Welcome to the Bluebirds Class!
Staff
Teacher: Lisa Garside
TAs: Tracey Ferguson, Aimee Nutt, Pam Seers and Rhoni Montgomery
Mid Day Leader: Suzanne Barnsley
Newsletter
On The Move
The Bluebirds have settled into the new school year at Halcyon Way very well. We have been busy making friends with our peers and establishing a good routine.
This half-term our topic has been ‘On the Move’, we have enjoyed moving around school; especially going to the studio for Jabadao where we have explored moving our bodies in different ways. We have also been moving around the large hall whilst we practice our ball skills.
In Early English we have been reading the story ‘Walking Through the Jungle’, we have been repeating familiar words and phrases and have enjoyed the follow-up activities, exploring different animals, painting and mark making to create our own animals and dressing up in animal masks.
We have been working on our mark making skills through Move and Mark, warming our hands and arms up at the start of the session using the lycra and ribbons and then using different media to make marks.
Our build, sort, manipulate and play Early Maths sessions have been filled with building and stacking using lots of different types of bricks, showing an interest in number and counting and beginning to explore inset jigsaws and shape sorters.
Through our Time for Me sessions we have been looking at our feelings using the story ‘The Colour Monster’, we have been recognising colours and relating them to feelings, making faces in the mirrors and on Mr Potato Head and have created some beautiful artwork for our display.
Enjoy a good rest over the half-term ready for lots more fun and learning in Autumn 2.
Signalong
At Halcyon Way we use Signalong as a part of a Total Communication Approach, we are constantly using core vocabulary with the children to support their language development and then through each of our topics we introduce new signs and language, which extends their vocabulary further. We also have two “Signs of the Week” which helps maintain and extend key knowledge and skills of everyday vocabulary.
Each half term we will be creating a short video showcasing and demonstrating signs relavent for the current term so that you can learn the signs and further this learning at home.
Click play to watch this half terms Signalong video!
Lunchtime
If your child has a school dinner, the school menus can be accessed by clicking here. For children who bring a packed lunch, please remember to provide healthy and balanced options. We are a Healthy School and will be focusing on healthy eating and how children can make healthy lifestyle choices.
How You Can Help at Home
The following activities are suggested as appropriate homework activities which you can enjoy with your child and reinforce the learning we are focusing on this half term. Our topic this half term is ‘Winter Wonderland’.
- Ask them to tell you about the stories they are learning this half term – ‘One Snowy Night’ and ‘Elmer in the Snow’.
- Read books together and encourage your child to turn the page and hold the book the right way up
- Look at pictures in books and encourage your child to find/identify/name objects on the page
- Encourage your child to look at themselves in the mirror and look at photographs of themselves – can they point to facial features when asked?
- Encourage your child to independently explore toys, use hand-over-hand support to encourage if needed – encourage your child to build/stack using blocks, bricks etc.
- Practice topic related signs and use symbols – these can be found on the school website
- Encourage your child to communicate their needs using their preferred means, e.g. spoken words, gesture, sign or symbols – if you need any symbols to use at home please let us know
- Encourage your child to count and hear number names, singing number songs, look at numbers 1-5
- Talk about the weather when outside and looking out of the window – experience different weather
- Encourage your child to develop their self-help skills by feeding themselves, washing own hands and faces, taking own shoes and coats off, choosing their own coat from a choice of 2
- Encourage and allow them to try new things independently, let them make safe mistakes and tell them it is ok to make them – Most importantly have fun and remember that play is learning!
- Encourage your child to tidy up after themselves – we play the Clean Up song at tidy up time – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFl8LWN-xlA&list=OLAK5uy_mPlneeXDMNOTqKJwvKOJkpnwif3_l_6kA
Useful links
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ENSjcMhzwY – Wake up Shake up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffeZXPtTGC4 – Phonics Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQMr_XY7IEM – Brushing Teeth Song
