Hamstel Infant School & Nursery Weekly News week ending 4TH october 2024

Dear Parents and Carers,

Another busy five days full of great learning and the added addition of swimming at Hamstel Infants this week!

Thank you to all the Reception parents that attended our phonics workshops, we hope you found the information useful and enjoyed the chance to watch your children taking part in a live phonics lesson in the classroom. We really appreciate all your positive comments about this event, which really make it worthwhile!

Our Year 2 children got the chance to experience our ‘pop-up’ swimming pool as they took part in swimming sessions over the week. The less experienced swimmers learnt basic water safety and what to do should they ever fall into the water, while those more confident swimmers worked hard to develop their skills. Next week Year 1 will also get the chance to swim, we hope they have an equally as good experience.

Next week is a very busy week across the school.

Tuesday and Friday sees our Team Hamstel sports teams in action, both in the Portico PE event and cross country events respectively. These events will see our children in friendly competition against the schools in our trust and also the wider Southend area. We wish them good luck and look forward to hearing how they get on next week.

On Thursday 10th we will be celebrating World Mental Health Day by wearing yellow to school. This was recommended by our school Wellbeing Champions who made the decision to take part in the ‘Hello Yellow’ campaign to raise funds for the Young Minds charity. They even made a short video which can be seen on our website or by clicking the link below. More information can be found about the event and how to donate in the letter that accompanies this newsletter. I hope you will lend your support to this very worthwhile cause.

Our whole school will be working together on our Black History focus day on Friday, with every year group studying a significant individual to find out how they influenced the lives of others. This is an important event in our school calendar and we hope the children enjoy finding out about these inspirational characters from past and present times. Maybe it will inspire them to do similarly great things in the future.

A polite notice. We are getting a number of our young children wearing make-up and false acrylic nails to school. I would like to remind you that these are not part of our school uniform and are not suitable for school. Please ensure that things like this are enjoyed at the weekend but removed in time for school each Monday. Thank you for your understanding.

Finally, next week we will be sharing details of our Parent’s evenings taking place on Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd and how to book your appointments with the teachers for these important discussions.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend, see you on Monday!

Scott Roche

Principal

Nursery

This week we have continued our ‘Journey's’ theme by sharing the story ‘Dinos on the bus’. The children have enjoyed making their own buses.

We have been thinking about why we celebrate ‘Harvest’ and have been exploring different vegetables, we even did vegetable prints with paint!

In Maths we have been sorting different objects and finding the same such as the same boots, the same colour bricks, the same shape etc.

We have been looking at different types of homes and talking about our homes.

REMINDER: Please ensure that your child has a coat at Nursery as we have access to the garden in all weathers.

Could you please ensure that your child has a pair of wellingtons that can be left at Nursery.

Can you ensure that your child has a spare set of clothes at Nursery Thank you.

Please put your child's name in their uniform.

Letters sent home this week

Whole School - Black History Month - 02.10.2024

Rainbow & Starlight

Rainbow

This week the children have been listening to the book 'Shark in the Park' and learning about sharks and our surroundings. The children have been learning about objects that float and sink, heavy and light, smooth and rough. We have experimented with different objects to test the theory. The children have made some lovely artwork using a range of materials and media to create unique pictures, we have continued with group activities and individual learning. The children had outdoor learning and swimming this week, both were lots of fun, although wet and muddy, the children enjoyed playing in the mud, digging and exploring the outdoor learning area, during swimming the children showed confidence and strength, and showed off some lovely swimming.

Some of the subjects the children have been learning about this week are Changing seasons, 5 senses, body parts, cvc words, sentence building and structure, additions up to 10, subtractions up to 6, number recognition, pencil control and much more.

We have also continued with self-regulation and calming techniques; the children have the opportunity to visit the sensory room when they are feeling overwhelmed.

This week's Letter family: Zig Zag

Number work: additions up to 10, subtractions up to 6, number bonds and number recognition (subitising)

REMINDERS: May I please ask, that books sent home should be read at least 3 times a week and ask that a note be made in their `rainbow reading books` of this, so that a record can be kept. Thank you

Starlight

We are continuing with our theme ‘Out and About.’ This week we have been reading the book ‘Shark in the Park’. The children are learning the repeated story language and have made their own ‘Shark in the park’ books, which we have proudly displayed!

We had Outdoor Learning on Monday. Despite the weather, the children had a great time, digging in the mud and making muddy handprints on the fences and sheds. We also had swimming this week. All the children were confident in the water, and we saw some lovely star floats!

How to help at home

Independence skills

• Encourage your child to dress and undress independently.
• Encourage your child to put on and take off their own coats.

Reading

• Please share the reading books and library books sent home and make a note in their reading logbooks. Thank you.

Reception Year

Our theme this week was ‘On the Road’, we have been reading the book ‘Duck in the Truck’ and learning about journeys made by vehicles. We have been listening to the story carefully and answering questions about the story working on our oracy target to speak clearly so we can be heard by our learning partner. In PSHE we have been learning to talk about how feelings can affect how people behave.

In handwriting we have introduced the long-legged giraffe letters and been learning how to write the letter l.

