NSPCC
Following on from Staying Safe Week last week, we were lucky enough to have a visit from the NSPCC today. It was a great workshop in which the children learnt about different types of abuse and where to get help if needed. The children were guided through the NSPCC website to ensure they all know where to get help.
The children engaged brilliantly in discussions and were able to discuss different scenarios and how to respond to them.
Help at home: Check out the NSPCC website.
Residential Day One
What a fantastic first day! After the hike up the hill, children enjoyed pizza for lunch before making their own beds… some more successfully than others.
Each group has had a mix of four activities this afternoon: caving, nightline, climbing, giant swing, Quest, trapeze and the deadly prianha pool (all survived and toes intact).
Living and Learning
This week we have been learning about families. Our Living and Learning objective in class has been to understand that families come in all shapes and sizes.
We discussed what a family is.
‘It is love.’ (AJ)
‘It is a government of people.’ (AT)
‘A group of people you love and trust.’ (HYB)
We also talked about how our family does not always live in the same house as us. Each of the children chose one family member and drew them. They also wrote down why that family member is special and what they do to look after us.
Help at home by discussing families you know, their structure and how all families look different.
Topic – Design Technology
This half-term, our new topic is Design Technology.
We have started by discussing the different stages involved in the process of creating a product: designing, making and evaluating.
We have also started practising our sewing skills – using wool for an overstitch.
During the term, we are going to be designing, making and evaluating puppets!
Help at home by practising doing some knotting, threading or sewing. Can you thread some pasta onto a piece of a string?
Class novel – Extra Yarn
We have been reading Extra Yarn by Mac Bennett. It links to our new Design and Technology topic and is also a story with a powerful message about kindness. We’ve been talking about the characters and describing them. We also wrote some sentences about them. We are not fans of the archduke!
Annabelle is brave, positive and kind. She did not care about the money when the archduke tried to buy it.
He is not sweet and definitely not good.
Help at home by describing the characters in books you read together. Who is your favourite? Who do you not like? Why?
No swimming
Unfortunately, Reception won’t be able to go swimming this week (03 June) as we’re still unable to use the pool. Children have been told to avoid any disappointment and they’re all looking forward to their PE lesson with Foot Tech instead!
Let’s make a splash
Starting school: Tips to try at home
Cities and seasides
The Train Ride
We finished last term with a very exciting week focused on learning how to stay safe. The children took responsibility for keeping our outdoor area safe by carrying out their own daily safety checks and placing cones around any areas they identified as unsafe. They practised crossing the road safely using our very own zebra crossing and discussed how to stay safe near water during visits to the park. To round off the week, we were delighted to welcome a fire engine and its crew for a special visit. What a fantastic week of learning and fun!
This term promises to be just as exciting as we approach the end of our Nursery year. We will begin our learning with a book about a train ride, which will inspire lots of discussion.
Book of the Fortnight
The Train Ride by June Crebbin
Through this story, we will be thinking about journeys we have been on and sharing our own experiences. In the construction area, the children will have opportunities to design and build their own vehicles. We will also be investigating forces by creating tracks and ramps, exploring how objects move and finding out what makes them go faster or slower.
Phonics
Over the next few weeks, the Red, Blue and Yellow groups will be focusing on oral segmenting and blending skills during group time. This is when we break words down into individual sounds and learn how to blend them together.
Oral segmenting and blending is an important skill for children to acquire before they begin the more formal teaching of phonics in Reception. We practise segmenting and blending the sounds we can hear in words; we do not expect children to recognise, read or write letters in Nursery.
This skill can be quite challenging and may take some time for children to master. It will continue to be taught throughout the Foundation Stage.
For example, to segment the word bus, we would say:
b – u – s
We always use pure sounds and try to avoid putting an “uh” sound on the end of a letter sound. For example, we say “ssss” rather than “suh”.
If you would like any support with helping your child practise these skills at home, please speak to a member of the Nursery team.
Nursery Rhyme of the Week
In Maths, we are learning about day and night and discussing the differences between them. The children will be exploring what happens at different times of the day and thinking about the activities they do in the morning, afternoon and evening.
Next week, we will move on to ordering key events in our daily routines, helping children to develop their understanding of time and sequence.
Help at Home
Talk to your child about day and night. What activities do people do during the day and at night? Can they talk about what they do in the morning, afternoon and evening? Looking at family routines together and discussing the order of daily events is a great way to reinforce this learning.
Reminders
As the weather becomes warmer, please refer to our guidance regarding sun cream. Please ensure that your child comes to Nursery each day with a named sunhat and water bottle so that they can stay safe, hydrated and comfortable while enjoying outdoor learning.
Thank you for your continued support. If you have any questions about your child’s learning, please speak to a member of the Nursery team.