Yeadon Westfield Infant SchoolOur blogs
Date: 24th May 2024 @ 10:08am
Dear Parents,
We hope this blog post finds you well. We can't believe how quickly this half term has flown by! It has been a busy and successful six weeks in Year 2, and we wanted to share some of the highlights with you.
One of the overarching focuses of this half term has been the KS1 SATS. The children have been working incredibly hard, and it has been wonderful to witness their resilience, determination, and concentration as they strived to achieve the best they could. We couldn't be prouder of their efforts, and they should be proud of themselves too!
In maths, we have spent time recapping and consolidating arithmetic and word problems. The children have shown great progress and confidence in their mathematical skills. In English, we have been learning all about the Snail and the Whale. The children have written some interesting newspaper reports detailing the events!
Our topic for this half term was "Oceans and seas". In science, we learnt all about sea animals and their habitats. In Geography, we investigated the oceans of the world and used this in History to track the adventures of Christopher Columbus. In Art, we have made incredible shoe box dioramas showing underwater habitats. The sea creatures that the children made out of clay were fantastic!
Physical education has been focused on developing skipping rope skills. Although it can be a challenging skill to master, every child has made good progress and should be commended for their efforts. Additionally, our classrooms have been transformed into temporary homes tadpoles. We've had a fantastic time watching them grow and we are still waiting on our tadpoles to become froglets!
As we head into the holidays, we hope you all have a super break and take some time to relax and recharge. We are excited about the final half term ahead, which promises even more exciting activities. One of the highlights will be the Year 2 leaver’s assembly, where we will celebrate the wonderful achievements of our amazing students.
Thank you for your continued support throughout this half term. We look forward to working together in the upcoming summer term, which we are confident will be a successful and enjoyable one. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Best wishes,
Year 2 Teachers
Date: 24th May 2024 @ 10:06am
It is hard to believe that another half term is already over, and we only have one more half term together before the long summer holiday and the transition to Year 2! The children continue to blossom and grow in their learning and in their enthusiasm and are soaking up everything we teach them in our Oceans and Seas topic.
Their reading is amazing, and the classes have become very proficient at partner and shared reading lessons, developing lovely expression, great vocabulary and good comprehension skills. The children are brilliant at answering questions in full sentences! They are building up their stamina for writing too, and we have been very impressed with the quality and quantity of work they can produce.
In maths we have been doing lots of work on number, counting in 2s, 5s, 10s (using coins and objects) and 100s as well as counting in 1s forwards and backwards. Skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are always a focus. We have also been getting to grips with telling the time to o’clock and half past on analogue clocks and have linked this to digital clocks too – it would be great if you could keep practising this at home because it is such an important skill.
Our topic this term is Oceans and Seas. In science the children have been learning about different habitats with a focus on oceans, classification of animals into mammals, insects, reptiles, birds, fish and amphibians, classification into carnivores, omnivores and herbivores and finally an introduction to food chains.
The focus in geography for this first half term was oceans, and particularly the Atlantic Ocean due to the UK’s proximity. We have linked this to our history, following the life and voyages of Christopher Columbus from Italy and then Spain over to the Bahamas. Columbus arrived there by mistake over 500 years ago – see if the children can remember where he meant to sail to and what he brought back from the islands that changed people’s lives!
To bring all our work on oceans together, the children have had great fun making their ocean dioramas, learning about colour mixing, tinting, shading, working with clay and collage. They have also learned what goes wrong if their clay models are too delicate!
Added to all that, they have learned about keeping money safe (PSHE), have had hands-on lessons using laptops for word processing, had skipping and games lessons, and in RE they have learned about Ramadan and Eid as well as stories Jesus told. Phew! We can all have a well-deserved rest!
Have a great break next week. Thanks everyone!
Date: 24th May 2024 @ 9:54am
Well, what a busy half term we have had!
We have focused on Fairy tales and so far have learnt the story of The Three Little Pigs, Golidlocks and The Three Bears and The Gingerbread man.
The children have loved acting out and retelling the stories have made their own pig houses, designed and built a raft to save the gingerbread man and have explored different materials and amounts at the Three bears house developing their language along the way.
