Heathfields Infant and Wilnecote Junior Academies Parent Portal - Wilnecote Weekly Update

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been another busy and successful week in school, with children continuing to settle well into their learning. This week has been a celebration of how well our Year 3 pupils have adapted to their new routines and embraced life in Year 3. Thank you to all the parents who joined us for the Year 3 OPAL session and attended the Year 3 Welcome Assembly. It was wonderful to see the children's PRIDE values shining through, particularly their inquisitiveness, enthusiasm and positive attitude towards learning.

We have also enjoyed welcoming parents into school this week for our Year 4 TT Rock Stars workshop and our Mental Health Parent Workshop. Thank you to everyone who attended and for your continued support in working alongside us to help our children thrive.

Homework

We know that family life can be busy, but the support you give your child with their learning at home makes a real difference. Just a few minutes each day spent reading and practising times tables can help children build confidence and secure the key skills they need for success in the classroom.

We encourage all pupils to read at home at least four times each week and spend a minimum of 15 minutes per week on TT Rock Stars to develop their fluency and recall of multiplication facts.

Alongside this, the White Rose maths homework provides an opportunity to revisit and strengthen the learning that has taken place in school, helping knowledge to become firmly embedded.

By encouraging your child to complete their homework regularly and celebrating their efforts, you are helping them to develop positive learning habits, resilience and confidence. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child's learning journey.

PTFA

Please read this letter from Katie Fletcher, PTFA Chair:

Dear Families,

The PTFA plays a vital part in the school community, and we would love new faces to join us for a cuppa, say hello and share ideas that will make a difference to the children at school. All are invited to take part in our annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday 1st October 1:30pm at Heathfields Children Centre.

The existing committee members Katie Fletcher (Chair), Leane Brewer (Vice Chair) Christine Davies (Treasurer) will stand down at the AGM and new members are welcome to be voted in.

The PTFA are also a registered charity (no. 1216346) and currently has only two trustees –Chair and the Treasurer – which is the minimum required under our constitution. Without trustees and committee members, the PTFA will not be able to continue operating in the long term. This would mean an end to the fundraising and events that support the school and its pupils.

If anyone is interested in putting themselves forward, or if you can’t make it but would like to contribute, please get in touch by emailing the office prior to the 1st October.

For more info on what the roles involve see the following link for details:

Quick guide to PTA roles | Parentkind

We adopt the Parentkind constitution that details the powers of the PTFA, who can be a member and Objectives of the PTFA. A blank copy can be found via:

Model-constitution-England-and-Wales.pdf

Yours sincerely

Mrs Katie Fletcher

PTFA Chair

Teacher Training Day

Please note that school is closed on Friday 2nd October for a teacher training day.

Oracy

You may have heard this new word popping up at home! Oracy is all about helping children develop the skills to speak and listen effectively. We are embedding oracy across the curriculum to help pupils express their ideas clearly, listen thoughtfully to others, build confidence, and take part in meaningful discussions.

Regular, purposeful opportunities for talk are the best ways to support oracy development. We achieve this by:

Encouraging children to speak in full sentences.
Providing regular opportunities for pupils to share their ideas, thoughts and opinions.
Supporting children to build on the ideas and suggestions of others.
Teaching pupils how to respectfully disagree and explain their thinking.
Developing confidence when speaking to different audiences.
Introducing and exploring ambitious vocabulary across all subjects.

Healthy Snacks

Helping children to develop healthy eating habits is an important part of supporting their wellbeing, concentration and readiness to learn. As part of promoting healthy lifestyles in school, we encourage pupils to bring a healthy snack to enjoy at break time.