What an exciting week we have had! The children have been so involved in a variety of activities, and it has been absolutely wonderful to see their enthusiasm as they tackle each challenge with great creativity and joy.

As we approach the Autumn months, we're beginning to embrace all the harvest celebrations that this season brings. I have no doubt that some of our lovely harvest songs have found their way into your homes already! It is heartening to see your children so enthusiastic about sharing what they learn with their families. We wanted to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of continuing to nurture this excitement at home. Encourage your little ones to share their experiences and perhaps even perform some of their favourite songs for you!

English

We've been focusing on reviewing sounds we've already learned, and we've also introduced some fantastic new ones. It's so lovely to see how well the children are recognising their special friends and using ‘Fred Talking’ to engage with their reading. Their confidence in reading words is truly amazing!

Our Year 2 children have been eagerly using their Fred fingers to help them write words in their books, and it’s really paying off. We've also been practising our red words, which are super important for boosting their reading and writing skills.

Just a quick reminder that knowing these red words makes a big difference, so any extra practice at home would be really helpful.

In Mrs Winchcombe’s English group the children have been diving into the world of summarising and let me tell you, they have been absolutely fantastic! They have showcased a range of skills, from identifying key points in texts to expressing their ideas succinctly. It's been wonderful to see how they are not only grasping these concepts but also applying them with confidence.

 

Reading

Reading at 3 - Every Friday at 3 our doors will be open for you to come in and read with your child, please note, this will be for the full 15 minutes and children should not leave any earlier. Their books will be set up and ready for you to come in and enjoy listening to their wonderful reading. 

Reading folders – Some children will continue to bring home two books, one being a RWI home book. Children are expected to try and read this three times during the week to ensure they are building on their reading fluency. The RWI home books will be changed, by an adult.

The other book (with the coloured sticker) should be changed independently by the child themselves - first thing in the morning is a great time to do this! 

Some children have been moved onto the accelerated reader programme. We will continue to assess and move more children onto this when they are ready. Children can change these books after they have completed the quiz online. The AR login can be found here… https://global-zone61.renaissance-go.com/welcomeportal/1892319

For a guide on how to use Accelerated Reader please click here… https://www.chiltonprimary.co.uk/accelerated-reader

Please ensure that the reading folders are placed in the reading trays/baskets, so we can read with your children and ensure books get changed. Thank you for your support with this!

Please listen to your child read as much as possible at home and record this in their reading records. Every week, one child from each class will receive a reading certificate in our Chilton Heroes assembly.

Maths

We have had some exciting developments in our maths lessons, particularly with adding two-digit numbers together. Recently, we have been honing our skills by focusing on adding the ones first and then the tens. This strategy is crucial as it lays the groundwork for when we begin to explore addition with regrouping. To make this learning engaging and effective, we started with numicon, which has really helped the children visualise the concepts. 

Moving forward, we transitioned to using base ten blocks, which further reinforced their understanding of how two-digit numbers work. The hands-on lessons have been loved by all, and the children are making fantastic progress. Now we're using a hundred square, and I must say, they are becoming pros at addition! Their confidence is visibly growing as they tackle more challenging problems.

To support your child at home, I encourage you to engage them in simple addition games or activities. Practising by adding everyday items, such as pieces of fruit or toys, can help reinforce what they're learning in school.

Thematic

The children are absolutely loving our thematic lessons this term. It has been wonderful to witness their enthusiasm and curiosity in our science experiments.

Last week, we embarked on an exciting experiment involving two groups of plants. Group 1 received all the essentials they need to thrive: sunlight, water, soil, light, and space. Meanwhile, Group 2 had one key element removed to see how it affected their growth. This week, we eagerly observed the results and I must say, the children were bubbling with excitement to share what they discovered! We measured the plants and the children concluded the experiment with some insightful scientific statements that truly highlighted their understanding.

In addition to our plant experiment, we have now started exploring different types of trees and looking at various classifications. This has opened up discussions about the environment and the importance of trees in our ecosystem. 

 

Harvest

Later this term, we will be celebrating Harvest. As part of this, we would like to invite families in to watch our Harvest Assembly. These will take place in the school hall on the following dates:

Tuesday 1st October: 9am Year R and 1 and 2.45pm Year 2 and 3

Wednesday 2nd October: 9am Year 4 and 5 and 2.45pm Year 6

Please enter the school via the main school office.

As part of the celebrations, we will also be collecting food that we will be donating to Thanet Food Bank. We will be taking donations between Wednesday 25th September and Monday 30th September. If you are able to donate, the food bank accepts any tinned, jarred or packet foods that are in date. As a celebration of the donations all children will be entered into a draw to win last years' celebration teddy bears, Kenneth and Susan.

 

Love to Learn

This term in art we have been exploring drawing with different media. We would love the children to create a portrait of all the wonderful plants in the environment.

Be creative and have fun!

 

Dates to remember

Friday 27th September – Reading and Writing in Reception parents meeting at 2.45pm in school hall

Monay 30^th September - 2.45pm Year 6 Harvest assembly for parents

Tuesday 1st October – 9am Year R and 1 Harvest assembly for parents

Tuesday 1st October – 2.45pm Year 2 and 3 Harvest assembly for parents

Wednesday 2nd October – 9am Year 4 and 5 Harvest assembly for parents

Saturday 5th October – Cross Country

Tuesday 8th October – Flu vaccines

Friday 11th October – Fancy dress Disco Year 1, 2 and 3 3.15-4.15pm and Year 4, 5 and 6 4.30pm-5.30pm

Wednesday 16th October – No year 6 swimming this week; usual PE lessons to happen

Thursday 17th October – Kent test results to parents

Thursday 24th October – Parents invited into look at children’s books at 3.15pm

Friday 25th October – Inset day – School closed to children

 

Have a lovely weekend and we can’t wait to see you on Monday,

Miss Kennedy, Mrs Winchcombe and the Year 2 Team

 Mrs Poppy Winchcombe – Team Azure – poppy.winchcombe@chiltonprimary.co.uk

Miss Maddy Kennedy – Team Peacock – maddy.kennedy@chiltonprimary.co.uk