Weekly News – Friday 22nd September

Dear Parents

Well, the weather has certainly taken a turn this week, but the children are still full of sunny smiles. Please ensure they bring their coats to school for cooler/wetter weather, although as I write, the forecast is sunny again for next week!

On Monday we welcomed Reverend Tony to lead an assembly for Years 1 and 2 on the theme of peace. He very much looks forward to working with us more closely as he is now a co-opted member of our Governing Body. He has invited children, parents and grandparents to a monthly Messy Church on Sunday mornings if you wish to attend - details are on our Community Links page. We are also looking forward to two events held at All Saints' Church this term, for Years 1 and 2. Our Harvest Festival is on the morning of Wednesday 11th October and we are excited about a new event, a service to celebrate the beginning of Advent on Monday 27th November. Both will be at 9.30am, look out for more details of these events closer to the time. Unfortunately there are strict limits on numbers in the church due to fire regulations, but we will make sure that our Early Years children do not miss out on these occasions. We will celebrate both Harvest and Advent in school and look forward to introducing Reverend Tony to our Foxes and Squirrels this term.

It was lovely to see so many parents at our Road Safety assemblies for EYFS today. We hope that with your guidance, the children are able to apply what they have learned.

Mr Taylor and I continue to pop into every class and I am fortunate to be able to teach music to Years 1 and 2 on a weekly basis. Year 2 learned some songs and played instruments with me this week, based around their Great Fire of London topic, and in Year 1 every child has had the opportunity to play an instrument - my ears are still ringing ;-). Great fun has been had by us all and I loved reading stories to Foxes and Squirrels classes today.

I look forward to seeing you at our Year 1 and 2 meetings next week. Please also pop in if you can to support our Macmillan Coffee Morning on Friday. It is always a lovely event and a good opportunity to catch up with other parents. We would welcome donations of cakes, whether bought or homemade. If you can provide us with a list of ingredients it would be so helpful to those who may have allergies.

Enjoy your weekend.

Best wishes,
Tracey Wilson

Essentials for next week!

  • Our Year 1 Parents Meeting is on Monday 25th, and our Year 2 Parents Meeting is on Tuesday 26th, both at 8.50am. These will be short meetings for all parents to go through essential information about the curriculum and the academic year ahead. Information will be published on our website and sent via ParentMail if you are not able to attend.
  • On Friday 29th September we will host a Macmillan Coffee Morning in the hall. Please come along for tea, coffee and of course some delicious cakes and treats! It is a cause very close to the school's heart, so we would love your support if you are able to attend.
  • Please ensure that valuable and precious items are not brought into school, as we cannot guarantee their safety. Many thanks.
  • Hopefully you are now in the routine for after school clubs. Please check the clubs timetable if you are unsure and remember that all children will be seen out through the main entrance.
  • Forest School lessons are on Tuesdays for Sharks and Thursdays for Parrots. Please make sure that children come to school in their Forest School clothing.
  • Children should come to school in their full PE kit on PE days. This is Tuesdays and Wednesdays for Year 1 and Thursdays and Fridays for Year 2. As the weather becomes cooler, please ensure children have joggers or leggings to keep them warm, and a school sweatshirt or plain hoodie for exercise outside. A waterproof coat is also useful.
  • Please check the diary dates for details of upcoming events.

Word of the week

Our word of the week chosen by Dolphins class is "deciduous", from the Latin "decidere", meaning to fall down.  Please discuss the meaning of the word with your child and try to use it in conversations this week.

Home Learning

Please follow the links below to access this week's home learning for Years 1 and 2.
Year 1 Home Learning
Year 2 Home Learning

Highlights of the week

Year 2

In 1666, London burned like rotten sticks! We've had great fun this week with some role-play, imagining ourselves in London at the time of The Great Fire. We ordered the sequence of events leading up to the fire and we also learned how to use our Chromebooks this week!

Year 1

The children have really impressed us this week with their enthusiasm and hard work in English and Maths. We started our new topic based around the book "A House in the Woods" by Inga Moore and we learned about different types of homes.

EYFS

The children have been having a great time exploring our environment and learning to make friends! Thank you for coming to the Road Safety assemblies today, we look forward to seeing you again in October, at our Mini Picnics!

Forest School

It was a very windy day, so we learned how to fly a kite - we had such a lot of fun!

Keeping children safe

  • Emergency contact details must be up to date. Please email us at parents@writtleinfantschool.com if your details have changed.
  • Any food brought to school must not contain nuts or egg-based foods (e.g. egg mayo, scotch egg, omelette etc.).
  • We all have a duty to safeguard the children in our care. If you have any concerns about a child, please contact the school, the Chairs of Governors (if your concern is about a member of teaching staff), or the Essex Child and Families Hub on 0345 603 7627.