Clownfish Class - Reception

Welcome to Dymchurch Primary School! I can't wait to meet you all and hear all about you and your family and the things that you like. This term, you will get to know your new school and teachers and will meet lots of new friends in your class family. You can access this term's topic web here.  

You can find our Term 2 Topic Web: 'Once upon a...' here. 

 To find out more about our curriculum and outdoor learning click below:

Welcome to Clownfish Class!

Meet our team:

A very warm welcome to all our little ones and their families starting Dymchurch Primary School this September! We hope you have had a wonderful Summer break and we look forward to embarking on this next adventure with you. Below you will find some information to help you through this transition period as well as other important information about Clownfish class.

For more information about what we get up to in class each week, please have a look at our weekly newsletter below:

Our classroom

Please watch the video below with you child to familiarise them with their new classroom.

Our classroom and outside area are organised into different areas, to reflect the ‘Areas of Learning’ outlined in the Early Years Framework. Our environment will grow with the children, with different challenges introduced every week to reflect children’s development and interests. Every term we will explore a different topic – you will receive a topic map at the start of each term letting you know what to expect!

Lunch

All Reception children are entitled to hot school lunches and a daily fruit snack, free of charge. Milk is provided free of charge until children turn 5. Water is always available in school, though we recommend children bring their own water bottle.

Your child may prefer to bring a healthy packed lunch, if so please practice opening boxes and packaging. Please do not overfill their lunch box as too much food can be distressing. You may wish to let your child help you pack their lunch so that they know what is inside.

You can help your child prepare for school by sitting to a table at meal times and encouraging them to use a knife to cut and a fork to eat their food.

Reading and Home learning

To keep everybody safe and minimise the amount of paper being sent from/to school, we will communicate with you via Tapestry and encourage you to do the same.

Home learning will be communicated to you weekly on Tapestry. We ask that you complete this at home and send in photographs or videos via Tapestry. Don’t worry though, in Reception we love talking about what we get up to at home and sharing photographs on the big interactive whiteboard in the classroom!

When children start attending school full-time, we will begin sending reading books home. New books will come home every Monday and we ask that you return them the following Monday. Please record reading at home in your child's reading diary. To supplement home reading, you can borrow additional eBooks from the Oxford Owl Library.

On Fridays, we visit the school library. Children are given the opportunity to choose a book to borrow. This book is for an adult (or older child) to read to them at home. We ask that books are returned the following Friday. 

PE

We have PE every Friday, beginning on Friday 23rd September (the first Friday children attend school full-time). Please ensure children come to school wearing their PE kit. Our school PE kit comprises of:

• A plain white or school logo T-shirt with a school cardigan, jumper or fleece
• Plain black or blue shorts, black leggings or jogging bottoms
• Plimsolls or trainers
• Jewellery (including earrings) must not be worn on PE days

Even though we no longer get changed in school, it is still important that your child learns to dress independently. Over the course of the year we ask that you support and encourage your child to achieve this.   

Further Information

Attached, please find:

Throughout the year, children will have the opportunity to engage with and explore a variety of activities that encourage development in each of the seven ‘Areas of Learning’. Children need to meet the Early Learning Goal in each area at the end of the academic year in order to achieve a ‘Good Level of Development’. Each term, we will send home a Topic Map to keep you informed and so that you can support your child’s learning at home. 

We know that a child starting school can be a worrying time. Please know we are here is support you through it. We are here at the start and end of every day. Alternatively, you can ring to the school office or send us a message on Tapestry and we will do our best to help.

We look forward to welcoming you on Wednesday 7th September. Have a restful summer!

Mrs Goodeal and Mrs Stone