Happy New Year! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas. The children were excited to tell us about their holidays.

This week we started learning the Phase 3 sounds. Please complete the home learning each evening to practise saying and writing the new sound. This week we learnt j, v, w and x. If you did not complete the home learning this week, please practise over the weekend. On your child’s reading day they were given a writing book. In this book the children can write about whatever they want. There are more details in the front of the book. Send this back on their reading day so they can share their writing with an adult.

 

It was the feast of the Epiphany on Sunday. This week the children listened to the story of the Three Kings visiting baby Jesus. The children made kings, painted pictures of the three kings, made stars and wrote about the story. On Friday we made star biscuits to remind us that the Three Kings followed a star.

To begin the new year, the children thought about what they wanted to do this year to help to build a better world. They wrote these on stars and decorated them beautifully to go on display in the classroom. Children are already showing their promises in class.

We listened to the story What’s the Time Mr Wolf? Then we talked about what we do each day and the order we do things in. The children sequenced pictures of some of the things we do. Next the children made a list of activities they do each day and what they do during the day and at night.

When it started to snow the children were very excited and filled some pots with snow. Then they left out different containers of water, hoping to find ice the next day! On Friday they thought about ways to keep warm so they built a campfire in the playground.

In Maths, we learnt about the number 0 and went on a hunt around our playground looking for things that showed 0. We found wheels with nothing in them, we compared two crates with some bricks and no bricks, some chairs with something on and nothing on.  Then we looked at subitising- seeing a number without counting. For example the dots on a dice. Then we learnt about different ways of representing numbers. We showed these using pegs, drawings and natural objects.

In our outdoor shed we have a hairdressers. The children had great fun acting out being a hairdresser or going to the hairdressers. They demonstrated great speaking and listening skills.

In our Ten Ten lesson we thought about what we liked, loved and disliked. We discussed how we all like and dislike different things from our friends but that is fine because we are all different but we are all special. The children drew what they liked and what they loved. Click on here to find out more about our Ten Ten topic as part of our RHE (Relationships and Health Education) Curriculum.  If you have any trouble with the attached document please right click your mouse/cursor and click on ‘save as’. Once downloaded click ‘keep’ and the document will show. 

Please send some tissues in as we need lots a this time of year.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Mrs Carey and The Early Years Team

On Monday, the children wore something purple to begin our learning about Advent.

They learnt that Advent was preparing for the birth of Jesus. The children mixed paints to make different shades of purple to remind them that purple is the colour of Advent. The first candle that is lit is a sign of Hope. The children thought about their hopes and wishes and added them to the hope jar. They made candles with purple playdough and they made Advent wreaths using paint and cotton wool.  In preparation for Fridays assembly, the children wrote their Advent promises on doves. Lots of children have promised to tidy up at home so enjoy parents! We made an Advent Calendar with our promises in to open up each day in December.

In Literacy, we read the story The Jolly Postman and the children were delighted to recognise the different characters they knew from other stories. They drew maps of the postman’s journey and added pictures and writing to their maps. Then they drew maps of the things in our playground. We thought about when we use maps and the different types of maps we use including paper maps and maps on our phones. Outside, the children have been developing their speaking and listening skills in the Post Office. They have been cutting labels and labelling envelopes. Then they were delivering letters using our post vans and filling and emptying the post box. If you need help wrapping your presents this year, the children have been showing amazing skills wrapping and labelling parcels.

On Thursday, there was lots of ice on our playground. This lead to the discussion about why the ice was there and what will happen to the ice. Children went on a hunt around the playground.

In phonics, we have continue to revise the Phase 2 sounds.

This week, we have continued to practise our songs and acting for the Nativity. We are looking forward to perform to you  on Wednesday 6^th December at 9.30am for our performance.

Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs Carey and The Early Years Team

 

This week was Anti Bullying Week. We read the story The Ugly Duckling and spoke about how the ducks behaved. We thought about how the Ugly duckling was just different to the other ducks, he was not ugly. The children took turns to hot seat the Ugly Duckling and answer questions about how he was feeling when he was left out and then how he felt when he turned into a swan. The children did some wonderful pictures with speech bubbles to show how the duckling was feeling.

Then we thought about bullying and what it meant. The children learnt that bullying is when something happens over and over, not just a friend being unkind once. The children made posters to persuade people to be kind and not to bully. Then we thought about what we would do if we we were being bullied. The children drew around their hands and wrote the names of people they would talk to. The children thought about how they were different to their friends and made love hearts with a message about their differences. We talked about how we should not be unkind to someone because of the colour of their skin, hair or what they were wearing.

On our Art table the children made wonderful collages of ducks and swans. Then we learnt about the life cycle of a chicken. The children cut and sequenced pictures and made their own nests using natural materials. As we were learning about things that fly, the children made different things that fly using different materials.

In our outdoor shed, the children have been playing in the shop. They have been writing shopping lists and receipts.

In Maths, we continued comparing weighs of objects and explaining when something was heavier, lighter or the same. In Ten Ten, we listened to the last part of the Creation story and drew pictures and made a dance to show what God has created.

In Phonics the children have been revising the letter formation of the Phase 2 sounds, reading and writing words. It is wonderful to see how children’s letter formation is improving. Thank you for supporting your children with this.

This week we have been busy learning songs for our nativity and practising reading and acting. If your child has lines to learn, please support them with learning them and saying them loudly.  I have sent home a letter to explain what your child will need to wear. Please send these in by Friday 24th November.

On Monday 27^th November, we will be learning about Advent. The children should wear something purple. The rest of their clothes can be school uniform.

Have a great week!

 

Mrs Carey

We hope you had a wonderful half term. This week we have been learning about Diwali. First we listened to the story about Rama and Sita to understand what Hindus are celebrating at Diwali. The children drew pictures of the story and wrote some words using the sounds we have learnt. With blocks, the children built a bridge to go over water like the story. The children also drew around their hands and decorated them with henna patterns. We looked at Rangoli patterns and made them with natural materials and drew some on the playground. In our home corner, we had fun dressing in saris. Using clay, the children made diya lamps and then painted them. Hindus celebrate Diwali with fireworks so we learnt about the Gunpower Plot and we made pictures using chalk and paint. When the rain came, we put powder paint in the puddles to make fireworks. Then we made sparklers and junk modelling rockets.The children loved dancing around and making movements with their sparklers. The children also made posters to tell people how to keep safe with fireworks.

In Maths, we have been learning about measuring. We have been measuring with different resources in the class including cubes, blocks, lego and paper clips. The children have been measuring how high tables and chairs are, measuring each other and measuring and comparing their feet.

In Phonics, we have learnt the letter l and diagraphs ll and ss. The children have been practising reading and writing words with these letters. For the next few weeks, we will be revising the sounds we have already learnt and reading and writing words. Please practise saying the sounds and writing the letters.
In the month of November, we remember people who have died. If you know some who has died, please send in their photographs. Write their name on the back so we can include them in our prayers.

This week we started our Ten Ten topic – Created and Loved By God. We read the beginning of the Creation Story and the children drew and painted the things that God made.

On Friday, we enjoyed meeting our reading partners.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Mrs Carey and The Early Years Team