Thank you for your understanding with regards to the change of date for our trip to Hobbledown Heath. We will now be attending on Friday 7th June.

Feel free to look at the website with your children at home as we continue to prepare them for an exciting day.

https://www.hobbledown.com/hounslow/ 

Our class caterpillars have now been transferred to their new home and pupils have really enjoyed watching the chrysalis forming. We will soon be expecting our first glimpses of butterflies, and we look forward to feeding them lots of fruit before releasing them. 

This work we explored some set 2 sounds in Phonics and were really pleased with our children’s efforts. Feel free to explore more set 2 sounds on Ruth Miskin website.

In phonics we have been learning/ recapping the sound ‘sh’.

We are also pushing hard to ensure Gems pupils can take off coats (and shoes) and hang them in the appropriate place. Please ensure that they are hanging up their clothes at home as well. If we are mirroring the same practices, then hopefully we will all have less coats to pick up off the floor!

We are pleased to see Gems pupils trying more food in the lunch hall. We know it is important for families that our children expand their taste buds. Rest assured, staff are encouraging as many different food types as possible, and we are noticing that some pupils are proving to be more adventurous.

Attention bucket makes up a large part of our timetable. Pupils have progressed and responded positively to the many stages of this process. It is a fairly easy process and something you could do at home should you be interested. 

https://www.kidztz.com/attention-bucket/ 

Please continue Phonics work at home if you can. But rest assured, there is no expectation to know all phonics. All pupils are on a journey, and we want them to work at the pace that suits them. 

We also recommend “reading for pleasure” as much as possible. If stories are too difficult, even just looking at the pictures and seeing what their attention is drawn to, is great for developing concentration and awareness.

We will continue to send home differentiated reading packs. Again, this is just for confidence building.

We find that LittleBig Foxes, Number Blocks and RWI songs on their websites are a great source of fun and education. 

                           

Key messages

• Please practise writing and saying the Set 1 sounds at home, using the phonics website by Ruth Miskin to help you. 

• Would families please be so kind as to donate some general cooking supplies to help with our Thursday sessions. e.g., flour, oil, eggs, butter, lifelong milk, cupcake cases. This is not compulsory. Donations welcome.

• Pick up time for Gems pupils is 3pm. Please try to be prompt so we can maximise the time we have to set up for the next day’s learning.

• Please ensure that you have notified the school if you are going to be late. Gems registers MUST be completed by 9am.