In maths we have been continuing our daily Little Big Maths sessions where we have been counting to 20, learning to read flashcards, recognising numbers to 10 and learning the skills needed to count carefully and accurately.
This term though has really all been about the language of amounts. We have been learning about more, less, hot, cold, tall, narrow, wide, thin and exploring these in relation to our Fairy Tales. We also learnt about ‘just right’ can you guess which fairy tale this came from?
In phonics we have been learning to love sounds and language. We have been singing our Nursery Rhymes and chanting, making sure our tongues and mouths are in the right position when we say words and sounds.
We have been learning about sentences and how they are made up of lots of words that together must make sense.
We have been practising finding syllables, listening for rhyme at the end of words and alliteration at the beginning.
We have also learnt all our initial sounds (s,a,t,p,I,n,m,d,g,o,c,k,e,u,r,b,f,l,j,v,w,x,y,z) and have even started blending those sounds together to read word. Nursery, I am so proud of you!
This term in Drawing Club we have loved doing the Gingerbread man. The last challenge was to imagine what it would be like if the Little Old Woman had made a stinky cheese man instead of a gingerbread man. We really loved that one and the children have been so excited to pick up their pencils and let their imaginations run wild. It has been a joy to watch!
We lost Mr Roberts for a little while to Year 1 but have now found him again and he’s been helping learn how to get ready for sports day in the mornings.
Well done Nursery, you have worked so hard this term and we are so proud of you.
Have a lovely break and see you next term.
Date: 24th May 2024 @ 9:51am
This last half term has been wonderful as we have seen every child continue to flourish.
The children have continued to work hard to develop their phonics and writing skills. The children are using their phonic knowledge to complete some lovely independent pieces of writing. Most children are accessing the challenges and are working hard to complete them. Please continue to work with your child at home on any unfamiliar sounds. New sounds and red words will be introduced in Year 1 so it is helpful if your child is secure on most/all of the sounds we have introduced this year. The red words we have looked at so far are being sent home today.
In maths, we looked at symmetry and the children enjoyed creating their own symmetrical patterns. Can you spot any butterflies in your garden? We also looked at grouping and using the language of ‘lots of.’ We have continued to look at simple addition and subtraction. Can you continue this skill at home?
We enjoyed looking at life cycles within our topic. What can the children tell you about ladybirds, frogs, butterflies and spiders? They all have a very interesting life cycle and go through metamorphosis – I think the trickiest word Reception have learnt this year! We enjoyed looking for mini beasts in our outside area. The children love being outside when the weather suits – they have such a fantastic area to play and enjoy.
The children thoroughly enjoyed the visit from the author and interacted beautifully with her story telling. A lot of children then took the story telling drama into the creative areas within the classroom. Fantastic! The theatre performance of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ was also a great hit and the children were excited about it for days.
Next half term we begin by looking at recycling, please can you start at home and collect any suitable materials for our junk modelling/creative area. Thank you.
Have a lovely holiday and get some rest. Next half term is a very busy one!
Thank you for your continued support – the Reception team.
Half Term Message from Ms Lowry
Date: 23rd May 2024 @ 8:42am
This half term has gone by in a flash. Great to see the warmer weather has also arrived. As always the children have been very busy; it’s so lovely to see them enjoying their learning. The visit from the author and the production of Alice in Wonderland really fired them up! Have a lovely break. See you all on Monday 3rd June at 8.40am.
Date: 28th Mar 2024 @ 2:47pm
The end of another busy half term. We have had British Science Week and Easter eggs! We have said goodbye to Mr Clegg who has moved to pastures new and a temporary goodbye to Miss Harris. The children have worked so hard this half term and it is a time in school when you really see them blossom. We all make a great team!
Have a good Easter and I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday 15th April at 8.40am. (I look forward to seeing you and the sunshine!)
Date: 28th Mar 2024 @ 2:46pm
Can you believe it? This half term has flown by faster than a knight charging into battle!
