Spring 2, Week 6

Stars of the Week: All of Reception!

It’s been a busy week in Reception, we have had our Class Collective Worship, a Stay and Play session and we’ve been to the Cathedral and performed our hymn. Every single member of the class spoke beautifully and read their lines clearly and in time, they all deserve to be celebrated this week.

Thank you to all of the parents as well this week, for attending any of the events we have had and for your continued support. You can find some photos of the Stay and Play session attached below :

When we return back to school after the break for the Summer 1 term, we have a school trip on that first Tuesday 16th April. Please come into school as usual that day, but with a packed lunch for the children.

We’ll be taking the bus to The Garden Museum to learn about plants and vegetables.  Our Half Term Topic is How Does Your Garden Grow? so a lot of the term will be focused on the natural world. When we return from the Museum, we’ll write sentences about our time there.

Our book of the week is ‘A Butterfly is Patient’ by Dianna Hutts Aston. We’ll also use this book in our RE lesson. We’ll think about the meaning of patience, and talk about times when we have had to be patient.

In Mathematics, we’ll be looking at subtraction. So far the children have answered questions involving ‘one less’.

Over the break, you can help to support this learning by encouraging your child to use their fingers to help them answer addition questions within 10, and by asking them, “what is one less than …”.

In Phonics, we’ll be looking at CVCC words (e.g. went, hand, lamp), and reviewing Phase 2 digraphs and 3 long vowel sounds.

Of course, please continue to read with your child over the holidays!

If you’d like to challenge your child, have them write at least one sentence a day, about their day.

For example “Today we will go to church.” You’ll find though they may require more support at the beginning, they’ll become more independent as the days pass, and of course don’t forget to celebrate their efforts.

PE will now be on Wednesdays, and we’re lucky to be working with an external gymnast each week.

 

Have a wonderful Easter holiday!

Best wishes,

Miss Hardy

Spring 2, Week 5

Stars of the week: Daniel and Dhani

Reception have been learning about 3D shapes this week, and how they’re different to 2D shapes. Dhani and Daniel have learnt lots of new 3D shapes names. Well done to them!

We have introduced Show and Tell in the last few weeks and it’s been extremely popular with the children!

From next week, we’ll be introducing a new system that will allow for one child to bring something in to school each day. That child will come home at the end of the day with a sticker that says ‘It’s my turn for Show and Tell’, letting you know to please remind them to bring something in the following day.

It’s a good idea to rehearse their speech at home the night before. The key questions to address are:

What is the item?

What do I like about it?

Where did I get it from?

Each child will then get the chance to address any questions their peers have about their Show and Tell item.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone in the school on Tuesday 26th for our Class Collective Worship, followed by our Easter Stay and Play session. The format is much the same as the Christmas Nativity.

We have our Easter Cathedral Service at Southwark Cathedral on Wednesday 27th. The children in Reception have prepared a hymn to sing.

Having completed our reading assessments, most children will bring home books of a different level on Monday 25th. Please continue to celebrate their progression at home and keep reading as much as possible to develop their fluency.

Spring 2, Week 4

Stars of the week: Kavalli and Lilian

This week in Reception we’ve been writing sentences. Lilian and Kavalli have done a wonderful job applying their phonics knowledge and including digraphs and trigraphs in their writing.

For Music, children have been learning a new hymn that we will sing in the Cathedral at the service on Wednesday 27th March.

In Computing, we’ve been playing with BeeBots this week, and learning to code and give instructions.

For Art, the children have been making and decorating jelly fish with paper bowls, paint pens and tissue paper.

In RE, we have been learning about the Easter story and Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Next week in Literacy, we’ll practice descriptive writing and using adjectives to describe animals.

At home, you can use lots of fun adjectives in your speech.

In Mathematics, children will be introduced to 3D shapes. To help at home, notice the 3D shapes we see in everyday life. For example, books are cuboids and balls are spheres.

Thank you for your continued support!

 

Have a wonderful weekend,

Miss Hardy

Spring 2, Week 3

Stars of the week: Tiwa and Nathan

This week we’ve been learning a new song in Reception, called ‘Five Fine Bumblebees’.

Nathan and Tiwa have made a great effort to take part and learn the lyrics, focusing on the pitch and tempo of the song.

This week being World Book Week, the children have been thinking about pirates!

We’ve heard pirate songs and read pirate books, the children have enjoyed creating WANTED posters to post around the school. On Thursday the children had time with Year 4 and were able to chose their favourite classroom books, for the Year 4 pupils to read to them.

In Mathematics, children have been learning to tell the time.

To help at home, when it’s on the hour and the minute hand points to 12 – ask your child to help you tell the time!

Today we’ll have a big class photo all together on the pirate ship. In the afternoon, children will take part in our Mystery Reader and get to choose a book to be read by a mystery teacher.

 

Have a wonderful weekend,

Miss Hardy

Spring 2, Week 2

Stars of the week: Amelia and Nathan

This week we have read Ten Delicious Teachers and painted our own monsters, and used googly eyes and feathers to bring them to life. Amelia and Nathan have worked hard to create brilliant, imaginative monsters!

Today the children have benefited from an early World Book Day workshop, with the authors Burchett and Vogler. They went along on an interactive treasure hunt with Jan and Sara and later had a whole school assembly where they told us of their journey as authors.

Next week in Mathematics the children will learn about time. We’ll discuss the different times of the day that we typically do certain things. For example, in the morning we wake up and brush our teeth.

In Literacy, we’ll be writing mothers’ day cards for all of our mums!

On Friday we’ll be celebrating World Book Day officially (it’s pirate themed) and the children can dress up as they like!

