Here are a few notices/reminders:

Parents/ Carers: Being in UKS2 (Upper Key Stage 2) in order to promote and enhance their independence, the children with parental/carer permission can walk home from school. In the first instance, could you please put this in writing and hand/email to me. 

Please do not ask your child to tell us that they are going home on their own (or with someone else) without a parent/carer informing either myself or the school office first, as we will not be able to let them leave before having to make contact with yourself to verify. Please ensure any messages about going home are verbalised at the door in the mornings or via email/phone call to the school office in good time.

Please respect the school's policy on emailing staff, it is easier and quicker speaking to me at the door for most messages.  

Pencil cases: Children in Year 5 can choose to bring in a small (not the large Smiggle type cases) to use their own stationery - we write in black ink only. Children do not need felt-tips, colouring pencils, scissors, glue, etc. as we have those at school. They just need the basics in their pencil cases: black ink pen (not biros - inky pens only), pencil, rubber, eraser, green & red biro, ruler if choosing to bring in their own otherwise we have all the stationery they will need if they do not have a pencil case. Please do not let them bring in their most treasured, best stationery as it could get lost, etc. The children have had this explained to them in their class visits already.

Mobile phones: Children in Year 5 can bring in a mobile phone ONLY if they are allowed to walk home on their own. They do not need to bring it in otherwise. Please refer to the school's policy on mobile phone use. The children are not allowed to have their phones on within school grounds - they must turn their phone off before coming into the school gates. The children have had this explained to them during their class visits.  Children have to hand their phones in when they get to class where they are kept safe and out of reach until home time when they are handed out. 

Reading 

I cannot emphasise the importance of reading at home enough, it is something that needs to be done at home and not just at school. Our expectation is that every child reads at home daily. Please ensure you are listening to your child read, it is important that even in Year 5 the children are being heard by an adult. This is to help with not only reading the words but understanding and recalling what they have read (reading comprehension). There is a book list tab above if you would like some ideas of new books for your child so they are reading a broad range of genres and authors.  Please also make sure that an adult has signed the child's reading grid sheet to say they have read at home. If a child has been heard reading to an adult at home 3 times or more in a week then they will receive a raffle ticket - please sign the reading record grid for this to happen (you do not need to write in the home-communication book about what book they have read, page number, etc. Just initial/sign the reading grid is all that is needed). If the class gets 10 or more children doing this they receive a class point! It all adds up!! Reading grids are checked every Friday so please help with this and ensure your child has this in their bag, signed and ready to be checked every Friday morning - if not handed in on time then we may not have time to check and allocate raffle tickets to the child. 

PE

Our PE day will be on a Friday. Please ensure your child is wearing the correct PE uniform (see the school policy for this). Please ensure earrings are removed for PE - this is part of our uniform policy and for safety reasons. Children must be able to take their earrings out themselves as we cannot do so or they must be removed before coming to school. 

Curriculum Newsletter - see the tab at the top of this page to view. 

Homework (set every Wednesday) Parents: please help support the school and your child's learning by ensuring any homework is completed. One week is given for homework (Wednesday to Wednesday). Please ensure your child has their homework ready to hand in every Wednesday morning - homework may not be checked or raffle tickets given if handed in late.   

The children can still use their Home-School Communication book should you have any non-urgent messages, this is where you will also see the homework/ reading log grid that needs to be signed every time your child has read to you at home (this will be checked weekly for children to receive their raffle ticket depending on how much they have read at home - if you have an urgent message then please tell me at the door as the books will not be checked daily. 

Spellings

You will see that our spellings are under the tab above, we do not send spelling lists home, but you can always use these to learn at home with your child if you wish too. 

Mrs. Thomson