Happy New Year! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Thank you so much for all the cards and gifts you sent us.

Our first topic this half term is ‘Move It!’ and is mainly science based with lots of opportunities for creative activities and exploratory play. The focus will be on children asking questions and finding things out for themselves. We are looking forward to learning lots of things together.

We will then move on to begin our Astronomy training. With lots of creative and imaginative play opportunities we will explore Space, the facts and the fiction. As part of our mission we will be travelling to the planetarium at the Centre for Life and designing our own rocket ships!

Both topics will give us plenty of reading and writing opportunities, using both fiction and non-fiction texts.

We will be continuing our ‘I Like To Read’ book in school, using stories from the school reading scheme to develop story ideas and also encourage sentence building and independent writing. These books will not be sent home on a regular basis as all children will have their own individual reading book to share at home and Home/ School Reading Record to share positive comments and targets.  Please return books to school on the day specified in your child’s reading record.

In phonics we will review the letter sounds with the emphasis on word building and blending to support reading progress and independent writing.

In Numeracy, we will continue to explore numbers through practical activities as well as some recording of number work to reinforce patterns in number and calculations. In topic based maths we are exploring measures with lots of practical activities which the children can apply in their play.

Wizzy Work folders will continue to be sent home each Friday to be returned the following Monday. Thank you for your continuing support.

Opportunities for investigative play and child initiated learning will continue to be a central part of daily classroom activities.

Thank you for your support.

J. Evans

The children have settled back into classroom routines after the half term break and have really impressed us with their positive attitude towards each other and the learning opportunities available to them.

Classroom activities, indoors and outdoors (weather permitting) continue to be centered on developing language and communication and problem solving skills across all areas of learning with activities linked to class topics as well as evolving from children’s interests.

Our first topic this half term is ‘Me at School’, giving us a chance to explore more of the building and find out who everybody is. The children will be involved in planning routes around school and making simple plans as well as making signs to help others find their way around. We will also be thinking about how we can keep our school looking nice and maybe even adding a few of our own improvements!

Other topics this half term include ‘Magic’ with very much a focus on stories, imagination and fantasy words leading us nicely up to ‘Christmas’, a magical time in school and particularly in the Reception classroom!

Thank you for your support in reinforcing reading activities introduced in class, it really does make a difference. If you have any questions please feel free to pop in.

Jill Evans

Following a successful first few weeks at school we are ready and raring to go, well, until about half past 2 when our eye lids start to feel heavy and our thoughts drift towards home time, tea and snuggles! Undeterred, our first topic is ‘Bears’, developed through familiar stories and rhymes. We will be doing lots of art work to brighten up the classroom and finding out all about bears around the world.

Soon, the children will be starting their first reader, which they will bring home to share. We will be holding parent workshops this term to enable the children to show you what how we do it in class. We have been working through the first phase of the phonics program, developing listening skills and exploring rhyme. There are lots of fun activities you can do at home to support your child like sound games and making up silly rhymes.

In Numeracy, the focus is on developing vocabulary through practical activities, including counting rhymes, sorting and matching activities and number recognition games with a little help from our number characters which I hope the children will tell you all about over the next few weeks.

Alongside these activities, the children have lots of opportunity for investigative play and reinforcement activities, as well as sessions in the ICT suite and regular PE lessons. Most importantly they have time to get to know each other and to gain their confidence with us.

Thank you for your support.

Jill Evans

First of all, thank you to all of our Reception parents for helping your children settle so well into school. We have had a lovely first week and have lots of fun activities ready to keep the children busy and make their first full week fly over.

Also, a big thank you for getting involved in our ‘Crazy Sock Day’, not only did it make it easier for the children to find their shoes after PE (a cunning plan!) but gave us lots to talk about. An extra well done to all our ‘Sock Stars’ who managed to get both their socks back on all by themselves.

Can the children spot their socks in the pictures below?  

A big thank you to all the parents, grand parents, aunties, uncles and friends who made our family picnic at the park such a special occasion. I now believe the curse of bad weather for Reception trips has been lifted!