Our castle topic has been taking us on medieval adventures fit for kings and queens. But we didn't stop there - we've also embraced the magic of spring, exploring themes of growth and new life. From towering beanstalks to blossoming flowers (in our role play garden centre), the classroom has been alive with creativity and curiosity.
In English, our wordsmiths have been hard at work crafting their writing skills. We've been sprinkling adjectives and conjunctions into our sentences, making them a joy to read. The highlight? Our retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk had some seriously imaginative twists and turns! Every child added a unique element into their story.
In Maths, we've been tackling some challenges with enthusiasm, from adding and subtracting two-digit numbers to multiplication and division. These are tricky skills to master but every child has made progress.
In history, we've been time-traveling back to the days of knights and castles. We've explored medieval weapons, how to defend and attack castles, and dived into the fascinating world of King Charles I and King Charles III, comparing similarities and differences between to two kings.
In DT the children have worked hard to make their own castles with a simple pulley system to create a working drawbridge. The lessons have been full of excitement as they all achieved this. Once they finished, we set up the classroom with their castles and characters and had a magnificent role play lesson where they could pretend they were defending their castles from invaders!
As we bid farewell to this half term, we're already gearing up for more excitement ahead. Next stop? Skipton Castle! Plus, get ready to dive into our brand new topic: 'Seas and Oceans'. It's going to be fin-tastic!
We would like to say a huge thank you for your ongoing support. Parents' evening was a wonderful chance to celebrate your children and all their achievements. Please continue to support their learning at home and encourage regular reading - it makes a world of difference!
Wishing you all a fantastic half term break! See you soon for more adventures in Year 2.
Warmest wishes,
Mrs. Sharp and Miss Dales
Date: 28th Mar 2024 @ 2:43pm
It feels like we’ve experienced all the seasons this half term although the children continue to play outside in all weathers.
We have continued our focus on Nursery Rhymes this half term and the children have really enjoyed singing and acting them out over the past few weeks.
We've learnt ‘5 Currant Buns’ where we had a shop and a very busy playdough bakery. In week 2 we learnt ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ where we had a bus station and an actual bus. The number 33 to Leeds featured quite frequently too! We learnt ‘London Bridge is Falling Down’ where there were many towers and bridges built and knocked down. We’ve also learnt Hickory Dickory Dock and 5 Little Eggs. The children’s singing is fantastic and I think we can safely say we all know lots of Nursery Rhymes off by heart now!
In phonics we have been continuing to focus on our listening skills and the children are brilliant at counting the syllables in words. We have also been learning to listen for rhyme at the end of words and have loved playing our rhyming bingo games. We have now learnt the following initial sounds: s a t p I n m d g o c k e u r b h f l j v and w. We have also been working really hard at blending words orally. If we can do this by the end of Nursery we will be ready for Reception!
In maths we have been continuing our work on amounts, counting skills and reading numbers. The children are fantastic at reading and finding numbers all over the classroom now. We have also been working hard at counting out objects, only touching one at a time and lining them up neatly. Our favourite phase at the moment is,”Messy mathematicians make mistakes!”
We have also had the most wonderful time in drawing club where this term we have read, The Hairy toe, Penguin and watched the classic Wacky Races and Trapdoor. We have drawn monsters, castles, vehicles and got excited about writing our own secret codes.
We all hope you have a wonderful Easter break and we'll see you next term!
Date: 28th Mar 2024 @ 2:42pm
During this half term the children have loved exploring fairy tales. These classic and much-loved tales have enabled the children to listen to stories with enjoyment, join in with familiar language, flourish as story tellers and develop their skills as writers.
Each week the children in Reception focused on a different fairy tale.
Week 1: The Gingerbread Man
Making the clay gingerbread men was enjoyed by all the children in the class. All were truly unique! The children quickly joined in with the story language and adapted the story when playing independently.
Week 2: The Three Little Pigs
The children had a go at making houses out of various materials and engaged in lots of other provision. The children had to imagine they were the big bad wolf and blow objects across the table to see which one would blow and which would not.
Week 3: Red Riding Hood
This week the children had the opportunity to think about keeping safe. The children enjoyed the story and worked hard in re-telling the story.
