Skip to main content

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

Ms Beaumont Leave a comment

Our school vision at St Joseph’s Catholic Infant school is to develop eloquent and truthful learners who are ambitious and capable. Eloquent in what they say of themselves and in  the relations between people and the world. To be eloquent in our Foundation Phase setting, children must learn to speak with confidence and then build on these skills to develop reading and writing skills.

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” – Walt Disney

 

Collaboration with parents to develop ambitious, capable learners

During lockdown some children have flown with reading development, however, many for lots of different reasons have plateaued or regressed.

We would like all parents to work with us to help improve every child’s reading skills.

 

 

How?

Step 1: Be consistent. Read daily with your child 10- 15 mins

Step 2: Practise reading the Oxford Reading Scheme daily. It is always good to ‘walk ‘ through the book before reading, looking at pictures on the cover, and looking through the book together. Go over any tricky words. Set children up to achieve.

  • Read the story to your child, pointing under the words as you read
  • Re-read the story with your child, encouraging them to join in with repeated patterns
  • Give them lots of praise
  • Write in the Reading Record – share how the session went with your child’s teacher.
  • PLEASE remember to send book and reading record back on the designated day. We need to set them aside 48 hours before using.

Step 3: Log on to Oxford Reading Buddies for short burst 3 times a week. This is a fantastic resource which tracking shows is being underused. Logon codes will be resent later this week.

Step 4: Use flash cards sent home as a home learning tool. Make the activity fun. Keep it short, make it a game. Make additional flash cards if your child finds a word tricky. Help them recognise common words by sight. Make sure they know the names of the main characters.

Step 5: Use fun resources that surround us in a language rich world.  Teach them songs and nursery rhymes; clap rhythms of the words, help them to think of another word that begins with…

Make use of online resources such as:

·       BBC Bitesize has a good section on ‘Top tips to support your child’s reading at home’ which may be of help with strategies.

·       readingrockets.org has ideas for family reading activities.

·       The Pori Drwy Stori website has lots of activities/ideas for families (https://www.booktrust.org.uk/what-we-do/programmes-and-campaigns/poridrwystori/

·       The Literacy Trust also has information/support for parents (https://literacytrust.org.uk/)

Enterprising and Creative – Go St Joseph’s! Saint Joseph’s School Council

Ms Beaumont Leave a comment

Well done to all those who entered the School Council competition to redesign our learning environment.

We have had some fantastic ideas ranging from willow walk dragon to repainting rainbow coloured roads in the side yard.

Outdoor play prizes have been awarded to the winning entry, one in all 4 classes.

Now watch this space! Year 1 have cleaned the flowerbeds ready for Year 2 to have a go at painting.

It is a risk. It is going to be messy. But we are ambitious capable learners.

We will do our best and God will do the rest!

10 Top Tips for supporting children during Covid-19

Ms Beaumont Leave a comment

Thank you for looking after everyone by staying at home. By following advice to stay at
home during the COVID 19 outbreak you’re helping to reduce your family’s risk and you’re
also helping to protect the NHS and save lives.
The following are ten tips to encourage your young child’s development during this time:
Stay Home. Stay Positive.

1. These will help you and your child feel more secure. Routines will
help structure your day from start to finish. You will need to plan
ahead for the next day and week but keep it simple and doable
– getting up time, meals, bathtime, exercise and going to bed.
Simple, regular routines
Talk about and explain to your child what you are going to do throughout the day.
Help them take turns in conversation. Tune into what they already know and build
on their daily routine. Be a running “commentator”, keep your language simple.
Draw pictures, show pictures or use objects to show what you are going to do if
your child needs more help to understand. If you have them, use photos of friends
and/or family to talk about people that are important to you in different households.

2. Talk about what you are going to do
Have fun, we learn best when we are enjoying what we do. If you or your child
are not enjoying something, stop, change your plan. Try to make sure you do
something fun for you and your child every day, more than once if you can.

3. Enjoy your time together
Use the TV and/or other devices, but choose when you are going to watch and what you
are going to do. CBeebies and S4C’s Cyw have some fun programmes. Use your phone/other
devices to record what you have done – kicked a ball, learnt a new song or a new word.
Turn off the TV when you are not watching it so there is not a constant stream of information.

4. Selectively use devices
You don’t need to buy extra things. Walk in your garden or near home, point to flowers, birds
and trees, buildings and everyday objects; name them. Play walking, running, finding games.
Do a treasure hunt for everyday objects in your home/garden. Teach your child a new song
or nursery rhyme. Play catch, or rolling a ball backwards and forwards. Use mirrors in the
bathroom to encourage copying and taking turns – making silly faces. Children like to repeat
familiar activities. You are your child’s first and lasting teacher – you can help them learn
and grow so much. They can also teach you – look at how they learn best.

