Welcome to Willow class! Your first year at Bollinbrook and in school!
We want you to feel part of the Bollinbrook family as soon as you start and hope that you find all the information you need on our website, however, if you have any questions regarding EYFS or anything school related please ask any member of the Willow team who will be happy to help.
In EYFS we have a bespoke curriculum for the children in our school which progresses each term towards the children achieving the Early Learning Goals (ELG’s). We have overarching themes which we can predict will occur and we can teach, i.e. festivals and celebrations, seasonal changes, plant growth as well as other topics which 4-5year old children are often interested in such as ‘People who help up’ (doctors, nurses, firefighters, etc), dinosaurs, superheroes and much more. Each group of children are different (which is what makes being a teacher so much fun) and we like to tailor our curriculum to incorporate their interests which in turn increases their engagement with their learning.
We use an online learning journey called Tapestry to record ‘WOW’ moments and share what we have been doing in class with parents and carers at home. We welcome parents and carers to share WOW moments and key interests for their child with school (either through conversation or on Tapestry) so that we can incorporate these into our planning.
We look forward to working with you this year and helping your children to learn and grow in many ways.
We would like to introduce our class bear who will be coming home with a child from our class each week. We are going to let the children name the bear once term starts. The bear will come home with a child who has been recognised for demonstrating one or more of the school’s gospel values. You can choose to enjoy having the bear at your house for the weekend and return it to school on Monday, or additionally you can upload photographs and videos to your child’s Tapestry account detailing the adventures the bear has had with your child. We will then be able to share these on the board with the children in class on Monday.
What experiences will the bears have this year?
When it is your child’s birthday they can come in to school in their own clothes for the day. If their birthday falls in the school holidays they can choose to come in their own clothes on a day before or after the school holidays. We ask that they remain in sensible shoes (no dressing up shoes please) and if they come in a onesie they must also bring an alternative outfit in case they become too hot.
Snacks – There will be free fresh fruit or vegetables for the children to snack on each day. Your child is allowed to bring a healthy snack in from home, please refrain from bringing in packets of crisps or chocolate bars.
Toys – We do not encourage the children to bring in toys from home, as it can be upsetting if they get lost or broken. If you have been somewhere special, your child has learnt a new skill or wants to show something they have made then please let a member of staff know or pass it to them in the morning.
Junk Modelling –If you have any clean recycling items (no bigger than a tissue box) we would appreciate them for using in Junk modelling. Please put them in a carrier bag and pass to the class teacher.
Forest school is every Monday - please send your child into school with full waterproofs, long trousers/leggings/joggers, warm waterproof coat and wellies if it is wet. Once the weather turns colder, please ensure your child has a warm hat, gloves and a warm coat.
PE days - Wednesday and Thursday
Please ensure that your child has a water bottle every day, no juice please.
Regardless of the weather forecast please send your child in with a coat. We go out every day, whatever the weather so it is essential. If it is sunny please remember to send your child in with a hat and sun cream (already applied)