Dear Armadillo Class,

I hope that you all had a lovely summer, I wanted to send this letter out with some useful information in order to help returning to school run smoothly.

Firstly, I would like to introduce you to our Teaching Assistants: Mrs Kemp, Mrs Kenny and Mrs Wrigley-Brookes. They will be working with us in Armadillo class.

Spellings and times tables will be a big focus during the year ahead. You may be aware that the children will be expected to take a Multiplication check in the Summer Term, we will be given some more information on this later on in the year. Please can we ask that at home you play your part in helping the children become confident in recalling their times tables up to the 12x tables and including Ox to 12x. We have a school subscription to Times Tables Rock Stars and ‘Hit the Button’ is also a great game!

We are aware that spellings take time to learn and some children might need more opportunities to learn than others. This is nothing to worry about. We are following a spelling programme in school which enables the children to use spellings in their writing and learn the rules of spelling. We have moved away in recent years of sending home sets of spelling to learn for a test. Sets of spellings will be on the website and in their homework folders.

Homework will be sent home on a grid as in previous years and will be collected in and looked at on a Wednesday.

We will be sending home a reading diary (the children can cover their diary and decorate it as they wish), please can I ask that you write in the diary every time you hear your child read. Any important messages must be emailed to me please or you can catch me on our door.

Library is on a Wednesday!

P.E will be on a Thursday afternoon and the children will be expected to wear their P.E kit into school on that day.

In Year 4, the children often enjoy the independence of leaving their parents on the school playground and meeting them at the end of the day. Please can you let me know by email if this is something you would like your child to do, so that I know whether to let them go. It is advisable that you tell your children exactly where you will meet them and stick to the same place every day as this stops the worries. You are of course still welcome to drop them off at the door!

The children do not need their own stationery or pencil cases, they will be provided with everything they need at school.

I think that is every thing for now please check the website and look out for any app messages.

I am really looking forward to the year ahead!

Mrs Day x