Week Ending 20/10/22
Date: 15th Oct 2022 @ 9:47am
Happy Friday! We made it! Can you believe we have already completed one half term? The time has whizzed by over the last seven weeks and the children have worked incredibly hard in their learning. We have been so impressed with how they have adapted to their new classrooms, rules, routines and expectations of Reception already. They definitely deserve a break to have time to rest before we get stuck into the magic of Christmas next half term.
This week in phonics we have learnt H, B, F/FF, L/LL and the children are excited to read their new online books with these taught sounds. Please encourage your child to sound out a word using their ‘robot arms’ and ‘blending hands’. We have also learnt some harder to read and spell words: AS and HIS. These will be in your online reading books for this week as the children begin to read longer sentences. This week we learnt lots of the phase two digraphs which is where two letters make one sound. Other examples are ‘ai’ as in ‘rain’ or ‘oa’ as in ‘goat’. Next half term we will be focusing on writing the sounds we have learnt so far using our handwriting scheme, Kinetic Letters.
In Maths, we have been focusing on the language of one 'more' and one 'less' than a number to 5. We made the numberblocks using the unifix and realised that they looked like stairs! Each time the numbers are getting one more, but if we can backwards then they are getting one less. We ordered the number tiles 1-5 and asked the children to stand on number 3. We took it in turns to roll a more/less dice (+ and -) and the children had to move one more/less using the language 'one more than 3 is 4" and similarly with one less. Vocabulary is such an important part of the Early Years Framework and maths is no different. Keep practising using the vocab 'more/less' in your daily activities. E.g. we would like 'more' sweets, but 'less' broccoli on our plates! Another great activity is singing lots of counting songs such as 5 Little Ducks, 5 current buns, 10 Green Bottles or 10 in the bed.
Competition Time!
This week we were introduced to our Junior Safety Officers in school (some of our Year 6 buddies infact) who gave us some information regarding their October competition. In your child's book bag you will find a colouring sheet activity, which must be completed and returned to school by Wednesday 2nd November. The top three will be awarded prizes by our JSOs in worship.
Cauliflower Cards
Please don’t forget to complete your cauliflower cards design and return it to school once you have placed your online order, thank you. The deadline for the artwork to be back in school to be sent off to Cauliflower Cards is Monday 31st October (first day back after half term). We are unable to accept any artwork in school after this deadline.
On Monday, we continued with our story, The Gingerbread Man and created a class story map of the story so far. We worked in groups to make lists of words that rhyme with different CVC words in the story.
On Tuesday, Katie and Louise delivered their last session from The Happiness Club. Throughout the last four weeks we have been taught different skills that help us these have included colour breaths, tummy breaths and a bad thought bag. We will continue to practise these strategies to support the well-being of the children every day. We had an very special visitor in the form of a fluffy four-legged friend called Lottie. Fiona and Lottie will be coming into school over this year to work with the children in small groups. In today's session we learnt about how to look after a dog and how they can help us.
On Wednesday, we finished off the story and conducted a science experiment! We asked the children to predict what will happen if the gingerbread man falls into water. We placed a real gingerbread man in water and observed what happened to it over time. To help the Gingerbread Man cross the water safely we made bridges to help him not get wet.
On Thursday, we had our final session on the balance bikes and put into practice all the skills we have learnt this half term. We then had our final music lesson before half term and reviewed the songs we have learnt so far.
Congratulations to our stars of the half term, Ted and Seb!
Our mystery readers this week were Ellis' Mum and and Callum's Mum.Thank you for coming to share a story with us! Please speak to your child’s class teacher to put a date in the diary if you would like to be mystery reader.
We hope you have a relaxing and restful term break and get ready for the excitement that the next few months bring. Thank you for your continued support over this half term.
We have made so many memories together and we can't wait for the next adventure to continue. We look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Miss Selwyn and Miss Nicholas
