Skipping into summer with Skipping School
We have launched a whole school skipping project with Skipping School. Each class has their own class set of ropes and we also have long ropes for every class too. The children are so enthusiastic about it already. There are some tutorial videos below so you can work on your skills at home too!
- Skipping Tips
- EYFS and KS1 ‘Click and Jump’ tutorial
- EYFS and KS1 ‘Big Rope Bouncing’ tutorial
- EYFS and KS1 ‘Double Bounce’ tutorial
- KS2 ‘Double Bounce’ tutorial
- KS2 ‘Speed Bounce’ tutorial
- KS2 ‘Hop and Swap’ tutorial
- KS2 ‘Side Straddle’ tutorial
- KS2 ‘Forward and Backward Straddle’ tutorial
- KS2 ‘Criss Cross’ tutorial
- KS2 ‘Side swing’ tutorial
- KS2 ‘Cross over’ tutorial
- KS2 ‘Side swing cross’ tutorial
- KS2 ‘Pretzel’ tutorial
- ‘Run, jump, out’ tutorial
- ‘Keep the pot boiling’ tutorial
This week in Reception…
There have been some popular activities in the classrooms this week…
Rainbow class have become fascinated with creating their own books in the writing area. We know some children have been creating them at home too. We’ve had stories about family, princesses, a grumpy fork and “Dad and Jim getting wet in the rain”, to name just a few! How amazing it is, that the children are independently exploring their writing for fun. It is so exciting for the teachers to see the huge confidence they have in their writing skills and we very much enjoy seeing them stand proudly at the front of the class, as they read their stories to their friends.
There was much excitement surrounding Tuesday night’s storm. Children came in excited to talk about it. It was a perfect opportunity to take their interest and explore the natural world. Mrs Myers took the children outside to look for clues that there had been a storm:
Rudy- “I see a clue-ice”
Felicity- “The blossom fell off the tree”
TH-S- “There was lightning at night”
The children collected some of the natural objects they had found, including some hail stones which they left in the sunlight. They observed the ice melting throughout the day.
Sunshine class came to the rescue of a poorly-looking bee. They gave it some sugar and water, keeping their fingers crossed for a recovery. The event sparked lots of discussion about the importance of bees for our environment.
In Maths, we looked at the focus number 13 and explored sharing/ which numbers can be shared fairly. Here are some of the ways we made 13:
In Literacy, our focus story was The Bad Tempered Ladybird. We wrote about the ways we can show we are kind and polite, just like the kind ladybird in the story.
We have also been….
Enjoying the new superhero small world area:
Learning how to use a skipping rope in PE:
Enjoying our outdoor area:
Developing our ideas in the construction and creative areas, building and creating with purpose:
Home-Link Challenges
- This week we have sent your child home with a phase 3 sound mat, as we have now learnt all of the sounds within this phase. Please use this with your child, whenever suits you. There are some challenging diagraphs (two letters that make one sound) and trigraphs (three letters that make one sound) and we will be recapping these in school during our phonics sessions over the next few weeks. If your child is interested in writing at home, they can also use the mat to support the recall of the graphemes (the letters that make the sound)
- This week we have sharing in Maths. Explore sharing with your child at home. Here are a couple of ideas:
-Choose three teddies and share out fifteen blocks/pieces of lego between them. How many do they have each? Is it a fair share? (you can choose a smaller number if needed)
-Ask your child to share out one item of food onto the dinner plates, so that there is a fair share between the members of your family. How many pieces of food are there to begin with? How many people are eating? How many pieces of food do they have each, when it is shared out? Is it a fair share?
Reminder
Tomorrow (14 May 2021) is a staff training day. School will be closed to pupils. Have a lovely long weekend together and we will see you bright and early, Monday morning.
Look Out, Ladybird!
We have been busy reading ‘Look Out, Ladybird.’ We thought about the skill of flying and how we are good at things when we show resilience. What are you good at doing because you did not give up when it was difficult?
There are so many skills that we have been learning in Reception-our Tricky Words and letter formation are a few of them. Our writing is becoming very impressive.
The weather has been glorious at times and terrible at others. One minute we’re coated up and the next we are sun bathing. Whatever the weather we enjoy being outdoors, building, creating, growing and sharing.
Our freshly painted ladybird rocks are a wonderful addition to our outdoor area. Our focus number has been 12. Some ladybirds have been painted with double 6 or double 3 on the wings. Can you spot yours?
Home-Link.
Can you find and show doubles? Double the tins in a cupboard, double cars, double apples…(so many possibilities). Please email photographs of your work.
Our Incredible Imaginations!
It is the last full term of the school year and the children are showing us every day, just how much their confidence has grown since September.
They are coming up with even more of their own ideas, having the confidence to explore them and show them, inviting others to get involved and extending their own learning whilst doing so.
This confidence can be seen in their writing and maths too, as they jump straight into challenges with amazing ‘can do’ attitudes and increasingly bring their creations to the adults, proud of their achievements.
Take a look at some of the things our Reception superstars have been up to this week…
Home-Link Challenge
The children have been closely observing the classroom caterpillars this week and they can talk about the different stages of the butterfly life cycle. Next week, our story is Look Out Ladybird! and we would like you to help your child research the life cycle of a ladybird.
Is it the same as the butterfly cycle?
What are the differences?
Are there the same number of stages/ transformations?
Also, let us know how you researched. Did you use a search engine on the internet? Did you read it in a book or magazine?
Reminders
-Monday 3 May is a Bank Holiday and school is closed. We will see you all bright and early next Tuesday! Enjoy your longer weekend together 🙂
-Please ensure bookbags are in school on Tuesdays and Fridays.
