Our ongoing learning.

Week beginning 22nd May 2023

The highlight of this week was most definitely the Ark Farm visit on Wednesday.  The children were given a short talk about each of the animals and then they had an opportunity to meet them up close!  There were some very chilled rabbits and guinea pigs who thoroughly enjoyed the attention.  We were also lucky to meet (and stroke) a beautiful owl called Plop.  All of the children were very gentle when handling the animals and we were so impressed with their kindness and respect.

As it is the half term holidays, there is no homework set this week.  Please continue to read and share books with your children - thank you very much for your support with this aspect of the children's learning.  

We hope you have a lovely break and look forward to seeing you on Monday 5th June for the second half of the summer term.  Just a quick reminder that it is Reception's Sports Day on Thursday 8th June; this will take place on the MUGA from 9:15 to 9:45.  Please send children to school in PE kits on that day.

Week beginning 15th May 2023

Reception have taken advantage of the beautiful weather this week and much of our learning (and playing) has taken place outside.  In maths, we have continued to learn how to record addition problems as number sentences and we have worked hard on using the correct number formation.  In English, we have nearly finished our book, Journey.  As this is a picture book with no text, the children have needed to use their imaginations to think about what is happening and also to make predictions; they have certainly risen to the challenge.  In our writing, we have focused on the formation of capital letters and full stops; we are trying to use them in simple sentences.  In PSHE, we have been thinking about how our actions can affect our friends, and we talked about using positive language and comments to make others feel welcome and included.  Thank you very much for all the fantastic Magic Carpet homework - we shall be sharing the children's journeys in one of our English lessons next week.

Home Learning

English:   Please complete the capital letter formation sheet in your child's homework folder.

Maths:  Please complete the number sentence sheet in your child's homework folder.

Reading: E-books will be set on Monday through the Oxford Owls website (log-in details are in your child's Reading Record).  If you are having any difficulties accessing the online books, please let us know.  Actual books will be sent out on Thursday.  Please continue to write in your child's Reading Record when you listen to them read and share any comments about their progress. Your child will also get a new library book every Friday; please keep sharing these to support a love for reading. 

Nursery Rhyme:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-hickory-dickory-dock/znpj47h   

Week beginning Monday 8th May 2023

Reception had a fantastic time on Friday with some early celebrations for the King's coronation.  First, we learned about the life of our new king and were very surprised to find out that he has four names!  We used careful measuring and mixing skills to make some delicious Coronation Cookies and we used our creativity and team skills to make some wonderful royal crowns.  We didn't let the rainclouds stop our picnic and held it in the classroom instead. 

Our focus this week has also been on developing construction skills whilst working within a team; the children worked very well together to create some innovative vehicles from junk modelling and certainly showed their creative sides.  In English, we have started reading a new book called Journey - the main character has a magic crayon that she uses to help her escape from tricky situations.  We used our imaginations to think of unusual ways for the main character to cross a river and had such suggestions as flying on a praying mantis, tying yourself to a bunch of balloons and using stepping stones.  In maths, we have been learning about adding two numbers by putting the first number in our heads and then counting on.

Home Learning

English:   Where would you like to go on a magic carpet?  Can you find out some interesting facts about somewhere you have visited on holiday (photos would be great) or somewhere you would like to visit?

Maths:  Please complete the doubling activity in your child's homework folder.

Reading: E-books will be set on Monday through the Oxford Owls website (log-in details are in your child's Reading Record).  If you are having any difficulties accessing the online books, please let us know.  Actual books will be sent out on Thursday.  Please continue to write in your child's Reading Record when you listen to them read and share any comments about their progress. Your children will also get a new library book every Friday; please keep sharing these to support a love for reading. 

Nursery Rhyme: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-brush-your-teeth/zv33hbk 

Week beginning 1st May 2023

This week, we have been thinking about the King's coronation.  In singing assembly we have learnt a Coronation Song and we have also looked at the National Anthem - we even tried to sing a few lines.  Some of the children have drawn fantastic portraits of King Charles and these will be displayed in a local shop.  If you wish to view the drawings, pop along to the Co-op Funeralcare office in Potters Bar.   In maths, we have started to use number sentences to record our addition work e.g. 5 + 3 = 8.  We are still using resources, such as buttons and Lego bricks, to help us with this.  In English, we finished our book (Jabari Tries) and we thought about how to recognise the different emotions that we might feel when things don't go as planned.  We also talked about how it is normal to feel these emotions and how we should act when we are feeling like this.  As part of our history and geography topic work this week, we looked at some old photographs of the local area;  the children were so interested to learn about how Potters Bar has changed over the past 100 years.  

Home Learning

English:   Please complete the lower case and upper case handwriting sheet in your child's homework folder.  You might wish to keep this at home to help with future writing.

Maths:  Please complete the number sentence sheet in your child's homework folder.

