It might get messy.... Reception parents

"Let them explore in the mud and build dens with boxes. Let them experiment with paint and imagine all day. For a child learns the most when they are allowed to play".

Parents/Carers

We wanted to let you know that sometimes your child may come home from school looking a little bit messy and not how they left you in the morning. We do apologise but there is a very good reason for this; your child has been delving into their tactile and sensory play. Messy play fosters your child's curiosity, imagination, experimentation, language and practices good concentration.

Messy play is key to your child's development throughout their EYFS learning journey. It's benefits are:

• Fine Motor Skills

They are learning to refine their fine motor skills by using the muscles in their fingers, wrists, arms, toes and shoulders to make small movements. Children also practice coordinating their fine motor skills by combining muscles together when picking up different objects throughout messy play.

• Gross Motor Skills

Taking messy play to the next level also helps to develop children’s gross motor skills as well. Children use the larger muscles in their arms, legs, feet and body to make bigger movements which support balance, coordination and strength.

• Muscle Strengthening

When children practice fine and gross motor skills in messy play, they are strengthening their muscles and developing muscle control in their body.

• Hand Eye Coordination

Experimenting with messy play through touch also enhances the children’s hand-eye coordination. Certain messy play activities prompt and improve children’s concentration, such as cutting shapes out of play doh or throwing goo at a target, which helps children develop their hand-eye coordination.

• Body Control & Balance 

Messy play is an extremely hands-on sensory activity, which enhances children’s body control and balance through the large and small movements that they make when they play

• Spatial Awareness

Messy play also makes children more body aware, which gives them the opportunity to learn about boundaries. 

We thank you in advance for your understanding and ask if you have not already done so to please bring in a spare set of clothes for your child to leave on their peg. 

Reception Team

Year 2 Maths Challenge

Maths Challenge

Pairs of numbers 

Making 10

If you have ten counters numbered 1 to 10, how many can you put into pairs that add to 10?

Can you use them all?
Say how you got your answer.

Now put the counters into pairs to make 12.

Can you use them all?

Say how you got your answer.

Year 2 Star Writers

Well done to this week's winners:

Victoria in Madagascar.

Paige in Kenya.

Eleni in Egypt.

Year 2 Time Travellers!

Freshwater Theatre Company visited us on Friday to help us travel back in time through drama.
The children had fun engaging in a historical workshop exploring life in 1666 and the events of the Great Fire of London. Through drama they recreated life in Pudding Lane and London of the time. They became the fire as it quickly spread across London and they explored the reasons for this. We discussed how these events helped to create the the fire service and the London we have today. By looking at extracts from Samuel Pepys diaries we considered the importance of eye witnesses when studying the past. During Literacy we have wrote diary accounts and newspaper reports to help our understanding further.  The workshop was a great way to capture the children's imaginations and help them remember key facts.  We will be visiting the local fire station in October to complete this topic and to help us compare life now to then in 1666.

'I loved it when we put on out time traveller helmets and went back in time'  said David.

Year 3 Star Writers

This weeks star writers are;

Michael in Scotland.

 Kajus in Northern Ireland.

Mahir in Wales.

Year 1 get changed for P.E

From this Tuesday our year 1 children will change for P.E.
We have given the children some settling in time and time to discuss safety and good practise in P.E.
We would ask parents for their help in making this as smooth as possible.

Please ensure all uniform is named.
Please encourage the children to be as independent as possible with dressing at home.
Please send in easy uniform on Tuesdays-polos rather than shirts if possible.
Please be patient if your child is a couple of minutes late out on Tuesday.
 

Reception Newsletter Autumn 1 Week 3

                                                                                        29.09.19

Dear Parents/Carers

We hope you are having a lovely weekend so far despite this weather we are having. It is lovely to see the blossoming friendships forming amongst the children and seeing how well they are adjusting to their new environment and routines.

This week our story focus will be 'We're going on a bear hunt'. This is a wonderful story which the children thoroughly enjoy retelling and acting out. Over the week we will be going on our very own bear hunt, creating and decorating our own bears and we will be making our very own edible bears!

We will begin our Read, write inc sessions this week, learning the sounds m,a,s,d. On Friday your child will bring home some sheets to practise their letter formation. Please note your child is not required to return these back to school.

In maths this week we will also be starting our ten town programme. This is a programme which uses a visual story to introduce a number to the children. Each number has a character with an accompanying song and number rhyme to help recall their formation.

As a reminder the school day starts between 8.30 and-8.50am with a 3.00pm collection time. 

Access in the mornings is through our main gate Gate 1 and at the end of the day via either Gate 1 or Gate 3.We would ask that you stand back from the doors in order to safely hand the children back to you Please do not crowd the doors as this will delay us in handing your child over.

