Benhall Infant and Pre-School Parent Portal - 28th April 2023

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Friday Letter - 28th April 2023

Dear Parents,

We have had another wonderful week at school and pre-school, which began with the long awaited opportunity to share our Ofsted report with you all. Thank you to everyone who has taken time to let us know just how special school is for your child(ren). Every member of the team has appreciated hearing this and we are all so proud to belong to our uniquely special Benhall family.

This week like every week has captured what an exceptional school is. Our children have flourished through access to widespread opportunities to excel - using the meadow to explore habitats in science, creating houses in the DT workshop, sharing books with our regular visitors that listen to children read, audition for the end of year performance and learning to regulate their emotions during a reflexology session with Claire.

Every teacher and teaching partner has planned and taught our ambitious curriculum with unfaltering enthusiasm and care; inspiring all our learners to want to know more and more.

Love from Miss Morris and team xx

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Gentle Reminder

While we are as excited as the children to hear about new family pets, we cannot permit dogs onto the school grounds. Dogs must remain outside the school perimeter. Dogs should not be tied to the school entrances.

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To celebrate the King’s Coronation the children will be joining St. Marks Junior School for a celebratory lunch on Thursday 4th May. This will be held at St. Marks with our teachers and teaching partners joining them. Children can either book a celebratory lunch from Caterlink or if you prefer your child can bring in their own packed lunch. There will be no hot dinners that day. If you would like to book a lunch from Caterlink please complete the Microsoft form sent out earlier this week. Children can wear red, white and blue for the day.

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Pre School News

This week in Pre-School we have continued to be mini scientists, looking at growing. We have looked and discussed what happens when you plant a seed, observing growth and change and what helps this to happen such as watering, sun, light. On the interactive white board we have watched a clip on seed germination with a time lapse. We have shared the stories such as The Tiny Seed and Jasper’s Beanstalk. The children have planted sun flowers seeds to take home, care for, and watch grow. In silver and gold families they have sown cress seeds on to cotton wool and runner beans which were put in a container with a folded piece of kitchen roll, then add a spoonful of water to the seed every day, enough to keep the jar moist but not waterlogged, after a few days the broad bean should sprout. The children will be able to watch, care for and see the changes as the cress and beans grow. Hall time Friday the children enjoyed the magic bean game. Our Little Wandle Letter Sound this week has been ‘h.’ Next week we return to Pre-School on Tuesday 2^nd May and our theme and learning will be ‘Mini Historians,’ Have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend, The Pre-School Team.

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Year Group In Focus - Reception

In Reception this week we have been learning the traditional tale of the Three Little Pigs. The children have been immersed in re-telling the story through actions, role play, writing, puppet shows and watercolour painting. On Thursday the children spent the morning taking part in a rotation of learning - Balanceability, Outside Provision and a Handwriting session. This term we are focusing on learning capital letters and how to form them. In maths we have been counting accurately up to 20, looking for 10s and 1s patterns and recording the numbers correctly. A very busy week as always, full of Perseverance, Purple Learning and Pigs! Have a wonderful Bank Holiday weekend everyone.

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School Lottery - please consider signing up to our weekly lottery draw. Guarantee one person from Benhall will win a small prize each week and entry to the larger £25k too. https://www.yourschoollottery.co.uk/lottery/school/benhall-infant-and-pre-school?fbclid=IwAR0rUMXuSJkEwlSv70blK4UUdKENqdBxoF-bk_MQ1-nfMgxgef-7zEQpwQs

Lunchtimes

Our lunchtimes have vastly improved since September and we have such a dedicated and nurturing lunchtime team who have come up with lots of superb ideas to make lunchtimes even more enjoyable, thank you to our lunchtime team! As the weather begins to warm up we have planned for a few changes – the children have been made aware in a lunchtime assembly and we will remind them when some of our changes can happen. They are as follows:

The field will be open for the children to enjoy their playtime on
Packed lunches will be able to eat outside on the tyres
Water bottles will go outside – please can we kindly ask you label them
Mrs Smurthwaite is going to be running sports and games for the children to join in with on Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursdays
The staff and School Council are going to be looking for role models with the playpod and children who are chosen to be part of our ‘Pod Squad’ will be able to set up and tidy it away at the start and end of lunchtimes.

If you have any queries then pop Miss Bilton an email to rebeccabilton@benhall.gloucs.sch.uk

Purple Learning Focus

This week our whole school focus has been ‘Independence’. It is great to see all of our children with such high levels of independence at lunchtimes and in the classroom . During Wednesday assemblies with Miss Bilton we will be sharing how we can be purple learners at home and this is where you can help! If your child has celebrated others, put in effort to a task, shown resilience, persevered or listened to feedback then please add to Tapestry or send Miss Bilton an email with the details. We will then share this in assembly and your child will be celebrated and added to the purple learner board in school – we will then send a special purple learner note home. If you prefer to email than add to Tapestry please let Miss Bilton know at any point in the term – rebeccabilton@benhall.gloucs.sch.uk

Thank you 😊

Purple Learners of the Week

Alfie M
Louie
Ollie
Sasha R
Bea B
Charlie B
Mrs Gowing

Well done everyone, we are all really proud of you.

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We would like to wish members of our Benhall Family who have celebrated their birthday a really happy birthday. Happy birthday to:

Josh M
Thenuki
Rupert
Douglas
Theo N

Class Routines

PE Kit

What a great start to wearing school PE kit on PE days – thank you parents for your help with this.

PE Kit reminder:

Navy blue shorts or tracksuit bottoms
Plain white or purple T-shirt
Navy blue hoody or sweatshirt
Trainers

If your child has joined an after school sports club they can wear their school PE Kit on club days too (no football strips).

Orange Class
PE Days - Monday and Wednesday
Forest School Days Starts 27/9/22 - every other Thursday
Book Bags - Every day please
Book Changes - Bring in on Wednesday go home on Friday
Sound Books - Back in on Wednesday
PPA Day and Cover - Weds am by Miss Everett

Yellow Class
PE Days - Monday and Wednesday
Forest School Days Starts 27/9/22 - every other Thursday
Book Bags - Every day please
Book Changes - Bring in on Wednesday go home on Friday
Sound Books - Back in on Wednesday
PPA Day and Cover - Weds am by Miss Bilton

Green Class
PE Days - Wednesday and Thursday
Forest School Days - Starting on 29th September then every other Thursday
Book Bags - Every day please
Book Changes - Friday
PPA Day and Cover - Weds pm by Miss Bilton and Mrs Smurthwaite

Blue Class
PE Days - Wednesday and Thursday
Forest School Days - every other Tuesday
Book Bags - Every day please
Book Changes - Friday
PPA Day and Cover - Weds pm by Miss Bilton and Mrs Smurthwaite

Indigo Class
PE Days - Monday and Friday
Forest School Days - every other Tuesday
Book Bags - Every day please
Book Changes - Friday
Homework - Thursday (Tapestry)
PPA Day and Cover - Tues by Mrs Aitken

Violet Class
PE Days - Monday and Friday
Forest School Days - Starting on 28th September then every other Wednesday
Book Bags - Every day please
Book Changes - Thursday
Homework - Thursday (Tapestry)
PPA Day and Cover - Tues am by Miss Morris