Welcome back! 
Welcome back to school, a brand new start in Willow class! I hope you all had a lovely summer and are well rested ready for the new term ahead. I will be sending home home learning and curriculum coverage letters later this week explaining all the fun things we are doing this term. Our PE days this term are Monday and Thursday, please ensure you come into school wearing your PE kit, with your earrings removed and hair tied back. Monday will be swimming and Thursday is gymnastics in the hall.

I look forward to the year ahead!  

Chance to Shine Cricket Workshop

Please could Year 4 come into school in PE kits on Thursday as they will be taking part in a special Cricket workshop in the morning. This will be in addition to their normal PE lesson on Friday. Please could you also ensure children come into school with a hat and wear sun cream to school when needed. 

Information for Year 5 Parents about the Kent Test

Attached below is the presentation given by Mr Rye to Year 5 parents on Thursday 25th May giving information about the Kent Test which would allow children to apply for a place at a grammar school in September 2024. There is also a leaflet from the Local Authority summarising the same information. Please do not hesitate to come and talk to Mr Rye if you require any further information.

Maidstone Museum Trip

Don't forget your raincoat, lunch, water bottle and to wear your trainers.

Your lunch and water bottle need to fit in a bag you can carry on your back around the museum. You will need your hands free to explore the exhibits and complete your work.

We have arranged for a local company to come into school this Wednesday, 25th January, to complete a range of teambuilding workshops/ activities with the children in Years 4 & 5.

Could you please send your child into school wearing their P.E kit on the day (to include warm jogging bottoms) as many of the activities will be outside. 

Term 3 

Welcome back to school. We hope you've had a restful and fun break and you are back refreshed and ready to learn!

Our PE days are on a Monday and Thursday this term so please make sure you send your child in a full PE kit with earrings and hair tied back. 

Tuesday 13^th December - West Malling’s Festive Sporting Extravaganza!

On Tuesday 13^th December your child will be taking part in West Malling’s Festive Sporting Extravaganza!

Please ensure that your child comes to school in their PE Kit and in their castle team t-shirt.

If your child doesn’t have a t-shirt of the correct colour, then a plain white t-shirt is fine. Castle team colours: Bodiam-blue, Hever-yellow, Leeds-red, and Dover-green

Today Willow class cooked their Bolognese sauce, the children for the past few weeks have researched, adapted and created their own recipes for a tasty but healthy bolognese sauce. The children today chopped, stirred, sautéed and boiled their ingredients to cook their sauce. They have also researched the nutritional value of each ingredient and created an eye catching, informative label to go alongside. 

We built towers during our team building sessions. Each group was given a specific amount of materials and was tasked with building the tallest FREE STANDING tower. It was tricky to begin with but once each group had sorted roles the towers stood taller than some children! 

The children thoroughly enjoyed getting muddy in forest school. We built mud sculptures, use a saw to cut our own disc of wood, made nature crowns and enjoyed rummaging and getting filthy! 

Enrichment week

During the afternoons this week we will be taking part in a range of exciting activities to extend learning and give new opportunities.

Please wear PE kits this Wednesday (21st) and Thursday (22nd).

On Friday, 23rd September the children will be taking part in Forest School activities. Please send them into school dressed in clothes that you don't mind them getting dirty! The clothing should include long sleeves and (long) trousers and a pair of old shoes or wellington boots. They should also bring in a pair of trainers or school shoes to change into once their activities have finished.

Photos to follow...

Welcome to Willow class

We hope you all had a wonderful summer break and enjoyed all the wonderful sunshine that we had. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to speak us or email on willowteacher@west-malling.kent.sch.uk

Useful Reminder

Snacks

Please remember to bring a piece of fruit or vegetable to have at break time. 

PE

PE will on Mondays and Thursdays. Please ensure that stud earrings are removed on PE days and that long hair is tied back.

Homework

Expectations of homework include:

Reading –As part of the RALF initiative, children should read EVERY day. Please sign the sheet in the back of their homework books to show they have done so.

Spellings – As mentioned above, children will have some spellings that have be sent home which will then be tested in school each week.

Weekly homework – This will be set at the beginning of each term. We hope that they are fun and interesting activities that will develop them as learners. Out on a Friday, in on a Wednesday. There will be a different activity for each week and castle points will be awarded generously.