Please note we are asking parents not to bring buggies into the corridors as they become overcrowded at peak times and pose a health and safety risk. Please be assured a member of staff will be on hand to provide assistance in looking after buggies in the morning.

It is lovely to see so many children reading regularly and practising their sight words. Well done to St Lucia class for winning the reading award this week. We will change this book weekly and review the child`s progress. The expectation is your child reads at least 3 times or more each week. As we promoting a love of reading, we encourage your child to read a range of books and is not limited to the one we send home with them.

Thank you to all those parents who were able to attend our first reading morning and our Read, Write Inc workshop we hope you found it useful.

Parents evening is taking place on Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th October. Please remember to book your child's appointment online by Wednesday 2nd October by clicking the link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScA5N5SskIRw9-6bzOyClLIDFJ9U0TcgsE72Zndw1L0ySxV9w/viewform
Your child's teacher will then confirm your appointment time.


This week we will be on Week 2 of the Havering school menu. Monday's choices are:

Red - Chicken Fillet in a Bun with Wedges

Blue - Cheesy Tomato Pasta Pot

Green - Quorn Burger in a Bun with Wedges

Please note on Thursday it is census day and their will be a special menu available. Please see your child's class notice board for further details.

Here is a link to the menu choices https://www.haveringcatering.co.uk/schooldata/mead-infant-primary-school/

School Uniform - 

Please be reminded that children are expected to continue to wear the appropriate uniform of:

• Black or grey trousers (Joggers in Nursery)

• White polo shirt with a bottle green jumper or cardigan

• Black shoes or plain black trainers (no boots)
• Black or grey skirt/dress 

Children will not be permitted to wear Hoodies.

Only plain school coloured head bands can be worn- no oversized bows.

Only studs can we worn in school, please make sure these are removed for PE.

Please ensure children do not have makeup on or acrylic/painted nails.

Uniform will be given to those children who do not wear the correct uniform in the morning and will need to be returned before the end of school.

Messages – 

• PLEASE NAME all items of clothing. This will help when returning lost items, particularly jumpers and cardigans with the right child.
• If your child has had any clothes from school could you please ensure these are washed and returned to back.
• Our PE days are Thursday. Please ensure your child has a named PE kit in school. If they wear earrings they need to be removed on this day.
•  Thank you to all those parents who have sent in a named set of spare clothes. If you haven’t yet could you please ensure your child has a named set of spare clothes and underwear on their peg as soon as possible.
•  Children can also bring in a pair of named wellies to leave in school. This would be great for use in the mud kitchen and on rainy days.  
•   If your child suffers with asthma please ensure their pump is in school and you have completed the relevant paperwork at the main office.
•   Our Macmillan coffee morning is next Friday we welcome all parents to attend. Any donations including cakes would be really appreciated. 
• If your child is unwell, please remember to call the school office on 01708 343616 and notify them of your child's absence.

Family news

This is a section of our blog where we celebrate any news from our Reception parents.If you have anyhing you would like to share please let us know.

Breakfast club is open from 7.45 am. Please make sure there is sufficient money on your child's sQuid account to make payment.

Important dates:

  INSET Dates and Polling day for 2019-20

INSET 1	INSET 2	INSET 3	INSET 4	INSET 5
4th September	3rd April	20th July	21st July	22nd July

Last day of the summer term will be Friday 17^th July 2020.

You can access Havering term dates for 2019-2010 here: https://www.havering.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/2023/term_dates_2019-2020.pdf

Dates for your diary

Autumn 1
Monday 14th October	Parents Evening 1
Tuesday 15th October	Parents Evening 2
Friday 18th October	Last day before half term.
Monday 21st October -Friday 25th October	School Closed for half term
Autumn 2
Monday 28th October	Pupils return to school
Thursday  7th November	Reception Reading workshop
Thursday 7th November	Reception stay and read
Tuesday 12th November	Friendship workshop
Friday 6th December	Stay and Play
Wednesday 18th December	St Pauls Church visit
Friday 20th December	Last day of term

Please note that the final day of the summer term will be on Friday 19th July, 2019.

Our learning objectives this term will be listed under these headings:

Personal, Social and Emotional

Can select and use activities and resources with help

Shows confidence in asking adults for help 

Communication and Language

To follow directions

To use talk to connect ideas 

Literacy

To sometimes give meanings to the marks they draw and paint

Listens to and joins in with stories 

Physical Development:

Runs skilfully and negotiates space

Mounts stairs, steps or climbing equipment 

Mathematics

Beginning to recite numbers in order to 10

Knows that numbers identify how many objects are in a set 

If you would like to contact a member of the EYFS team via email the address is: 

eyfs@mead.havering.sch.uk

We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Reception Team