After a tumultuous year, there is comfort to be found when we pause to read, pray, and reflect over the course of the Advent season in which believers eagerly anticipate the celebration of Christ’s birth.
The first Sunday of Advent gives us the opportunity to centre our thoughts on hope. It's a beautiful chance to remember the hope God offers to our world, and that He's given us through Jesus.
As we prepare our hearts to celebrate Jesus’ arrival as a gift to all humanity; let’s stir up in our hearts and homes a sense of anticipation. Over this Advent, we pray that hope will rise up in our spirits in a tangible and life-giving way.
Our Learning
Look at what we have been learning this week! Our theme in Reception was fruit and vegetables:
Phonics - the children have learnt five new sounds this week - ‘v’ - down a wing, up a wing, ‘y’ - down a horn up a horn and under his head, ‘w’ - down, up, down, up, ‘th’ - thankyou and ‘z’ - zig-zag-zig.
Literacy - we have continued our Supertato talk for writing unit by continuing to imitate and learn the story.
PSHE - the children learnt about healthy and unhealthy foods.
Expressive Art & Design - the children have learnt about the artist Guiseppe Arcimboldo who creates art out of fruit and vegetables.
Fine motor skills - this week the children had to balance marbles on some golf tees that had been placed in different fruit and vegetables. They could only use tweezers to do this.
Maths - we have focused on the number 5 through the rhyme ‘5 little peas in a peapod’.
Super six - our guided reading book this week was The Runaway Pea.
Mark making - the children designed their own healthy lunchboxes. This involved cutting and sticking different food items in to their box.
Award winners
Each week during our school celebration assembly I will be handing out three certificates - Maths, Writing and a Golden award. Here are our winners for this week:
Maths - Loki
Writing - Esmae W
Golden - Layla
Christmas Movie Night/PTA updates
The PTA would like to invite the children in Reception and KS1 back in to school on Friday 2nd December for a Christmas movie night! The children can wear Christmas pyjamas or clothing and for a cost of £2, they will be able to enjoy some festive treats as they watch the film. We are going to ask for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 to come back to school at 4.30pm until 6pm. If your child would like to attend, please pay the requested £2 via parentpay.
Secondly, after each of the 2pm nativity performances, the PTA would like to invite parents in to the dining hall for refreshments (non alcoholic mulled wine and mince pies). There will be a nominal cost for this. The PTA will also be selling raffle tickets at each performance - there will be some fantastic prizes on offer and all monies raised will go towards PTA funds.
Boogie Woogie Nativity
The children have now all come home with their lines for our nativity. Please practice as much as you can with them at home. We will of course practice lots in school too, and the children now pretty much know all the songs so we are making good progress! Our nativity will be on the 13th December at 2pm - each child will be allocated 4 tickets for this performance for their families to attend.
Advent Liturgies
Throughout Advent we would like to invite all children and families to join us in the school hall for a short Advent liturgy led by Father Frank. This will be held every Tuesday morning at 8:20am and will begin from Tuesday 29th November, continuing until Tuesday 20th December 2022. We do hope you can join us for this opportunity to gather as a faith community to reflect on the true value and meaning of Advent.
Wednesday Word
We are delighted to be able to share with you the Good News Gospel readings for families. Please follow the link to share the Gospel at home with your family. These are really child-friendly resources to share at home. https://www.paperturn-view.com/uk/wednesday-word/faithfulness?pid=MTA101634&v=74.6
Have a lovely weekend,
Miss Heim-Sarac, Mrs Debowska and Miss Murray