Week 4: British Science Week
Taking a break from fairy tales, we had a jam-packed science week. The children were all able to grow a rainbow. Maybe they could do another one at home over the holidays? We had sinking and floating competitions. We also had an ice investigation where we wanted to see how quickly ice would melt in different environments. We added photos to Tapestry. We discovered that if you want to keep a snowman colder for longer, wrap him up in a jacket.
Week 5: Goldilocks
What has happened to Goldilocks? This was the question on everyone's lips. During the final week of our fairy tale topic the children had a go at being Goldilocks. Knowing that Goldilocks and the Three Bears had been in our classroom sparked some wonderful imaginative play and lots of independent reading and writing. Well done, Reception.
Week 6:
We have enjoyed learning about Easter and joining in with easter crafts and activities within our provision. The easter hunt was very eggciting!
Please continue to hear your child read at least three times a week. The children are all making good progress and have become very engaged in writing – please remember to pick up a pencil in the holiday and continue to support your child with their letter formation.
Any support at home is appreciated.
All children have thoroughly enjoyed this half term and we look forward to another hugely successful half term after the holidays.
Enjoy your break!
Team Reception x
Date: 28th Mar 2024 @ 2:39pm
It has been another busy half term of hard work and good fun, with the children really blossoming in their learning. We can already see them growing taller and more confident (there is certainly less room for them all on our carpets) and looking like they are nearly ready for Year 2!
Great progress has been made in phonics, reading and writing, and it is lovely to hear so many children read with beautiful expression and some fluency. They don’t just read in their reading lessons but we can hear them reading along with us in every lesson as they follow the information we use on our Smartboard resources.
In maths we have been doing lots of work on number, counting in 2s, 5s, 10s (using coins and objects) and 100s as well as counting in 1s forwards and backwards. Skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division have been a focus, as well as measuring length, money and fractions.
In science the children have been learning about plants, and how to grow them from seeds and bulbs, carrying out investigations into what seeds need to germinate and then continue to grow healthily. British Science Week gave us a great opportunity to carry out further investigations into melting, dissolving, floating and sinking and the best materials for a parachute – the children loved doing these!
History has continued to be a favourite through our study of castles, and we can’t wait to visit Skipton Castle just after the holiday to see where it all happened! In design technology, the children made their own working drawbridges and in our amazing dance lessons with Nicola from Leeds Rhinos they have been creating a dance showcasing the parts of a castle, the life and battles of a knight in shining armour, a tudor dance within the castle and then contrasting that with the life of the prisoners in the dungeon!
In this last week we have been getting in the mood for Easter in RE, in our Easter bonnet making and parade, and in our lovely annual Easter celebration in St. John’s Church with Reverend Richard and Curate Caroline. Thanks to everybody who came to help us walk to church along the Greenway in the sunshine and especially for the help with our origami crosses!
Have a great break everybody and see you all in April for our next brilliant topic which is Oceans and Seas! Fingers crossed for some fine weather…
School Council Spare Change Fundraiser
Date: 20th Mar 2024 @ 3:16pm
Thank you to everyone who sent in spare change to fill the jars in the classrooms - £240 was raised in total which is amazing. This will be topped up to £300 from School Fund. The School Council will be meeting soon to decide how to spend the money - we will keep you updated. Well done Year 2 Blue who raised the most – they have all been given a small treat.
Date: 19th Mar 2024 @ 2:51pm
The children have had fun this week playing outside in the sunshine.
STARS enjoying the outside area
Date: 6th Mar 2024 @ 10:49am
Now the weather is improving and the evenings are lighter, the children at STARS have been enjoying playing outside.
Date: 21st Feb 2024 @ 2:27pm
The total raised so far in the coin collection is £189.94. We have just 3 weeks left to raise as much as we can so please keep sending in your spare change. Many thanks from the School Council and Mrs Southam.
Date: 9th Feb 2024 @ 1:41pm
Where has time gone? The children settled back into the rhythm of school brilliantly after their Christmas break.