 

Have a lovely weekend,

Miss Hardy

Spring 2, Week 1

Stars of the week: Kavalli and Araliya

We have been thinking about rainforests and the animals that live within them. These children wrote beautiful sentences about different animals in their literacy books this week. They both tried so hard and were able to apply their phonics learning.

The children have had a great return to school and have loved sharing their half term stories.

This week, we’ve looked at the art of Henri Rousseau, that shows us beautiful jungle scenes with animals nestled amongst the leaves. Children have had the opportunity to create their own art using bright wax crayons and sugar paper.

Next week in Literacy we’ll read Ten Delicious Teachers and create our own monsters!

In Mathematics, we’ll think about pairs and doubles.

Playing a game of dominoes at home will help to support this learning.

Noticing any pairs of socks, gloves, shoes will also helpful.

Next Friday (in anticipation of World Book Day – which will take place the following week) the children will take part in an external pirate themed workshop!

Have a lovely weekend,

Miss Hardy

 

Spring 1, Week 5

Stars of the week: Ariella and Nathan

This week in Reception we have been making rainbows for our Christian Symbols display. We have used colourful tissue paper and PVA glue. Ariella and Nathan worked particularly carefully and have created beautiful artwork!

It was lovely to see you all this week for parents’ evening. Thank you all for coming!

Now we’ve made it to the end of the term, a huge congratulations to all of the children.

We hope everyone has a relaxing break.

When we return, we will be reviewing phase 3 digraphs that we’ve already learnt.

In Spring 2, we will be consolidating the sounds we covered in Spring 1.
I will attach the overview for the following half term here:

Reception_Spring_2_overview_Aug-23

In Mathematics, we will be looking at the composition of 6, 7 and 8 – with a focus on subtraction.

You can help at home with this by looking at subtraction within 10 at home using real objects. If you begin with 8 grapes and then you eat 2, how many grapes will be left?

Our new half term topic is: Habitats of the World.

In the new half term, we’ll spend time looking at different types of habitats and the animals that live in them.

We’ll begin by looking at the jungle and reading ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ by Giles Andreae.

 

Have a wonderful half term!

Miss Hardy

Spring 1, Week 4

Stars of the week: Liv and Amelia

These girls are our stars for their efforts to dress independently for our PE lesson. Well done girls!

Next week in Literacy our traditional tale will be The Gingerbread Man.

We’ll look at compound words, like gingerbread. Children will be taught about how compound words are words that are made up of other words, but have their own individual meaning.

For example: sunset, cowboy, pancake, daylight.

You can support this learning at home by noting any compound words you use in daily life and highlighting the different words that make up the compound word. For example if you eat pancakes or blueberries at home, make sure to discuss the compound words and their composition.

In school, the children will sort words as to whether they are compound words or not.

In Mathematics we’ll look at weight. We’ll use scales and weigh classroom items, whilst discussing which items are heavier and which are lighter.  Whilst cooking or baking at home, include your children whenever you weigh any ingredient. Let them help you!

As Chinese New Year is on Saturday 10th February, we’ll learn about the animals of the zodiac and make our own dragons.

 

Have a wonderful weekend,

Miss Hardy

Spring 1, Week 3

Stars of the Week: Leiys and Ralph

These boys have shown a real commitment to developing their reading and writing. Both boys listen excellently throughout our phonics lessons and have shown lots of improvement. Well done boys!

This week in phonics, we have learnt: ur (as in fur), ow (as in owl), oi and ear.

To practice applying these phase 3 sounds, you can write lists of words that use each sound.

For example: ear, fear, near, clear, dear, tear.

Next week, we’ll learn air and er. Then we’ll focus on words with double letters, like hammer and rabbit.

Literacy this week has been all about Jack and the Beanstalk. We’ve been sequencing the story and discussing what happens at the beginning, middle and end of the story.

Next week will be all about The Little Red Riding Hood. We’ll focus on our writing and the skill of segmenting a word so that we can hear all of the sounds that we need to write down.

In Mathematics we’ll be thinking about what it means to double a number. We’ll learn the doubles within 10 for example 5+5, 6+6, 7+7 etc.

 

Have a wonderful weekend,

Miss Hardy

 

 

 

Spring 1, Week 1

Stars of the week: Robert and Nina

These children have been selected this week for their lovely behaviour and attitudes to learning this week.

PE this term will take place on Wednesday afternoon. Children will be working with a professional gymnast during PE this term.

Sessions will take place mostly inside, in shorts and with bare feet. Though, the second part of the lesson may take place outside, so it’s important for children to have pumps as well. PE kits can still come into school on Monday, and will go home with children on Wednesday.

It is better for children to have their PE kit in an additional bag, that they can place into the PE kit boxes located just beneath their pegs.

This way they’re all in the same place and it is easier for them to access for the lesson.

This week in Phonics we’ve learnt the digraphs: ai, ee, oa and igh. 

It’d be great to try to write words with these sounds in them at home to reinforce this learning.

For example: snail, tail, maid, rain, pain/ see, feel, peel, keen, tree/ goat, coat, boat, float, soap.

Next week, we’ll learn 00 (as in book) and oo (as in moon), ar, and or.

In Literacy, the theme this term is Terrific Tales and it centers around a different traditional tale each week.

This week has been The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Next week, we’ll read and The Three Little Pigs.

Children will be asked to sequence the story, and to summarise the main plot points: the beginning, middle and end.

In Mathematics, we’ve been looking at the number 0. Children have been asked addition and subtraction sums including 0 to ensure they understand the concept. For example, 10 + 0 = 10. 7 – 0 = 7.

Next week, we’ll look at comparing different amount and numbers. Children will be encouraged to use the language of comparison: greater/ smaller/ bigger/ fewer/ more/ less.

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Miss Hardy