Headteacher: Anna Moss

30.09.22

Hello Red Class Families,

Today, we visited Forest School. Luckily, it was during the morning before the wind and rain! We spent time learning Forest School rules and playing games to remember them. The children enjoyed hide and seek (1,2,3 Where are you?) to learn about the forest boundary. At the end of the session, over a cup of hot juice, the children shared their learning from the session. From building dens to role play and mud cakes, it seemed to fly by! Some children even found time to slide down the log slide.

This week, in Phonics, we read words with ‘g’, ‘o’, ‘c’ and ‘k’ and read our new tricky word ‘is’. We learn to read tricky words automatically. We talk about the part of the word where we can use phonics knowledge and the tricky part. In ‘is’, we know ‘i’ but ‘s’ is tricky because it’s saying another sound. Later in the term, during our Reception Family Workshop (Wednesday, 2^nd November), I’ll share some ideas for learning tricky words at home. For example, writing tricky words on post-its and sticking them to the fridge and writing the tricky part in a different colour.

During Maths sessions, we added two groups of objects using our egg boxes and treasure chest ten frames. I shared a story about Redmond Bear’s trip to the beach and how he discovered shells and gems and needed the children’s help to add them together. Stories help to engage the children and make their learning meaningful.

In PE, we changed our shoes for pumps successfully, so we’re moving on to the bottom half next week. The children enjoyed their time in the hall moving in different ways, balancing on beanbags and making shapes with their body. If you’d like to try the beanbag challenge at home, use the steps below:

• Stand on a beanbag with two feet.
• Stand on a beanbag with your preferred foot.
• Stand on a beanbag with the other foot.
• Bend up and down on one foot.

Have the children told you about the krongelidong? The krongelidong is a mysterious creature who lives in the Write Dance forest. During our Write Dance sessions, we created krongelidongs using long, flowing, curved movements. Some of the children asked if he’d be at Forest School today! As we didn’t find one, we drew pictures of the krongelidong instead! You can find the link to our Write Dance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QR1bps_xn0

We change the children’s library books weekly, unless they’re not in their book bags. If you’re missing a library book, please just email the office to let me know.

Monday – Lions

Tuesday – Tigers

Wednesday – Parrots

Thursday – Zebras

Friday – Giraffes

A second eBook has been added to each child’s reading library this afternoon. I’ll talk about the eBooks and provide hints and tips for reading at home during our Reception Family Workshop.

Finally, it was lovely to see so many families during our open evening (current and from years gone by). Thank you for your kind words.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.

Mrs Webb and Team Red Class x

23.09.22

Hello Red Class Families,

Welcome to the first Friday Fanfare! Well done to all the children for completing their first full week as a class. We’ve enjoyed a lot of new experiences from buying tuck to afternoon clubs and group reading. Next week, we start Forest School too!

In Phonics, we discovered ‘i’, ‘n’, ‘m’ and ‘d’. Every lesson, we identify objects with the initial sound, play oral blending games and read VC (at, it) and CVC words (sat, pat, tap). In only a matter of weeks, the children have grown in confidence to blend their letter sounds and they’re starting to read simple words as a class.

This week, we also started group reading where the children read with the same adult three times each week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays). During this time, they recap letter sounds, practise oral blending (where they hear phonemes and put them together to make a word) and share a story or a non-fiction book. We always start with picture books so the children settle quickly into their new routines. Every Friday, I will add your child’s group reading book to their eBook collection. To access their eBooks, please use the letter in your child’s book bag. This letter contains a unique username and password. During our open evening, Wednesday, 28^th September between 6pm-7pm, I’ll show families how to use the eBooks and answer any questions.

In Maths, we used concrete apparatus to count, compare and talk about numbers to 10. We discovered a new song, ‘Dancing in the Sun’, which is a little bit like an Ibiza classic but all about numbers to 10! We’ve also been practising our subitising skills by looking at numbers to 5 and saying the number without counting. Try rolling a dice and see if you can say the number of spots without counting. This will help you with your subitising skills.

Communication and Literacy lessons focused on retelling nursery rhymes. From ‘Jack and Jill’ to ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’ and ‘Humpty Dumpty’. We talked about the meaning of new words, such as ‘crown’ and ‘fiddle’ and explored each rhyme through role play, illustrations and rhyme maps.

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend. Our little ones are very tired after a busy week at school. Remember to rest, play and enjoy spending time with your family.

Best wishes,

Mrs Webb and Team Red Class x

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24.09.21

Hello Red Class Families,

What a busy week! Well done to all the children for completing their first full week as a class. We’ve enjoyed a lot of new experiences from buying tuck, visiting the hall for PE and going on an adventure to Forest School. Talking of tuck, the children may buy a snack from Mrs Wilson in the morning (when they reach the end of the snake) or they can buy one in the classroom if they forget. The children might need a reminder just before they enter school.

In Phonics, we discovered ‘i’, ‘n’, ‘m’ and ‘d’. Every lesson, we identify objects with the initial sound, play oral blending games and read VC (at, it) and CVC words (sat, pat, tap). Every week, we will send home a new book matched to our work in Phonics. Until the eBooks are established, we will change the books twice on Mondays and Thursdays.

In Maths, we used concrete apparatus to count, compare and talk about numbers to 10. We discovered a new song, ‘Dancing in the Sun’, which is a little bit like an Ibiza classic but all about numbers to 10! There have also been lots of opportunities for subitising.

We visited the hall, this week, for PE. The children moved around in different ways and made shapes e.g. straddle, pike and tuck. We used items of clothing to remember each shape. A pair of trousers helped us to think about long legs for our pike shape whereas the skirt helped us to make a wide straddle shape. We used a pair of shorts for our tuck. At the end of the lesson, we tried different balance challenges:

• Standing on a bean bag with two feet.
• Standing on a bean bag with our preferred foot.
• Standing on a bean bag with the other foot.
• Bending up and down on one foot.

Forest School was fantastic. We played games to establish Forest School rules, shared a story about ‘Ferdie and the Falling Leaves’ to think about the signs of autumn and enjoyed a drink and snack under the forest canopy with lots of time to play and explore in the forest.

We’re looking forward to our school trip to Bishops Wood. I visited the site this week and the guide explained some of the exciting things we will do. I’m sure the children will enjoy a woodland walk, shelter building and making potions. We’ll eat our lunch under the forest canopy and play in the willow sculptures! Mrs Barker will provide a packed lunch for every child. If your child has a small rucksack, please send it into school on Tuesday rather than their book bag. Please pack a drink and snack into their bag. The children should come dressed to school in their Forest School clothes (Blackwell top and jogging bottoms). We’ll change into our wellie boots and wear our school waterproofs. If your child suffers with travel sickness, please let me know.

Thank you for all your parent consultation slips. I will forward Zoom links in October through ParentApp. Thank you for letting us know about 1.40pm collections on the gate or through email as they help us to prepare the children for home.

Wishing you all a sunny weekend.

Best wishes,

Mrs Webb and Team Red Class xxx