Reading: E-books will be set on Monday through the Oxford Owls website (log-in details are in your child's Reading Record).  If you are having any difficulties accessing the online books, please let us know.  Actual books will be sent out on Thursday.  Please continue to write in your child's Reading Record when you listen to them read and share any comments about their progress. Your children will also get a new library book every Friday; please keep sharing these to support a love for reading. 

Nursery Rhyme: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-five-little-men-in-a-flying-saucer/z6qgscw  

Week beginning 24th April 2023

On Friday, we learned about the festival of Eid.  We looked at the different types of celebrations that take place and then had a creative morning designing mehndhi hands and constructing lamps.  On Monday, we tried to follow the determination and resilience of the main character in our  book, Jabari Tries, when we designed and constructed ramps for cars.  We worked in small groups and used recycled materials for the challenge.  All of the ramps were very different and they all worked!  In maths, we have continued to learn how whole numbers can be split into different parts; we have also been practising our counting to 100, noticing patterns as we count.  In PSHE, we shared some of the wonderful homework that the children produced about their families - it has been very interesting to see how different we all are.  In the outdoor area, dressing up has been very popular this week and it has certainly helped the children play some rather imaginative games.

 Home Learning

English:  Please see the picture in your child's homework folder.

Maths:  Please complete the sheet in your child's homework folder - there is an example answer at the top.

Reading: E-books will be set on Monday through the Oxford Owls website (log-in details are in your child's Reading Record).  If you are having any difficulties accessing the online books, please let us know.  Actual books will be sent out on Thursday.  Please continue to write in your child's Reading Record when you listen to them read and share any comments about their progress. Your children will also get a new library book every Friday; please keep sharing these to support a love for reading. 

Nursery Rhyme:  Here is the link to this week's nursery rhyme: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-the-animal-fair/z766wty 

Week beginning 17th April 2023

It has been a pleasure to see how the children have settled back into the routines of Reception so quickly this week.  In English, we have started our new book, Jabari Tries.  This tells the story of a young designer who never gives up when his creations don't work and there are some important themes of determination and resilience throughout the book.  Continuing this theme, we learned about Ole Kirk Christiansen, the engineer who invented Lego; many of the children had great ideas about new toys they could invent themselves.  In maths, we have been looking at splitting numbers in different ways e.g. 6 can be made up  of 5 and 1, 4 and 2 or 3 and 3.  We have used lots of practical resources, such as teddies, counters and pasta, to help us see the links.  Our PSHE topic this term is relationships and we have begun by looking at the importance of family life for children.

Home Learning

English:  Please could the children find out some interesting facts about their family to share with the class.  This could be who is in their family, where their family grew up, what jobs their family do or any other fascinating information.

Maths:  Please complete the sheet in your child's homework folder - there is an example answer at the top.

Reading:   E-books will be set on Monday through Oxford Owls (log-in details are in your child's Reading Record) - some groups will receive Ditty Sheets.  Actual books and sheets will be sent out on Thursday.  Please continue to write in your child's Reading Record when you listen to them read and share any comments about their progress. Your children will also get a new library book every Friday; please keep sharing these to support a love for reading. 

Nursery Rhyme:  Here is the link to this week's nursery rhyme: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-ten-in-the-bed/z7bnmfr.  

Welcome to the summer term!

We hope you enjoyed your Easter break. This term, our 'share your news' sessions will be on a Tuesday.  PE sessions will continue to be on a Tuesday.

Key dates for the summer term:

Monday 1st May - Bank holiday

Monday 8th May - Bank holiday

Wednesday 17th May - Class photos

Monday 29th May - Friday 2nd June - Half term

Thursday 8th June - Sports day 

Sunday 11th June - Potters Bar Carnival 

Thursday 15th June - Reception trip to Paradise Wildlife Park

Monday 26th June - INSET day

Tuesday 27th June - Exhibition evening

Thursday 13th July - Transition day 

Sunday 16th July - Summer Fayre

Thursday 20th July -  Reception graduation 

Friday 21st July - End of term

Week beginning 27th March 2023

Finally, our class caterpillars have hatched and we now have some beautiful Painted Lady butterflies - the children have made some wonderful drawings of them.  In maths we have continued to make our own number lines and we are  now confident with finding one more and one less than given numbers.  In English, we have been retelling some familiar stories using great storytelling language.  To finish our learning about the artist, Georgia O'Keeffe, the children were challenged to create a landscape picture using wax crayons and they certainly pushed themselves, as the results were incredible.  We have also been making musical instruments this week using recycled materials.

As it is the Easter holidays, there is no homework set this week.  Please continue to read and share books with your children - thank you very much for your support with this aspect of the children's learning.  We have sent home ditty sheets and books.

We hope you have a lovely break and look forward to seeing you on Tuesday 18th April for the beginning of the summer term.

