Dear Parents,

This week, we have started our new focus on harvest and autumn. The children have been exploring what a day in the life on a farm looks like and have enjoyed doing lots of autumnal artwork for our big display in the hall. We have even been painting with tractors, conkers, forks and our fingers! The children have learnt words such as sharing, cooperation, friendship, thankful and harvest when looking at our books ‘Grandpa’s Farm’ and ‘The Squirrels who Squabbled’. They’ve been practicing drawing and tracing different types of tractors to practise their pencil grip

The children have tried a few different vegetables this week including butternut squash and tomatillos from Miss Worlock’s allotment, plus some brussell sprouts (mini cabbages) that the children ‘harvested’ with their little tractors.

As a special treat on Tuesday, we were able to participate in Henley Literary Festival’s live audience with Sophy Henn, author & illustrator of ‘I Want Everything’. The children loved the story and drawing some little ghosts with a variety of facial expressions. We enjoyed reading a few more of her books ‘I hate everything’ and ‘The Best Worst Day Ever’- they were very entertaining!

We have continued with some sounds for phonics this week (/b/, /f/, /e/, /l/) and have started some oral blending games to help with our reading. e.g. I spy a c-a-t, and Mrs Hogan says pat your h-ea-d. Doing these games helps prepare your child for segmenting and blending- important skills for reading! If you go out for a walk over the weekend, perhaps you can play a game of ‘I spy’ with segmenting the things or people you see. Children have loved hunting for more sounds round the garden and trying their best with mouth placement to ensure they are saying them correctly.

Next week, we are continuing to explore harvest, farming and autumn; exploring where our food comes from and having a go at acting out books such as ‘Pumpkin Soup’ and ‘The Enormous Turnip’.

Oxfordshire County Council have asked us to share a link to this questionnaire with you which allows you to feedback on your child’s transition to primary school. https://schools.oxfordshire.gov.uk/schools-news/2026/moving-primary-school-parentcarer-questionnaire

Challenge: For Show and Tell next week, could you help your child to achieve one of these home challenges?

Reminders:

Books – are given out on a Friday and come back the following Friday. Do let us know if you need a new book, but we do expect other books from home and library to be used in between. Once children have been reassessed for phonics, we will be sending home books that the children can try and read!

Phonics and Maths posters– these have been put into children’s bookbags for your fridge/ wall. Hopefully, you can help your child revise these sounds and it will be helpful in any writing or decoding (working out new words).

October 9th- Inset day (no school for children)

October 13th – school photo day

Thank you for your continued support,

The Kites Team.