Bethlehem

Bethlehem (YR)

 

Welcome to Early Years

During your child’s first year at school we deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage by using the ‘Come and See’ Catholic topics as a starting point for our learning.  In addition to this we also consider individual children’s interests and needs, to provide a holistic curriculum that supports each child’s ongoing learning and development.

 

We offer a continuous play-based approach where children can explore their indoor and outdoor school environment whilst engaging in challenging activities, interesting topics and learning through first hand experiences.

 

Early Years Staff

Miss Clark – Class Teacher

Mrs Winton – Early Years Educator

Mrs Rafferty – Class PPA Teacher

 

 

Welcome Bethlehem families 

 

Catholic Education

Within the Catholic Education we will explore our class name 'Bethlehem' and our class saint 'Mary'. The children will develop their understanding of their faith through candle time, prayers and class worship as well as religious education inputs and activities. 

 

The RE 'come and see' topics include; 

• Autumn Term ‘Myself’, ‘Welcome’, ‘Birthday’
• Harvest
• Spring Term – ‘Celebrating’, ‘Gathering’, ‘Growing’
• Fair Trade Fortnight
• Summer Term – ‘Good News’, ‘Friends’, ‘Our World’
• Other faith’s week (Islam)

 

House Colours

Your child will have been allocated a house colour; they will be awarded house points for their house. In Bethlehem, we collect 'bricks' to represent house points. 

 

Red house team - St Richards

Green house team - St Bernadettes

Yellow house team - St Wilfrids

Blue house team - St Clares

 

 

Tapestry

We will use Tapestry as a record of your child's individual learning journey; it allows us to share photographs and videos, WOW moments and celebrate successes. Using tapestry helps assessment and planning within class so that we can plan exciting activities and events of interest and support for your children. 

 

Mrs Winton and myself will also use Tapestry as a communication tool to share class messages, updates and information to you all.

 

Tapestry also allows your to share WOW moments from home.

 

 

Reading
Please read with your children daily, using their school book to support their early reading skills. We will initially sending home story books to be shared together which promote rhyme and word pattern.  Other fiction and non-fiction books will continue to engage their imagination and develop their vocabulary. 

 

 

Birthdays

On your child’s birthday, we ask that they do not bring sweets for their friends, but if they would like to donate a book to the class for the book corner instead, then it would be greatly appreciated.  They can also come to school in their own clothes on their birthday, or on the nearest school day if their birthday falls at the weekend.

 

 

Daily

Each day at school, please make sure your child brings;

- A water bottle with fresh water.

- Labelled jumper/cardigan.

- Labelled coat for wet weather. 

- Fresh fruit or vegetable snack for snack time (1 portion of fruit or vegetable is roughly equivalent to what your child can hold in the palm of their hand). Please ensure the snack is labelled, either in a tub or masking tape is great to write on and stick on bananas etc. 

- Their bookbag, reading record and books. 

 

 

Topic: Birthday

We will begin our new RE topic ‘Birthday’ from the afternoon of Friday 13th November.

 

Together we will look at; gifts, given and received, waiting for a birthday and the importance of advent as a time of waiting for the celebration of Christ’s birth and looking forward to Christmas.

 

An outline of the exploration and learning covered in our Birthday topic:

• What people do during Advent.
• Advent is a time for getting ready for Christmas (Advent Wreath)
• Advent – a special season of longing and waiting for Jesus’ birth at Christmas.
• The Crib.
• The Nativity Story.
• The Shepherds.
• The Wise Men.
• The Hail Mary.

 

Questions the children may be asked include:

• How do you feel when you are waiting for your birthday?
• Who makes your birthday happy?
• How do you celebrate your birthday?
• Why do we celebrate our birthday?
• What is Advent?
• How many candles are on the advent wreath?
• What colours are the candles?
• Who can we see in the stable?
• How did the Shepherds celebrate the birth of Jesus?
• How did the Wise Men celebrate the birth of Jesus?
• How do we celebrate the birth of Jesus every year?

 

Our key vocabulary will include:
birthday, waiting, wreath, celebrate, Christmas, Advent, Jesus, Mary, Joseph, swaddling clothes, manger and crib

 

During the busy few weeks of our Birthday topic, we will also be doing a mini Christingle Service via zoom to the rest of the school. 

 

Miss Clark 

Class teacher