I hope you all had a lovely half-term! It’s fantastic to have the children back, and they are buzzing with excitement for the new term and all the learning ahead! This week, we’ve hit the ground running! The children have already jumped into some fun activities – our highlight has definatly been our Teddy Bear hospital.

English

This term, all our children will be taking part in some fantastic whole class English lessons, and I have to say, they have blown us away with their eagerness to learn!

We’re having a great time exploring non-fiction books, and we’ve been using the wonderful book 'Growing Frogs' by Vivian French. It’s a lovely story that helps us dive into the life cycle of frogs and is perfect for getting to grips with information texts.

In our lessons, we’re focusing on writing statements and creating questions for captions. It’s been brilliant to see the children think critically about the information they read, while also having a lot of fun with their writing.

Maybe you could try reading some non-fiction texts together or chatting about interesting facts you come across in daily life. Encouraging them to ask questions and share their thoughts will really help reinforce what they’re learning.

 

Reading

Reading at 3 - Every Friday at 3 our doors will be open for you to come in and read with your child, please note, this will be for the full 15 minutes and children should not leave any earlier. Their books will be set up and ready for you to come in and enjoy listening to their wonderful reading.

Reading folders – Some children will continue to bring home two books, one being a RWI home book. Children are expected to try and read this three times during the week to ensure they are building on their reading fluency. The RWI home books will be changed by an adult.

The other book (with the coloured sticker) should be changed independently by the child themselves - first thing in the morning is a great time to do this!

Many children have now been moved onto the accelerated reader programme. (Please check their reading records for their ZPD scores. We will continue to assess and move more children onto this when they are ready. Children can change these books after they have completed the quiz online. The AR login can be found here… https://global-zone61.renaissance-go.com/welcomeportal/1892319

For a guide on how to use Accelerated Reader please click here… https://www.chiltonprimary.co.uk/accelerated-reader

Please ensure that the reading folders are placed in the reading trays/baskets, so we can read with your children and ensure books get changed. Thank you for your support with this!

Please listen to your child read as much as possible at home and record this in their reading records. Every week, one child from each class will receive a reading certificate in our Chilton Heroes assembly.

 

Maths

This term, we’ve started by exploring the concept of the inverse, and I’m thrilled to say that the children have done an amazing job!

At the beginning of the week, we discovered that addition is commutative, meaning it doesn’t matter what order you add numbers in—what a fun fact! We used part-part-whole models to help them understand this idea, and it seemed to really click for them.

As the week went on, we tackled some missing number problems and worked on a variety of word problems. It’s been wonderful to see the kids applying their skills in different ways, and I couldn’t be prouder of their hard work!

 

PSHE

We devoted the day to understanding the fundamental principles that underpin our society. The students engaged enthusiastically in activities that helped them remember the five British values: democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance. To make the learning experience even more memorable, we used our hands to remember these values—each finger represented a different principle!

We held a vote of our own in the classroom. It was a delightful experience to see our pupils embracing the democratic process, discussing their views, and making their voices heard. This activity not only reinforced their understanding of democracy but also fostered a sense of community within the classroom.

 

Oracy

Over the week, we have been working diligently on our Oracy skills. We have had a particular focus on speaking clearly and confidently, incorporating hand gestures and facial expressions to enhance our communication. One of the activities we undertook was retelling a traditional tale, which allowed the children to practise these skills in a fun and engaging manner. It was wonderful to see their creativity shine as they then tried their hand at crafting their own stories!

We believe that strong oracy skills are foundational to effective communication and play a vital role in your child's overall educational journey. 

 

Love to Learn

To improve the children’s mental maths skills, we would love for them to practice their number bonds to 20. This can be done in any way you like.

Get creative and have fun!

 

World Book Day Thursday 6th March 2025 

This year's World Book Day theme at Chilton, will be picture books.  We invite children to share their favourite book on this day and if they wish. Children are invited to dress up as their favourite character from a book if they prefer.  We would like to remind families that there is no expectation for you to spend money on costumes.  An enjoyment of reading and sharing a story is our main aim for World Book Day.  

 

Book Fayre 

The Chilton Book Fayre will arrive on Monday 10th March and run until Friday 14th March outside the Year 5 classrooms. Children will come home with a World Book Day book voucher.  These can be spent at the Book Fayre. Cash and online payments are also available, and a percentage of the monies raised will go towards funding more books for Chilton children.  

 

Dates to Remember

6th March – World book day

10th – 14th March – Book fair

14th March 9 – 11am – Managing children’s behaviour workshop in the studio

21st March – Red nose day/Rock your socks day for Downs Syndrome awareness. This year Red Nose Day is celebrating its 40th anniversary, originating in 1985. We would like to invite children to come into school in 1980s dress up. Children are invited to wear odd socks as part of their outfit to show support for Rock your socks Downs Syndrome awareness day.

21st March – Parents invited into school from 3.15 to look at their child’s learning prior to parent teacher consultations

24th March – Parent teacher consultation week

2nd April at 9.05am – Easter Bonnet Parade for Reception, year 1 and year 2 in school hall

3rd April – Easter Egg Hunts in school

3rd April – Last day of term. School finishes at usual time.

 

We hope you have a lovely weekend!

Miss Kennedy and Mrs Winchcombe and all the Year 2 team.

 

Mrs Poppy Winchcombe – Team Azure – poppy.winchcombe@chiltonprimary.co.uk

Miss Maddy Kennedy – Team Peacock – maddy.kennedy@chiltonprimary.co.uk