The topic for this term has been ‘Castles’. The children have all been thoroughly engaged so far in this topic. Our areas of provision allow the children to explore what castles look like, what it was like to live in them and they could even make a catapult!
In literacy, we have looked at the traditional stories: ‘Goldilocks’ and ‘The Princess and the Pea’. The children have written their own versions of the stories, using adjectives and using conjunctions (e.g. and/ but/ or/ so) to extend their sentences. Miss Dales and Mrs Sharp have been blown away by their unique and lively stories. We are continuing to work on punctuation, neat handwriting and spelling, particularly ‘common exception words’.
In Topic (science, history, geography, art), we have looked closely at castles. Geography lessons have involved looking at maps and locating Skipton castle. In history, we learnt how to attack and defend a castle and how toilets have changed over time. The children were very grateful we no longer use moss and a stick after we have been to the toilet! Our science lessons have been practical as we learnt about properties of materials and looked at the best materials to use when building a castle. This led us to work in groups to make castles using card, plastic, metal, and fabric. Finally, in art the children have been creating a Coat of Arms that is special and unique to them. They spent 5 weeks developing drawing and painting skills and using texture
In maths, we have been extremely busy. We have covered place value, addition, subtraction, fractions ( ½ and ¼ ), measuring and time! Children have worked practically when covering these skills and we will be consolidating these skills again next half term. Time is a very tricky concept to master so please practise at home too.
In PE, we have been looking at gymnastics; the children have worked individually and in pairs to combine groups of movements to create short routines. The children have also spent several weeks developing their ‘attack, defend, shoot’ skills. During our outdoor PE sessions, the children have been working in pairs and larger groups to attack and defend targets.
The children in Year 2 take part in whole class reading sessions almost daily. These sessions help to develop confidence, pace, fluency, comprehension and reading with expression. Please continue to read at home with your child at least three times a week. Please return reading books on a Monday morning and we will exchange the book and send a new one out on Monday afternoon. Our library day is a Tuesday.
Thank you again for your support this half term. It has been a busy (and quick) one. If you have any questions then please speak to a member of staff in Year 2 and we will be happy to help.
Many thanks,
Mrs Sharp & Miss Dales.
Date: 9th Feb 2024 @ 1:39pm
It might have been a short half term, but we have certainly packed a lot in, and the children deserve a well-earned rest!
In maths they have been counting in 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s and 100s, learning about the place value of two-digit numbers, adding and subtracting using number tracks and number lines, odd and even numbers, naming and drawing 2D shapes on dotty paper, reading o’clock times and drawing hands on clocks to show o’clock times, and finding half of amounts and shapes. In phonics and reading, everybody is working hard every day in our different groups, and we have been doing some writing about castles to practise our sentence skills.
Our big castles topic has got off to a great start and the children are loving all the lessons that support this topic. We started with geography, learning about the town of Skipton and why it was a good place for a castle. In history so far, the children have learned about the first castles, the parts of a medieval castle, what life was like inside a medieval castle (ask them about the toilets!) and how to attack and defend a medieval castle. In science, we learned all about materials and their properties, which linked very nicely to why castles had to be made from stone rather than the original wood. The children also worked in groups to make their own model castles using junk materials, so of course they had to choose the most suitable materials to make each part. These castles look brilliant and showed us they remember all about the parts of castle they had learned in history!
Art this half term has been a big project all about making their own coats of arms, and this has involved a different key art skill for each section. They look fantastic!
In PE, we have been busy learning about running, jumping, throwing, defending and shooting (balls and beanbags) – all key games skills – as well as continuing with our daily running.
On top of all of this, we have also fitted in PSHE lessons about medicines, E-safety lessons for Safer Internet week, RE lessons with Mrs Gilligan and computing lessons all about algorithms. Phew! Let’s have a break …
Date: 9th Feb 2024 @ 1:38pm
We have spent a week thinking about E-safety and the importance of asking a grown up for help if we are unsure about anything when using tablets, computers or other devices. The children have listened to some lovely stories that cover the importance of staying safe online and have worked in small groups to act out different scenarios and help their friends.
