Weekly Newsletter

Upcoming Dates

Tuesday 10th March

• Year 3/4 football tournament

Monday 16th - Friday 20th March

• Turing trip to Bordeaux 

Tuesday 24th March

• Dance Umbrella (Years 3 & 5): Bath Forum

Wednesday 1st April & Thursday 2nd April

• Parent and teacher pupil progress meetings

Wednesday 1st April

• Mini Police visit American Museum

• Year 1 visit Holborne Museum

Thursday 2nd April

• Last day of Term 4

Friday 3rd - Friday 17th April

• Easter break

Monday 20th April

• First day of Term 5

Monday 20th - Friday 24th April

• Turing trip to Barcelona

Message from Mrs Noall

What a fantastic CARE week we had last week! It was wonderful to see the children developing their aspiration, particularly at the Careers' Day on Friday and we had lots of positive feedback from our visitors about our children. We are really proud of them! It was also fantastic to see so many of them dressed up on Thursday and sharing their favourite books. 

News and Events

CARE Week and World Book Day

Thank you to everyone who attended the bed time stories event. It was great to see so many children there as well as parents in the main hall. 

If you haven't already seen it, please check out our World Book day video that we have put together using photographs from Emma Wilkinson.

https://youtu.be/kZMZ0_bi8LA  

Our book fayre was extremely popular again this year and we sold over £2000 worth of books. Thank you again for all of your support as we will earn commission from this that we can spend in school. Watch this space!

WBD Books

The Oldfield Bookshop has very kindly donated enough of the WBD voucher books for every child to bring home 2 each (free!). Over the course of the week the children will be choosing their first and second choices and the books will then get distributed based on this. We will make sure every child has at least one of their choices of book. Please look out for the books which will be coming home at different points throughout this week. 

https://www.theoldfieldparkbookshop.co.uk/ 

Air Ambulance Visit

The children enjoyed their First Aid Training with the Air Ambulance as part of our CARE week last week. The trainer suggested that all children talk to their adults about learning their postcode (useful when making an emergency call). He also mentioned that emergency calls could be made from a mobile without knowing the password, and asked that all children look at their adults' phones (with a parent or carer) to see how to do this. Please talk to your children about the other skills that they learned - they are very knowledgeable! Thank you to all parents and carers who made the voluntary donation to the Air Ambulance. 

Careers Day

We were delighted to be visited by a range of people from different professions on Friday. The children listened attentively and asked interesting and thoughtful questions. It was a great way to end the week and really reflect on our value of Aspiration. 

Can you help?

The Eco Team are looking to make friendship benches using wood. We would like to use recycled wood and pallets. The Eco team would like to have some people to come and help us. Please contact the office if you have any spare wood. We would appreciate your donations.

Many thanks.

Eco Team

Reminders

Breakfast Club

We are really pleased with the number of children choosing to use our Breakfast Club. 

If your child is arriving for the early slots, please walk them to the small hall to be registered.

If your child is arriving for the 8am slot, please ensure they are registered by the adult on the gate before going down to the hall.

If you are interested in trying out Breakfast Club then visit our website to find out more: https://www.psjprimary.co.uk/our-school/wraparound-care-at-psj/ 

Parents' Evenings

On Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd April you will be able to meet your child's teacher to discuss their mid-year progress report and what they need to work on for the remainder of this academic year. We are offering a hybrid off in-person and on-line appointments in an effort to ensure ALL parents can find a time that suits them on either of these two days.

Appointments for both in-person and on-line appointments will need to be made via the online booking system and this will open for booking (for Years R-5) from 10am on 10th March.

Class News

Find out what we have been up to on our class pages and on Face Book.

Home Learning

The button below will take you to this week's home learning for every year group. Home learning is designed to enable children to practice skills they will need in school and so it is really important that they spend some time over the week on this home learning. 

Thank you for your continued support with your child's home learning; like learning to ride a bike or learning to swim, perfecting a skill takes practice so any time spent practising at home will support your child in class. If you or your child are struggling with aspects of home learning, please be sure to mention this at the upcoming parents' evenings so that we can find ways to support you.

National year of Reading

Rinse and Repeat! 

Most parents have experienced the ‘favourite book’ … when your child wants to read the same book again, and again, and again. Even a book that you quite like, can begin to lose its appeal.

However, it is important that your child has a choice in which books you read together. If your child chooses the book, they are more likely to engage with it and enjoy it.

Try to find time each day to look at a book together.

Children like hearing their favourite stories again and again. By having regular story times and letting your child choose their favourites, you’ll help them build a love of books.

Ask your child to choose their favourite story. They might enjoy you reading it to them again and again, but once they are familiar with it, encourage them to join in with repeated parts, rhyming words or noises.

