Teacher Contact Information 

Your teachers are: Mrs Horton and Miss Parker

You can email them at:

Mrs Horton (Horse Chestnut)

sophiehorton@stratton.cornwall.sch.uk    

Miss Parker (Sweet Chestnut)

cherylparker@stratton.cornwall.sch.uk

 Weekly Update 10/10/2025 

This week, we have been learning about autumn. We have talked about what we see and experience during the autumn. We also went on an autumn walk around the school grounds. The children worked in pairs to spot signs of Autumn. We have also been learning the song ‘Big Red Combine Harvester’ and we are so impressed with how well the children are performing it.

Next week, we will be learning about the story of the Little Red Hen.

Phonics/Reading:

We have introduced 5 new sounds in phonics this week; c, k, u, b and f. The new sounds will be in your child’s book bag ready for you to cut up and put into their phonics envelope. Thank you for cutting the sounds up into individual flashcards and practising these regularly at home. Don’t forget to write in your child’s reading log when they have practised their sounds or shared their lilac book with you.

After half term, your child will have their first ‘Read Write Inc’ assessment, which will inform groupings. Please ensure to keep up the practise at home, it makes a huge difference, and we can really see the impact it is having in school.

Please make sure your child has a bookbag that is brought to school every day with their reading record and lilac book. We are unable to give out reading books if the previous one has not been returned. Thank you for your help with this.

Maths:

This week in Maths, we have been focussing on number four. We have been using multilink cubes to create as many different ‘shapes’ with 4 as possible. We have discussed the composition of 4, such as; 1 and 1 and 1 and 1, 2 and 2 and 1 and 3. For your home learning challenge this week, using small parts such as lego or pasta pieces, make as many different arrangements of 4 as you can.

People Who Help Us:

After half term, we will be starting a topic on ‘People Who Help Us’ for a few weeks. If you work in any of the following areas and would be happy to come and speak to the children about your job or have any resources/artefacts that we could look at, that would be amazing!

• Vets
• Fire service
• Medical professionals
• Police
• Builders, plumbers or carpenters
• Waste disposal

Parent Teacher Meetings:

We will be holding the Reception Parent Teacher Meetings after school during 3^rd-7^th November. You will receive an invitation to book your slot via email soon.

Spare Clothes/Wet Weather Gear:

During the school day, it is common for children to have to change if they are wet, muddy or sandy. Please remember to replenish your child’s personal spare clothes that are left at school if these have been used. In addition to this, if any school clothing or underwear has been lent to your child, please make sure you return these to school.

Please make sure your child has named wellies at school and brings a waterproof coat to school. As the weather worsens, the children will only be allowed to access the bottom playground if they are wearing wellies. If you are struggling to get some, please speak to your class teacher and let us know your child’s show size. We may have a spare pair that they could borrow.

Bike Track Session:

We will be having our first bike session on the school track on Friday 17^th October. Your child can bring their bike or balance bike to school on this day. Unfortunately, we cannot use bike with stabilisers or scooters on the track, as the harder wheels damage it. Your child must bring a helmet to wear whilst they ride their bike. If your child doesn't have a bike or is unable to ride one without stabilisers yet, they will still be able to join us for a run around the track.

Halloween Disco:
A much-loved event! Children are welcome in fancy dress or party clothes – whatever they feel comfortable in.

Tickets are available to purchase on the Gateway app until Monday 20th Oct.  You will have to pay on the app to guarantee your space - remember spaces are limited to 100 per disco.

The disco is on Thursday 23th October: YR, Y1 & Y2 – 4.00 -4.45pm

One adult can accompany their Reception child, if their child would like them to stay. If your child is happy to come without you, they are welcome to. There will be Reception staff attending the disco.

Church Trip:

Our trip to the Church for our Countdown to Christmas event is on Tuesday 9^th December, during the morning. We always need lots of parent volunteers to help walk the children to and from the church, so please put the date in your diary.

Have an amazing weekend!

Mrs Horton and Miss Parker

Dates for the Dairy

Friday 17^th October – Bike Track Session

Thursday 23^rd October – Halloween Disco

Friday 24^th October – Last day of half term

27^th – 31^st October – Half Term

Monday 3^rd November – Back at school

3^rd – 7^th November – Reception Parents Evening

Tuesday 9^th December – Trip to the Church (AM)

With your child, please carry out a variety of the following tasks at least 5 times a week, recording in their reading log each time.

• Practise recognising letter sounds using flashcards daily – this is essential practise to get your child reading.

• Engage in 'Fred Talk Games'. These are games that support your child to orally blend sounds into words. For example, "Fred says, tap your h-ea-d... your head!" Please see the PDF document in the 'Read Write Inc. Phonics' section below for further 'Fred Talk Games' that you can play at home. 

• If your child is consistently recognising most of the single letter sounds from their flashcards, make simple words out of the flashcards for them to practise reading. For example, sat, tap, dog, bed. Encourage your child to point to each letter as they say the sounds. Once they have said each sound, they need to blend them together to say the whole word. For example, s – a –t, sat. They may need you to demonstrate this initially before they have a try.

• Share your child’s lilac book. This book has no words. Your child needs to look closely at the picture and talk about what they think is happening to tell a story. This develops their oracy comprehension and inference skills.

• Based on your child’s most recent phonics assessment, the may also bring home a 'blending book' or a 'ditty sheet' to read at home.

Please keep all of the above in your child’s book bag. They need to bring their book bag to school every day.

Homework tasks need to be recorded in your child's reading log at least 5 times a week so that we know that your child is practising their reading at home. Reading logs are checked every Friday to see how your child is getting on at home. Please make sure that you date and initial each time you record in your child's reading log to show that your child has read their lilac book/blending book/flash cards.

Please speak to any member of the Reception team if you have any questions.

Thank you for your continued support in helping your child learn to read.

The YR Team