In writing we have been learning to write labels to name the animals in the truck, trying to say and write the first sound in each word. In maths we have been learning to count sounds and objects, knowing that counting is useful because it tells us how many. In science we have been learning to identify when objects float or sink. In geography we have been learning to describe the home that I live in. In history we have been thinking about how cars have changed over time.

Thank you to everyone who was able to come to our phonics meeting and lesson this week.

How to help at home

Handwriting

• Encourage your child to write the letter l, starting at the top and going down the long leg, curling at the end.

Reading

• Listen to your child read their book at least 5 times a week. Enjoy sharing their library book.

RWI phonics

• Encourage your child to join in with the RWI Virtual Classroom videos (QR codes). Practice the sounds in the Set 1 speedy sounds book.

Letters sent home this week

• Whole School - Black History Month - 02.10.2024
• Whole School - Flu Vaccine Letter - 30.09.2024

Year One

In Literacy this week we have been reading ‘Here Comes Mr Postmouse’ by Marianna Dubuc. We have been learning about the features of a letter in preparation for writing our own. We have also been working on a character description for Mr Postmouse, focussing on both his appearance and personality.

In Maths we have been continuing to work on our number bonds and addition to 10. We have learned the + and = sign and have been learning how to count on using a number line.

In Science we have been labelling different body parts and learning about our five senses. We took our learning into the wildlife area where we did a senses scavenger hunt. We also made our very own mud monsters, linked to last week’s story about The Bog Baby.

REMINDER: Swimming next week for all Year 1 classes.

Letters sent home this week

• Year 1 - PSHE/RSE Letter - 02.10.2024
• Year 1 - PSHE/RSE Pants Power - 02.10.2024
• Year 1 - PSHE Planning - 02.10.2024
• Year 1 - PSHE - Body Parts - 02.10.2024
• Year 1 - PSHE - Touch - 02.10.2024
• Year 1 - PSHE - How to keep things private - 02.10.2024
• Whole School - Black History Month - 02.10.2024
• Whole School - Flu Vaccine Letter - 30.09.2024

Year Two

Year 2 have had a very exciting week and have thoroughly enjoyed their swimming sessions in the ‘pop-up’ pool. It has been fantastic watching the children progress with their confidence and swimming skills in just a short space of time.

In Literacy the children have been spending time practising their sentence skills when writing descriptions. The children have worked hard focussing on key elements of their sentences, so they include capital letters, full stops, adjectives and noun phrases for added detail. The children have also been working hard on their handwriting and their presentation skills.

In Maths we have continued our learning linked to addition and using our new methods, the column method, when adding a 2-digit number to a 2-digit number without bridging the ten e.g. 43+23=. We have used the equipment in class to help us where needed as well as drawing out the tens and ones in our books to represent the numbers which supports us when counting our totals. The children have been working hard to accomplish these new skills.

The children have begun our Geography unit for this half term and have started their learning more about maps, building on their knowledge from Year 1. The children have discussed what a map is, looked at the different compass points and directional language as well as starting to explore further what an aerial map is. The children created simple aerial maps of their classrooms, thinking about what their tables, chairs and other key furniture may look like from an aerial view.

REMINDER - Next Week:

Outdoor Learning: Please make sure the children have suitable clothing and their wellies for the changeable weather.

Mon: Badger and Fox

Tues: Hedgehog

Wed: Squirrel and Otter

Swimming continues Monday and Tuesday for Year 2.

Mon: Hedgehog, Squirrel, Otter

Tues: Badger and Fox

Open Door: 3pm Friday 11th October – Come and see all the lovely work the children have completed around Black History Day.

3pm Friday 11th October – Come and see all the lovely work the children have completed around Black History Day.

Letters sent home this week

• Whole School - Black History Month - 02.10.2024
• Whole School - Flu Vaccine Letter - 30.09.2024

Celebration Assembly - Aspire

This weeks value has been 'Aspire', below are highlights from around the classes.

Online Safety

Online gaming enjoys an apparently ever-increasing level of popularity, and many players are eager to connect with one another as they enjoy a friendly competition or go for the win side by side. Whether it’s to strategise and coordinate, or simply have a chat as you indulge in your hobby, the fact remains that plenty of games now offer means for their players to talk to one another, be that in a text or voice format.

Unfortunately, this functionality – which is used to connect with strangers just as often as it is with friends – poses several risks to younger players, and it’s vital for parents and educators to understand these safety concerns. This guide offers expert advice on the issues that may arise when using in-game chat, and lets you know how to safeguard the children in your care as they make use of this technology.

Extra Second-Hand Uniform Sales added due to popular demand.

Our lovely PTA have signed us up for Asda Rewards Cash Pot - if you usually shop there please consider adding Hamstel Infant School so we can have a chance at some extra funds.

How does Asda Cashpot work?

Asda's new Cashpot for Schools initiative has raised almost £1million for UK primary schools in its first 72 hours. The industry first campaign sees Asda donate 0.5% of the value of its customers shopping to a primary school of their choice – every time they shop using Asda Rewards.

For full details on how to use this Reward Scheme follow the link to Asda

Messages from the Office

School Tours for Reception September 2025

If you or anyone you know has a child who is starting school next September, please let them know we have our school tours available for bookings.