In phonics and literacy, the children have been focusing on recognising digraphs and have been working hard on their letter formation when writing words and sentences. They all continue to try so hard and it is a joy to watch them grow in confidence each and every day.
The children are challenging themselves when reading in school and love sharing their reading books at home. Thank you for your continued support with this. We are asking that you try to hear your child read at least three times a week and leave a comment in the yellow reading record. Please return your child’s reading book to school every Wednesday and we will send a new one out every Friday.
The children have continued to work hard in maths. This half term we have covered adding, subtracting and sharing with numbers to 10 and beyond. We are encouraging the children to count objects reliably up to ten and develop the skills of counting objects to 20 (and beyond). We are really proud of how the children engage during our carpet sessions and then independently access their own learning through our provision.
Next half term we will be thinking about Fairy Tales and story language. The children will be working in groups to retell the stories. If you have any fairy tales at home, please share them with your children over the holidays.
I have settled in very well and am thoroughly enjoying teaching here - I feel like I have been here for years. This is a credit to you, your children and of course the wonderful staff at our school. Thank you.
Have a lovely half term holiday.
Date: 9th Feb 2024 @ 1:17pm
This term we have welcomed some new children and we have been so proud with how they have settled, begun to make friends and been welcomed by our old children into our Nursery team.
Our focus this half term has been Nursery Rhymes and the children have loved singing (with real gusto!) and acting them out over the past few weeks. We've enjoyed Humpty Dumpty, Incy Wincy Spider, Old McDonald had a farm and Once I caught a fish alive. Our favourite so far though has been Miss Polly had a Dolly. This week we have turned our home corner into a doctor's surgery and we have witnessed a very organised doctor’s office with children taking lots of messages and writing notes and also many successful treatments and operations!
In phonics we have been continuing to fine tune our listening skills, orally blend words and learning to clap the syllables in words. We have been practising speaking in sentences and making sure we pause between the words and say them clearly. We have also begun learning our sounds and the children have impressed us so much by remembering them and saying them correctly!! So far, we have learnt, s,a,t,p,i,n,m,d,g, and o.
In maths we have been continuing our work on amounts and have been working on our counting skills. The children are getting brilliant at remembering to touch an object first and then say its name. A vital skill to have when counting accurately in Reception.
We have been practising our known facts ready for learning number facts in Reception. Ask us our name, how many hands we have or how many fingers. We don’t think anymore, we just say it!
We have also been having a great time in Drawing Club. This week our focus was the Wacky Races where the children designed their own vehicle and then we actually made it outside!
We all hope you have a wonderful break and we'll see you next term.
Message from Ms Lowry February 2024
Date: 9th Feb 2024 @ 1:08pm
Finally the days are getting longer. It has been a busy if somewhat brief half term. This is the time of year when we see all children making strides in their learning. It is lovely to be part of. Early years have been improving their dance moves; we have said a temporary goodbye to Miss Holmes and welcome to Miss Dales and Miss Sedman; staff have had Prevent training; there has been multi-coloured Monday and you have been kindly donating your spare change to support the School Council in their fundraising – thankyou. We hope you have a good break and see you on Monday 19th February at 8.40am. Remember Football Club is available over the half term. More details are on the website. https://www.westfieldinfants.co.uk/news/february-half-term-holiday-club/80762
Date: 30th Jan 2024 @ 12:04pm
The children at STARS have been enjoying the Spring Term so far.
Date: 22nd Dec 2023 @ 12:38pm
The children had a special surprise visitor this morning. Santa chatted to the children and delivered a present to each class. Thank you!
Date: 22nd Dec 2023 @ 10:28am
Hello! Christmas already?!
What an amazing half term we have had! The children have settled right into year 2 now and we are having a great time.
In literacy, we have looked at the fiction and non-fiction texts. The children have continued to use adjectives to enhance their own versions of stories and have worked hard on writing skills. We are continuing to work hard on the presentation of writing and accuracy in spelling.
In Topic (science, history, geography, art, DT), we have focused on Guy Fawkes and Remembrance Day and have become quite the historians!