Week beginning 20th March 2023

The highlight this week has been the transformation of our class caterpillars.  They have spent two weeks eating nutritious food and each one has now turned into a chrysalis.  We have been recording the changes in a diary and can't wait for the butterflies to emerge.  In maths, our focus has been building number lines and using them to find one more and one less than given numbers.  Our English text this week has been the wonderful book, Bloom, which tells the story of a young girl who treats the natural world with kindness.  We talked about how we could follow her example in our own lives.  On Wednesday, Reception were treated to a visit to the new pond area that is being developed at the school - they watched some trees being planted and saw the beginnings of a wild flower meadow.

Home Learning

English:  Please draw a picture of something exciting you have done this week then write a simple sentence to tell us about your picture e.g. I went to the park.

Maths:  Please complete the one more/one less sheet in your homework folder - there is a number line to help you.

Reading:  E-books will be set on Monday through Oxford Owls (log-in details are in your child's Reading Record).  Actual books and sheets will be sent out on Thursday.  Please continue to write in your child's Reading Record when you listen to them read and share any comments about their progress.

Nursery Rhyme

This is the link to this week's nursery rhyme: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-dinosaurs/zv7rf4j 

Week beginning 13th March 2023

The gale force winds on Monday had a big impact on Reception this week when the children designed, made and flew kites in the outdoor area - luckily nobody let go of the string!   In English, we focused on listening to and retelling familiar stories; the children gave an impressive recount of the Gingerbread Man and wrote captions to match pictures from the story.  In PHSE, we have continued with our Healthy Me topic - this week we looked at the importance of bedtime routines and we discussed the need to have plenty of sleep.  For history, we looked at how objects have changed over time - in one session the children handled some Victorian artefacts and tried to guess what they might have been used for.  In another session, the children looked at the development of telephones.  Our pea seeds are growing at an alarming rate and the children have recorded their changes in their pea diaries.

Home Learning

English:  please complete The Gruffalo sheet - it will be sent home on Friday.

Maths:  maths has been set on Mathletics.  For most children, the activities will be: Simple Patterns and Numbers to 10 Test

Reading:  E-books and quizzes will be set on Monday through Oxford Owls (log-in details are in your child's Reading Record).  Actual books and sheets will be sent out on Thursday.  Please continue to write in your child's Reading Record when you listen to them read and share any comments about their progress. Your children will also get a new library book every Friday; please keep sharing these to support a love for reading. 

Here is the link to this week's nursery rhyme: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-ten-green-bottles/zncyt39  

Week beginning 6th March 2023

We had a real treat on Friday when Edward's Mum visited to tell us all about the festival of Martisor.  She read the children a story explaining its origins and then showed the classes how to make cards and bracelets to welcome the spring and to wish health and happiness to others.   In English, we finished our class book, Errol's Garden, and the children used all their senses to write a fantastic poem describing their emotions when they are in their dream gardens.  Continuing the gardening theme, we have started to record the growth of our pea seeds in a Pea Diary - we have also used our phonics knowledge to write instructions for another class explaining how to plant pea seeds.  For art this week, we looked very carefully at some spring daffodils using magnifying glasses.  We then used our observations to draw and paint detailed pictures of them which we shall be putting on display in the classroom. In maths, we have been looking at directional language using vocabulary such as forwards, backwards, turn, over and under.  We have also tried to programme Beebots (mini robots) to follow our instructions.

Home Learning

English:  have fun playing the phonics game which is in your child's homework folder.

Maths:  Maths has been set on Mathletics.  This week's activities are: How many and More, less or the same.  HINT:  you can move the counters on the grid to help.

Reading:  E-books will be set on Monday through Oxford Owls (log-in details are in your child's Reading Record).  Actual books and sheets will be sent out on Thursday.  Please continue to write in your child's Reading Record when you listen to them read and share any comments about their progress. Your children will also get a new library book every Friday please keep sharing these to support a love for reading. 

Nursery Rhyme

Here is the link to this week's nursery rhyme: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-brush-your-teeth/zv33hbk 

Week beginning 27th February 2023

The highlight of this week has been World Book Day.  The children loved wearing their comfortable pyjamas to school and enjoyed sharing their favourite bedtime stories with their friends.  In the classroom, we looked at the books of the children's author, Julia Donaldson such as Stick Man, Tiddler, The Gruffalo and Charlie Cook's Favourite Book.  From their knowledge of the stories, the children were able to join in with the rhyming phrases and they also used great storytelling language to recount the adventures.  In maths this week, we have started looking at positional language using vocabulary such as under, next to, on, in, between, besides, above and below.  We have used this language to describe where objects are in the classroom.  We have also continued our Healthy Me focus, looking at the different types of exercise we can do to keep us fit - we have even found time to complete some Joe Wickes workouts.

