Welcome to Mrs Shirley's Class 

Hello and welcome to Reception S. 

We are so excited to welcome both old and new faces to our St. Patrick's family and are looking forward to getting to know you and your children.

We have lots of exciting activities planned for the year ahead and you will not believe how your child grows and progresses throughout their first year at school. 

Our Early Years Curriculum is based on learning through exploration and play. We access a variety of different activities in Reception to support us with our learning.  

A typical day in Reception:

Our school day begins with Early Doors at 8.45am. Children are welcome to arrive anytime between 8.45am and 9am. 

After registration and prayers, we are ready to start our Phonics lesson. We start by singing the alphabet song and each day we learn a new letter or sound. Then we practise our reading and writing skills at our tables. After our whole class learning, we have snack time before we go out to play. We have a healthy snack each day except on Friday's when we have a treat. 

After playtime we take part in Maths activities, which can involve counting, singing, shape games, ICT, water play, sand play and measuring. We like to learn through fun, practical games and activities. Lunchtime begins at 11.35am. Most of us have hot dinners and some children bring in a packed lunch.

At 12.30pm we go back into class for our afternoon session. Each day we focus on different areas of the early years curriculum. Our activities can be linked to our Come and See topic, Show and Tell, Music, Knowledge & Understanding of the World or Personal, Social and Emotional Development (Circle Time Games). Our outdoor area is set up so that children can access activities both inside and out. We have a piece of fruit each afternoon as part of the free fruit scheme Healthy Schools Government initiative.

Each day we take part in Collective Worship and we enjoy learning about Jesus through our Come and See topics. We say prayers each morning, before and after lunch and before home time.

Before we go home, we like to finish our day with a story and sing songs.

General Information 

The Reception newsletter is uploaded to this page each Monday evening and will contain information about our learning and how you can support your child at home. Please also check this page regularly for updates and photos. 

Class Teddy

Our class teddy is called Bruno. He will go home with a different child each Friday and should be returned on the Monday. Bruno has a diary for your child to record their adventures in. This can be either written, drawn or a photo. 

P.E. 

This term our P.E lessons will be on a Thursday morning. Please send your child to school in their full P.E kit. Children can wear wear plain navy leggings, joggers or shorts and trainers with a white t-shirt.  The children must have their school jumper or cardigan to wear.

Snack

Snack money is £1 per week or £6 per half term. 

Staff

Mrs Shirley - Class Teacher

Mrs Grant - PPA Cover (Wednesday)

Miss Mullan - Classroom Assistant

Communication

Please ensure all contact details are up to date at the office.

Our class email is RS@stpatricks.sefton.school for any non urgent communication. 

Medical Conditions

If your child has any medical conditions we need to know about please inform us as soon as possible. If your child requires an inhaler or any other medication please ensure this is in school and in date. 

Uniform

Please ensure that all uniform, book bags, lunch boxes and water bottles are clearly labelled with your child's name. 

Curriculum

Please see our Long and Medium Term Overviews below for further information on what we are learning about in school. 

Parental Involvement

 The Early Years curriculum is based on learning through play and exploration, There are a number of ways you can help your child to learn and make progress:

* Good attendance

* Home reading

* Point out numbers and letters in the environment

* Count at every opportunity

* Encourage your child to talk about the world around them.

Reading

Here at St. Patrick's, reading is at the heart of our curriculum. Reading can be a special time for you and your child. Research has shown that reading for as little as 5 or 10 minutes each day can help support your child's educational development. We have a Lending Library located outside Mrs Shirley's classroom door for children and parents to borrow books to share at home and then return. 

15th September 2023 Well done to Kiara for receiving the first Headteacher's Award! She embodies our Mission Statement each day with her kind, caring and hardworking attitude. 

22nd September 2023 Well done to our superstar Polly for earning the Headteacher's Award for Helping Others this week. She is such a kind friend who is so caring and helpful.

29th September 2023 Wow! We are so proud of Peyton for earning the Headteacher Award this week for Reading. Peyton loves to curl up in a cosy corner looking at her favourite book.