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

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

Another week of lots of fun and learning in Reception!

Our focus this week was growing up from a baby to an adult and birthdays. We are very lucky to have two babies in our class family. Evelyn, Michael’s sister came to visit on Tuesday and Oliver, Freya’s brother came to visit on Thursday. The children asked  lots of questions, for example What do they eat? Where do they sleep? Why do they cry? Then we sang Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star to the babies.  After their visits, the children made a shopping list of what babies need and labelled their pictures with the words including the sounds they have learnt. We have made party lists, party hats, made cakes with playdough and paintings and made invitations for our learning about birthdays. The children have been wrapping boxes for presents, demonstrating excellent joining skills. Then they have been writing labels for their presents.  These skills will be useful when they are wrapping Christmas presents at home! Outside, we made drinks for a birthday party. Then we ended the week with some party games, their dancing was amazing!

This week the children have learnt the sounds i, n, m and d. Each day we revisit the sounds that we have already learnt and we are beginning to blend the sounds to read words. For example, sat, mat, tap, sit and dad. The children are practising the formation of the sounds by saying the rhymes. Thank you for your support with their home learning.

In Maths, we have been learning about numbers 1,2 and 3. We found 1 of lots of items in the class and we practised writing the number 1. Then we found 1 a partner to make 2 and the children played games rolling the dice labelled 1 and 2. The children made numbers using different materials. On Thursday we learnt about the number 3 and made the number using pom poms. We played lots of games where we counted objects and identified the numbers.

In Religion, we learnt about the Bible and how special it is. The children passed the Bible around,  making sure they treated it with love and care. We listened to a story from the Bible about Jesus healing people with his hands. We thought about how we can be kind and caring with our hands just like Jesus.  Then we all reflected on how special we all are to God.

The highlight of the week was meeting their Year 6 Reading partners! Every Friday, the children spend time reading and talking to their reading partners.

We have two jumpers aged 5-6 without a name on. If you have lost a jumper, please let us know.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Mrs Carey and The Early Years Team

I am sure you will have tired children this weekend after their first full week in school! The children have been a delight to have in the class and are all settling in extremely well.

This week we have been thinking about our families. We read the story Owl Babies  by Martin Waddell. This beautiful story is about three babies owls who wake up and their mummy is not there. Just like this children in Reception, leaving their families to come to school, this can be difficult for some. Throughout the week, the children have been making story maps, drawing their families and acting out the story. The children have been drawing, colouring and making collages using different materials. They have also been making owls using playdough.

Each child painted a self-portrait, first we looked at our skin colour in the mirror, then we chose the correct colour paint and we looked closely at the colour of our eyes and lips. This year is the Year of Diversity. We are looking at how we are all different and unique.

We have also been learning to make the sign of the cross , please practise at home.

Next week we will start our phonics learning. The children will be given a phonics book with the new sound each day from Monday to Thursday. Please complete the activity, practise the rhyme and practise writing the new letter. Over the weekends, practise all of the sounds learnt that week.  The children must bring their book into school each next day so we can stick the new sound in.

I have sent home a lunch menu. Next week is Week 3 on the menu. You can order the children’s lunches on school comms, this would be helpful because the children find it difficult to choose or please talk about what they would like before they come to school. If you child is not eating enough lunch, I will let you know.

We have very little socks if the children get wet or dirty, if you have any spare socks at home, please send them in.

Please send in a family photograph if you have not already.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Mrs Carey and The Early Years Team