We were so thrilled with our Gems trip to Little Bears café last week. It was a great learning curve for all our pupils to walk into Richmond, catch a bus and visit a new venue as a class group. Gems pupils coped so well with this special trip, and it is something that we definitely hope to repeat next term. The Little Bears café is a brilliant venue for younger children, and we cannot recommend it enough.

We are concluding our work on Carnival and Little Seed. Our plants are growing and Y1 pupils have really grasped the language and journey associated with this text. YR gets to celebrate in style on Friday as they will be joining the carnival as it makes its way through the whole school where they will be cheered on by all their peers. We have been creating lots of English work, sequencing the story, and creating our own drama role play which pupils have really enjoyed. It is also beneficial that we get to experience this text when they visit Reception for Free Learning.

There was also the steel pan workshop which some pupils got to experience. This was lots of fun and by the end of it we could follow some instructions and (nearly) play Baby Shark.

We continue to work with all mainstream classes to prepare for phonics screening. There is no pressure with any of this and pupils work at the level that is appropriate for them. 

We are also increasing the amount of practical maths skills that pupils can work with and focusing on pupils understanding of “on top of “ “behind” “in front” and “underneath” 

We were delighted to meet Hannah Ling our new SALT this week and she is looking forward to working with all the Gems team over the next term.

Wishing you all a relaxing half term.

 

All the Gems team.

Please email srp@vineyard.richmond.sch.uk with any queries and the Gems team will be happy to help.

    

    

                               

 

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

• A reminder that it is half term next week.

• 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.

• Reading Records will be sent home weekly. Please read with your child even if the text is too difficult. Looking at the pictures and exposing them to language will always be beneficial.

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

        Y1 pupils will move on to set 2 and 3 sounds but at a pace that works for them.

• 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.

• Drop off time is 8.40. Pick up time for Gems pupils is 3.05. 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 8.50.