Welcome to St. Catharine’s!
Hello to you all, welcome to our new classmates of 2023-2024.
My name is Miss Brown, and I will be your Reception Class teacher.
Our Reception team will also include Mrs Leyland.
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Welcome
We wish you a warm welcome and we are really excited about you joining our St. Catharine’s family! I hope you find this page useful as I will be updating this regularly with all of the information to equip you for a smooth transition into our Reception class.
If you require any further information, please contact our school office via email enquiries@admin.saintcatharines.wigan.sch.uk or call 01952 733081.
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What our learning looks like in Reception
In Reception we are so lucky that we can take our learning both indoors and outdoors. We take pride in our provision and believe it is the right of all children to be immersed in rich and broad learning experiences. We include areas such as: phonics, maths, creative and physical in both indoors and outdoors, and we promote independence to support children in their application of newly taught skills.
We will be having ‘Home Visits’ to meet you and your child will take place in July.
W/B: Dates to follow.
Please keep your eyes peeled for an email and/or SEESAW message to confirm your date and time.
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Seesaw
As a school, we use the Seesaw family and classroom apps for home communication and remote learning.
You have been sent an email in order to download this APP – please check your emails and download today!
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Frequently Asked Questions
You will find a lot of information and answers to the following in our: Information Booklet – New to Reception Class
Will my child visit school before they start?
School Visits :INSPIRE Sessions 2023/2024 – a Stay and Play opportunity in Reception Class Parents to attend: Wednesday 5th July -1:15pm to 2:15pm and Wednesday 12th July – 1:15pm to 2:15pm. Parents attend – lunch tasting session for all + Stay and Play for children only : Wednesday 19th July – 1:15pm to 2:30pm
What date will my child start school?
Tuesday 6th September – your child will attend Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th either a morning or afternoon session. Please check your prospectus pack for this information.
Your child will attend school full time on Thursday 8th September 2022.
What will happen during dinner time?
Children will have the choice of a school dinner or packed lunch – this will be ordered at home using the Dolce app.
Lunchtime is 11:45am-12:45pm and in that time your child will have their lunch and play outside.
Children also have an independent snack area, where fruit and water is provided throughout the school day.
What does a Reception school day look like?
Link: Our School Day
What if my child needs to go to the toilet?
We have 4 accessible toilets in our Reception classroom, we encourage and expect our children to be fully toilet trained and independent in their self-care such as, wiping and hand washing. We always help and encourage our children with these skills.
We ask that you bring some spare underwear and clothing in case of accidents.
I will add to the FAQ’s weekly if any more arise – please do not hesitate to contact us on SEESAW or at the school office.
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Home Learning – How do I prepare my child for September?
Keep your eyes peeled for weekly home learning activities and important websites and documents for you to read and have a go with at home.
Below is a link to a document created by Wigan Local Authority, it is an interactive guide on how to prepare your child for starting school! This is a great document to read over the next few weeks, as it will give you lots of ideas on what you can do at home, and it will give you insight as to what ‘Reception Ready’ looks like! Link: I’m Starting School!
I find the CBeebies webiste great for parents and carers, when preparing your child for Primary School. https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/how-to-prepare-your-child-for-primary-school
Below is a very useful document that explains the milestones in your children’s lives and at what ages they should be achieving them. From pages 20-31, it will discuss the milestones children will reach in Reception class, it also gives fun and interactive activities on how you can work towards achieving those milestones. At each Parent’s Afternoon meeting, I will give you a copy of this important document as I think it is a great tool when understanding your child’s development at home and in school. Link: What to expect when Parent’s Guide
Home Learning Activities
In this section of our Reception Class 2023/24 page, I will be updating activities for your child to have a go at at home. These activities will help to prepare your child for starting school. If your child finds some activities tricky, then really focus on practicing these activities over Summer – I would love to see any activities completed on our SEESAW page!
Home Learning Activities – please click link to find 9 activities!
Read Write Inc Handwriting Rhymes and Characters – this will help with the writing and formation of letters and sounds.
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Useful Websites
Below you will find websites that we use daily in Reception, they are fantastic at home learning tools! In Reception we are in the Early Years, so please search for Early Years sections on each site to access interactive at home learning.
Phonics
Cbeebies Alphablocks episodes https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/alphablocks
Phonics Play https://new.phonicsplay.co.uk/
Letters and Sounds http://www.letters-and-sounds.com/
Maths
White Rose Maths https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/early-years/
Top Marks https://www.topmarks.co.uk/
BBC iplayer Numberblocks episodes https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b08bzfnh/numberblocks
Other Websites
Twinkl https://www.twinkl.co.uk/home-learning-hub
Cbeebies https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies
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