at home, and how to ensure we practice pure sounds. This is a useful resource if you would like to understand our approach in more detail or reinforce learning at home. If you have any questions regarding how we teach phonics at Chilton, please do not hesitate to ask your child’s class teacher. We understand this can be a lot of new information.

Today, your child will be bringing home a yellow sounds book. This book will be updated each week with the new sounds we have learnt, and we would be grateful if it could be returned to school every Thursday. Please use it to help your child recognise the sounds quickly and to practise correct letter formation.

It is very important that children form their letters correctly, and we will spend plenty of time helping them to develop this from the very beginning. Thank you for your support with this.

Next week we will continue to learn our set 1 sounds.

Maths

This week in maths, the children have been exploring numbers all around them through a range of practical resources and activities. They have become increasingly familiar with these materials and have continued to build on their subitising skills with confidence.

The children have also been introduced to Numicon, a tactile and visual resource that has supported them in recognising quantities quickly. Using Numicon, they have been able to subitise confidently up to 6. We have also practised our subitising through a variety of games, including Snap and dominoes, which the children have really enjoyed.

These activities are helping the children to develop a secure understanding of number and to recognise patterns more quickly. It has been lovely to see their confidence grow as they use different resources to support their learning.

Please continue to encourage your child to spot numbers and quantities in everyday life, as this will help to reinforce the skills we are developing in class.

Next week we will continue to develop our subitising skills.

Thematic

This week, following on from The Colour Monster story last week, we introduced our regulation station in class. This is a calm, quiet area of the classroom that children can use when they are experiencing big feelings and need a little time to settle.

The children have had the opportunity to explore the different resources available and practise using them to help themselves return to green and feel calm. We also spent time practising a range of self-regulation strategies, including breathing exercises. As a class, we worked together to agree some simple rules for using the regulation station so that it remains a supportive and respectful space for everyone.

We have also begun our Marvellous Me topic this week. The children enjoyed sharing their love to learn books with their class and talking about their families. It was lovely to hear them speak so proudly about the people and things that are important to them.

Next week we will be exploring and creating self portraits.

Important Messages

DRESS TO EXPRESS DAY

Next Friday (25^th September), we will have a Dress to Express day in reception. This will mark the end of our Marvellous Me topic. This will be a lovely opportunity for the children to celebrate what makes them unique and to share a little of their personality with their friends and teachers.

For this special day, please can your child come to school wearing something that expresses themselves. For example, if they love dinosaurs, they may wish to wear their favourite dinosaur T-shirt, or they might choose to wear their favourite colour. There is absolutely no need to buy anything new, as we would like the children to simply enjoy wearing something they already have and feel comfortable in.

We hope this will be a fun and relaxed day for the children, and a wonderful way to finish our topic together. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to speak to a member of the Reception team.

A few little reminders for the weeks ahead:

• We will let you know when PE will officially start.

• Please make sure your child has a named water bottle in school every day.

• Please ensure that all clothing is clearly named. This really does help us when we are trying to reunite lost jumpers and cardigans with their owners!

• Children are welcome to bring in a pair of named wellies, which can be left under their peg. We will be making the most of our outdoor learning, whatever the weather!

• Your child will have brought home a book from our book corner. These books are simply for sharing and enjoying together at home. You can return the book whenever you like and choose a new one to enjoy.

• Please spend some lovely time talking about your child's day. Even if they tell you they have done “nothing”, we promise they have been very busy!

 

The Reception Team

Kirby.Walker@chiltonprimary.co.uk

Maddy.kennedy@chiltonprimary.co.uk

Kirsty.Rockenbauer@chiltonprimary.co.uk

 

Term 1 Dates for your Diary

23rd September – Year 5 swimming every Wednesday until end of term

25th September – Chilton Fundraisers Family Quiz (more details to follow from the Chilton Fundrasiers)

6th October – Harvest Festival for Reception at 9am and year 3 at 2.45pm

7th October - Harvest Festival for Year 2 at 9am and year 1 at 2.45pm

8th October - Harvest Festival for Year 4 at 9am and year 5 and 6 at 2.45pm

15th October – Kent Test Results out to parents

23rd October – Halloween Disco – All children come to school in fancy dress. Year 1, 2 and 3 Disco from 2pm-3pm and year 4, 5 and 6 disco from 3.15-4.15

23rd October – Final day of term