Being Healthy Week
What a fun-filled, healthy week we have had! Despite the rain, the children enjoyed taking part in their first sports day.
On Tuesday, we took part in a yoga session.
Throughout the week, we have focused on a personal best challenge. This involved timing ourselves while running laps and counting how many star jumps we could do in 1 minute to see if we could improve over time.
Literacy
This week, we read The fish Who Could Wish.
The children thought about their own wishes for year one.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite this poem each day. By saying the poem out loud, we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line. We talk to the children about how this can help us become better readers.
This week’s poem is Dance.
A huge thank you for sending videos of your child reciting the poem at home.
Poetry Picnic Superstars!
Science
We have continued exploring floating and sinking by making our own boats and testing how many coins they could hold before they sank.
More of our learning this week…
Reminders
Swimming – Rainbow- 19 July
Beach Party – Your child can come to school dressed in their own clothes ( please make sure they are suitable to wear all day) and can bring a special snack and drink.
All children are welcome to bring swim wear and water pistols. A towel to get dried with is essential. The children are also welcome to bring any outdoor play equipment eg: bats, balls, hula hoops, footballs etc.
Please name as many items as possible and don’t send anything too precious.
Carrier Bag – Please send a labelled carrier bag on Thursday in order to send home your child’s books.
Living and Learning (Being Healthy week) : Yoga and mindfulness
Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 5 and Year 6 all enjoyed yoga sessions from School of Yoga this week. This helped us learn about the importance of mental wellbeing and wellness, as well as physical health. Time to be mindful is important for our mental health.
Living and Learning (Being Healthy week) : Soggy Sport Roundabout
A big THANK YOU to everyone who came to support our rather wet Sport Roundabout afternoon today.
We all still had fun, despite the rain. The winning team was France – but check out where your team came.
Another THANK YOU for sending children in fantastic coloured clothes to match their country team too.
1st France
2nd England
3rd Nigeria
4th Spain
5th Italy
6th Portugal
7th Germany
8th Colombia
9th Norway
10th Netherlands
11th Argentina
12th Brazil
The Snail and The Whale
The Snail and The Whale
We’ve been reading The Snail and The Whale. Another book by one of our favourite authors, Julia Donaldson.
We’ve been retelling the story in our own words and writing special blackboard messages, just like the snail trail messages in the story!
The book had some fantastic adventurous words to describe landscapes and actions. Our word of the week was humongous. We discussed the meaning of lots of other words too.
Can your child tell you what each of these words mean? They could use the images to remind them.
Maths; composition
This week, we’ve re-visited the composition of 5 in various ways.
We also made matching patterns on butterfly wings and used the symmetrical patterns to explore doubles (as we had added the same amount of shapes on both sides). We worked with a partner to create our own matching pictures and to find the double we had created.
Transition
Thursday morning was full of excitement and a few little nerves, as the children visited their year one classrooms and spent some time with their new teachers. When they returned to class, the children were excited to share what they had been doing. Those little nerves had flown away and in their place was a super positivity for the big move in September. Well done Reception superstars!
The dancing raisin experiment
Phonics
Summer 2 week 5 has focused on:
root word ending in: –er, –est
longer words
In provision, we’ve been reading words ending in –ed and sorting them by
the sounds that –ed makes:
‘t’ final sound: jumped, helped, screeched etc.
‘id’ final sound: boasted, painted, printed etc.
Help at home; Sentence Substitution Throughout the school year, we’ve suggested lots of practical ways to explore phonics at home with easily made resources and games. There are also some great quality online phonics games. Sentence substitution is a great way to practise both reading and comprehension. The goal is to replace one word in the sentence, whilst ensuring that the sentence still makes sense. This is a free to access game on ‘Phonics Bloom’ Click here to play at home!
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite this poem each day. By saying the poem out loud, we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line. We talk to the children about how this can help us become better readers.
This week’s poem is Sliced Bread
Help at home; Poetry videos This week, we’d like to mix it up a little. We’d love for you to record your child retelling this poem or another ‘poetry picnic’ poem of their choice at home. We will make a special video of their performances to be featured in next week’s class news post! You can send your videos to the usual email address (below)
More of our learning this week…
Reminders and Dates
Sports Roundabout- Monday 10 July 1.15pm Please remember to come in your sports kit/team colours on Monday and PE kit for the rest of the week. Thank you.
Learning journey drop-ins- Week commencing 10 July
An opportunity to “drop into” school and share your child’s learning journal with them. We would like to welcome you into the classroom on one of the following sessions:
9.00 – 9.30 Monday 10 July
9.00 – 9.30 Tuesday 11 July
3.30 – 4.00 Thursday 13 July
Swimming
Rainbow- 19 July
Sunshine- 12 July
Living and Learning : Being Healthy week launch
We launched our Being Healthy themed week today with a whole school assembly. We talked about physical and mental health. We also did some mindfulness (belly breathing).
We’re looking forward to a happy and healthy week next week.
Clean Up
Clean Up
This week, our story took us on a journey all the way to Jamaica.
We discussed key words from the story: sanctuary and island.
In our writing, we retold parts or all of the story in our own words.
The book also had some great messages about looking after our environment. Linked to this, our word of the week was pollution.
Maths
This week’s focus has been on deepening our understanding of how to compare quantities. We have explored this skill in a range of ways: comparing groups of objects, comparing by looking, then by counting, creating groups with equal amounts and using our sense of magnitude, e.g., knowing 8 is a lot more than 2 but 4 is only a little but more than 2.
10 is more than 5.
4 is fewer than 5.
4 is only a little fewer than 5.
5 and 5 is equal.
I have more because 10 is more than 7.