Home Learning

English:  please complete the phonics sheet in your child's homework folder.

Maths:  Maths has been set on Mathletics.  The two activities this week are:  Where is it? and Order numbers to 10.

Reading:  E-books will be set on Monday through Oxford Owls (log-in details are in your child's Reading Record).  Actual books and sheets will be sent out on Thursday.  Please continue to write in your child's Reading Record when you listen to them read and share any comments about their progress.

Nursery Rhyme

This is the link to this week's nursery rhyme:   https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-five-currant-buns/zm4nmfr 

Week beginning 20th February 2023

The children have had a great week and have settled in quickly after the half term break.  There was a lot of excitement on Tuesday when the children realised that the strange eggs that had arrived at the end of January had hatched into stick insects. We have made sure they have plenty of leaves to eat and they don't seem to mind the noise in the classroom!  In English, we have started reading Errol's Garden and the children designed and drew their own dream gardens.  Continuing the gardening theme, we have planted some pea seeds, some pear seeds and some carrot tops - we can't wait to see when they will start to grow and have left them in a very sunny spot in the classroom.  In maths, we have looked at the following vocabulary: more, less, equal, not equal.  We compared towers and groups of animals using this new vocabulary and then worked out how many more one group had.  This week, we have also looked closely at changes that happen in the natural world from winter to spring.  The children painted some wonderful blossom trees and also got very creative with forks to print a row of tulips.  

Home Learning

English:  please complete the phonics sheet in your child's homework folder.

Maths:  Maths this week has been set on Mathletics - the login details for this website are in your child's reading record.

Reading:  Reading books or sheets will be sent home on Mondays and Thursdays - please could you write in your child's reading record when you listen to them read and also share any comments about their progress - thank you. We have also been learning these red words: the, of, my, I, no, to.  Red words are words that cannot be sounded out completely so need to be learnt as a whole.  We also call them tricky words.  On Monday 27th February we are holding a phonics session after school in Miss Blanche's classroom - this will be an opportunity to hear about how we teach phonics in Reception and how we will be using the new online reading materials.

Nursery Rhyme

This is the link to this week's nursery rhyme, 

Week beginning 6th February 2023

What a busy week we've had.  On Monday we looked at weddings from many different religions and then baked some cakes that would be perfect for a wedding feast.  The children used excellent measuring and mixing skills and the cakes got a thumbs up from everyone.  In English, we finished reading Yucky Worms and then made a wormery so that we can observe how worms recycle leaves and plants - the next day we wrote some instructions to help another class make their own wormery and some of the children started to write sentences independently.  The children have continued to enjoy their story retelling groups, using many props to support them such as character cards, fancy dress and puppets..  In Maths this week, we have worked very successfully with a partner, looking at how numbers can be represented in different ways such as a dice, dominoes, words, numerals, objects, Numicon and a tens frame.  We were so pleased to see the children supporting each other with this work.  To end the week, we created our own versions of Kandinsky's circle painting, focusing on using fine brushes and curved brush strokes.

As it is half term, there is no homework set this week.  Please continue to read and share books with your children - thank you very much for your support with this aspect of the children's learning..

We hope you have a lovely half term break and look forward to seeing you on the 20th February for Parent Consultation meetings.  If you have not yet booked, an appointment can be made using School Cloud, a link for which has been sent by email

Week beginning 30th January 2023

Finally some sunshine has arrived this week and the children have been making good use of the outdoor learning area.  In the construction area the children closed the road, put in a diversion and even added some traffic lights!  The children have also been hunting for creatures to add to the Bug Hotel: they have been very careful to handle the worms respectfully.  Some rather strange eggs arrived in Reception on Thursday - we have put them in a net and left them on Mrs White's desk and we can't wait to see what they will turn into; the children have made some very good suggestions. On Wednesday, the class painted some fantastic rainbows to brighten up the Buddy Bench.  In English, we have continued to read Yucky Worms and have found out just how wonderful worms are and how important they are in the garden.  As it was storytelling week this week, we have read lots of stories to the children and they have had a fantastic time acting them out.  In maths, we have been practising accurate counting of two groups of objects.

Home Learning

English:  Continuing our look at different habitats, please could you draw/paint/collage a picture of a desert or arctic habitat, showing the types of animals and plants that would live there.  Please could you try to write the initial sound of some of the objects in your drawing e.g. for rocks, you would write an 'r'.

Maths

Maths this week has been set on Mathletics - the login details for this website are in your child's reading record.

Reading

Reading books or sheets will be sent home on Mondays and Thursdays - please could you write in your child's reading record when you listen to them read and also share any comments about their progress - thank you. We have also been learning these red words: the, of, my, I, no, to.  Red words are words that cannot be sounded out completely so need to be learnt as a whole.  We also call them tricky words.

