Summer Term 2010

Dear Parents,

Apologies for the delay in sending out this Term’s letter, just blame the volcanic ash!

Welcome back to another new term at C.I.S. The children are back with enthusiasm and have settled once again into their classroom routines.

Over the next few weeks, Coral class will be following a unit of work on a theme, which focuses on ‘Animals’.

This unit of work is part of the International Primary Curriculum. This curriculum sets out very clearly what children will learn in different areas. The children will be:

Looking in books to find out about different types of animals,

Sorting and classifying different animals,

Learning how to care for pets,

Making models from a variety of materials,

Looking at and recreating animal prints and patterns,

Finding out about the different habitats in which animals live,

Investigating where in the world different animals can be found,

Learning about endangered animals,

Painting pictures of animals.

We will be visiting Shepreth Wildlife Park on Wednesday 12^th May and Wood Green Animal Shelter will be visiting the school to give an assembly on Friday 14^th May. They will be giving the children a talk about how to care for a dog and bringing some surprise visitors to school with them.

If your child has any interesting books about animals (in any language!) we would be very happy to see them. Also if your child has any pets, we would love to see some photos of them.

Our theme for the second half of term is called ‘Sand and Water’. The children will, among other things,

• Find out about where water comes from
• Think about what to wear in the rain
• Learn about creatures that live in water
• Play with sand and water and learn about their natural environment

In literacy this term we will be continuing our work on writing in sentences, using basic punctuation and reading/writing stories with patterned language and by the same authors, such as John Burningham and Julia Donaldson. In non-fiction we will be finding information about animals in books and learning how to write a recount. In poetry we will be learning about rhyming words, playing with words and making up poems about animals. We will regularly practise handwriting and letter formation skills as well as regular phonics sessions and spelling rules.

In Mathematics, we will again be covering the topics of counting, partitioning and calculating, securing number facts using numbers to 100 and understanding shape and handling data and measures including money, length, weight, capacity and time. We will also continue to practise number formation and securing mental maths strategies.

A few reminders:

Morning routine:

1. If you need to make use of our early start facility, please book this in advance with Aggie. Drop off for this facility is only between 8.10 and 8.30am.

2. If you arrive after 8.30am, you are reminded to please wait outside in the playground with your child until 8.45am. During this time, your child is your responsibility and we would ask that you do not let them play on or with any school equipment. Please do not leave children unattended in a classroom.

3. At 8.45am, you are welcome to bring your child into school.

4. The school day begins at 9.00am promptly with registration and we would respectfully like to ask you to be on time dropping your child off.

Reading:

Mrs Hutchinson or myself will hear your child read/change their reading book daily. It is important that you continue to hear your child read at home every night, as they need lots of practise to become fluent readers. It is also helpful if you can write a comment in their reading log when you have done so.

PE:

PE has changed slightly from last term:

The children will be doing outdoor sport on Thursday afternoons this term instead of dance.
Please can you ensure your child comes to school in full PE kit, including trainers, on Thursdays.
This is: Navy blue tracksuit or shorts, white polo shirt and trainers.
Please also send in an extra bottle of water and a hat, especially if it is warm weather.

Summer time:

We have had a short spell of good weather and the Met office is predicting a hot summer! Please ensure your child has a water bottle (refilled each day) at school as well as their lunchtime drink. This can be placed in the snack box in the mornings.

On sunny days, please apply sun cream to your child before school. If you are happy for us to help your child reapply the cream during school time, then please let a member of staff know and send the sun cream into school.

Please also ensure that your child brings a hat/cap to school as we spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer time.

We have a lot of unnamed clothes in school. Please make sure you name each item that belongs to your child, including drinks bottle, hats and sun creams. Thank you!

Please find attached a copy of this term’s timetable. If you have any questions, queries or concerns then please do not hesitate to come and see me. I look forward to a great term ahead, with lots of hard work!

Kind regards

Carine Bennett

Lent Term 2010

Dear Parents,

A busy term is already underway in Coral Class and the children are happy and settled back into their daily classroom routines.

Over the next few weeks, Coral class will be following a unit of work on a theme, which focuses on ‘Food’. This unit of work is part of the International Primary Curriculum. This curriculum sets out very clearly what children will learn in different areas.

In Science children will:

be able to find out information from simple texts
know that some foods are healthier than others and that we need a balance of different kinds of food to stay strong and healthy

In Art children will:

know that artists use different forms in their work including drawing, painting and printing
be able to use materials and processes to represent food in different ways

In Technology children will:

be able to plan a smoothie
be able to describe their plan using words and pictures
be able to use kitchen utensils safely and with attention to hygiene
be able to comment on the smoothie made

In Geography children will:

know that the foods that are grown and eaten in different localities vary for reasons that include climate and culture
be able to consider the food that is grown/eaten in the host country and compare it to other countries

In ‘Society and International’ children will:

know that food is an important part of many festivals
know that children in the class and school have different home countries and about food in these countries
be able to respect one another’s individuality and independence

In the week beginning 8^th Feb, we will be focussing on food from different countries and cultures. If any parents were able to make some traditional food from their home countries, to bring in for us to taste, that would be wonderful!

Our topic for the second half of term is called ‘Flowers and insects’. The children will be learning about the bugs they find, making gardens in shoeboxes and going out on several walks to find out about where insects and other living things prefer to live and grow. The children will become little scientists in a bid to find out how seeds grow and what they need to do this well. We will set up a variety of tests to help us.

The children will also be learning about the life cycles of insects and plants.

In literacy this term we will be continuing our work on writing in sentences, using basic punctuation and reading/writing traditional stories, stories with patterned language and traditional tales. In non-fiction we will be learning how to use and write lists, recipes and instructions. In poetry we will be listening to and writing poems about food. We will regularly practise handwriting and letter formation skills as well as regular phonics sessions and spelling rules.

In Mathematics, we will again be covering the topics of counting, partitioning and calculating, securing number facts and understanding shape and handling data and measures including money and time. We will also continue to practise number formation and securing mental maths strategies.