Please feel free to speak to us at the classroom door with any questions or concerns. We'll be more than happy to help. 

For any admin information like early pick up or sickness, please call the main office. Thank you.

Hello and welcome to Lion Class 2025-26!

This year, Lion Class will be taught by Mr Thomas and Mrs Silbereis and supported by Miss Rowley. We are so excited to welcome you back to school after the summer holiday! We have lots of lovely and exciting plans for this year, which we will let you know all about in due course.

Mr Thomas will be teaching Monday, Tuesday and every other Wednesday.

Mrs Silbereis will be teaching every other Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

The class will be covered by Miss Rowley for one afternoon per week. This is for Mr Thomas and Mrs Silbereis to have PPA (planning, preparation and assessment) time. 

Please see below for helpful extra information like changing book days and PE days this term. We use the website and also the ClassDojo app, which allows us to send any reminders on the Class Story. Let us know if you need help gaining access as we will be using this to send useful reminders throughout the year. 

We look forward to meeting you all soon!

Mr Thomas, Mrs Silbereis and Miss Rowley

Extra Things to Know

Key Information for Year 2:

1. PE days are Tuesday and Friday.
2. Water bottles- please send in a named water bottle for your child to use around the school.

Homework:

1. Reading: please hear your child read 5 times a week and sign in their yellow reading record. 5-10 minutes is The children receive rewards in class for completing this homework. Reading books are changed every Thursday.
2. Spelling Test is every Monday. Please practise spellings at home. 

3. For Maths, you are aiming for your child to complete: 15minutes across the week of practice on the TT Rockstars website: Times Tables Rock Stars – Times Tables Rock Stars (ttrockstars.com) and 1 task on the MyMaths website: Home - MyMaths . Children who complete these homework tasks will receive rewards in class. 

Your child will bring home log-in details for any online learning or homework accounts in their reading record, so that they can access these at home. If any get mislaid, please contact us so that we can provide these details again.

Weather Conditions

Please remember to provide your child with a coat on days it is needed and also a hat if we happen to have a hot, sunny day. Please also apply sun cream to your child before arriving at school when necessary, as we will not be able to assist with this.

PE

School uniform PE kits are to be worn to school on the day your child has PE. Please ensure that your child is sent in with the appropriate kit for that day so that they are able to take part in a fun, interactive lesson! Please also ensure any earrings are removed for these days so that your child can participate. 

Thank you!

A note from Mr Thomas (Mondays, Tuesdays and every other Wednesday):

Good day! I'm thrilled to be starting my journey at Barley Close this year. Teaching has been my calling and passion for the past five years, and I couldn't be more excited to begin this new chapter with such a wonderful group of children. I had the chance to spend some time in the classroom at the end of last academic year and start getting to know them - they all seem absolutely wonderful, and I can't wait to get to know them even better and help them grow not just academically, but socially and emotionally too.

Having my own two children - a 3-year-old and an 8-month-old (who was actually the first baby born in Bristol in 2025, making her officially a 'Beta'!) - has made me even more aware of how important it is to be a positive role model, both to my own children and to everyone around me. This is something I try to bring into the classroom every day.

I'm also excited to take on the role of Computing Lead for the school. I've always been fascinated by technology and hope to share that curiosity and enthusiasm with the children, helping them discover the amazing possibilities that technology can offer.

My approach in the classroom is all about creating a warm, engaging, secure and happy environment, because I truly believe that when children feel safe and supported, the most successful learning can take place. What I love most about teaching isn't just watching academic progress, but seeing each child grow as a person. In Year 2, we get to witness them develop over a seventh of their entire life - it's absolutely wonderful to be part of that journey!

When I'm not at school or running around after my toddler (who insists on giving my youngest whole grapes because 'she likes to share'), I love spending time with friends and family, just enjoying the everyday moments with the people I love. My hobbies are pretty standard - I try to stay fit (when I'm not exhausted from my daughter's consistent requests to dance to 'Let It Go'), love to cook (usually after cleaning up hand-beaten eggs courtesy of my enthusiastic toddler helper), and unwind with the occasional episode of Below Deck.

I'm really looking forward to all the exciting learning experiences we'll share this year. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or concerns - I'm here to support both you and your child!

A note from Mrs Silbereis (every other Wednesday, Thursdays and Fridays)

Hello! I've been teaching at Barley Close for eighteen years, so I've had the privilege to get to know many of our lovely families really well! It's a really caring school and I'm looking forward to another year of exciting experiences with our lovely children. I am excited to be moving up with half the class and getting to know the other half better. 

Having had my own two children since I started at Barley Close, I now understand how a parent feels entrusting their child to someone else 5 days a week! We work really hard at Barley Close to involve the children's individual interests, skills and needs in every lesson, to make learning fun and to ensure they enjoy coming to school. I have really enjoyed introducing Free Art Afternoons at Barley Close as part of my Art and DT leadership role, which this cohort of children particularly love- it inspires me to see how creative they are and how much joy they find in following their interests to create something they can take home. 

When I'm not at school, I really enjoy spending time with my family. We love picnics, reading together, steam railways and beach walks especially! We often visit Cornwall and I love exploring new places too. We enjoy local walks with our dog and my favourite time of year for these walks is Autumn with its crunchy leaves and fresh air! 

I am really looking forward to all our exciting learning experiences this year. Please do feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or concerns, or if you'd like any more information!