Nursery Rhyme

This is the link to this week's nursery rhyme, The Animals Went in Two by Two, https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-the-animals-went-in-two-by-two/zr88bdm.

Week beginning 23rd January 

Our week began with a visit from Mrs Xu, Ella's Mum, who talked to us about Chinese New Year and all the traditions behind it.  Following on from that, we practised some Chinese writing (words and numbers) and made our own lanterns and dragons.  In English we have started to write words using our phonics knowledge to sound them out first.  We finished reading Billy's Bucket and drew a story map to help us retell the story.  In PE, we have been focusing on jumping and landing on two feet; this week we tried to jump over hurdles which was quite a challenge.  Our outside area has been reorganised and we have been using the new woodwork area to practise hammering and turning skills; we have also used the story shed to become characters from our favourite books and have used the outdoor art area to create some masterpieces.  Our news sharing sessions have seen songs, toys and news shared with the class - just a reminder that these sessions happen on Wednesdays.

Home Learning

English:  In preparation for our new class book, please could you find out some interesting facts about earthworms - you could even draw a picture of one.  Perhaps you could find out what they like to eat or where they like to live.  I wonder how big an earthworm can grow to?

Maths:  Maths this week will be set on Mathletics.

Reading:  Reading books, reading sheets and speed sounds will be sent home on Mondays and Thursdays.

Week commencing 16th January

This week, we have had a real focus on shape.  After looking at more shape paintings by Kandinsky, the children created some wonderful shape artwork of their own.  They were able to name 2D shapes and count how many corners and sides each shape had. We continued with our sorting work in maths, classifying shapes by looking at whether they had straight or curved sides.  We have also been encouraging the children to play turn taking games to help them build relationships with others.

In the outdoor area, we have set up a bird watching station and next week we hope to be making some bird feeders and fat balls too keep the local birds well-fed over the winter.

Home Learning

English: Linked to our class book, Billy's Bucket, please could you draw/paint/collage a picture of an ocean habitat, showing the types of animals and plants that would live there.  Please could you try to write the initial sound of some of the objects in your drawing e.g. for rocks, you would write an 'r'.

Maths:  Maths this week will be set on Mathletics.

Reading:  Reading books or sheets will be sent home on Mondays and Thursdays - please could you write in your child's reading record when you listen to them read and also share any comments about their progress - thank you. 

Week commencing 9th January

We have been really pleased with the way the children have settled so quickly after returning from their winter holidays.

In the classroom, we have started reading a new book called Billy's Bucket which the children are really enjoying.  In Maths we have been sorting objects into different groups and naming the groups - some children suggested sorting animals in to land and sea creatures and others sorted dinosaurs according to their features.  We have also looked .at the shape artwork of Wassily Kandinsky to help us revise and name 2D shapes.  In computing we have been learning how to log on to the Purple Mash website and we have also discussed being safe when using the Internet.

This week, we have started a news and sharing session - we hope that this will help to improve the children's confidence when speaking in front of the class.  If your child has something they would like to share with the class, please send it in on a Wednesday - nothing valuable please!  Alternatively, they may simply wish to share some news.  We may not be able to share all the items each Wednesday but we will make sure every child has a turn during the term.

Home Learning

English

Linking to our class book, Billy's Bucket, we would like you to design and decorate your own bucket.  This could be a real bucket or a drawing of a bucket.  We are hoping to display the completed buckets in the classroom.

Maths

Maths this week has been set on Mathletics - the login details for this website are in your child's reading record.

Reading

Reading books or sheets will be sent home on Mondays and Thursdays - please could you write in your child's reading record when you listen to them read and also share any comments about their progress - thank you. 

Welcome back to the Spring Term - we hope you had a fantastic break.   We would like to say a huge thank you for the very generous cards and gifts you sent in to the staff at Christmas.  Our PE day this term is now Tuesday - please see below for other key term dates.

Key Dates and Reminders Spring Term 2023

Thursday 5th January 2023 - INSET
Friday 6th January 2023 - children return to school

Monday 16th - Friday 20th January - FoC Penny War Week

Friday 10th February - FoC Friendship Disco

Monday 13th - Friday 17th February - HALF TERM BREAK

Monday 20th February - INSET and parent consultations

Thursday 2nd March - World Book Day

Thursday 30th March - FoC Easter Egg Hunt

Friday 31st March - last day of term (1:15pm finish)

Monday 3rd April - Friday 13th April - EASTER BREAK

Monday 17th April - INSET

Tuesday 18th April - children return to school

 Link to the school calendar

Link to the school term dates 

W/C 12th December 2022

It has been everything Christmas this week.  Last Thursday, the children watched an amazing pantomime at school; there was plenty of audience participation and some rather loud singing!  When the children returned to school on Tuesday, they were so excited about the snow and we have managed to take the children outside every day.  Whilst playing in the snow, they have had some very creative ideas and designed an ice melting machine and several very original sleighs. Today we were able to watch Year 2's Christmas performance which was wonderful. 