Eventually they will probably be able to tell you the story themselves, or read it to a toy or pet. Enjoying a story, and knowing it really well will boost your child's confidence with books, and develop their early reading skills.

I would love to see pictures or videos of you reading your favourite book! Please send them to the office email with the subject FAO Miss Skipp - National Year of Reading. 

Happy reading!

Miss Skipp 

EYFS Updates

PSJ BITESIZE LITERACY

Developing Listening and Attention through Literacy

Literacy in the Early Years Foundation Stage - Reading

Our PSJ Bitesize in Term 1 focused upon how traditional nursery rhymes are a valuable part of language development in early years, providing the repetition required to develop the neural networks associated with language processing. Term 1 discussed how singing supports communication and language development. The following highlights how singing and rhyming develops children’s reading skills from Nursery through to the end of Reception

Nursery

Two to Three Year Olds

Children are interested in books and rhymes and may have favourites.

Children can join in with actions and sounds in familiar song and book sharing experience

Preschool

Children have some favourite stories, rhymes, songs, poems or jingles

Children can fill in the missing word or phrase in a known rhyme, story or game, e.g. Humpty Dumpty sat on a…

Children enjoy rhythmic and musical activity with percussion instruments, actions, rhymes and

songs, clapping along with the beat and are joining in with words of familiar songs and nursery rhymes.

Developing 

Can join in with repeated refrains and anticipates key events and phrases in rhymes and stories.

This progresses children on to begin to develop phonological and phonemic awareness by:

- Showing awareness of rhyme and alliteration

- Recognising rhythm in spoken words, songs, poems and rhymes

- Clap or tap the syllables in words during sound play

- Hears and says the initial sound in words

Reception

Beginning of Reception

Strengthening 

Can join in with repeated refrains and anticipates key events and phrases in rhymes and stories.

This progresses children on to begin to develop phonological and phonemic awareness by:

- Showing awareness of rhyme and alliteration

- Recognising rhythm in spoken words, songs, poems and rhymes

- Clap or tap the syllables in words during sound play

- Hears and says the initial sound in words

Moving on to

Children will then begin to read some 3 letter words, and to use developing knowledge of letters and sounds to read simple phonically decodable words and simple sentences.

Children will be able to engage with books and other reading materials at an increasingly deeper level, sometimes drawing on their phonic knowledge to decode words, and their knowledge of language structure, subject knowledge and illustrations to interpret the text.

End of Reception

Statutory ELG: Reading

Children at the expected level of development will:

- Say a sound for each letter in the alphabet and at least 10 digraphs;

- Read words consistent with their phonic knowledge by sound-blending;

- Read aloud simple sentences and books that are consistent with their phonic knowledge, including some common exception words.

PSJ BITESIZE Challenge - Singing

Robot Rhythm Song - Tapping and Clapping Beats

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p06r1z8n/sing-with-cbeebies-series-1-8-robot-rhythm-song?seriesId=unsliced 

Wave, Wave, Wave - Action Song

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p06r1ybf/sing-with-cbeebies-series-1-14-wave-wave-wave?seriesId=unsliced 

A Pirate Went to Sea - Rhythm and Rhyme

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p06r25c9/sing-with-cbeebies-series-1-3-a-pirate-went-to-sea 

FUN FACT FOR PARENTS

Singing can boost your immune system. Studies have shown that singing can boost your immune system by increasing the production of antibodies and improving the function of immune cells. This can help to protect you from illnesses and infections.

Singing can be a great workout for your body because it requires the use of multiple muscle groups, including your diaphragm, chest, neck, and face. This can help to tone your muscles and improve your overall fitness.

Five reasons to sing with your child

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/joinin/dualwa-benefits-of-singing 

Evo Sports at PSJ

The children have had lots of fun recently in PE and in clubs at lunchtime and after school. 

•  We have done Greek dancing in Year 6

• Fitness in Year 2 and Year 4. 

• Handball in Year 5: 

We also have had lots of fun in Dodgeball club and even had a World Book day special Football club. 

Evo Sports at PSJ

After School Club

Week 1

What an amazing start to the term! lent gardens and paper crosses were all in this week. It was also really nice to discuss with the children a little about the meaning of lent during some quieter moments. Some of them decided they would do some really thoughtful things or ‘give something up’ for lent. Let’s hope they can stick to it.

Week 2 

This week we celebrated WBD and St Davids Day. The storytelling game went down a treat. We had some real belly laughs as we heard about horses with big paws and all sorts. The daffodils were also wonderfully put together as the photos show. Another creative week and the costumes we witnessed throughout were nothing short of amazing. Parents, we commend you!

Community News and Events