Caring, sharing, preparing for life Meadows First School What did you do at school today? Caring, sharing, preparing for life

Welcome to Meadows First School Introductions – administration staff, governors, Friends, SENDco and teaching staff: Goslings: Miss Mellings - (to be Mrs Tromans) with Mrs Mobbs and Mrs Probert Cygnets: Mrs Lindsay with Mrs Priest & Mrs Sohna and Miss Field

Reception Open Evening; Meadows values: caring, sharing, preparing for life After the presentation: Please look around the hall – to meet governors, sample food, chat to Friends etc. Meet teachers and look around classrooms Use our year 4 guides to show you around the school!

How to prepare your child for school Positive talk! – talk about their visits to Reception and the friends and the fun they will have. Share the website together! www.meadows.worcs.sch.uk

Encourage independence Encourage independence! – there are lots of ways you can help your child become more independent, such as doing buttons, zips, tidying up, and so on. They will do this in school! Remember your child is one very important part of a whole class of 30 children.

Learning to listen – encourage good listening skills by sharing stories together, play board games together. Tidying up! –please encourage your child to be responsible for their own toys by getting them to tidy up after an activity. They will have to do it in school!

Turn taking and sharing – are important skills to learn especially when part of a large class! Encourage good listening skills by sharing stories and playing games together. Dressing and undressing & managing personal hygiene- please practise! Have a go at letting them put on their new school uniform, shoes and coat by themselves! P.E. can be quite a challenge!

Other things to remember: Uniform: Please name all items – including wellingtons! If you can make your child’s PE bag stand out from the crowd that would be helpful! Lunches: All children in Reception can have a free hot school dinner – (no sandwiches), but if your child prefers a packed lunch this should be healthy and in a named lunch box! (no nuts or sweets or grapes (unless cut up) Snacks & Water bottles: You do not need to send in a snack as fruit is provided daily. Only send in water in a named bottle and we change this daily too. Please take water bottle home on Fridays! No toys please! They cause upset if they get lost!

Read, read, read Please read lots of stories together – (and develop a good bedtime routine which includes a book ) to foster a love of books –this encourages talk, imagination, creativity and launches them into wanting to write… Please hear your child read or share a book EVERY day !

Encourage mark making and writing – Everywhere Encourage mark making and writing – Everywhere! Please let them see you model writing – write out a shopping list rather than using a phone or an ipad Please encourage correct pencil grip and letter formation too – as it is tricky to undo bad habits!

Forest School Learning outside is an important part of Early Years. As well as the outside classroom, the children go to Forest School each week.

There are 7 areas of learning. All have EQUAL importance; The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS) (a statutory learning frame)‏ The EYFS is a play based curriculum – with a balance of both adult and child initiated tasks There are 7 areas of learning. All have EQUAL importance; The Prime Areas: PSED, PD, CL These areas of learning are developed and taught inside and in the outside classroom. The Specific Areas: L, M, UW, EAD

Working together in partnership with parents & carers..... Stay and Play – weekly Eating, Sleeping, Behaviour workshops Phonics & Maths Meetings –workshops with activities, resources and ideas! Volunteers – we welcome additional help! Or join Friends (there are representatives here today) Home work challenges - fun activities to do at home with your child and to return to school with your comments. Please read every night with your child too! WOW moments! – please send them in to us!

Communication with you! Open Door Policy! Please do not wait to come and speak to us! (At the end of the day is better as we can spend longer with you) However, staff are on the doors in the mornings to take quick messages. Newsletters (via email or on the website) Each week you will receive a ‘Reception Newsletter’ by email. This tells you what the focus will be for letter sounds, high frequency words, number and topic – and also if there are any special resources we might need Visit our Website www.meadows.worcs.sch.uk For lots of information, photos & news Please make sure you have given the school office your correct email address as we send out the school Newsletters via email only – or on the website – paper copies can be picked up from the main Reception desk.

Admission arrangements for Reception 2017 Our new reception children come from many different settings – much smaller than a class of 30 and with many supporting adults – therefore, we stagger the start to help them settle and enable staff to get to know the children too! The children will start in 2 groups over the first week of term. They will start by attending either a morning or an afternoon session (without lunch) for 3 days) Then they will come in as a whole class for 1 morning and stay for lunch Ready to start full time

Information Pack Your folder contains: The name of your child’s class and their teacher Group number (1 or 2)– and starting times in September Dates of visit times for your child – story times and class visit Consent forms for photograph permission and other important information we need. Information on the curriculum and how you can help your child prepare for school – photos to discuss etc. All about me – please return this to school

Caring, sharing, preparing for life We are looking forward to welcoming you and your child to Meadows First School. Thank you for coming today! Caring, sharing, preparing for life