In the classroom we have made snowflakes using our cutting skills and paper chains in small groups, to encourage collaborative working.  We have also focused on turn-taking games such as Snap and Connect Four.  We have also started reading The Jolly Christmas Postman and have wrapped presents and cards for him to deliver.  

W/C 28th November 2022

What a busy week we've had!  On Tuesday, we were very lucky to have a visit from two local police officers.  They talked to the children about how they help us and then allowed the children some time to sit in their police car and even start the flashing lights and two-tone sirens.  On Thursday, two vets visited Reception to explain how they helped animals.  They brought along lots of their technical equipment for the children to explore. 

In the classroom, we have talked about how we can help ourselves to keep healthy, both in mind and body.  The children made the following suggestions:  play with friends, sing and dance, eat healthy food, drink plenty of water, get some fresh air and exercise, do some art and find a quiet place.  We have also continued to practise our Nativity show - the songs are sounding terrific.

Home Learning

Please can you keep practising your nativity lines!  We have sorted out the costumes; only the children who have a note in their reading records need to supply their own costume.  

Phonics:  please see your child's homework folder.

Please see the songs and lyrics for our Nativity attached.

W/C 21st November 2022

We have been continuing our topic on 'People who help us.' The children have enjoyed this learning over the last few weeks and discussing lots of people's jobs! This week we had a very special visit from the Fire brigade. The children loved hearing about their jobs. The fire brigade are so important in keeping us safe in lots of different situations. Year 2 set fire to some houses so we got to see the help in action! The children have been enjoying the wind! They have loved getting the kite out and flying it high in the sky. We have been talking to the children a lot this week about how again, the weather is changing. As we went into Autumn, it started to get colder and now it is getting really chilly! We talked about how as the weather changes we need to be thinking all of the time about our clothing.

In the classroom, the children have been working together with an adult to make some playdough. We looked at a recipe together and followed the steps. The children used different movements. such as pouring and spooning, to move the different ingredients into the bowl. The children even added paint to make it a different colour. In the creative area, the children have enjoyed cutting out pictures from magazines. We thought it would be nice to show the children how to collage. 

I

Home learning

Please can you keep practising your nativity lines! This is really coming together with the songs! This week we will be sorting out costumes! Please see the songs and lyrics for our Nativity attached. 

Phonics - please see your child's homework folder.

Maths - Please see 'Complete the Pattern' on Matheletics. Your child's mathletics log in is in their reading record.

Nursery Rhymes- please keep practising the nursery rhymes from last week! https://piccolomusic.co.uk/wnrw-22 

W/C 14th November 2022

We have had a great week in Reception this week! It was so nice seeing so many of you at parents' evening. This week we have started our Nativity practise - a letter will be coming out shortly to give you all of the information! This week has been World Nursery Rhyme week. The children have enjoyed learning new nursery rhymes and completing tasks that link to these songs. We started with 'The big ship sails.' The children then used different resources to make boats and took them outside to see if they could float in water. We also sung, '1,2,3,4,5 once I caught a fish alive.' The children enjoyed using fish. We also sung 'BINGO' and the children were taught how to play a game of bingo, which they loved! 

This week we focused on people who can help us at school and home. It was so nice to listen to the children talking about the people at home who help them and all of the jobs you do! We talked about being thankful to everyone who helps us so we hope you heard lots of thank yous! We had a visit from Mrs Aarons too who is our pastoral lead, she spoke about her job and how she supports children, families and staff. We spoke about the MSAs who help us at lunch time. Mr Hibbs came into our classroom and we spoke about all of the helpful jobs he does. We talked about all of the adults in the EYFS who are there to look after the children. We talked about the adults in the office who can help us with messages and talk to our adults. 

 Please see the songs and lyrics for our Nativity attached. 

Home learning

Phonics - Please see the sheet in your child's homework folder. During parents' evening this week we spoke to a few parents about strengthening fine motor control using different methods, such as, threading, playing with playdough, using scissors. This will support the children with their pencil control. If your child is finding pencil control tricky please practise formation in another way, such as, in flour or using a paintbrush. At the moment, our main priority is that the children know the correct formation, it doesn't need to be written with a pencil if they are not ready. 

Maths - We have been continuing our learning on repeating patterns. Please have a look at these games:

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/ordering-and-sequencing/shape-patterns 

This week was Nursery rhyme week! The children have enjoyed learning some new rhymes! Please keep practising at home. https://piccolomusic.co.uk/wnrw-22 

W/C 7th November 2022

To start the week we had a visit from a doctor.  She talked about her job and the importance of eating healthily and having plenty of exercise.   We have focused on making new friends this week and have talked about how to be a good friend.

