Tuesday 5th January 2021

Welcome Back! You have been missed! 

We hope you have had the most amazing celebration with your family. 

This week in Reception, we are going to be thinking about the real meaning of the celebration we have just experienced. Together, we are going to learn about the people who visited the baby Jesus in the stable. We know that the Shepherds and the Wise Men helped share the wonderful news of Christmas and the birth of Jesus. 

Our new topics are 'Sparkle & Shine' and 'Once Upon a Time.'

In the Sparkle and Shine project, your child will explore different celebrations that take place in autumn and winter, focusing on the significance and symbolism of light at this time of year. They will take part in a variety of creative activities and discover more about how Christmas, Diwali and Hanukkah are celebrated around the world.

Supporting your child at home

• Talk about special events that you celebrate at home.
• Share photos of events that you celebrate.
• Talk about how you prepare for special celebrations including the clothes you wear, food you prepare and gifts you give or receive.

Words to use and explore:

• celebration
• light
• festive
• autumn
• winter
• season
• Christmas
• Diwali
• Hanukkah
• shiny

In the Once Upon a Time project, your child will be introduced to the wonderful world of stories. They will listen to a range of traditional tales and have the chance to act out the stories in their play. They will also listen to alternative contemporary stories to see different viewpoints from the characters. They will use the stories to think about how life has changed from when the stories were written. They will also make up their own stories and make masks, props and puppets to act out their stories.

Supporting your child at home

• Read traditional stories and fairy tales to your child.
• Talk about the characters in stories and whether they like or dislike them.
• Talk about how the characters in stories behave and what they could do differently.

Words to use and explore:

• castle
• dragon
• knight
• royal
• prince
• princess
• queen
• king
• fairy tale
• troll
• fairy godmother
• story
• wolf
• woods

The children in Reception have enjoyed learning their Set 1 Sounds. Please practise recognising and pronouncing the pure sounds m, a, s, d, t, i, n, p, g, o, c, k, u, b, f, e, l and h at home with your child. Please search for objects that begin with the sounds m, a, s, d, t, i, n, p, g, o,  c, k, u, b, f, e, l and h, for example, mat, apple, dish, door, spoon, teddy, insect, ink, net, nose, nut, nail, pen, pencil, pear, pizza, grass, girl, gate, orange, olives, cats, kittens, kites, umbrella, boxes, baubles, flowers, cake, can, kit, umbrella, ball, bed, flower, floor flip-flops., eggs, legs, ladders, hats, hens & hearts. 

If your child is orally blending those sounds to say words and using sound cards to create words (mat, mad, sat, sad, in, on, it, an, and, pin, got, dog, sit, tip, pan, pin, gap, dig, top, Mum, bad, bat, fan, fit, get, can, lip, let, hen, hit & hat ), please move them onto recognising and pronouncing pure sounds  sh, r, j & v . Then search for objects that begin with those sounds, for example, ship, shed, shop, rocket, robot, red, jumper, jeans, vet and van. 

If your child is revisiting sounds previously taught, don't panic. It is important to remember that children are individuals and learn at their own pace. Little and often learning involving a mix of short, frequent sessions spaced apart with 'down time' in between is the most effective way to support your child's learning. We recommend no more that 5-10 minutes at a time and that this depends on your child's ability remain focused. 

Please watch the 'Phonics, Once I Caught a Fish Alive, Five Little Speckled Frogs, Numberblocks & Pairs That Make 3' YouTube Clips, leisurely, at home with your child. 

Thank you for your support,

Mrs Darbinson

                                Monday 7th December 2020

This week in mathematics, we are going to be learning about the composition of numbers to 5.  Each of the numbers from one to five can be partitioned in a systematic way. Each of the numbers from one to five can be partitioned into two parts; if we know one part, we can find the other part. Please see our pairs that make 3,4 & 5 and our guide to part, part, whole Youtube clips. 

Welcome Back Reception!  

Monday 9th November 2020

This week we are learning all about the wonderful things God has created for us. We are going to celebrate and give thanks for our families, friends, gifts and talents in our whole class and individual prayer time. Together, we shall compose and write a prayer, giving thanks and praise for everything we have.

We are going to observe Remembrance Day by remaining silent for 1 minute at 11 o'clock. We shall listen to the 'Last Post' bugle call and talk about the sound it makes and how it makes us feel. We are also going to make our own paper poppies and display them on our Prayer Table. 

During our time in Reception we have been learning and saying some of our daily prayers. So far, we have worked together to learn:

This Week's Learning 19.10.2020

Religious Education:

This week we are learning all about the wonderful things God has created for us. We are going to celebrate and give thanks in our 'Harvest Festival' prayer time. Together, we shall compose and write a prayer, giving thanks and praise for the food God has provided. 

The children in Reception have enjoyed learning their Set 1 Sounds. Please practise recognising and pronouncing the pure sounds m,a,s,d & t at home with your child. Please search for objects that begin with the sounds m,a,s,d & t, for example, mat, apple, dish, door, spoon, teddy....

If your child is orally blending those sounds to say words and using sound cards to create words (mat, mad, sat, sad, dad & Sam) please move them onto recognising and pronouncing pure sounds i, n, p, g & o. Please search for objects that begin with the sounds i, n, p, g & o, for example, insect, ink, net, nose, nut, nail, pen, pencil, pear, pizza, grass, girl, gate, orange and olives. 

Please practise orally blending the words in, on, it, an, and, pin, got, dog, sit, tip, pan, pin, gap, dig & top. 

Please watch the 'Phonics, Once I Caught a Fish Alive, Numberblocks & Pairs That Make 3' YouTube Clips, leisurely at home with your child. 

Thank you for your support,

Mrs Darbinson

Me & My Community

This project supports children with settling into the new rules and routines of school and encourages them to make new friends and feel confident in their class. It teaches children about being helpful, kind and thoughtful at home and at school. This project also teaches children how they are unique and special, the importance of friendship and how people in their family, school and local community are important and can help them.

This project also teaches children about the natural changes that happen during the season of autumn, including how the weather changes, why trees lose their leaves and how wild animals prepare for winter.

This week the children are going to go for a walk around the school grounds, collecting treasure (leaves, stones, pinecones, flowers) for our Nature Table and Creation Display. 

We are going to explain to the children that they are part of our school community. We are also going to explore together what the word 'community' means. Then we will go for a walk around the school (safely - areas already accessed by children on a daily basis/socially distancing and for a very short amount of time/virtually when necessary) so the children can meet people in the school community who are there to help them. For example, we shall visit the dining hall/gymnasium, school kitchen, grotto, school garden, prayer garden...

Each person will introduce themselves and explain what they do. Again, this will be done virtually . They may show the children the space where they work and some of the important things they keep there. A photograph of each person will be taken so the children can remember who they are. Whilst walking around, the children may choose a partner or friend to hold hands with.  Together, we will create a ' Me & My  Community' display for the children to talk about and enjoy.