“I can if I try!”

Dear Parents / Annwyl Rhieni,

WELCOME TO NURSERY!

I am thrilled to have the opportunity of teaching your child this year and I am thoroughly looking forward to all the exciting activities we have planned.

Starting nursery is a very important part of your child’s life and at Pontlliw Primary we believe that children thrive within a caring environment, where they feel appreciated and valued.

Aims of Nursery

As nursery is your child’s first experience of school, we aim to create a love of learning through making it a safe, nurturing place to play and learn.
To provide a rich and varied environment, that will stimulate your child’s curiosity and imagination both indoors and outdoors.
To develop literacy, numeracy and digital skills.
To develop independence.
To develop self-esteem through praise and encouragement.
To develop social skills.
To develop self-care skills.
To build links between home and school.
To prepare your child for full time education.
To make their first year of school fun.

Our Big Questions:

Our Big Questions for this year are:

Autumn Term – Which is your favourite storybook character?

Spring Term – What happens at different times of the year?

Summer Term – What adventures can we have?

Summer 2024:

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Class routines

Monday

Our special sound of the week is introduced today. We follow the Jolly Phonics scheme, which is a fun and multi-sensory approach to teaching literacy. With actions and songs for each of the forty two letter sounds, the method is both motivating and enjoyable for children. It would be beneficial for your child if you could support their learning at home by looking for things that begin with this initial sound, or by playing I spy games. In class, our phonics are reinforced through a variety of different methods that suit all learning styles. For the children that are quite confident with their sounds, alternative, appropriate activities are provided.

Each week, one group will be given the opportunity to bring an item to school that begins with our special sound for show and tell. Please, nothing fragile or valuable!

Tuesday

‘Magical maths’. Today we concentrate on learning our shapes and numbers.

We also have circle time where we develop our personal, social and emotional skills.

‘Welly Wednesday’

Every Wednesday we will be teaming up with the reception class and taking our learning outdoors. Throughout the morning the children will participate in activities based in the outdoor area. These activities will incorporate all of the foundation phase areas of learning. We are very lucky to have the use of our very own nature reserve but it can sometimes get a little bit muddy, so could your child please bring to school a pair of wellingtons and wear clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty.

Thursday

Our PE session will be every Thursday. This will include both indoor and outdoor sessions depending on the weather and time of year. Could you please ensure that your child wears trainers on this day and clothes that are comfortable and easy to move around in.

Friday

On Fridays, your child will be given the opportunity to participate in a cooking activity. We will be cooking something that is connected to our special sound of the week. Could you please ensure that you keep me up to date of any allergies or food intolerances.
Today is the day your child can choose a library book to take home to share and enjoy with you. They can return their book the following Friday and choose a new one. If you require a book bag, they are available from school at a cost of £3.50.

Welsh is taught daily through a combination of songs and activities, and through incidental Welsh (phrases that are used regularly).

Every week, one child will be given the opportunity to take home Doug the dog for the weekend. Could you please help your child by filling in Doug’s book so that when they return Doug on Monday they will be able to share their experiences with the rest of the class.

Every day your child is able to order a healthy snack from our fruit tuck shop at a cost of 20p.

In foundation phase the emphasis is on experiential learning which involves spending time outdoors, so could you please ensure that your child comes to school with a warm coat. Alternatively if the weather is sunny, could your child bring a hat and please ensure sun cream has been applied. Could I also ask that you please label all of your child’s clothing, as this can save a lot of time, and tears, trying to reunite items with the correct person.

Reading

We follow the Jolly Phonics scheme, which is a fun and multi-sensory approach to teaching literacy.  With actions and songs for each of the forty-two letter sounds, the method is both motivating and enjoyable for children. It would be beneficial for your child if you could support their learning at home by looking for things that begin with this initial sound, or by playing I spy games. In class, phonics are reinforced through a variety of different methods that suit all learning styles.
Please support your child’s literacy development by looking at books together. A bedtime story is a lovely way to end the day. It cultivates imagination, encourages a love for reading and helps to develop your child’s vocabulary.
Encourage your child to look for words and letters when you are out and about, such as print on signs and logos.

Writing

The development of fine motor skills is required to be able to hold and manipulate a pencil correctly. In nursery, the children participate in a range of activities to develop strength in their wrists and hands, and to develop their finger control.
When children first start nursery, they participate in a range of different ‘mark making’ activities. As they progress, they learn the correct pencil grasp and how to form letters. (Correct cursive letter formation can be found on the school website)
Please encourage your child to use the pincer grip when holding their pencil. This really helps with letter formation and crossing the mid-line.

Mathematics

Children learn to recite numbers to ten and back to zero.

To use one-to-one correspondence to count objects.
To recognise and begin to form numbers.
Recognise and name simple 2D shapes.
To develop their mathematical language such as longer, shorter, full, empty etc.
To copy a range of simple patterns visually or aurally

To begin to understand the concept of time. To be able to anticipate events related to elements of daily routines and begin to use simple time-related words.
To use mark making to begin to record data.

Multilingualism

Welsh is taught daily through a combination of songs and activities, and through incidental Welsh (phrases that are used regularly).
Children are taught about their Welsh heritage.

Working Together

Please help us by taking an active role in your child’s education.
Encourage your child to become more independent.
Sign up to sQuid to ensure you receive all school emails.
Keep up to date with school activities by subscribing to the school blog. www.pontlliwprimary.co.uk

Finally, if you have any queries or concerns, please feel free to pop in to see me.

Looking forward to a fun filled year,

Mrs Richardson.