In Maths, we looked at repeating patterns and made some ourselves using natural objects and also potato prints. In English we finished our book, Bedtime for Monsters, and talked about the monster's emotions throughout the book.

Home Learning

For Maths, please could you make a repeating pattern - you could use leaves, twigs, acorns, Lego or any other small objects.  If possible, we would love to see your patterns; photos can be uploaded to Evidence Me or you could send in a photo.

For phonics, please either complete the sound sheet or read your sound blending books.  

Please also continue to share your child's library book with them, talking about the story and asking questions.

Our song this week is Little Donkey https://youtu.be/dVQPmtjHzh4 

W/C 31st October 2022

We were really pleased to see the children return so confidently after their half term break and they quickly settled back into the routines of life in Reception.

In English, we started a new book called Bedtime for Monsters.  The children drew some amazing monsters of their own and tomorrow, weather permitting, we will build some monster caves outside.  Following on from our Autumn walk at the end of last half term, we have looked at the seasonal changes that happen in Autumn and have used natural objects, such as acorns, leaves and pumpkin seeds to design and create pictures.   We have also been talking about taking a pride in our classroom and outdoor environment and have discussed ways to look after the resources and keep the areas tidy.

Our new topic for this half term is people who help us and to support this we have created the Cranborne Vets role play area in one of the classrooms.  

Home Learning

For Maths, please complete the number formation sheet.  Can you try to spot these numbers in the real world e.g. house numbers, car number plates, clocks?

For phonics, please either complete the sound sheet or read your sound blending books.

Please also continue to share your child's library book with them, talking about the story and asking questions.

Our nursery rhyme this week is Once I caught a fish alive https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-1-2-3-4-5-once-i-caught-a-fish-alive/zdy6jhv 

Enter text...

W/C 10th October

We've had another very busy week in Reception! This week we have had a focus on pirates. The story we have been reading looked at a travelling bear and we looked at creating maps! The children searched for treasure in blue sand. Once the children found a piece of treasure (a coin with a letter or number) they recorded their findings on a flip chart. The children really enjoyed this. We have also been looking at floating and sinking, exploring what happens to pumpkin seeds when they are put in water. We then looked at other objects in the environment and sorted them into 'floated' and 'sunk.' 

In English we have looked at the adventures of the Everywhere Bear and created our own Everywhere Giraffe, who joined in with the children's activities. The children drew maps of the giraffes journey.  In Maths, we have been comparing objects to see which is longer, shorter or taller. 

We would like to share more stories and songs from different cultures with the children.  If you have any ideas about books we could use, we would really appreciate your help.  We are also very interested in the different types of celebrations that the children experience at home. We would love to see pictures that we can display in the environments.  The children are really enjoying talking about their 'all about me' books. 

Home Learning

Please see the phonics letter formation sheets. If your child is finding this a bit tricky, encourage them to practise their formation in other ways, such as, using paint and a brush or on your back using their finger. We use would like the children to practise the motion, using the rhymes! The pencil control will come later!

For Maths, please can you ask the children to compare two objects discussing which is shorter/taller/longer. For a challenge, can they order more than two objects based on height.

Our nursery rhyme this week is The Big Ship Sails The big ship sails on the ally ally oh - BBC Teach ..

W/C 3rd October

This week in Reception, we have been looking at harvest time.  On Tuesday, Reception joined the whole school for a Harvest Assembly and later we learnt how to make bread in preparation for our EYFS harvest celebration on Friday.  We have also learnt actions to accompany our harvest songs.  In music, we have been trying to find the beat in some popular songs.  Outside, the children have enjoyed painting with cotton buds to support their fine motor, and have been using their imagination when playing with some huge cardboard boxes.

In Maths, we have been learning how to count accurately.  In English, we have started a new book, The Everywhere Bear, and we will be following him on his interesting journey around the country.  We have continued to learn more sounds in phonics and we are really impressed with the children's improved pencil grip when they are forming their letters.

Home Learning

Please see the phonics letter formation sheets.  The children have been encouraged to say the rhymes whilst completing the letters.

For maths, please could you give the children a pile of objects to count accurately.  We have encouraged the children to line the objects up and point to each object (or move it) as they are counting.

Our nursery rhyme this week is Pat a Cake Pat a Cake Song | CoComelon Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs - YouTube (youtube-nocookie.com).   You may need to refresh the page if it doesn't work.

W/C 26th September 

Another successful but busy week in Reception. The children have enjoyed reading the next parts of our 'Hello Friend' book. We have been looking really carefully at the different emotions of the characters. We looked at particular pages, such as the one below, and discussed how the girl looks like she is enjoying both of the activities as she has a smile on her face, however, the boy has his hands over his hears. We have been looking at their relationship and how they book see if differently. The girl thinks they are having lots of fun and that she is being a good friend  but the boy doesn't look happy. We talked about reading people's actions and we then made a poster about how to be a good friend. We linked this to our buddy bench outside and how we could go there if we were feeling a bit sad or lonely and needed a friend.

