Friday 19th July

Useful information and requests:

• Term starts on Tuesday 3rd September at 8.50am.

• Things to do, to support your child...
• It would really benefit your child to keep reading to them and listening to them read over the holidays. There is a great reading challenge that they can take part in at the library. They have learnt about this in an Assembly. 
• Play lots of board games. Look at numbers,shapes and words in the environment and count everything!! Try to recap the phonemes taught this year and encourage your child to use their phonic knowledge to write lists, postcards, stories, information books, instructions etc
• Make sure your child can read all 45 high frequency words and better still write them! 

Wow- how did the year fly by so fast? We can't believe how much the children have developed this year. We have had a wonderful year with them and are very sad to see them move on. We know they will be very happy in Year 1 and we look forward to hearing about their progress and seeing them around school. 

We are very sad to see Mrs Meade leave. Thank you all so much for coming to her 'Teddy Bear's picnic'. It was lovely to see so many of you there. We hope you enjoyed it too.

Thank you so much for being such supportive parents this year and for all the generous gifts we have received. We have really enjoyed teaching your children. Have a wonderful restful summer holiday.

Mrs Meade, Mrs Parkin, Miss Cane, Mrs Hall, Mrs Fizsimons and Miss Kelly

A message from Mrs Meade

To All the Dear, Dear Parents of Ducks 2019

Thank you so much for making my last year so special. I have really enjoyed teaching all of your wonderful children. They are truly wonderful.

Thank you for your kind messages and very generous gifts, you are very kind. I will buy something very special as a reminder of your children and every time I look at it I will think of them all.

I loved the card with pictures of the children and their names, you may be surprised to know that I have kept every one that I have ever been given – that’s how much they mean to me.

Thank you for being so supportive over the last year. Teaching children is a partnership and I feel that we have forged a really good one, and that everyone, children, parents and myself are the better for it.

So it is goodbye from me. I will enjoy being able to go the shops when they aren’t busy, being able to go on holidays when it’s cheaper, drinking a hot cup of tea, going to the toilet whenever I need to, going out for coffee and lazy lunches! I live in Harpenden and may or may not see around you but I will thinking of you all and Crabtree.

With Love and Best Wishes

Karen Meade

XX

Friday 12th July

Useful information and requests:

• On Monday 15th July we will be having a teddy bear's picnic to say farewell to Mrs Meade. Please could all children bring in a teddy bear on that day.
  Two adults per child are invited to join us at 2pm for songs and a picnic. 
  If you are able to come please bring a picnic blanket and something for you all to eat. If  you are not able to come please supply your child with a plate of food (we will not be able to refrigerate any food).
  Please note that we are a nut free school.

• Mrs Meade's leaving Assembly is on Friday 19th at 9.15.There will also be a celebration assembly in the afternoon.
• We would be very grateful if you have any clean tomato/salad cream/mayonnaise squeezy bottles that we can use for paint.

• Things to do, to support your child...
• Keep reading with your child. 
• Your child would really benefit if you could continue to recap their phonics and maths skills over the summer as children often take a step backwards if they have too much of a break. Encourage them to write lists and postcards and have lots of fun!

The children loved visiting their new classrooms and teachers this week. They seem very excited about the move to Year 1. We hope you enjoyed open evening.

This week was Cultural week and because it coincides with the Tour de France the children have been learning all about France. The week started with an assembly explaining a little about the race, including the different stages and coloured jerseys.
The children went to all the classrooms/teachers over the week to complete a range of activities.

These included:

Collage in the style of Matisse.

Observational drawing of the Mona Lisa.

Learning about Rodin's sculpture 'The Thinker'- the children drew a picture of what he might be thinking!

Learning French songs with our fabulous Mrs Fitzsimons.

The children also made French menus
They sketched famous French buildings.

The children looked fabulous in their French colours.

The 'Tour de Crabtree' obstacle course was lots of fun. The children swam across the Channel and went through the Eurotunnel, over the Pyrennes, over the Alps, across the bridge (over the Siene) and finished at the Arc de Triumph.

The Ducks cheered the Robins on and the Robins cheered the Ducks on!

The children sang french songs in the afternoon and had a fantastic street party! See if your child can sing the songs for you - they were brilliant!

The children have enjoyed ChIL this week too.

In PE this week the children went outdoors and did races on the field. 

These included: 

• the sack race  
• balancing a beanbag on a racket race, 
• A skipping hula hoop race
•  a hockey race -dribbling the ball between the cones..

Only one week to go in Reception. This year has gone so quickly! Have a great weekend.

The  Year R Team