Our blogs

Christmas at Stars

Date: 8th Dec 2023 @ 1:20pm

Sneaky Santa has returned to STARS.  Ask your children if they have spotted him and what mischief he is getting up to.

Santa Dash - Nursery

Date: 7th Dec 2023 @ 11:25am

Santa Dash in Year 1

Date: 7th Dec 2023 @ 9:30am

The children in Year 1 had great fun at the Santa Dash yesterday.

 

Antibullying Week

Date: 15th Nov 2023 @ 2:15pm

The children started Antibullying week wearing odd socks and celebrating their differences. 

Eggnaut challenge.

Date: 8th Nov 2023 @ 2:59pm

Which egg will survive re-entering space?
 
Skills- Fair testing and evaluating

Year 2 Autumn Term 1

Date: 27th Oct 2023 @ 9:46am

Welcome to the first Year 2 blog of the year! This first half term has gone incredibly fast as we have all been very busy settling into a new year. Year 2 comes with more responsibility for the children who are now the role models of the school! There are lots of weekly jobs the children can volunteer for such as playground friends, bell ringers, door openers, chair monitors and more. Those who have school dinners are given the opportunity to be servers and help at lunch time. We have found that the children have risen to these roles brilliantly. Well done children!

The topic for this half term is Space. It is such an interesting and engaging topic and will run through until the end of the next half term too.

In literacy, we have looked at the stories, ‘Here Come the Aliens’, ‘Wanda’s Space Party’ and ‘Toys in Space’. The children have used their imagination, creativity and lots of adjectives to enhance their own versions of these stories. We have been impressed with their originality and unique ideas. We are working hard on the presentation of writing and beginning to model the use of joined up writing.

In Topic (science, history, geography, art, DT), we have learned so many fascinating facts about what can be seen from space, what can survive in space and who has been to space! The children have been thoroughly engaged during these lessons and have enhanced the sessions by adding in their own thoughts and space facts. The Wonder Dome experience was a real highlight for the children and brought all our learning to life. In art, the children spent three weeks creating a wonderful space scene where they used different paint, collage and pastel techniques. In DT they had the opportunity to design, make and evaluate their own 3D space rockets using recycled materials. They could all talk about what features they liked, what they would improve and how they could make their models stronger and sturdier.

In maths, the children have impressed us with their understanding of key concepts. This half term we have looked at place value, counting in 2, 5, 10s, naming familiar 2D shapes, doubling, halving, addition and subtraction. We continue to use practical games and methods to work out the answers. We have a bank of favourite maths songs on YouTube, ask your child to show you these!

In PE, we have been looking at body management and how to control our bodies. The children have spent several weeks developing their ‘send and return’ ball skills. Rolling, pushing, bouncing, catching and working out which is their dominant and non-dominant side. We stress the importance of being physically active in school and encourage the children to develop these key skills at home. If you don’t have a ball to hand, you could play catch with a pair of socks!

The children in Year 2 take part in whole class reading sessions. These sessions help to develop confidence, pace, fluency and reading with expression. Please continue to read at home with your child at least three times a week. Please return reading books on a Monday morning and we will exchange the book and send a new one out on Monday afternoon.

Thank you so much for your support this half term. It has been a great start to a busy and fun year. If you have any questions then please speak to a member of staff in Year 2 and we will be happy to help.

Many thanks,

Mrs Sharp & Miss Worton

Year 1 Autumn Term 1

Date: 27th Oct 2023 @ 9:22am

The children have settled brilliantly into Year 1 and have been working hard.  They certainly deserve a break!

They have been loving our space topic which has brought about great learning across nearly all subjects.  In science they have learned about the solar system and the conditions needed for plants and humans to live.  In art, they have made space pictures using painting, collage and pastel drawing techniques, while in design technology they have planned, made and evaluated model rockets and made space rocks (buns) in cooking.  In geography we started by asking the question “What on Earth can be seen from space?”  This has led to work on the continents and seas and hot and cold places on earth.  In history we have learned about the space race, Neil Armstrong and Tim Peake.  In computing the children have used laptops to learn about keyboard and mouse skills (designing and typing), followed instructions (algorithms) to create a model rocket, flown their rockets and measured the distance travelled and finally recorded their measurements as data.  Whew!  We have covered so much!

In addition to all that, we have of course been working daily on phonics, reading and writing (we managed to get some space work into that too) as well as maths, PE, RE and PSHE.  The children are getting fitter with their daily running and have shown some great skills in PE.  In music they have been learning singing and performance skills to get ready for the Harvest Festival.

We are so proud of how far they have come, how they have become real Year 1s so quickly and of all their achievements.

Well done Year 1 – you are amazing!

