Phonics: First off, a big well done to all the children who practised their tricky words over the half-term! I’ve already noticed a noticeable improvement, and it’s great to see their confidence growing. This week, we are focusing on the following sounds:  ir (as in bird)  ie (as in pie)  ue (as in blue, rescue)  u (as in unicorn) We’re also learning the new tricky words: their, people, oh, and your.

Please continue practising these at home to help your child gain confidence with their reading and writing. Little wandle books for this week have now been set.

We’ve kicked off our English lessons with the beautiful story Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers. This week, we’ve been exploring the journey of the boy and penguin, sequencing the events, and labeling nouns from the story. The children have also been discussing how it feels when we lose something or get lost, and the emotions we experience when we are found. It’s been lovely to see them engage so thoughtfully with the story.

In Maths, we’ve been focusing on number bonds to 10, which are a vital skill for building fluency in maths. We’ve been using different strategies, such as Numicon, the part/part whole method, and our fingers to explore this. This is an essential skill, so please continue to practice at home to help your child recall number bonds quickly and easily. For extra practice, I’ve set some homework on Edshed, and I’ve attached a fun number bond booklet full of engaging activities. You could also use the Hit the Button game on Topmarks to support your child’s learning: Hit the Button.

In RE and Art, our focus this week has been on angels. The children have been thinking deeply about what an angel is, what it might look like, and when and why we might see pictures of angels. They’ve come up with some incredibly thoughtful responses, and I’m so proud of their creativity and insights.

Just a reminder, Forest School will now take place in Spring 2 (after February half-term and before Easter). I will send further details closer to the time, including which group your child will be in.

Thank you so much for your continued support. It’s fantastic to see how much the children are learning and growing, and I truly appreciate all your efforts at home.

Mrs Platt