Important Information

Belongings

Things that you will need to bring to school with you include:

• A water bottle
• A lunchbox (if you aren't having the free school meals)
• A healthy snack/s for break time/s (if you aren't having the free fruit provided at morning break)
• A coat
• A book bag and/or a rucksack

Please label all belongings clearly with a permanent marker to include items of uniform and PE kits. Thank you in advance.

ClassDojo

ClassDojo is an app that you can download on to your device that will help build a strong classroom community. There are many functions to the ClassDojo app to include:

• Sharing the amount of dojo points (reward points), your child has earnt and in which areas these have been awarded.
• Sharing class stories (like those on Facebook and Instagram) of activities that the children have been doing in class.
• Send and receive messages to/from the teacher

If you signed up to ClassDojo during the last academic year then your accounts have automatically migrated to sync with the Lion class account. If your child is new to Barley Close or you haven't already been able to sign up, I will send login details home with your child of how to join the ClassDojo app during the first week of term.

PE

We will have two weekly PE lessons during the academic year. These lessons will take place on:

• Wednesdays (with Mr Filer) and 
• Thursdays (with the sports coach)

On these days, children will need to come into school in their PE kits. The school's PE kit consists of the following:

• a plain white, royal blue or yellow polo top/t-shirt or school PE top
• shorts, leggings or tracksuit/jogging bottoms
• either a pair of trainers or plimsolls
• their school jumper/fleece to keep warm or school PE hoodie

Swimming lessons will take place during term 6.

Reading at Home 

Reading books will come home on the first Thursday of term (9^th September 2021). We ask that you hear your child read at home at least 5 times per week, for roughly 5 - 10 minutes at a time. Please record each time you hear your child read, the page they have read up to and any comments in your child's reading record. This does not necessarily have to be when they read books from school; it also includes reading their own books, comics and magazines at home.

We will monitor reading records and send home new reading books each Thursday, so please ensure that your child's books and reading records are in school on this day in order that the changing of books can take place. Your child will receive a maximum of three books to read throughout the week. Please encourage your child to read and reread each book, as this will help build/further improve their confidence, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, word recognition, patterns and rhythm.

If you have any questions about your child's reading, need support or ideas, then please do come and talk to us - we are here to help your child be the best reader they can be and to develop a love of reading for life.  

Spellings

Spellings will be set during our first day back with the first weekly spelling test taking place the first Friday of term (10^th September 2021) and every Friday thereafter. You will receive termly spelling lists at the start of each term - paper copies will come home with your child and an electronic copy will come through via ClassDojo. Spelling lists will also be on the class web page under that term's page.

Maths Homework (new this year!)

From September, your child will be set two online maths tasks to complete during the week at home.

1. Times Tables Rock Stars - we ask that your child practises their times tables recall for 25 minutes per week completing the 'garage game'. The times tables on the 'garage game' are set by myself to ensure your child is working at the correct level for them. By the end of year two, your child should be able to recall multiplication and division facts for the 2s, 5s and 10s and use them to solve simple problems.
2. MyMaths - your child will be set one activity to complete each week online, which consolidates what they have been learning in class that week.

We will monitor which children are accessing/completing the Times Tables Rock Stars and MyMaths homework every Friday and set a new MyMaths activity each Thursday. The first online maths homework will be due for Friday 17^th September 2021 and every week thereafter. Information regarding login details for Times Tables Rocks Stars and MyMaths is stated below.

Times Tables Rock Stars and MyMaths

Online learning platforms, such as: Time Table Rock Stars and MyMaths will be reactivated at the beginning of September. Your child will bring home their account details (stuck in the back of their reading records), during the first week of term, in order that they are able to access these at home. If any logins are mislaid, please do not hesitate to email me at: mitchell.filer1@barleyclose.org.uk or message me via ClassDojo.

Rewards for Home Learning

Children who read at home at least 5 or more times per week, get full marks on their spelling test, practises their times tables recall for 25 minutes per week on Times Tables Rock Stars and completes the weekly MyMaths activity at home, will earn an extra dojo point for each piece of home learning completed and a reward.