Nursery Autumn Term 1

Date: 27th Oct 2023 @ 8:31am

Well this first half term has gone quickly! The Nursery children have been fantastic and have settled beautifully into their setting. We have been so proud of the bravery they have shown coming in on their own and organising themselves.

We have been learning new routines, rules have been established and it has been a pleasure watching friendships beginning to form and grow.

The children have been developing their gross motor skills outside with lots of climbing, running, rolling and riding bikes.

They have also been developing their fine motor skills through mark making, painting, building using duplo and wooden bricks.

All of this gross and fine motor development will be getting their muscles and their brains ready for writing.

Lunchtimes have been a hit and we have been very impressed as children are starting to try different foods. We have been learning to speak clearly using sentences and remembering to use our manners when talking to each other.

This year’s Nursery are loving singing – you can always hear someone singing a Nursery rhyme somewhere. I have high hopes for our sing-along at Christmas!

We have seen lots of imaginative play both inside and out with campfires being made, pirate ships captured and children rescued. We have also taken advantage of all this wet weather and laughed until our bellies hurt when we’ve shot down the slide in our wetsuits.

We’ve also had many wonderful meals being prepared in the playdough area (and outside in the mud kitchen) and then cooked and served in the home corner.

Nursery, you are already becoming such a fabulous team who look out for each other and work so well together. Mrs Waterworth and I are very proud of you.

Now go and have a wonderful half-term!

Reception Autumn Term 1

Date: 26th Oct 2023 @ 4:20pm

This half term has seen the children settle into school life incredibly well. It has been a joy to watch new friendships form and the children develop independence.

New rules and routines have been established and the children are working hard every day to follow these to the best of their ability.

The children are working hard on speaking in clear sentences and listening to others when adults or children are speaking. We have learnt lots of new, interesting and amazing things about our reception class already.

The class have been busy learning new sounds in phonics and are trying hard to sound out words and blend them together in order to read. We will continue to learn new letter sounds next half term too. 

We are having lots of fun developing our gross motor skills. Climbing, crawling, and using chalk outside, ‘painting’ large areas with water and much more. We are also busy developing our fine motor control by using Lego, being creative in the DT area, using scissors and investigating ‘funky fingers’ activities. All these activities (and many more) will help your child develop strength in their fingers and will help them to gain more pencil control.

In maths we have been learning all about a number each week. So far we have learnt all about 1, 2, 3 and 4. Within these number sessions we have looked at 2D shapes, objects that have 1, 2, 3 and 4 things. We have been counting lots of things in the classroom (saying each number as we count each object).

We have been enjoying our weekly PE sessions learning new skills and developing on existing ones. We have been concentrating on body management and the fundamental skills such as hopping, skipping, jumping, walking and running. We do our PE sessions following the PE Hub scheme and have enjoyed playing lots of games using the new skills we have learnt.

Well done reception for a successful first half term. We look forward to seeing you all after a week off and starting a new half term of learning and fun.

Team Reception ðŸ˜Š

 

Computing in Year 2

Date: 26th Oct 2023 @ 4:01pm

In our Computing yesterday the children looked at fictional planets and whether they would be in the Goldilocks Zone.  They then designed their own planet along with a fact file.  The children went outside and created their own galaxy.  Well done Year 2 Red!

Autumn Message from Ms Lowry

Date: 26th Oct 2023 @ 11:14am

It has been a busy and exciting half term.  It has been so lovely to welcome our new children and watch all our children grow in confidence.  We have had Wonderdome in Keystage 1 which was amazing.  We have welcomed parents in for phonics and maths information sessions as well as Shared Learning.  I have a feeling that next half term is going to be even busier, so please have a restful break and we will see you in November!

Dawn Lowry

Halloween Colouring Competition

Date: 26th Oct 2023 @ 11:10am

Thanks to everyone who entered the School Council colouring competition.   Congratulations to the winners:-

Nursery - Isabelle

Reception - Annie & Matilda

Year 1 - Molly, Darcey, Kyla & Isabel

Year 2 - Joel, Kurtis, Rachel, Gabriel & Finlay

Cheer Dance Event

Date: 20th Oct 2023 @ 11:46am

Ten year 2 childen went to Leeds Trinity University yesterdayto take part in a Cheer Dance event led by Dance Action Zone Leeds (DAZL).  Following a warm up the children learnt some cheer dance techniques, covering things like cheer dance arm motions, cheer dance jumps and cheer dance turns.  The session ended with the schools learning a short cheer dance routine.

Making Obstacle Courses at STARS

Date: 11th Oct 2023 @ 3:02pm

At STARS this week the children have been building their own obstacle courses and trying very hard with their cutting techniques.

