Head of School's Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
As your child approaches their next step and starts school in September, this newsletter is a gentle reminder that while children will settle at their own pace, your support as parents/carers is what really helps the transition feel calm and confident. It’s about you being ready too.
Making the transition feel easier for everyone
1. Be familiar with your child’s school open mornings
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Please make sure you know the details of the open morning(s) so your child can visit their new classroom and meet their teachers.
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Schools may offer more than one open morning, so check dates/times carefully and choose the one that best suits your family.
2. Check school holiday times and term dates
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Please familiarise yourself with the school holidays and term dates for September onwards.
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If your child takes a holiday during the term after they turn five, they may be subject to fines, as attendance becomes compulsory at that point.
At Oxhey we’re preparing too
While you get ready for school, Oxhey is also working hard to support your child for their next stage.
Introducing Read Write Inc (RWI)
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We have introduced Phonics in the written form using the Read Write Inc (RWI) scheme. Children are now learning how to form lower case letters correctly.
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They also know the sound that the grapheme(print) makes when the see this written down. Please support your child with this at home by saying the letter sound as well as its name, ‘Yes the letter A the sound is a’. A link has been placed here to help you say the sound correctly. Say the Sound
Supporting your child at home (especially name writing)
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Please can we ask that when you help your child to write their name at home, you use the RWI letter formation and encourage lower case letters.
For example, please aim for: “Annette” not: “ANNETTE”
Help with letter formation can be found using the link. Letter Formation
Thank you for your continued support—together, we can make this next stage feel positive and exciting for your child.
Reminders
Farm Visit - Monday 8th June 9.30-11.30am
Craft Workshops - 15th June
Inset Day - 19th June (School Closed)
Occasional Day - 22nd June (School Closed)
Sign of the Week
Play
Nursery Room
Book & Rhyme of the week
Nursery room will continue their book called, 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff' written by Mara Alperin.
They will begin the second week of this book partaking in the immersion stage; Children will take part in problem solving activities to help the goats get to the other side of the river and to help the troll investigate who broke his bridge.
They will also explore different sounds from within the book (river, hooves, wind, growling from the troll).
Their key words will help them with their understanding of the book: bridge, horn, hooves, river and meadow. Follow this link to the story: https://youtu.be/vXAzuwzSsv4?si=BY4zxavoFJ8ORcPk
The rhyme will focus on their phonic knowledge of rhythm and rhyme. They will sing the rhyme 'The Queen of Hearts.' Through this rhyme, they will learn the Makaton sign for 'heart' and 'tart / pie’.
Follow this link to the Makaton sign for 'heart': https://youtu.be/baPHqu2WVZM?si=m4or6t7Z7mvLl0xp
Follow this link to the Makaton sign for tart / pie: https://youtu.be/aNc1qd1gSzo?si=fd5hbv6wmL1EiPmB
Follow this link to the rhyme: https://youtu.be/iLzhbvrZZVs?si=g-FYLRngyK5eo_wB
Willow Room
Book & Rhyme of the week
Willow room will continue their book called 'Walking Through the Jungle' written by Debbie Harter.
They will begin the second week of this book partaking in the immersion stage; they will explore oceans and create their own ocean scene; they will explore mountains and create their own mountain using blocks and fabric and explore icebergs and what they are made from.
Their key words will help them with their understanding of their book: iceberg, trekking, mountain and ocean
Follow this link to the book: https://youtu.be/XC4O9izLVnw?si=0nQgaYUInDm87O-c
The rhyme will focus on their phonic knowledge of body percussion. They will sing the rhyme "If you’re Happy and You Know it." Through this rhyme, they will learn the Makaton signs in the rhyme.
Follow this link for the rhyme: https://youtu.be/egbQqn1PqiI?si=xdQCDqojYrowPoYl
Conker Room
Book & Rhyme of the week
Conkers room will continue their book called 'Baby goes to Market' written by Atinuke.
They will begin the second week of this book partaking in the immersion stage; children will make orange juice based on the oranges bought from the market in the book, explore and understand cultural differences in how the babies are wrapped and carried in the book in comparison to how other cultures wrap and carry babies and they will also bake some yummy chin-chin biscuits like the ones in the book.
Their key words will help with their understanding of the book; baby, basket, heavy and market
Follow this link to the book: https://youtu.be/iGsTTaSLQbs?si=ZOW70AZv9ByTHEBy
The rhyme will focus on their phonic knowledge of body percussion. They will sing the rhyme "If you’re Happy and You Know it." Through this rhyme, they will learn the Makaton signs in the rhyme.
Follow this link for the rhyme: https://youtu.be/egbQqn1PqiI?si=xdQCDqojYrowPoYl
Home Learning
Each Wednesday, the packs will be found outside main reception. There is a display to show you which group’s turn it is and a signing out folder for each pack.
These are to borrow and return the following Wednesday.
Groups for this week are:
Busy Fingers - Robin
Story Bags - Dormouse and Owl
Maths Pack - Woodpecker
Success Story of the Week!
Dear Parents,
This week in Nursery, our youngest children in the Conker room have been enjoying the story “Baby Goes to Market.”
To support learning and vocabulary, we also explored a range of new foods that children may not usually experience in Nursery.
We encouraged children to try and taste foods including coconut, oranges, banana, sweetcorn and red pepper—always in a calm, positive and age-appropriate way.
Next week, the children will be making Chin Chin biscuits, giving them another opportunity to experience cooking, following simple steps, and tasting something they helped create.
It’s so important to give children a varied diet at this early age.
For example:
1. Supports good health and growth
2. Helps reduce the risk of health issues, identifies possibility
of allergies early on, by offering balanced nutrition
3. Builds a wide food choice so children are less likely to
become selective
(With allergies in mind, please continue to inform us of any sensitivities.)
All absences must be reported to the school either by leaving an absence message or emailing admin@oeyc.herts.sch.uk, We politely ask that if you plan to take your child out during school time, you notify the Nursery office. For appointments, we ask where possible that these are not during the school day. If this is not avoidable, please kindly share the relevant information for this appointment in order for us to be able to authorise this. Regular attendance at Nursery is very important, as it helps children build the foundational knowledge and skills they will need as they move through school. Establishing good attendance habits now supports a smoother transition into primary school and helps ensure children develop positive routines that will benefit them throughout their educational journey. Thank you for your continued support in helping your child attend regularly and on time.
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