It is the end of our first half term. All the children have settled into the class and school very well. It has been wonderful to speak to you at parents evening this week. If you did not get to see me, I will arrange a time after half term.

This week was One World Week and we learnt about Cyprus. The children made the Cyprus flag and we located Cyprus on a map. Miss Gymer is  from Cyprus, she showed the children a book that her son made about Cyprus. On Tuesday, we learnt about some of the food Cypriot people like to eat and we tasted some. I was impressed at the children trying olives, pitta bread with tzatziki and halloumi. On Wednesday Zachariah’s family made us tiropita and the children and the adults enjoyed trying them. The children were very excited to make a cake called Vasilopitta; it is a cake that is often made on New Years Eve. A coin is hidden in the cake and the person who gets the slice with the coin gets good luck. Well done to Tom for getting the coin! On Thursday, Sienna, Eliana, Panayiotis and Sofia Rose from Year 6 taught the children a Cypriot dance. On Friday, Chloe’s family made us some Cypriot pastries. Then we lit a Greek incense burner which is a religious tradition. It smelt wonderful. Thank you to all the parents for the support and generosity this week.

In Maths, we learnt about the number 4 and 5. Using a 5 frame and a cherry model the children made 4 and 5 with different numbers. Using different resources, the children demonstrated their understanding of adding two numbers together to make another number. The children have been drawing and writing number sentences to show how they made 4 and 5. They also made the number 4 and 5 number block characters.

We have also been learning about Autumn this week. We have been observing the signs on autumn in our playground, looking at the changes of the colours of the leaves and how they are falling to the ground. The children have been thinking about the clothes we wear in autumn. We did printing with leaves, we used buds to carefully add paint to autumn animals, we made autumn soup with conkers and leaves and made playdough squirrels and hedgehogs.

In Religion, the children have been learning about Baptism. Father Shaun came into class and explained the meaning of Baptism.  Through role play, he showed what happens at a Baptism. Then the children all had a turn at acting. Father Shaun asked the children to look at a photo of their Baptism and find out who their godparents are. Please do this with your child.

Our sounds this week were h, b, f, ff. the children have been learning the sounds, how to form the letter and were reading and writing words with the letters they have learnt. Please practise all the sounds over the holidays. We have also been learning the following tricky words: a, I, go and no, the and into.

Have a wonderful half term
Mrs Carey and The Early Years Team

We have had a busy and fun week in Reception. Our topic this week was People Who Help Us. We talked about all of the people who help us at school, at home and in the community.

On Tuesday, we had a visit from fire fighters! The children were excited when they saw the fire engine on our playground. Every child got to spray the big fire hose and sit in the fire engine. The firefighters explained what the children should  do if they ever saw a fire and asked them to check at home for their smoke alarm. Harry’s mum visited to tell the children about her job as a nurse. The children enjoyed trying on the gloves, aprons and listening to all the important jobs that nurses do. On Wednesday, we had a bus driver with their bus visit. The children all had a turn of sitting at the wheel and opening the doors using the buttons. They were delighted to sit upstairs on the bus too! Please click for the photos – Photos

Each day, the children have been acting as vets and doctors in our role play areas and using their writing skills to write down details and prescriptions. They have also enjoyed dressing up as police and firefighters and using different equipment to put out their pretend fires. It has been wonderful to witness the children’s  imagination and the development in their vocabulary. Then the children thought about what they wanted to be when they grow up. They want to be police officers, builders, chefs and many more professions.

In Maths, we have been learning about one less. The children have been demonstrating their understanding by playing musical chairs, singing songs and playing games. We have been learning that 1 less is taking away 1 and the number gets smaller when we take away.

On Friday, the children went to their first assembly. I was very proud of the way they sat beautifully and joined in with the prayer and some of the singing.

The Year 2 children demonstrated how we set up an altar and explained each of the items. We are learning about the church and what is inside. The children made their own altars and churches  using bricks and blocks.

This week we have learnt the sounds, ck, e, u and r. Please practise saying and writing these sounds at home. We have also been practising reading some tricky words. I, a, the, to, no and go.

Finally, we read with our Year 6 reading partners! The children have already developed wonderful relationships with their partners.

Next week is One World Week. The country we are focusing on is Cyprus because we have lots of children from Cyprus in Reception. If you would like to share your knowledge about Cyprus or any traditions you have, please let us know.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Carey and the Early Years Team

Our focus this week has been Friendship. We read the story The Rainbow Fish and spoke about the importance of sharing and though about how friends make us happy like in the story. The children have been making friendship bracelets out of different things, making cards for their friends, painting pictures and writing their own names and their friend names. They have been demonstrating qualities of lovely friends in the class and in the playground. On Thursday, we retold the story The Rainbow Fish by drawing story maps. It is wonderful to see the children using the sounds they know to write words about their pictures and messages to their friends.

This week we have learnt the sounds g, o, c and k. The children have been practising to write the letters, finding objects that begin with those letters and beginning to read and write words. Please continue to practise saying the sound and writing the letter at home. Each child received a reading book this week. Inside the book, it says your child’s reading day. Please send their books back on that day. The library book is for you to read to your child. The reading books are for your child to read to you. If there are no words in your child’s book, your child should talk about the pictures and tell a story using the pictures.

In Maths, the children have been making three in different ways and saying the number sentence. For example; 2 + 1= 3 They have used sticks, conkers, dinosaurs and animals to show this. Then we learnt how to add one more to a number using many resources including a 5 frame and number fans.

On Friday we read the story Noah’s Ark from the Bible and role played the story. Then we made animals and rainbows to retell the story.

Make or print a flag for the country your child or their family are from. Please send it in on Monday.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Mrs Carey