Settling back in to STARS

Date: 2nd Oct 2023 @ 11:44am

The children have had a fun start to the year in STARS.  It's been lovely to see the children again after the Summer holiday and to welcome new starters.

Space Pictures

Date: 20th Sep 2023 @ 2:05pm

Today we created the background for our space pictures.

End of Year Message from Ms Lowry

Date: 21st Jul 2023 @ 4:41pm

What is going on with the weather!!  Another half term has just whizzed by and with it the year!  It has been a pleasure to watch the children blossom this year and we will be very sad to say goodbye to Year 2 and our Nursery children who are leaving.  We wish them the best of luck.

Thank you so much for all your support through some difficult times and I look forward to the new year and what it will bring.  Fingers crossed the weather improves!

Half term message from Ms Lowry

Date: 24th May 2023 @ 4:09pm

It is so lovely to be writing this with the sun shining – it has been a long time coming!  We are at the end of another busy half term.

Year 2 have made us really proud with their positive attitude regarding their special work.  We have had our spring bounce which was as popular as ever.  Thankyou for your kind donations as we really do appreciate them.  We have had Phonics and SATS information evenings which I hope you found useful.  The children seemed to enjoy our Coronation lunch.  We have welcomed two new members of staff; Miss Chalders joins the kitchen team and Miss Harris joins the lunchtime staff.

I hope the sunshine lasts through the half term.  We will see you all on Monday 5th June at 8.55am.

Headteacher Easter Blog

Date: 15th May 2023 @ 1:41pm

Dear Parents/Carers,

Here we are again at the end of another busy half term. I really must be getting old as these half terms really do fly by! It has been an unusual time in school. We very sadly suffered the loss of a collegue and child.  I would like to thank you again for your understanding on those two very sad occasions. Staff are incredibly grateful that they were able to say goodbye at the services. You may have noticed that some benches and plants arrived this week. They were kindly donated  by the Y3 parents. We also have a bird feeder and a toadstool for EYFS coming which we bought from the money donated by Y2 parents.  It has been such a difficult time, but I feel privileged to be part of such a caring community.

We have had a host of things happening in school this half term to enhance learning. We have had Leeds Rhinos coaches doing both dance and ball skills (but not at the same time)! We have had parents' evenings and shared learning sessions and had the first of, I hope, many PTA events! There is an Easter Egg competition this week- lots of amazing entries.  The Dogs Trust have been to visit and Y2 managed to get to the coal mine before the snow, which they loved. Y1 are going in the summer term (fingers crossed for good weather). Thank you for your generosity for Comic Relief – we raised £106.81 and with Bags2School.  Staff have engaged in training, and we have our Easter visit to church on Thursday.

At the end of this term we say goodbye to Mrs Holliday who has worked in our school kitchen and as a cleaner for over 30 years.  We would like to wish her all the best for her new adventure.

Have a lovely break and we will see you on Monday 17th April at 8.55am.

Ms Lowry

Merry Christmas from Ms Lowry

Date: 14th Dec 2022 @ 11:21am

Hi Everyone

Here we are at the end of another busy half term. Reception have just finished their Nativity, so everyone is now in the Christmas spirit! All the performances were great; the children and staff worked very hard, but I am sure you will agree that it was worth it. We also have the discos, Christmas dinner and the visit to the church to fit in before we finish!

This half term KS1 has enjoyed a visit to the theatre while Early Years had a puppet show in school. We have had a number of Open Days for parents/carers looking for a school for next September. Children and staff welcomed our visitors, and they were impressed by what they saw. We have also had the Santa Dash and the Christmas Fair. Thank you again for all your support with fundraising-it is very much appreciated.

Staff have engaged in training with the other schools in the Aireborough Learning Partnership Trust and we have welcomed parents/carers into school to share learning as well as our Parents' Evenings. Governors have also visited.

I hope you all enjoy the break and look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 4th January (Tuesday 3rd is a training day). Next term we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary and are looking forward to welcoming old staff and pupils.

Regards

Dawn Lowry

Autumn half term message

Date: 21st Oct 2022 @ 3:26pm

Hi Everyone,
Here we are at the end of a very busy half term. Our new children have settled really well, and it has been great to welcome parents and carers in school this half term. We have had an open morning in Reception, shared learning in KS1, phonics and maths sessions for parents and carers, the Harvest Festival and an open morning for prospective parents/carers for next year. We are immensely proud of the children. They did really really well in the Harvest Festival particularly in the afternoon. They had been stuck inside all day due to the weather. Thank you for your kind donations for the Westfield Pantry. They are very much appreciated. 
Have a lovely break and we will see you at 8.55 am on Monday 31st October.
Regards 
 
Dawn Lowry
Head teacher
Yeadon Westfield Infant School

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