Class 1Welcome to Class 1
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Class teacher
My name is Miss Clare Leighton (email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
), and I teach Class 1.
The beginning of the school day
Children in Reception are expected to line up outside the back entrance of the classroom on the hard surface of the playground once the bell has been rung. Either Mrs Wellbelove or I will then lead in the class. If your child should arrive after the register they will need to enter the school via the front door (as the back door will be locked after the line has entered the classroom). You will need to register your child in the office and confirm lunch arrangements. Once inside the classroom your child will need to deposit their book bag and drinking bottle in the boxes provided, and hang up any garments or bags on their named pegs. Any money or letters in envelopes should be handed to either Mrs Wellbelove or myself to be placed into the green tray, which will then make its way to the office. Please ensure that any money is enclosed in a sealed envelope which is clearly labelled with your child’s name, the amount of money being paid and what it is being paid for.
Milk and snack time
The government supplies a fresh piece of fruit or vegetable for each child in Key Stage 1, and cartons of milk are available at a reasonable cost. The snacks varies from apples to carrots and sometimes, when in season, strawberries. As we are a Health Promoting School we do ask for your child’s snack to be a healthy one. I am aware that not every child enjoys eating fruit or vegetables, so if you feel it necessary to send in a snack from home, could I please ask that is a healthy one. Snack time is a very important time in the day. We all sit in a circle and eat our snacks together (including myself and Mrs. Wellbelove). The children assist in handing out the snacks and milk: we all enjoy this quiet time and value it as part of PSED development.
At the end of the day
The children will be asked to sit on the carpet with all of their belongings. If there are any changes with the collection of your child it is important to let Mrs Wellbelove or myself know. Once you or the person designated to collect your child arrives they will be sent out of the back door leading onto the playground. If you have any questions or need to speak to me about anything could I please ask for you to wait until all the children have been sent home? This enables me to concentrate on seeing the children safely into your care.
Reading
During the school week we will aim to listen to your child read at least twice. Your child is able to choose books from the wooden boxes to bring home to read with you whenever they like. They will also bring home a book from the scheme at the beginning and at the end of the week. At the beginning of term your child can choose the books from the scheme s/he would like to read, starting with the simplest form. As the scheme progresses they follow an order which develops in story, character and difficulty.
Reading at home should be a relaxed and enjoyable experience. If your child is too tired at the end of the day to read it is best not to force the issue. Reading at a different time of the day may be more beneficial. Whilst reading with your child it is important to allow them to sound out the letters. However if they become stuck it is also fine for you to read the words or sound out the letters for them. Encourage your child to read the pictures. This often helps them to think of the next word and content of the story.
Phonics
Phonics is an integral part of the school day. At the beginning of the year your child will be doing a variety of activities which aim to get them used to the idea of listening. Later in the term, children will learn a new sound each day. We aim to allow 15 minutes every day exclusively for phonics. As the year progresses your child will be playing games, writing the sounds and following the fun activities from the Letters and Sounds scheme.
Behaviour: Golden Time
Golden Time is a positive behaviour scheme. All children are given half an hour of free time to play with games and resources kept in the Golden Time box. In the classroom we have a Golden Time chart. Each child’s name starts off under the sun at the beginning of the school day. During the school day a child is allowed two warnings for continuous negative behaviour. On the third warning their name will be placed under the warning cloud. At this point the child will have been warned about the consequence of their negative behaviour. If however, we need to speak to a child for the fourth time their name will be placed under the rain cloud, and five minutes of their Golden Time will be taken away. If a child loses five minutes of Golden Time each day, accumulating to 25 minutes for the week (which is something I have never yet seen) they will still be allowed five minutes of Golden Time to play and join in with their friends.
PE Kit
PE will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, it is important for your child’s kit to be kept in school during the week as we may often plan cross-curricular lessons that involve different subjects on the curriculum, including PE. Labelling your child’s PE kit and regular school clothes makes our life a lot easier. It decreases confusion and misplaced clothes.
Changes of clothes
Occasionally your child may have an 'accident' that may result in them needing to be changed. Mrs. Wellbelove and I will do anything we can to ensure this is not a stressful experience. We will help them to change their clothes as soon as we are aware. However, it is easier for us and more comfortable for them if they have a spare set of clothes in school. If your think your child may need a spare change of clothes we would be grateful if they are labelled and kept in with their PE kits.
Parent help
If you are interested in coming in and helping during the school day we would love to accommodate you. An extra pair of hands is always appreciated. If you would like to spent time in the classroom please talk to either me or Mrs. Wellbelove and we will arrange a time or day that suits you.
01223 262474 
01223 262011 