In maths, we have been looking at the language of more, less or the same. The children started off by finding different amounts of objects and then we compared them. we also looked at numbers presented on pictures, such as, on a playing card. The children all have a great understanding of this!

The children have been exploring all areas of our environment this week. It has been so nice seeing them explore the kitchen outside. Children have been using a range of materials, such as, twigs, leaves and mud to make some delicious food for their friends. We wanted to ensure the children are confident with the environment so we created a scavenger hunt of lots of resources. The children had to hunt around the EYFS environment to tick things off their list! The children used mirrors to look at their faces and create a self portrait. 

Home learning - For home learning, please see the phonics letter formation sheets. Remember to use the rhymes when you are practising the formation. Maisie mountain, mountain and around the apple, down the leaf.

For maths, we would like you to ask the children to count objects in groups such as, 6 apples and then 4 pears. We would then like you to ask the children, which one has more? Which one has less? See if they can find some objects where there is the same amount!
For our song this week we will be looking at two Harvest songs ready to celebrate Harvest next week! 

W/C 12th September

The children have had a very successful week! The children have started reading the book 'Hello Friend!' We have spent all week looking at the front cover, the inside pages and the first page of the book. Next week, we will be looking at the emotions of the children in the story and how the children in our class feel. Our focus next week will be emotions. Please spend some time talking to your children about their emotions and acknowledging how they are feeling and why.  In Maths, the children have been looking at different numbers and making these with resources in the classroom. The children have explored area of the classrooms this week and the outside area. We planted some plants in the week. Some children wanted to plant their apple seeds from their snack to see if anything would grow. The children helped to make playdough following instructions. 

Reading books - This week your child would have visited the school library and will have chosen a book to bring home. This is a book for you to read with your child to encourage a love for reading. Please spend some time looking at the front cover of the book and predicting what this story may be about. As you read through the book, ensure that you are discussing what is happening, what bits you like and don't like. Try and read the book over a few days so that there is a sense of suspense, whilst you wait to find out what might happen next! In your child's reading record, please make some notes to tell us what you have been talking about. Please write the date and initial. We will visit the library again on Friday and the children will choose a new book. 

Our first week

Reception have had a great first week! They have all settled in so well and made lots of new friends! See below for just a few things we have been doing! 

The children even helped us make a bug hotel!

Explore the Classrooms!

Our Curriculum

At Cranborne we strive to create an environment that promotes a sense of curiosity, awe and wonder in the children. We have our own bespoke curriculum which we teach to and has been created with your children in mind. This curriculum is pertinent to our children currently in our cohort and we strive for them to be the best that they can be within this and beyond!

An environment that also enables plenty of opportunities for them to self-select and demonstrate the characteristics of effective learning, and where the children can practise, consolidate and rehearse taught skills. 

We aim to provide the children with areas that are accessible to them and are organised in a way to promote independence and purposeful play. 

rt.

Our learning

We have 7 areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage

Snow Day Activities

Here are some suggestions for having fun in the snow:

• Make a snow angel - great for exercising your arms, legs and core muscles
• Build a snow sculpture - it does not have to be a snowman!
• Go for a winter walk and search for footprints in the snow - who or what do you think made the footprints?
• Look for icicles - how do you think they were formed?
• Can you write your name in the snow?
• Try painting in the snow - simply mix snow and liquid paint in a pot then off you go!
• Hide some objects in the snow then try to find them - don't forget to wear gloves for this!
• Target practise - line up a set of objects then try to hit them using a snow ball
• We would love to see what you have been doing in the snow; why not post your photos on Evidence Me?Enter text...

Useful Websites

General

The BBC have some fantastic resources for children. Have a look on their page here for links to resources to help with most areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zks4kmn

Phonics and Reading Resources

Useful websites:

 http://www.focusonphonics.co.uk/sound.htm (for pure sounds)

http://www.ruthmiskin.com/en/resources/sound-pronunciation-guide/ (for stretchy and bouncy sounds)

http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/ (for games and resources)

https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading-owl/find-a-book (for reading books and resources)

Alphablocks - https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/alphablocks

Maths Resources

At Cranborne, each pupil has a unique username and password for Mathletics.  This is found on the inside front cover of their reading record. Visit www.mathletics.co.uk

Other Websites:

Numberblocks - https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/numberblocks

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/mathematical-resources/top-ten-websites-and-online-resources/

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/what-to-expect-when/

https://www.purplemash.com/sch/cranborneen6can

Espresso  https://www.discoveryeducation.co.uk/what-we-offer/discovery-educationespresso  Username : student15821  Password: rocket