This term our theme is ‘New Life’.

In the first half of the term the children will hear that Jesus was raised to new life at Easter.  Before the holidays they will have experienced the preparation for Easter in the classroom.  Now they will learn how Jesus went back to his Father in Heaven and promised his friends that one day they would also be able to go to the Father.

There will be lots of opportunities to investigate the new life they see all around them in the springtime.

You can help your child by:

• Following the events in the Children’s Bible
• Finding opportunities to point out to your child the signs of new life in the garden, the parks and in the fields (new lambs, calves etc)
• Pointing out the signs and symbols in church, especially the Paschal candle which is a sign that Jesus is alive and with us.

This is also a good time to share some little practical activities connected with the garden or, if you do not have a garden, planting up of window boxes etc.  At bedtime, include prayers that thank God for the new life we see around us.

We will also be studying ‘Our Local Area’.  It would be very helpful if you could do any of the following at home:

a)   Take your child for a walk around the locality.  Point out buildings and features such as bridges, trees and fences.

b)   Discuss the route you take from home to school, talk about the way you travel and point out significant features.

c)   Look for numbers in the environment during a walk, for example, door and bus numbers and speech limit signs.

All this, in addition to the reading help which you have always provided will ensure that your child has the best chance possible of success in their learning.

With many thanks for your wonderful support.