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Preston
Primary School
Academy

Foundation Stage Newsletter

Puffins and Penguins Newsletter, 3rd February 2023

Literacy - Oi Frog!

The children continued to enjoy the funny rhyming story ‘Oi Frog’ by Kes Gray and Jim Field.

This week the children have been innovating the story, thinking of new ideas that do not appear in the book. Pig on a wig, dog on a log, bat on a hat, bug on a jug. They drew pictures and wrote rhyming words to represent their ideas. The children then used their ideas to write phrases and sentences. We were really impressed by their hard work and determination. They have been practising to improve their writing, and we are seeing the small steps of progress. When the children have finished their writing, we will share images with you on Seesaw.

Local Trip – Torquay Library   

As part of our curriculum, we strive to give children opportunities to be immersed in a love of reading. Every child in Foundation has now visited Torquay Library. This has also linked closely to our current learning experience ‘When I Grow Up’ as we have been talking about the role of a librarian, author, and illustrator.

The library trips were motivating and very exciting. The children enjoyed travelling on the minibus, it was a great opportunity for rich talk, which is so important. The children were inspired by the range of books available at the library. They enjoyed sharing the books with each other, and there was lots of wonderful vocabulary being used. Members of the public were very complimentary about the children visiting the library; the children were very respectful and polite.  

We have placed the library books on our class book shelves. The children are enjoying sharing the books with their friends. It is wonderful to hear them talking about the books and enjoying them together.

Reading is at the heart of our curriculum, and we will continue to provide opportunities to promote a love of reading.

If you are not already a member of Torbay Libraries, we encourage you to join and visit over half term.  Joining Libraries Unlimited is completely free and gives you access to a wealth of books, magazines, music, information, events, and resources, across Torbay. Please use this link to find out more information and join. Join the library - torbay (torbaylibraries.org.uk)

When I Grow Up - Ready for Work

It has been a fun and exciting week full of unique and wonderful experiences. The three aims of our school are to create a love of learning, teach children to be good citizens, and get them ready for the world of work. In our current learning experience, we are exploring the future career opportunities for all the children, and we would like to thank everyone who continues to support us.

Architect Visit

Linking to our school curriculum aim ‘Ready for Work’, Mrs Fairclough came to visit the children to talk about her job as an architect. She explained how creative an architect can be when designing a new building or attraction in the community. The children understood the importance of working as a team. They were challenged to design a new fun house attraction for the community. They drew their own architect sketches and plans on special paper and talked about the materials they would need. They then swapped plans with a friend who had to build their design. The children had some fantastic ideas ranging from fish tank rooms, trampoline floors, water slides and soft play areas.

Thank you, Mrs Fairclough. It was a fun, creative, and informative session. At Preston, we have high aspirations for children and want them to realise that anyone can be an architect. Visits like this inspire children and provide opportunities for creativity.

Visiting the School Office

This week, a few children had the opportunity to visit the school office and talk to Mrs Warren and Mrs Ellery about their jobs. The children were very excited to step inside the school office and ask some questions. It was wonderful for the children to understand that the school values they are learning now will be used later in life when they get their own jobs. Mrs Warren and Mrs Ellery talked about how they work as a team and have many responsibilities to keep everyone safe in school. The children learnt how to answer the telephone respectfully and were very excited to answer a few phone calls! When the children went back to the classroom, they shared their experience with the rest of the class.

Thank you, Mrs Warren and Mrs Ellery, for inspiring the children and sharing your experiences. It is important for children to realise they have lots of opportunities in the future work place.

To continue the learning. Over the next few weeks, small groups of children will have the opportunity to visit different workplaces in the community.

Room on the Broom – Theatre Trip

On Tuesday 7th February we will be going to the Theatre Royal Plymouth to watch the live show, ‘Room on the Broom’. The children are very excited, and so are the adults. We will be sharing more details with the children on Monday. We will sequence the events of the day, so they know what to expect. We have lots of images to share with them. Here is a plan for the day.

  • 8.40am - Children arrive in school (we will open the classroom doors at 8.40am)
  • 9.30am Coach leaves school. The children will all be on one coach with the adults.
  • 11am – 12pm watching the live show ‘Room on the Broom’.
  • 12pm – 1pm – we will have lunch at the theatre
  • 1pm – the coach will depart Plymouth
  • 2pm – 2.30pm We will arrive back at school
  • 3.15pm – normal school finish

Important information

Please book breakfast and after school clubs as normal if this is required.

Your child will only need to bring a coat, a packed lunch, and a drinks bottle. Please send their lunch in a small named lunch bag with a water bottle. We will collect these in the morning and keep them safe until lunchtime. If you would like the school kitchen to provide a free packed lunch, please order a hot meal via the Aspens website as normal. The kitchen will then provide a cheese sandwich, fruit/veg and a cake. Teachers will collect these lunches in the morning.

If you have any further queries, please ask the class teachers.

Home Learning

  • Enjoy the story on Seesaw ‘Room on the Broom’ read by Mrs Bastin.
  • Click on the link to watch the video ‘Room on the Broom’ BBC iPlayer - Room on the Broom
  • Check your child’s book bag and Seesaw for phonics activities and reading to complete at home.

Important Dates        

  • Theatre trip ‘Room on the Broom’ – Tuesday 7th February.
  • Half Term 13th – 17th February

From Mrs Bastin, Mrs Clague and the Foundation Stage Team

Address
Preston Primary School Academy
Old Paignton Road
Torquay
Devon
TQ2 6UY

Phone
01803 607075