12th September, 2008
Dear Parents,

Welcome back to a new school year! The children all seem to be settling well into their new classes and are getting used to the changes in routines from last year.

Our topic work this term is based on ‘Houses and Homes’. Initially we will be thinking about where we live and what our homes look like. We are encouraging the children to learn their addresses, so any help you can give your child with this would be greatly appreciated. We will also thinking about homes in other places around the world. Later on we will be looking at the range and purpose of materials used in the building of houses and also those common materials found inside houses.

In literacy, we will be looking at information books and using these to help us answer our questions about our topic. We will then move on to stories with familiar settings. In maths, we are looking at place value and calculations and will be working on learning key number facts like bonds to 20. We will also be exploring shapes, especially those we can see in our homes.

P.E. this term will be on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. Please ensure that your child has appropriate footwear and clothing for outdoor lessons (especially as we will be having tennis coaching on Friday afternoons for at least 4 weeks). For health and safety reasons, children with earrings should have them removed before they come to school on the days that they have P.E.

We would like to give you advanced warning of a trip we are planning. We are hoping to go to Avoncroft Museum of Buildings, near Bromsgrove just after half term and we anticipate that it should cost approximately £8 to £9. We will send precise details out next week, when the booking has been confirmed.

The new homework books are now with you. Thank you to all those parents who are already reading regularly with their child. The children are really enjoying choosing their own sticker and looking forward to getting their first homework star. In years 1 and 2 we will also send out homework linked to aspects of our learning in school. This could be maths, spellings or work linked to our topic.

As always, do feel free to catch us after school if you have any queries, concerns or worries.

Best wishes,


Jackie Roe.