Information booklet. Reception Explore your worlds

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1 Information booklet Reception Explore your worlds

2 Introduction My name is Ingrid Gill. I was born in the Netherlands but have lived in the UK for 15 years. I joined the Arnhem International School last May in the Reception class. After completing my university degree in Art History at Nijmegen University I moved to the UK to be with my (British) husband. After having worked in several industries for a number of years, I decided to follow my dream and become a primary teacher. I did my PGCE (postgraduate teacher training) at The University of Cheltenham in the Midlands and taught several year groups in a primary school in Dumbleton, Gloucestershire for five years before moving back to The Netherlands in From 2009 till 2016 I was the Bi-lingual coordinator for a group of 17 primary schools in the Hilversum area. I am looking forward to the year ahead as we all journey together! General Information and Daily Routines Communication and teamwork between parents and teachers is vital, therefore we will do our best to keep you informed and involved in your child s classroom life. If you feel the need to contact us, you can reach us before school, and we are always available for a chat after school time. We just ask you to wait until all the other children have been picked up first. There will also be a page on the school website to keep you up to date with activities in class. School website: Please read the attached information in this booklet and please don t hesitate to ask any questions if you are unsure about anything.

3 Behaviour Management We work hard as a school to make the classrooms a positive and safe place for all children. Within the classroom if a child s behaviour is affecting their learning or the learning of others it is dealt with using a visual set of steps, as can be seen below: All children begin they day on the sun, if they behave inappropriately they receive a warning. If the behaviour continues they move their picture to the cloud. If again the behavior continues, children move their name to the storm and sit on a stool for 3 minutes with a timer. When children s behavior improves they can work their way back up to the sun and the rainbow is there for extra special behaviour! Birthdays Please make arrangements for your child s birthday a couple of days ahead of time. In class we will be celebrating your child's birthday with a birthday song, a birthday hat and a small present. We will take a photo of your child with all of his/her friends that will also be mailed to you. If we celebrate your child's birthday at the start of the day, you can choose to stay for the celebration.

4 In our school we have a healthy eating policy and encourage you to send fruit and vegetables or a nutritious snack for your child. If you wish to bring a treat for the children we would like you to bear this in mind when putting something together to hand out. Change of Clothes Wet and/or dirty clothes can be uncomfortable. Please send an extra set of clothing (shirt, pants, socks, underclothes) in a plastic bag marked with your child s name on the outside of the bag. These will be stored at school and used by your child if/when they are needed. Thanks! End of the day At the end of the day the children are encouraged to put their coats and their shoes on themselves and collect their belongings ready to go home. Please collect your child on the playground near the outside door to Ingrid s classroom. Please note: On Tuesdays and Fridays the children will be dismissed at 3:00 pm from the big gym in the adjacent sports hall. Parents can collect their child from the changing rooms inside. P.E. (Physical Education) P.E. is on Tuesday and Friday afternoon with the gym teacher Tessa. Please provide separate shoes, which have no shoe laces and that have not been worn outside. Indoor shoes Between October and March your child will need a pair of indoor shoes or slippers to wear in classroom. It is handy if these are easy to get on and off. No shoe laces please as they can take up a lot of time. Reading folders Your child will receive a reading folder to allow them to take reading books home to share with the family. At the start of the year children choose their own story from the classroom library to take home for someone to read to them. As they gradually learn to read themselves they will bring home reading books with simple words and phrases to read to you. Please bring reading folders back to school on Monday and Fridays to receive a new book to take home.

5 Sickness, appointments etc If your child is sick or has an appointment and will not be in school, please contact the school, if possible before Also if your child is going to be collected by someone else please inform the class teacher in the morning. Snack and lunchtimes At the children have a snack and a drink after going out for morning playtime. Please pack your child s snack in a separate container to their lunch as it is easier for them to identify it at snack time. Please provide only 1 item of food for snack time as lunch is not too long after. Lunchtime begins between and o clock. The children eat their packed lunch in the classroom supervised initially by the class teacher and then from o clock by the lunchtime organiser. Lunchtime organisers supervise the children whilst eating their lunch and when playing in the playground. We encourage healthy eating at school, so please do not put sweets, chocolate or crisps in your child s lunch box. Start of the day On arriving at school we encourage the children to put their coats, shoes and bags in the appropriate place and come into the classroom. Children then find their name tag and place it on the register. The children then play or work with the activities that have been placed on the tables. They vary from games, drawing, puzzles, discovery materials and fine motor skills activities. At 9 o clock we start with carpet time which involves greeting each other, discussing and recording the weather and the date. Being in the classroom on time helps to create a smooth start to the day for everyone. Wet Weather Clothes On rainy days please send your child to school with wellies and rain coats as we have a lovely garden space in school and would like to play outside there in all weathers.

6 Play and the Curriculum Through carefully planned play activities children are free to practice both physical and mental skills as many times as necessary for confidence and mastery. Play is a medium through which all areas of the curriculum are provided for. On the Reception timetable, time allocated to working in these areas is labelled as Continuous Provision. The classroom is divided into different areas such as mark making area, construction area, malleable area, creative area, etc. These areas will provide opportunities for the children to work on the different areas of learning. There are seven areas of learning and development that make up the Reception curriculum. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly crucial for igniting children s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. These three areas are: Communication and language; Physical development Personal, social and emotional development. During the reception year children are also involved in four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are: Literacy Mathematics Understanding the world Expressive arts and design.

7 Prime Areas Communication and language Communication and Language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations. Physical development Physical Development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control, and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food. Personal, social and emotional development Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.

8 Specific Areas Literacy Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest. Mathematics Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures. Understanding the world Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment. Expressive arts and design Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, roleplay, and design and technology. Assessment/ pupil profiles and record keeping Assessment takes place when the child enters reception and continues throughout the year. An entry profile is completed when the child begins in the group. At regular intervals throughout the year samples of the child s work are collected and put into the child s portfolio. This entry may not

9 always be a piece of recorded work from the child but an observation from the teacher or a photograph. At this age the child s ability to record his/her knowledge, skills and understanding does not necessarily give a true reflection of their level.