The Week Ahead … (17^th-21^st)

To all our wonderful Highflyer families

This week we shall, hopefully, be beginning to start (in earnest!) our Lower School Christmas Production practice sessions – including the drama and songs for our performance next month; given it is, unbelievably, not too far away now! On Monday this week we will be letting you all know what part your child is having/happy to undertake (I promise we did ask!) and give a gentle suggestion as to their related costume; however, PLEASE do not feel in any way that you must ‘buy’ a costume especially; as we are more than happy to search through the vast resources already in school - or simply for you all to just reuse clothing that you might have at home already – as SO OFTEN we can honestly adapt ‘bits and bobs’ for ANY part – truly! Everyone (from Yr 1-Yr 3) is learning the songs and there should be a copy with you already (hopefully which arrived home today - Friday afternoon?!).  For Year 2, this year there are only 4 very small speaking parts required (Angel 3, 4, 5 & 6) - as the majority of these have already been allocated to Year 3 in the first instance – given Mrs Davey ensures that all pupils, duly, have a speaking role once they reach the dizzy heights of Discovery Class … :)

Extra Events: We shall, once again (as per Challenger Class attending last year) be able to enjoy our scheduled Performance Sport Tag Rugby 6-a-side Fun/event on Tuesday morning (18^th) at Henley Hawks RFC from 9.30 – 11.30am.  Therefore, we would be HUGELY grateful if all the children could PLEASE arrive in school in their P.E kit (from 8.30am) with warm jogging bottoms, their school hoodie and suitable trainers (no studs required I promise!).  It would be equally amazing if all the children also have a waterproof/warm coat to wear all morning – just in case the weather is wet or a bit chilly plus their named water bottle. We shall be taking snacks with us – and arriving back at school in time for lunch; ready to start our normal afternoon lessons from 1pm - so everyone shall also need their usual uniform/indoor clothes to change into … which can be popped onto their indoor pegs on arrival/during registration etc.

Phonics and Spellings

This week our phonic focus is: Term 2 Week 3 - Apostrophes for possession (and review words with / ou / ow /) – with all planners in school gratefully received! MANY thanks …

Reading

We are enjoying several reading books related to our topic of 'How were schools different in the past?'; alongside the introduction of our new English text - John Norman Patrick McHennessey by John Burningham - from Monday; with our class FFT reading book, ‘The Great Escape', continuing until Wednesday. However, we shall be concentrating primarily on all the missing/cheeky crickets and – hopefully - making our own dramatic effects of Mum’s magnificent explosions from within the kitchen!  

Maths

This week, the children will explore the composition of 9 and subitising other numbers within 9. They will see that 9 can be arranged in a square and use this knowledge to explore the patterns that can be made in a 3-by-3 grid, to identify bonds of 9 and to build a visual image of 9. The children will then explore the structure of 9 on one row of the rekenrek, seeing 9 in relation to 5 (as 5 and 4) and in relation to 10 (as 1 less than 10).  Our additional maths focus remains on our addition and subtraction unit – which will be completed by Friday (21^st) before we then move onto a new topic of ‘Shape’.  

Forest School, on Wednesday morning, will remain ‘as normal’ this week – however, PLEASE do feel free to gather any ‘missing items’ from previous weeks on our external wooden clothing rail just beneath the Highflyer window – as we seem to be gathering a wonderful collection of both warm and waterproof items yet to ‘find’ a confirmed home atm!?

After celebrating World Kindness Day on Thursday 13^th  (in conjunction with the National Anti-Bullying Week) and a Pudsey Bear craft today (to recognise Children in Need), we quickly move onto World Children’s Day this week (20.11.25) -  whilst still wishing you all a lovely, if not equally busy, third week of Term 2 … ;)

With very best wishes – as always

Mrs Winters (Abi) and the ever-fabulous Highflyer ‘Team’