We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
Literacy
This week, our focus book was We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.
The children were able to use their knowledge of the story to retell it using pictures and props.
Geography
On Tuesday, we went for a walk in our local area. This involved following a map and looking at different symbols to find landmarks.
Philosophy Friday
Did you know, each Friday morning we take part in Philosophy Friday? In Reception, we use this time to focus on asking questions that encourage the children to think beyond the ‘here and now’. We are starting with some ‘Would you rather…’ questions. This week’s question was would you rather live with chickens in a coop or a dog in a kennel?
Kennel because I love dogs.
With a chicken because I like to eat eggs.
A dog because they are fluffy and cute.
Maths
This week, we have explored how numbers can be composed of 1s.
We have will learnt that a ‘whole’ is made up of smaller parts and is, therefore, bigger than its parts.
Phonics
Autumn 1 week 4 has focused on the new phonemes:
ck,e,u,r.
Ck is our first diagraph ( two letters that make one sound).
We’ve also learnt a new tricky word; I.
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 Falling Apples.
Watch Sunshine Class recite the poem here.
Other learning
Stay and Learn
Our first stay and learn session will be on Thursday 12 October.
This is an opportunity for you to come into school to find out about phonics and watch your child learning in school. There will also be a coffee morning after the session.
3,4 B Class News
A wonderful week of learning in 3,4B this week!
In Science we have been looking at animal skeletons and classifying them based on a range of different criteria. The children worked in pairs to do this and worked fantastically in a collaborative way – having great discussions and offering each other help and support when needed.
In Geography this week, as part of our topic- ‘Where in the world am I?’ we have looked at compass points and then applied this knowledge by looking at a map of Roundhay and deciding where locations are in relation to each other.
Help at home by regularly listening to your child read and discussing the content to develop understanding. Feel free to quiz us on the counties in the United Kingdom and the points of a compass too!
The Great Big Book of Families
We’ve been reading The Great Big Book of Families. Through the book, we have explored and celebrated the variety of families.
What is a family?
People who live in the same house.
People don’t have to live in the same house.
They love each other.
Grandma and Grandad because they can live in your house.
In our writing, we created our own family pictures and labelled with initial sounds or words.
Maths
This week, we’ve been using our subitising skills.
When subitising, we can say how many there are in a small group by ‘just looking’ and knowing without needing to count.
We used counters to create our own arrangements of 2 and 3.
Phonics
This week, we have learnt the phonemes (the sounds a letter makes) i,n,m,d.
During our phonics learning, we became detectives by searching for objects with the initial sounds s,a,t,p,i,n,m,d.
Each week we will be sending a ‘learn at home’ sheet, which recaps the phonics learning from the week. Please look at this with your child and complete the activities.
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 Chop Chop.
Within the first 6 weeks of Reception, your child will participate in the reception baseline assessment.
“The RBA is a short, interactive and practical assessment of your child’s early literacy, communication, language and mathematics skills when they begin school, using materials that most children of your child’s age will be familiar with. It became statutory for all schools from September 2021.”
Click here to find out more.
Help at Home
Sound Detectives – Find objects around your house or outside that have an initial sound we have learnt.
s a t p i n m d
Family photos
Over the next few weeks, we will be thinking about our homes. To help support our discussions and art project, please send in one picture of your front door. You can also email photos to the email address below.
Living and Learning
This weeks’ Living and Learning statement is ‘I use good manners’.
In KS1 we had a long discussion about what good manners look like and sound like. We thought about lots of ways we can use good manners both at home and at school.
We know that manners are very important. They make us feel good when we use them, and others good when they receive them.
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.
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
Living and Learning
This week’s Living and Learning statement in KS1 is ‘I can learn about my own identity and what makes me unique’.
We started the session off by playing a game whereby every child rolled a ball to somebody else in the class and said something nice about them. After this, we had a reflection about how it made us feel. We then had some time to reflect upon what we like about ourselves (our school’s Living and Learning statement this week).
We then played a game. The teacher read out a statement and the children moved to the left or right hand side of the room depending on if it described them or not. Some of the statements were –
- I have glasses.
- I have black hair.
- I have freckles.
- I like martial arts.
The children recognised that they are all different. This does not only mean how we look, but how we feel, our families, our hobbies and more.
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
Year 1 – Phonics
Last week, the year 1 children completed their phonics screen assessment. This is where the children are asked to read a variety of real and fake words in order to check their phonic knowledge.
We know that we are nearing the end of the last half term, however we want to continue to highlight the importance of regularly reading both to and with your child at home. We feel strongly that this regular reading practise should continue to be a high priority at home both throughout this half term and over the summer holidays. We would like the children to start year 2 being fluent readers of books at their phonic level.
If you are unsure of their ebook login please ask your child’s teacher.
Help at home: read with your child and to your child regularly every week.
Maths – partitioning
During the last few weeks, we have been looking at partitioning two digit numbers.
The year one children have been looking at partitioning numbers greater than 50 into tens and ones, representing this in a variety of ways.
The year two children have been parttioning numbers in other ways.
Help at home: Choose a two digit number and support your child with partitioning it.