5. Use what you have at and near your home
SOURCES:
Anne Marie McKigney, Consultant Child Psychologist, Aneurin Bevan
University Health Board,
Dr Heather Payne, Consultant Paediatrician, Senior Medical Officer for
Maternal & Child Health, Welsh Government.
April 2020

6.Cleaning, cooking, fixing. If they can’t help, they can watch you and you
can tell them what you are doing. If you have older children, they may
be able to help by talking with and/or entertaining younger siblings.
Let your child join in and help as much
as they can with household tasks

7. A cocoon. Create the same for yourself – put your phone in the drawer and check
at set intervals only (not too often). Acknowledge your worries, ask for help/advice
if you need it and let your child ask for help. Practise relaxing and deep breathing.
Create a safe, quiet place for your child to be quiet

8. If your child understands a little about COVID 19, please tell them the facts very
simply. Show them how to wash their hands and get them to practise washing
their hands. Find a song they like to sing whilst washing their hands or use a
timer for 20 seconds. You can also teach them other hygiene and self-help skills
such as dressing, undressing, cleaning teeth and using the toilet if you’re both
ready. Make it as much fun as possible.
Let your child talk and ask about COVID 19

9. This could be on a daily basis or a few times a week. Choose a regular time and way
of communicating (FaceTime/Skype/WhatsApp). If you are using the telephone, if
you can, point to pictures of the person speaking at the other end. Decide how long
these sessions will be. Start by saying “Hello” and finish by saying “Goodbye”. Tell or
show your family one thing your child has done well or learned. Decide what you will
share/do, sing a song or do a dance. If you need a longer chat for yourself ring later
when your child is asleep, if you are not too tired!
Keep in touch with your family and friends

10. At the end of each day, think of one particularly positive thing
that you and your child have achieved and enjoyed that day.
Tell them, talk about it and record it in some way, celebrate it.
Celebrate achievements

Top ten Tips
Finally, plan for when we come out of lockdown and what you and your child might like to do then!

For more information and advice on parenting, visit:
gov.wales/parenting-give-it-time
parentsinwales
parenting.wales
Keep in touch with your Health Visitor. They are here to help you and your family.
Watch Yvonne explaining how they can help: https://bit.ly/2z04XUG

School Nursing Service

Ms Beaumont Leave a comment

Ref/04/parent/09/20

Dear Parent / Guardian,

The School Nursing Service is aware that your child has recently started in reception class at this school and we would like to introduce ourselves to you.

The School Nursing Service aims to promote the health of the school-aged population and ensures help, advice and support is available to children, parents, guardians and carers.

When they enter reception class the care of your child is transferred from the Health Visitor to the School Nurse. All schools have access to a named School Nurse. The School Nurse aims to inform, educate and support children and young people to make healthy lifestyle choices to enable them to become healthy adults.

The School Nursing Service leaflet and welcome pack contact details is available for you on your child’s school website and they are provided below.

A member of the School Nursing team will be attending your child’s school during this academic year to carry out routine height, weight and vision screening for reception class children.

You will be contacted if any of the screening results identifies any concerns. If however you would like to know the screening results please contact the School Nurse.

If you do not wish your child to have their height, weight and vision screened by us you must inform the Head Teacher in writing immediately.

If this is the case, it is very important that you make arrangements for your child to have a vision test with a local Optometrist (Optician) this is a free service for children and it is advised that all children should receive regular eye checks with an Optometrist.

The Child Measurement Programme run by Public Health Wales would like to use the Height and Weight measurements to help give a picture of child growth in Wales. The information used by the Child Measurement Programme is completely anonymous. More information is available at www.publichealthwales.org/childmeasurement

If you do not wish the measurements to be used by the Child Measurement Programme you must inform the Head Teacher in writing immediately.

Yours Sincerely

School Nursing Service

Swansea Bay University Health Board Headquarters

One Talbot Gateway, Baglan Energy Park, Port Talbot, SA12 7BR Phone 01639 683334 www.abm.university-trust.wales.nhs.

 

To obtain your child’s school nurse contact number please ring 01639 862801

One Page Profile

Ms Beaumont Leave a comment

   Water Street, Port Talbot, SA12  6LF

 Phone & Fax: 01639 882579

e-mail : stjosinf@npt.school

14.10.2020

 

Dear Parents,

We use One Page Profiles in St. Joseph’s Infant School. They are a simple tool, which we capture important information to help our teachers to personalise your child’s learning. This information enables us to be aware of the strengths, interests and specific support needs of our children.

One page profiles can be used to inform action planning and target setting, so that these reflect what is important to your child and how best to support them. This can make targets more meaningful and relevant to them. In our infant school setting they are a valuable way for the very youngest children to have a voice in how they are supported in school, and to have their strengths and what is important to them as an individual acknowledged. One page profiles are also a way for parents/carers to share their knowledge and expertise on how best to support their child.

Please take some time to fill in the Profile and return to school.

Thanks, Ms Beaumont

 

 

 

 

Language and Play

Mrs J James Leave a comment

Calling all Parents, Grandparents and Carers.

You are all welcome to attend our Language and Play ‘Speech, language and communication’ drop-in session this February (date tbc).

This is a great opportunity to discuss any worries or concerns you may have about your pre- school child with both a qualified speech and language Therapist and the Nursery teacher/s.

Language and Play is run every Wednesday* from 1.45- 3.15pm

*(Spring term sessions beginning Wednesday 9th Jan)

Pori Drwy Stori

Mrs J James Leave a comment

 

Here at St. Josephs’s Nursery we can’t wait to start on our Pori Drwy Stori journey in January 2019 😀

… an exciting bilingual programme aimed at supporting children’s literacy and numeracy… in all maintained schools in Wales.

 

For more information please visit www.booktrust.org.uk

Here’s a peek at what we’ve done already …

5 Little Ducks

Incy Wincy Spider

WellComm

Mrs J James Leave a comment

What is it?

When your child starts Nursery, a member of staff will carry out the WellComm Screen to see how your child’s speech and language skills are developing.

Why is it important?

The early identification of any speech and language difficulty/ delay is vital to improving your child’s overall potential.

It is never too early to consider your child’s communication and to support and encourage this from an early stage.

What will this involve?

Staff will carry out some short activities. Toys and pictures will be used to make it fun and interesting.

And then….

your child may be provided with targets to work on in school and at home, this will support any areas of their language that need to be developed.