We really enjoyed STEM week and visited the Rocket workshop in the main hall. Some of our pupils even got up at the front of the whole year group and took part in some experiments with balloons. Lots of concentration was required and Gems pupils sat and listened for a long time. 

We are ready for our festival of sport and look forward to sharing all our hard work with families and the wider school community. Let’s all hope for some sunshine as we know lots of our friends had to be very brave and do their festival of sport in the rain!

When the sports have finished, we will still be preparing for more activities as we will take part in our sponsored walk. We are delighted to join Reception on their route into Richmond Park and also be accompanied by some of our good friends from Garnet class in Year 6.

Please can you continue to share some photos of Richmond Park with your children. I am sure it’s going to be a really fun event and a nice way to end the week. 

Next week will be our final full week in the Gems building before our exciting new move in September. We have achieved so much, and the children have grown in many ways during this academic year. We think they will love their new space, but we will always have very fond memories of our first year as a class in this small, but ultimately wonderful home.

Most families are aware that we head over at 8.50 for daily OT so if we are not in the building, head over to the main office and staff will direct the pupils from there.

  

   

                                

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. 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

• If you are late in the morning and we have gone to OT, please bring your child to the main office and someone will help you from there.

• 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.