Wonderful Willow's
🌿 Willow Class – What a Wonderful Start!
What an amazing start to school the children in Willow Class have had! We have now completed our first full week and three full days, and the children have coped amazingly well. We are so proud of how confidently they have settled into their new routines and explored their new environment.
It has been lovely to see the children becoming more familiar with the different areas of our classroom and outdoor provision. They have shown such curiosity and enthusiasm as they explore, play and get to know one another.
🎁 Treasure Boxes
A real highlight has been sharing the children's treasure boxes with the adults in Willow Class. The children have shown so much confidence when talking about their special objects and photographs.
Thank you so much for the time and effort you have put into helping your child prepare their treasure box. It has been a wonderful way for us to learn more about each child — their families, pets, interests, favourite things and experiences outside of school. These little glimpses into their lives are really important in helping us get to know your children and what makes them special.
🎶 Learning Through Play
We haven't started any formal teaching just yet, as these first days have been all about settling in, building relationships, learning routines and exploring our environment.
We have enjoyed singing lots of nursery rhymes and counting songs together. The children have also had a go at listening carefully to sounds and rhythms. When I played the drum, they tried to count the beats and repeat the rhythm back — a great way to develop their listening, attention and early mathematical skills!
The children are also beginning to learn how we sit together on the carpet, listen to one another and take part in group activities. They have drawn pictures of themselves and enjoyed hand printing, as well as developing their physical skills through lots of active play.
There has been plenty of outdoor fun too, including:
🚲 Riding bikes
🏖️ Playing in the sandpit
💧 Exploring water play indoors and outdoors
🏠 Developing imaginative play in our role-play areas
The children have been busy exploring all areas of provision. In construction, they have enjoyed building Lego houses and magnetic castles, while in the role-play areas they have been acting out all sorts of scenarios in our home corner and shop. It has been fantastic to watch their imaginations develop as they play together and begin to make new friendships.
📚 Reading Books Are Coming Home!
Books and reading diaries were sent home yesterday in the children's book bags. Initially, your child will have a wordless book.
Wordless books are a fantastic way to develop early reading skills. Please encourage your child to look carefully at the pictures and talk about what they can see. You could make up a story together, discuss what the characters are doing and think about why something might have happened.
There is no need to worry about getting the "right" story — the most important thing is that your child is talking, listening, using their imagination and enjoying books with you.
Once we begin our phonics teaching, books containing words will gradually be sent home that match the sounds and skills your child is learning in school.
Your child's Rhino Reader login details have been stuck inside the front cover of their reading diary. Books will be allocated today, so you will be able to begin enjoying some online reading together too.
🔤 What Happens Next?
Next week, I will begin carrying out the children's baseline assessments. These help us to understand each child's starting point and identify their individual strengths and areas for development.
Once the baseline assessments have been completed, we will begin our more formal teaching of phonics and Mastering Number, alongside our continued learning through play and exploration. If you would like any further information about the baseline assessment then please follow this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reception-baseline-assessment-information-for-parents
We are incredibly excited about the year ahead and all the learning, experiences and adventures that Willow Class will share together.
A huge thank you for all your support during these first few days. Starting school is such a big milestone for children and families, and your encouragement and support at home makes such a difference.
We are so proud of our Willow children already! 🌿💚
