Training day – Arty Ideas!
We thought you’d enjoy hearing a little about what went on during our recent teacher training day! Part of the day was dedicated to developing our art knowledge and skills with our resident art teacher, Mrs Boulton.
Teachers got hands-on with paints, pastels and even soap! There was plenty of colour, laughter, and even a bit of friendly competition as we experimented with new techniques and ideas for upcoming art lessons.
The rest of the day focussed on other important areas too, including maths and inclusion. It was a full, productive day – and we left feeling ready and excited for the next half-term!
Writing: journalistic writing
In writing, we have been writing newspaper reports.
The purpose of a news report is to tell the reader information about something that has happened.
We read a twisted version of the traditional tale The Three Little Pigs called The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. We thought about how the original tale had been twisted and how we could twist our own version.
We thought about what a good newspaper looks like. The children took on the role of a journalist adding catchy headlines and informative sub-headings.
Help at home: ask your children to tell you the story of the three little wolves and the big bad pig. Can they do it like a news reporter?
Phase 3,4 – Geography
First half term is over
What a fantastic first half term we’ve had in 1A. I am so impressed with all of the children. They have all settled well into their new class well and have shown fantastic learning behaviour and eagerness to learn. I am immensely proud and can’t wait for the rest of the year ahead.
Have a well deserved break and I look forward to starting Autumn term 2 soon.
Miss Young
Wonderful writing!
This week, we’ve been completing a piece of writing based on ‘The eye of the storm’. This is a video that captures an airship entering into the eye of a storm and a very mysterious character piloting it. The children used the video as inspiration to write their own setting and character description pieces. They had to create a particular mood, use expanded noun phrases and even include some figurative language.
Help at home: Watch the video again with your child. Ask them about the vocabulary they included in their descriptions.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
What a fantastic day out! The Yorkshire Sculpture Park trip was brilliant. All staff commented that the children’s manners, levels of respect and interest in the workshops was fantastic. This trip will help to informour art topic next half term and support our writing.
Help at Home: Talk to your child about their favourite piece of art at the park. What is it made from? What did it make you think? Who was the artist? Who might want to conduct some research into the artist’s inspiration for the piece.
“I can do it”
One of the Prime Areas of learning in Early Years is Personnel, Social and Emotional Development, so learning to take care of ourselves is very much part of our curriculum. This half term we have been working very hard at this. Encouraging the children to put on their coats and fasten them up independently. They are all doing so well and are showing fantastic resilience. Trying again when they cant always manage it first time.
Changing from wellies to shoes is something that we do many times throughout the day. Pushing your foot into your shoes can be tricky and can take lots of practice.
We have had quite a few coughs and colds this week so our ” nose blowing area” has had lots of use. Getting a tissue and looking in the mirror to check that your nose is clean helps to develop independence.
Help at home : You can help at home to develop these essential skills. Perhaps on a weekend, when popping out, you could support your child to put on their own coat and shoes. We can’t wait to hear how you get on and more calls of ” I can do it” in nursery.
Next week: we will be continuing to enjoy Julia Donaldson’s Room on the Broom. We have been joining in with the story adding our own actions to various parts.
” The witch tapped her broomstick and whoosh they were gone”
As it is the last week of our very first half term we will be rehearsing the Nursery rhymes that we have covered so far. We are sure that the children would love to recite these at home to you all.
Baa baa Black Sheep
Humpty Dumpty
Incy Wincy Spider.
Reminders
I’m looking forward to meeting with you all next week for our first parent teacher consultations. If you haven’t managed to book an appointment contact the school office.
Nursery closes for half term on Thursday 23 October.
We will return to Nursery on Monday 03 November
Living and learning : democracy (voting for our class JLT representative)
This week’s Living and Learning lessons have all been about democracy. Children presented a speech if they decided they wanted to represent their class on the Junior Leadership Team (JLT). Then, we voted in the hall by putting our votes in a ballot box. We announced the winners in the Golden Assembly on Friday.
Help at home by talking about the British Values.
Watch us while we work
Thank you to all the adults who came to support us this week. Hopefully you got a little insight into what goes on in school.
Help at home by reading to you child every day.
JLT
Democracy is a key part of British Values and during this week, our classes have cast their votes for who they would like to represent their class on the JLT. We were absolutely overwhelmed by the number of children that wrote speeches. These were well written, full of ideas and showed off their best qualities such as leadership, good listening skills and initiative.
The votes were counted and the new members have been announced!
Here are our new members:
5,6A – Stanley
5,6B – Joseph
5,6C – Grayson
3,4A – Marshall
3,4B – Penny
3,4C – Jessica
2C – Oliver
1,2B – Oscar
1A – Harlow
Well done to each of you. I’m looking forward to working with you this year and can’t wait to get started.