This half term in maths, we have looked at multiplication, division, 3D Shape and time. We continue to use practical games and methods to work out the answers.
In PE, we have been looking at gymnastic movements and particularly rolls. Miss Worton and Mrs Sharp are now confident in teddy rolls after much practise! We have also been working on team work skills and games in our outdoor P.E lessons. It has been a little chilly but the children love going outside and so we have wrapped up and got stuck in!
We have had lots of other busy and exciting events this half term including our trip to the theatre, the Santa dash, Christmas Fair and, of course, our nativity. Thank you to all the parents who showed their support and came to watch the performance. How well the children did! We are so very proud of them and they thoroughly enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for your support this half term. If you have any questions then please speak to a member of staff in Year 2 and we will be happy to help.
Many thanks,
Miss Worton & Mrs Sharp
Date: 22nd Dec 2023 @ 10:19am
The children have continued to work so hard this half term! It is fantastic just how well they have settled into Year 1, and Key Stage 1 as a whole.
Our space theme continued threading its way through our learning, particularly in science, and the children have had a brilliant time conducting investigations into astronaut-related science. Our latest was to learn about the gloves astronauts need to wear in space and to experiment with how to mend a hole in a latex glove to keep it airtight and watertight!
In history we have studied Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot (always a favourite) and the reason why we have a Remembrance Day every year. In geography the children have been finding out about the United Kingdom and are beginning to name and locate the countries and their capital cities. While we were performing our nativity play, we also had a look at when these events are believed to have happened, and followed the journey Mary and Joseph would have taken from Nazareth to Bethlehem and then on into Egypt to escape King Herod.
As you will see from what the children have brought home, they have been learning about colours, complementary colours, and blending skills in art. We hope you like their calendars – they worked incredibly hard on these as the final product of the sequence of lessons! In DT, they learned how to make salt dough, and then designed and made their own Christmas decorations.
On top of all that (not forgetting all the maths, phonics, reading, writing, PE, RE, music and PSHE) we can’t forget the nativity performances! Wow! We are so proud of our Year 1s and the way they took to moving around the space as villagers, lighting up the night sky and singing! They were amazing in their supporting roles, and they are definitely looking forward to being in the limelight as Year 2s next year!
The children now all need a well-earned rest, so we hope you all have a very happy and healthy Christmas and New Year! We will see you in a few weeks to make a start on our new theme – we are all looking forward to CASTLES!
Date: 22nd Dec 2023 @ 8:40am
This half term the weather has got colder but this hasn’t stopped Reception enjoying our outdoor area. The children are using the outdoor space incredibly well and are developing their physical, imaginative, speaking, listening and social skills whilst they play.
Children have been working hard developing their fine motor skills. They have been busy building models in the DT area and participating in weekly fine motor activities in our ‘Funky Fingers’ area. Furthermore, the children have been working extremely hard using a pencil. Correct letter formation is being taught and children are encouraged to write in all areas of the classroom. The children have done incredibly well to remember all the new phrases. The children are growing in confidence when forming their letters. We are beginning to write simple words and sentences and are working hard on segmenting a word in order to spell.
Children are now reading on a daily basis as a whole class and individually once a week with an adult. They are developing their blending skills in order to read simple words and sentences. Reading books will continue to be sent out. Please continue to read with your child at least three times throughout the week and return your child’s book by Wednesday so a new one can be sent out on Friday. Thank you for your continued support.
In maths, we have explored the numbers from one to ten. The children have really enjoyed investigating numbers practically, using everyday objects and mathematical resources. They have also focused on exploring and finding different ways to make a number using Numicon I.e. 6+3+1=10. The children are developing their 1:1 counting skills and continued support at home is much appreciated.
Tapestry is now a well-established way of communication. We hope you love it as much as we do! Please continue sending in photos and video observations of your child, this will enable us to achieve a well-rounded picture of each individual child. As always, if you have any questions or need any support in using Tapestry then please speak to a member of the Reception team.
Children have made super progress this half term. We look forward to helping them grow and develop in the spring term.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Team Reception
xxxx