-Please send your child to school in their PE kits on Wednesdays and Fridays.
-Please ensure your child has a pair of wellies and a change of clothes in school every day.
Thank you.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
This week, we have been reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
We have written food diaries; retold the story; created caterpillars using dough and paper; made number stories; and even begun to watch our own caterpillars grow.
In the beautiful sunshine, we enjoyed our first PE lesson on the school field. It was great to hear everyone cheering each other on and showing lots of resilience in both the egg and spoon race and sack race.
We have also enjoyed using our imagination and creating our own science experiments outside.
Home Link
The hungry caterpillar eats lots of different foods in the story. Discuss what food you enjoy eating at home. Are they healthy, unhealthy or maybe a bit of both?
Captain Tom 100 Challenge
Welcome back after the Easter break.
The brand new Junior Leadership Team are going to be very busy this half term and they’re ready for action! In the next few weeks, classes will be coming up with ideas for who our next school charity will be. The JLT will then make the final decision. Before we even do this though, we’re going to get cracking on some fundraising. Friday 30th April sees a campaign organised by the Captain Tom Foundation. This date marks a year from when Sir Captain Tom began the 100 laps around his garden. To mark this occasion, people are being encouraged to complete a challenge based on the number 100. We are definitely up for this challenge! Each class will be discussing and choosing their challenge. This could be based on a maths challenge, running 100 metres or even writing a 100-word poem. We will be asking for voluntary donations to support the children in their challenges. This money will be ready to be donated to our new charity as soon as it’s selected. Each class will be posting on the website their chosen challenge.
Thank you in advance of your support and good luck with all the challenges.
Easter Eggtravaganza
This week has been filled with Easter themed fun and activities.
We have enjoyed: creating our own Easter egg patterns in the playdough; decorating Easter trees; buttering and tasting hot cross buns and an egg rolling competition.
We have also loved our new playground equipment!
A special letter arrived from Professor Myers. She needed our help to find ways to stop Humpty Dumpty cracking as he fell off the wall.
We could use plasters and bandages. Adam
Put a blanket down. Isla
When he falls he can slide down a slide. Dexter
We can get lots of jumpers for Humpty to land on. Zak
We ended our week by giving out four golden stars.
Green fingers.
We have certainly made the most of the outdoor area in the sunshine this week. We have so many signs of Spring: daffodils, blossom, buds on the trees and slightly drier grass!
Our ‘green fingers’ have certainly been put to use. We have planted many seeds and are observing them daily. We have planted outside and inside. Which seeds will grow the quickest?
From reading ‘Oliver’s Vegetables’, we have been inspired to read, write, paint, play green grocer’s and draw on a laptop painting suite.
Our focus number 9 has really made our brains think and represent the number in many ways. From numicon, to number stories to number sentences-we are very proud of all our learning!
Egg rolling fun!
Please could your child bring a hard boiled egg to school on Thursday 1 April. It should be named/initialed. Decorating it is optional but it still needs to roll.
This Week…
Our busy week began with a large pair of legs hanging from the ceiling!
I wonder who it could be?
Many children were inspired to write and draw about the unexpected visitor up in the clouds.
In Maths, we have been measuring the giant’s footprints and ordering beanstalks.
Using laptops, we have created pictures based on the story – Jack and the Beanstalk.
We have loved enjoying the sunshine and getting out in our outdoor area to create our own fairy world and for some birdwatching too.
Another amazing week in Sunshine and Rainbow!
Welcome Back to Reception!
Welcome Back!
What an absolute JOY it has been to have everyone back together this week in Reception. The children have been amazing and have really enjoyed being back in the classroom with their friends. Here are some pictures of what we have been up to:
We’ve spoken lots this week about our feelings and how it is normal to miss people at home after being with them for such a long time. We also introduced our new ‘Mood Monsters’ areas, where the children can sit, talk or bring a picture fan to an adult to express how they are feeling. At the start of the week, Rainbow class made ‘Hands of Positivity’ to display in the window. We focused on why we are happy to be back at school. Here are what some of the children said:
“I can play with everyone”- Charlie
“I’m looking forward to stories”- Alice
“It feels like a party!”- Max
“I like the writing area”- Archie
“Cause it’s great here!”- Toby
“I missed school”- Bella
“There is more people to play with”-Abby
British Science Week
We’re celebrating British Science Week 2021 ! We have been so lucky in Reception, as Professor Myers has visited us with an experiment every day this week! We’ve observed:
-The ingredients needed to make an egg bounce!
-How plants (daffodils in this case) absorb water; using food colouring to see the slow process of it dying the stem and petals from the inside as water is transported around the flower.
-The density of water, oil and honey; how they separate when combined together.
-How to get a skewer through a balloon without it popping!
We know lots of you have enjoyed taking part in Professor Myers’ experiments during lockdown. For this week’s Home-Link Challenge we’d like you to re-create one of the experiments we have done in class this week or choose one of your own from the British Science Week website.
Mother’s Day
Rainbow Class have recorded a song to wish you all a lovely Mothering Sunday.
(Tune: Jingle Bells)
Mother’s Day, Mother’s Day, Happy Mother’s Day,
Here’s a gift, just for you, On this Mother’s Day,
I’ll clean my room, I’ll make my bed, I’ll pick up all my toys,
I’ll be good, just for you, on this Mother’s Day!
Reminders
Red Nose Day- Friday 19 March 2021
For Red Nose Day we will be having a non-uniform day. Children are invited to wear something red. There will be buckets to collect voluntary donations as you enter school.
