Navidad Feliz

Weekly update for week beginning 18th December 2006

Can you believe it? Your child has now done a full term in school and what a term it has been! the children are all fully settled now and the speed of progress the children are making is fantastic. May I take this opportunity to thank you all for your part in the partnership between home and school. Your child's progress is evident of the hard work yourselves and the school put in.

We had a fabulous time at the cathedral and Mr Barker was full of praise and admiration for the children. We even got to have our photograph took infront of the nativity scene. I have placed the photograph on the desktop of the Interactive Whiteboard if you want to have a look at it.

This week is only short but nevertheless action packed with seasonal activities. On Monday, the children will have a some-what normal afternoon (if it is at all possible to call the foundation Stage 'normal) which will be followed by their Christmas Party and a visit from Father Christmas himself! No expense spared for our little treasures! We would like to thank Mrs Lockett who works with us on a Thursday and a Friday for trudging around the shops for gifts for the children. The children do not have to be in their school uniform for this day and can come donned in the latest fashion, hair gel, etc. PS Don't forget their dancing shoes!

Tuesday morning the children will be practising for the Christmas carol service which is being led by the 'giants' of our school - the Year 5/6 children. Our class will be singing Rat-a-tat-tat, Horrid Herod and Away in a manger with the rest of Key Stage 1. Although space is very limited, you are welcome to attend the carol service on Wednesday morning (as long as you join in with the singing!)

Wednesday is obviously the carol service and the children have a lovely day. The children are allowed to bring in a toy to play with. We do encourage the children to bring in a toy that the can share with a friend e.g a card game, Buckaroo, Hungry Hippos, etc (I love those!!) They are finally treated to a pantomime performed in the school hall by our parents. We all have a great laugh! Last year I had to do a 'bush-tucker trial' involving jelly and creepy-crawlies. The children love it (and secretly so do the staff). All in all, the children go out on a high and are ready to drive you mental over the Christmas holidays. Ha ha ha!!! Please don't worry for I too have a three year old excited to the point of explosion to contend with over the Christmas break.

In addition to this, we will be completing our assessments of the children. WOW!!! is the word that comes to mind so far as we collate our information. Please remember to check out your child's diary for information on the letter names, sounds and numbers they need to work on as well as any other additional information we may need to pass on.

After lulling you into a false sense of security, I have found a series of websites which you can use to give your child a 'taster' of what is in store for the New Year. These should keep them busy over the holidays.

www.ictgames.com/letterlifter.html - develops letter recognition and keyboard awareness
www.ictgames.com/phonic_fighter4.html - love it!!
www.ictgames.com/plankgameR.html - remember to keep those high frequency words going.
www.ictgames.com/lcwc.html - type in your own spellings to learn
www.ictgames.com/machine.html - look at the picture then blend the sounds together to read the words and click on the matching one. Remember to use pure sounds.
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/numbertime/games/find_the.shtml - fnd the number that matches the one under Bill's feathers
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/numbertime/games/snakes.shtml - snakes and ladders for one and two players
www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/numorder.swf - ordering random numbers
www.ictgames.com/caterpillar_slider.html - ordering random numbers
http://pbskids.org/lions/games/ears2.html - hearing the initial and final sounds in words and matching the letter symbol
www.ictgames.com/postletter.html - number recognition game
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/christmas/santa%20count.html - a little festive counting
http://pbskids.org/lions/games/pounce2.html - using the initial letter to identify words

And for some Christmas fun...
http://www.merry-christmas.com/games/games.htm

http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/christmas/ Christmas resources from Northumberland Grid for Learning.

http://www.btinternet.com/~tony.poulter/xmas/xmastlinks.htm

http://members.tripod.com/~newyearseve/

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/teacher/christmas.html

http://www.star28.net/snow.html hilarious!! the penguin will write your message in the snow - perhaps you could write the high frequency words.

http://dingo.care2.com/cards/new/0422/Do-a-rain-deer.swf play the reindeer noses!!

http://www.icq.com/friendship/pages/browse_page_7944.html reindeer band

http://www.bry-backmanor.org/actpag75.html a to z of Christmas book

The children have also been working extremely hard on their Christmas gifts for you and you will eventually get to see them this week.

Thats all folks!

Have a fantastic Christmas and an amazing New Year.

Mmmmm...what will we be up to in 2007?????

Take care

Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxx