Welcome to Class 2 Beech.

Your teacher is Mrs Teresa Suddaby and our teaching assistants are Mrs Hewson, Miss Hutson, Miss Hird and Mrs Cross.

Mrs Hewson, Mr Jones and Miss Leeder are our lunchtime supervisors.

Topic

This term, our first topic is Trains where we will be investigating how train have improved the lives of people locally and nationally. We will be learning about George Stephenson and how trains have developed and improved over time. We will also visit York Railway Museum for our trip later on in the term. 

Dojo Points

Dojo points are virtual points that are awarded to children for positive behaviour. The children each have their own Dojo monster which they can personalise. 

If you haven't already, please sign up to the Dojo app using the password that will be sent home in the first week of autumn term. If you have any problems signing up, please come and see me.

Class story is regularly updated with information and photographs. Please feel free to like and comment on the posts.

PE

We have our PE sessions on Tuesday afternoon (outdoor) and Wednesday afternoon (indoor).

Please ensure that your child comes to school wearing their PE kit (white t-shirt, black/blue shorts, leggings, tracksuit bottoms, trainers etc)

If your child wears earrings, please can you ensure that these are removed  before they come to school. As the weather gets colder, your child will need to wear warm clothing as PE sessions do take place outside.

Reading

Your child's reading experience is much more than the reading book which comes home from school. Reading is happening all the time in the classroom and in the school. It is taught in phonics/spelling sessions along with English lessons, but children are practising and using their 'reading' constantly across all subjects too.

Your child will bring two reading books home:

 Reading Practice book

This book has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.

Listen to them read the book. Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together.

Reading for Pleasure Book

In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure.  This is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together.

Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun.

Parents can support this 'reading journey' through regular reading at home. Reading to and with your child every evening for at least ten minutes can make a dramatic difference to a child's achievement within school.

A report from the Oxford University Press highlighted the importance of parents reading with their children.

'Children who read outside of class are 13 times more likely to read above the expected level for their age'.

The report also offers six tips for reading with your child at home, including:

1. Make time to read- even ten minutes a day

2. Choose different types of books

3. Take turns to read

4. Talk about the book- asking your child questions

5. Pay attention to the language

6. Enjoy reading

Homework

Homework will be sent home each Friday. This will consist of spellings with the spelling pattern they will be learning in class.

Class Reading Journal.

Each class has a Reading Journal, which is a special book in which children can record their thoughts, feelings and reviews of the books that they have read. A different child will be chosen to take home the journal each Friday. The expectation is that when it is their turn, children will create an entry. The Reading Journal should be returned on, or before, the following Friday. The journal contains further instructions and examples.

Secret Storyteller

We will have various Secret Storytellers visiting the class throughout the school year. If you would like to come into school or read to the children via Google Classroom please let me know.