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: Celebrating 

 

We will begin our new RE topic ‘Celebrating’ from Monday 4^th January 2021. 

 

Together we will look at celebrations the children have experienced at home, what a celebration is and how the parish family celebrates.

 

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

• What a celebration is.
• Different elements of a celebration.
• Different ways of celebrating.
• Who the church/parish family are.
• Some of the celebrations of the church/parish family.
• Jesus being presented in the Temple.

 

Questions the children may be asked include:

• What is a celebration?
• Why do people celebrate?
• What celebrations have you had at home? How did you celebrate? Who took part?
• Which celebration are you looking forward to? How will you celebrate? Who else will take part?
• What are the people of parish doing?
• Why did Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the Temple?
• Who were the people that they met?
• Why did Simeon and Anna go to the Temple?
• What did Simeon do?
• Why do you think Simeon and Anna were so pleased to meet Jesus?
• What did Mary and Joseph do after they left the temple?
• How does our school community celebrate?

 

Our key vocabulary will include:
Church, priest, celebrate, celebrating, Parish family, family, community, celebration, party, memory, Father, altar, Temple and parish

 

Alongside our RE topic ‘celebrating’ we will look at the celebrations held within countries around the world. Within this we will also do some cooking and tasting, dancing, flag making and more. 

.

Miss Clark 

Class teacher