1. This week’s learning

Reception

This week, our Reception children have continued exploring our Fairytale topic and have started to become familiar with the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Through play, exploration and adult-led activities, the children have enjoyed making wolf masks, sorting and comparing different foods, exploring materials that could be used to make a cloak for Little Red Riding Hood, and using positional and directional language as they explore maps and routes.

The children have also been developing their early writing skills by making cards and messages for characters from the story. Outdoors, they have been noticing the changing season and using natural and autumnal materials in their play, investigations and creative work.

Year 1

Our Year 1 children have also been using Little Red Riding Hood as a stimulus for their learning, with activities providing opportunities to develop and apply their skills at an appropriate Year 1 level. Children have been learning to retell the story, develop their writing through cards and messages to the characters, investigate and describe the properties of materials, and use maps and directional language to describe and follow routes.

In maths, Year 1 have continued developing their understanding of number and place value, including recognising tens and ones and exploring one more, one less, ten more and ten less.

Across both Reception and Year 1, children continue to take part in Read Write Inc. phonics sessions matched to their current reading and phonics stage. 

2. Important information and dates

Home reading books

From Monday 28 September, children working at Read Write Inc. Red level and above will begin bringing home reading books matched to their current stage. Please make sure your child brings their book bag into school from Monday. Books will then be changed on Fridays.

For children who are at an earlier stage of Read Write Inc., we will explain the appropriate home-reading arrangements separately. 

Read Write Inc. Parent Workshops – Monday 19 October

We will be holding Read Write Inc. workshops for parents on Monday 19 October. These sessions will help parents understand how Read Write Inc. is taught in school and some of the strategies you can use to support your child’s reading at home. We will send further information, including workshop times, shortly. 

Other dates

• Wednesday 30 September, 2:00pm – Macmillan Coffee Afternoon
• Friday 2 October – Visit from PC Dan, including age-appropriate learning about staying safe and Stranger Danger
• Tuesday 6 and Thursday 8 October – Parents’ Evenings, providing an opportunity to talk individually with your child’s class teacher. 

3. Plaza Open Day – thank you!

A huge thank you to all the parents and carers who joined us for our Plaza Open Day tours today. It was lovely to welcome so many of you into the classrooms and give you the opportunity to see the children learning in their everyday environment.

We have been incredibly proud of how well the children have settled and of the hard work, care and commitment of our Plaza staff. Thank you too for all the positive comments, questions and constructive feedback you have shared with us. We really appreciate your support as we continue to develop the Plaza together and make it the very best it can be for our children.

For anyone who would like to revisit the information shared ahead of the Open Day, we have attached the Plaza Open Day and Updates for Parents information again below. It includes information about how children are supported and challenged, Read Write Inc., maths, what happens next in the development of the Plaza and ways to share questions or feedback. 

4. How you can help at home

Reception

Please continue helping your child to:

• recognise their first and last name;
• practise putting on their own coat, including pulling their sleeves through correctly;
• talk about the sounds they are learning through Read Write Inc.;
• develop independence with their belongings.

If you are out on an autumn walk, we would also love children to bring in interesting autumnal natural objects such as leaves, conkers, acorns or pinecones for us to explore and use in our learning.

Year 1

We are continuing to develop our understanding of number and place value. You can support this at home by asking questions such as:

• How many tens does ___ have?
• How many ones does ___ have?
• What is one more/one less than ___?
• What is ten more/ten less than ___?

Please also continue helping children develop their independence with coats and belongings and practise their Read Write Inc. sounds and reading at home.

For everyone: please make sure that all belongings are clearly labelled, particularly snack pots, water bottles, jumpers and PE clothing.