I have fewer. 5 is fewer than 6.
You have more and I have fewer.
10 is a lot more than 5.
Phonics
Summer 2 week 3 has focused on words ending in the suffix -ed but sounding like t, id or d such as helped, floated and stormed.
Please continue to use the Little Wandle sheets, sent home with your child each week.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite this poem each day. By saying the poem out loud, we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line. We talk to the children about how this can help us become better readers.
This week’s poem is Five Little Peas.
Click below to watch Reception recite this week’s poem!
Art
Using our decorated 3d shapes and cut out 2d shapes, we created mobiles inspired by Alexander Calder.
We discussed how we can recycle some plastic, glass or paper packaging or re-use it in imaginative ways, such as our mobile.
More of our learning this week…
Reminders and Dates
Baby photos – Please send in or email (scholesf2@spherefederation.org) a baby picture of your child to support their learning. We will be discussing how they have grown and changed.
Transition Morning- Thurs 6 July Drop off and collect your child from their usual Reception classroom on this day. We will send a slip home with your child on this day, confirming which class they will be in from September.
Learning journey drop-ins- Week commencing 10 July
An opportunity to “drop into” school and share your child’s learning journal with them. We would like to welcome you into the classroom on one of the following sessions:
9.00 – 9.30 Monday 10 July
9.00 – 9.30 Tuesday 11 July
3.30 – 4.00 Thursday 13 July
Swimming
Rainbow- 5 July, 19 July
Sunshine- 12 July
Story Trail Event
As part of the Leeds City of Culture, there is a local story trail event taking place. The flyers are below and pdfs to download.
Why not take part with friends or family in this fun event?
Sharing a Shell
We’ve continued our learning on coastal habitats this week, by taking a closer look at rockpools and some of the sea creatures you may find in them.
Sharing a Shell
We’ve been reading Sharing a Shell by Julia Donaldson.
We looked at the characters, events and settings and matched them with real images and text in a non-fiction book.
In our writing, we retold parts or all of the story in our own words.
The book also had some great messages about sharing and how to treat others. Linked to this, our word of the week was thoughtful.
Holidays in the past
We’ve been looking at the way people enjoyed a seaside holiday in the past, specifically in Victorian times. We’ve been looking at similarities and differences with seaside holidays in present day.
Ask your child what they can remember about seaside holidays in the past.
Making a rockpool
Maths; comparison and doubles
This week, we’ve re-visited comparing quantities and identifying when there is more, fewer or an equal amount. We’ve also revisited how to find doubles and reciting them using the maths stem sentence, eg.
“4 is made from 2 plus 2; double 2 is 4”
In provision, we’ve been using Numicon to compose numbers. This encouraged us to use a range of skills: shape matching (Numicon frame), subitising (Numicon) and addition.
Froglets!
Our tadpoles have turned into froglets (or metamorphs to give them their posh, scientific name!) Some with just their back legs so far, some with all legs and still with their long tail. They’ve had to move into a taller home as they’re getting very adventurous!
Phonics
Summer 2 week 3 has focused on:
Phase 4 words ending –s /s/
Phase 4 words ending –s /z/
Phase 4 words ending –es
longer words
Please continue to use the Little Wandle sheets, sent home with your child each week.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite this poem each day. By saying the poem out loud, we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line. We talk to the children about how this can help us become better readers.
This week’s poem is the traditional rhyming song- The Big Ship Sails
Click below to watch Reception recite this week’s poem!
Help at home; packaging and pollution
As part of our continued art project, please send your child into school next week with one or two items of packaging. We would ask for these to still be solid, in their original 3d shape.
Our recycled art project links closely to our literacy focus text next week and to pollution. You could help prepare your child by having a quick chat about what the word ‘pollution’ means and about the ways we might help to keep our planet clean and healthy.
Outdoor learning come rain or shine!
More of our learning this week…
Reminders and Dates
Transition Morning- Thurs 6 July Drop off and collect your child from their usual Reception classroom on this day. We will send a slip home with your child on this day, confirming which class they will be in from September.
Learning journey drop-ins- Week commencing 10 July
An opportunity to “drop into” school and share your child’s learning journal with them. We would like to welcome you into the classroom on one of the following sessions:
9.00 – 9.30 Monday 10 July
9.00 – 9.30 Tuesday 11 July
3.30 – 4.00 Thursday 13 July
Swimming
Rainbow- 5 July, 19 July
Sunshine- 28 June, 12 July
The Seaside
This week, we have explored differences and similarities between cities and the seaside.
Literacy
In our writing, we reflected on our own experiences of visiting a seaside.
Maths
We have focused on deepening our understanding of numbers to 10, including the composition of each number.
Phonics
This week, we have continued to focus on phase 4 words with long vowel sounds.
In provision, we’ve been reading words and matching them to the correct picture.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite this poem each day. By saying the poem out loud, we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line. We talk to the children about how this can help us become better readers. This week’s poem is called I Have a Little Frog.
Art; Observational drawing and Artist focus
We followed an art tutorial to support us to draw a crab.
We also continued our project based on our focus artist; Alexander Calder. We’ve been cutting shapes from card, which will be used over the next few weeks to make mobile sculptures based on Calder’s work.
Check out our other learning…
Reminders and Dates
Swimming
Rainbow- 21 June, 5 July, 19 July
Sunshine- 28 June, 12 July
Wake Up Shake Up!
We have been enjoying the sunshine in Early Years and KS1 over the past two weeks. It has been great to dance along to our favourite songs together every morning on the playground! We have been dancing to ‘Green, Green Grass’ by George Ezra recently, one of our favourites! Why not ask your child to show you their moves and learn some of our special WUSU dances?
