Welcome to the Herons Class!
Staff
Teacher: Kimberley Pattillo
TAs: Rachel Mitchell, Muna Inam and Rachel Platt
Mid Day Leader: Sam Grundy
Newsletter
Food Glorious Food
The Herons have enjoyed this topic and all the activities linked to it. They particularly enjoyed the story ‘Jelly had a Wobble’ and exploring and tasting jelly afterwards. We have started a new program of sharing stories in our Relevant Reading sessions; the children have enjoyed listening to action songs, sharing picture books, listening to sensory stories and listening to stories on the plasma screen.
We have had lots of celebratory days this half term too, and the children have loved them all. We dressed up in our Pjs and pretended to be pirates for World Book Day, we embraced all things ‘red’ for Red Nose Day, we sported our PJs and brought in chocolate for our school Easter raffle, and we explored all things India for Languages Day.
It’s been a short, but very busy half term.
The Herons.
Signalong
At Kingfisher we use Signalong as a part of a Total Communication Approach, we are constantly using core vocabulary with the children to support their language development and then through each of our topics we introduce new signs and language, which extends their vocabulary further. We also have two “Signs of the Week” which helps maintain and extend key knowledge and skills of everyday vocabulary.
Each half term we will be creating a short video showcasing and demonstrating signs relavent for the current term so that you can learn the signs and further this learning at home.
You can view this half terms signalong video below:
Lunchtime
If your child has a school dinner, the school menus can be accessed by clicking here. For children who bring a packed lunch, please remember to provide healthy and balanced options. We are a Healthy School and will be focusing on healthy eating and how children can make healthy lifestyle choices.
How You Can Help at Home
The following activities are suggested as appropriate homework activities which you can enjoy with your child and reinforce the learning we are focussing on this half term –
- • Share picture books and stories with your child – This half term we will be exploring ‘The Jelly that Wobbles’ – This can be purchased off Amazon using the following link, if you want to use it at home: https://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Jelly-Had-Wobble-PB/dp/0702305480/ref=asc_df_0702305480/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=394358646404&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=638477628573118214&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046660&hvtargid=pla1350365360832&psc=1&mcid=d519a30e78df36479d60aff034dfa0aa&th=1&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=81876192677&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=394358646404&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=638477628573118214&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046660&hvtargid=pla-1350365360832
- • Share songs and rhymes with your child – We use a site called ‘HelpKidzLearn’ and ‘Barefoot Books’ which can be accessed via YouTube using the following link:
- https://www.youtube.com/user/barefootbooks
- • Give your child lots of opportunities to make real choices. Give your child a choice of at least 2 things, you can use real objects to do this or, if you can, photographs. To stretch your child’s learning make one of the choices something you know your child doesn’t like or want, this will encourage them to really think about what they are choosing
- • Encourage your child to be as independent as possible – help them to tidy up after themselves, undress and dress themselves, feed themselves
- • Give your child lots of opportunities to ‘explore’ and ‘investigate.’ A box filled with interesting toys and safe household objects is an excellent resource. Your child can explore what’s in the box, how the objects feel, look, smell, taste. They can investigate how the objects work and they can do it independently
- • Support your child to do short ‘Skill Building’ activities these could be: – threading beads on a lace, doing an inset jigsaw, building towers with blocks or using stacking toys
- • Provide your child with sensory play activities. There are lots of examples of these on Pinterest
- • If possible, take your child into nature. This could be a muddy walk splashing in puddles, making a snowman, walking in the snow, sledging.
