Happy New School Year! It has been lovely to see everyone again after the summer break. A warm welcome to our new families - we are looking forward to working with you. Thank you to everyone for your hard work and investment in getting your children ready and equipped for the start of term. They all look very smart. We have had a super start to the new term in both schools and are looking forward to a great year ahead.
What’s Happening? We have a busy and exciting year ahead. All our planned school events are being sent out on the Calendar of Events, which is also on our websites. This half term we will be celebrating National Poetry Day and Harvest Festival, having a creative time in Music Week and showing racism the red card on Wear Red day. You can find out what is happening from the newsletters, the notice boards, the school websites and the emails and texts that are sent out.
What are we Learning? It is important that you know what your child is learning in school. Both schools publish their curriculums on their websites for you to look at. As well as that, your child’s year group sends you a curriculum newsletter each half term. On this newsletter you will find the key knowledge and vocabulary that your child will be learning that half term. The newsletters will also have ideas about how you can support your child’s learning at home.
Please Read!- Home Learning Following our consultation with the children and you last term, we have made some changes to how we are setting homework in both schools. Reading is the most important thing that the children learn to do in primary school, because if they cannot read well, they cannot access the rest of the curriculum or be successful in secondary school. The main piece of homework that we are asking the children to do is to read – everyday if they can, but definitely at weekends. This could be the colour-banded book from school, a picture book, storybook or non-fiction book. It could be a book from the library, or a comic. It could be a bedtime story, which they share with you every day. What is important is that children read or look at books often. Teachers will also send home spellings and/or times tables, as it is helpful for children to practise these. There will not be any lunchtime homework clubs anymore, as those who need it, have extra support for reading, spelling and times tables in lesson time. The curriculum newsletters will have optional ideas for other activities which you might like to do with your child – things to make or do, or places to visit.
Parent Partnership Parents and carers are the most important people in their children’s early lives. By working together parents and school can enhance children’s learning and development. Your child’s teacher will be happy to talk to you about your child’s learning and development and to work with you to meet your child’s needs. Our first parents meetings are in October (at Holt House) and in November (at Carterknowle). If you would like to talk to your child’s teacher before then, please let them know and an appointment can be arranged.
Study Bugs Study Bugs is an app the schools are buying for you to use to report your child’s absence from school online. This app is supported by the NHS and will make reporting your child’s absence easy, as well as offering you advice about your child’s illness. It’s quick, it’s free, please sign up when you get the letter.
Online Safety This is a really important area for child safeguarding and something that concerns many. If you would like more information about keeping your child safe online, then visit www.thinkuknow.co.uk which has lots of age appropriate resources.
Half Term Holiday Monday 28 October – Friday 1 November