Official class hours for the Foundation One  Class is  from 7.50am until 12.00 noon.  Staff are on duty from 7.30am and parents are asked to bring your child to the classroom as near to 7:45am as possible please.

Children will need to be collected at 12.00 noon.

Your child’s teacher must know who has authority to take your child home so if, for any reason, your child is being collected by someone other than the usual person, please inform the class teacher in writing on that day or telephone the school office so that a message can be passed on.  This will avoid a situation where a child is wrongly taken from school.

The children have several refreshment breaks during the morning but should provide his/her own food and drink. 

Uniform

The Foundation One Class has its own uniform, the same for boys and girls, and available in the school office:

Shorts -   navy blue with elasticised waist.

Shirts  -   blue/white checked shirt with school badge – worn outside the shorts i.e. not tucked in.

The uniform is a very comfortable outfit for climbing and working and using the toilet.

Spare Clothing

From time to time, a child may have occasion to need a change of clothing and therefore please send a complete change of clothes for your child, labeled with your child’s name and kept in a plastic bag.  The teacher will keep this in case of “accidents”, but will of course return it to you when your child leaves the class.

Toilet Breaks

The Foundation One Class has regular toilet breaks when the teachers accompany the children to the toilet.  The toilets are some distance from the classroom and the children are too young to be sent there on their own.  We do not accept children who are not yet toilet trained, so do please make sure that your child can use the toilet unaided.

What Happens In The Foundation One Class?

Learning begins long before a child enters school. Some experts believe that a child’s intellectual development is as great from birth to age four as it is from four to eighteen.  So you can see that the early years are vitally important to a child’s future development.  

Early learning experiences must stimulate the young person’s mind and thus have a positive influence on a lifetime of learning ability.

Many of your child’s activities in the Early Learning Class will fall into the following categories:

1. Visual Skills

2. Listening Skills

3. Language and Reading Skills

4. Early Mathematical Skills

5. Early Manipulative Skills

6. Social and Emotional Development

7. Concepts of Colour/Texture/Position/Direction/Time

8. Physical Skills

The learning will be activity-based with the children being involved in making, building, sorting, comparing, sequencing, imagining, role playing, asking and telling, listening and following instructions, describing; predicting; matching; using classroom tools such as pencils, brushes, scissors; running, hopping, jumping; throwing; catching; sharing; expressing opinions; showing respect; developing vocabulary; singing and music also play an important part in the day.  This is how children learn best – through playing and having fun.

How Can You Help Your Child Adjust to School?

Parents can in fact make all the difference between a happy, confident school child and one who feels afraid.

Basically, all you need to do is to foster a positive attitude towards the school, the staff and towards learning in general.

	Always be cheerful when you talk about school in your child’s hearing so that your child feels he/she has something to look forward to rather than something to be frightened of.
	Always praise your child’s efforts when he/she brings home something which was done at school.  There will be many times when you won’t recognize what a painting is but “That’s a very interesting picture.  Tell me about it” is much better than “What is that supposed to be?”.
	Always collect your child on time.  Young children suffer badly when they are the only child left behind after everyone else has gone home.  They worry that they have been forgotten and they worry that it will happen again, leading to a fear of going to school.
	Always have your child at school on time.  Children feel very embarrassed when they walk into a room late, knowing that everyone has started their activities and they feel that everyone is staring at them.

Outdoor Activities

Local educational outdoor activities are organised from time to time where it is felt such an activity may sup­plement the class topic or theme. Whilst the participation of all pupils in the class may be felt desirable it is not obligatory, and parental consent must be given before a pupil can take part. 

We aim to provide a happy learning environment for the children at the school, and if you have any questions about our methods or if you would simply like to chat about your child’s progress, the Foundation Class teachers or the Head of Primary  will be most happy to meet with you.  Please make an appointment through the office at 224526/248097.