Byfleet Primary Newsletter

Spelling Bee Competition for 2021!

As part of our continued efforts to promote and improve the standard of spelling across the school, we will launch our spelling competition, which we hope will be an annual event. Every child in Y1-6 has the chance to learn a list of spellings and earn house points and prizes in the process. We are hoping this will be a fun and motivating way to encourage learning spellings and to celebrate the achievements of the children.

Competition Timeline

Week beginning 15th November - Preliminary round!

Class teachers from Years 1 - 6 will test their classes with a sample of words from the word list for their year group. Each word will be read aloud for the children to spell on paper. The children will be able to win house points for words spelt correctly. Each year group will then enter their top speller from each house, four spellers in total, into the semi-final.

Week beginning 22th November - Semi-final!

All semi-finalists will be able to earn house points for correctly spelt words. They will spell words from their year group lists. Words will be spelt out loud - a whiteboard and pen will be provided.

Week beginning 29th November - Second preliminary round!

Class teachers will once again test their class in the same way as the previous preliminary round, using different words from the list. This will be another chance for all children to earn house points and, as before, the top spellers will be entered into the next round. The finalists will be chosen from this second preliminary round and so these may be different children from the semi-final!

Week beginning 6th December - Final

This will take place in the same way as the semi-final round and the winners will be announced!

What words should my child be learning?

​Please check Google Classroom, the spelling lists have been uploaded. These words have been taken from the National Curriculum statutory word lists.

How can I help my child?

Spellings can be learnt in limitless ways, although traditionally spellings are learnt by memorising them using a "Look, Cover, Say, Write and Check" approach. While this is effective, it isn't always the best or the most fun way to learn. We encourage you to also think creatively - the more fun it is, the more spellings your child is likely to learn. Here are a few suggestions for ways that you could make learning spellings fun, engaging and memorable:

• First, help your child to practise reading the words. It is very hard to spell a word you can't read confidently

• Use the words on the list to write a rhyme, song, poem or rap

• Assign letters or word chunks to sound, music or rhythm

• Write tricky words on post-it notes and display them in visible places around your home: on the fridge, on the bathroom mirror, next to light switches, on TV remotes, on laptops/tables, PlayStation controllers - wherever your child is most likely to see them

• Draw the words in bubble writing or in colourful patterns

• Write out each word and then trace over it again and again. This will help with muscle memory when writing the spellings down.

• Make posters or pictures of your word for display

• Don't forget to practise spelling the words out loud!

• This is not an exhaustive list so do come up with your own fun ways to learn them too

Well done to all our children for taking part in book buddies last week. It is lovely to see such collaboration between the different classes. We look forward to reading with our book buddies in December!

Stagecoach Woking will be running their Christmas Workshop from Hoe Valley School in Woking from the 20th-23rd of December 2021. This is for children aged 4-17 years old with students working in age appropriate groups.

The week will include excerpts from Elf and many more classic shows and Christmas films. Each day will be different, working on songs, dances and scenes which will be filmed and sent out for all the family and friends to enjoy. The week will be upbeat, educational and invigorating giving the children a wonderful seasonal experience.

Students will work in small, age appropriate bubbles and we will be following Covid-19 government guidelines. For further details or to book, please visit www.stagecoach.co.uk/woking or email woking@stagecoach.co.uk or call us on 07957 825641.

It's been a while since we've been able to invite you into school. We can't wait to invite you back into school to see your child's class assembly. We will continue to reduce the number of children we have together in the hall so will only move to 'whole school' assemblies once it is safe to do so. In the meanwhile, each class will host their class assembly to their parents and one or two other classes in the school hall. These will start at 8.55 - 9.20ish so please join us in the school hall on the day that your child's class assembly has been scheduled.

Reception - Wednesday 29th June Year 1 - Wednesday 16th March - London

Year 2 - Wednesday 23rd February Year 3 - Wednesday 30th March - Stone Age

Year 4 - Wednesday 22nd June Year 5 Indigo - Wednesday 2nd March - The Pharaohs

Year 5 Blue - Wednesday 25th May - Greeks Year 6 - Wednesday 9th March - The Heart

Emotion Coaching and Zones of Regulation

Our Staff Development Meeting this week developed our understanding of Emotion Coaching and Zones of Regulation. These are mindful and inclusive approaches to supporting children's well-being and emotional development by empowering children to recognise their own emotions and learn strategies to self regulate. At Byfleet we understand that behaviour is a means of communication and recognise that emotional times are opportunities for teaching children. We will be putting up new displays in our classrooms and teaching lessons about this over the next half term .