Living and Learning – Body Image
In Living and Learning this fortnight, we have been discussing self-image and in particular, body image. This has included recognising our own positive attributes and also understanding that the way things appear in the media does not always reflect reality.
Help at home by asking your child what message they’ve taken from these sessions. BBC Bitesize also has some great resources should you wish to explore this further (these range in age group suitability so just need adult discretion). https://www.bbc.com/ownit/curations/your-online-identity
Children continue to enjoy our ‘under the water’ theme and this week, we enjoyed listening to ‘Commotion in the Ocean’ and finding out about different sea creatures.
We’ve been strengthening our finger muscles in the fiddly fingers area by squeezing pegs and adding them onto some jellyfish to make tentacles. It was a bit tricky at first and sometimes the pegs snapped but we persevered.
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In maths, we’ve been learning about capacity. We’ve been talking about when something is ‘full’ or ’empty’.
Help at home: Use these words together at home when you’re playing, in the bath or cooking. Is it full or empty? How do you know?
Not only did we find that one of our tadpoles had turned into a froglet this week, but we also found a tiny frog outside at the bottom of the garden. We enjoyed watching it hop around for a while and were surprised at how camouflaged it was in the grass.
Seaside photographs
Thank you to everyone that has sent in a seaside photograph so far. It’s not too late if you’d like to email us one photograph of your child at the seaside – we’ll look at them during snack time and talk about our favourite things to do at the seaside.
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
3,4 A Class News – Topic
In this half-term’s Design Technology topic, the children are really enjoying building go-kart prototypes using TechCard. We discussed the design brief and criteria before drawing our own designs and starting to build in groups, using different components. Here’s how a couple of them are coming along!
Year 2 Phonics
This half term we have been focussing on spelling tricky words. ‘Tricky words’ are words that are spelt differently to how they are spoken. For example ‘was’ is a tricky word because it sounds like it should be spelt ‘woz’.
During daily phonics and reading sessions we practise saying our tricky words and spelling them. We also put the words into different types of sentences such as statements, questions, commands and exclamatives.
In today’s session, we focussed on Phase 5 tricky words, (set 4). See some of our sentences below!
Help at home: by practising spellings at home. Tricky Words
Story Trail Event
As part of the Leeds City of Culture, there is a local story trail event taking place. The flyers are below and pdfs to download.
Why not take part with friends or family in this fun event?
DT – super structures (strength in numbers)
Our Construction (Design Technology) topic is going down a treat. We are learning how to make freestanding structures using cardboard. We made cylinders which we then joined together to make a super structure. In 1,2B, a super structure with 6 cylinders could hold 20 books. When we added 29 cylinders, it could hold a box full of books and even a whole child. It was so exciting!
Help at home by looking at the 3D shapes that make some of the objects in your home. For example, are your chair legs cylinders or cuboids?
DT: construction
We were very excited this morning to get to the point where we could begin to make our cars in design technology. Our aim is to create a safe car for ‘Eggy’ to travel in. The children generated design criteria such as safety, robust and mobile. They spent last week creating annotated diagrams that labelled the materials they need and the quantities and measurements – the dimensions. The children spent the lesson building the base for their vehicles using wooden dowel. They used hand saws to cut the wood after they’d measured it and then glued it together using cardboard to reinforce their structure. The children worked brilliantly in their teams and used the tools well and safely.
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
We like to move it, move it!
We’re always looking for ways to keep active and to keep fit in Nursery. This week, we enjoyed a bit of singing and dancing in the rain!
Children danced to the music, and had to freeze when it stopped. Each time we stopped, we tried a different balance.
In music lessons, we’ve been learning to name some instruments and to play them in time with the beat.
Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be learning about the seaside. If you’ve visited the coast recently, please email us a photograph and we’ll use them to help children to talk about some of the things that we might see or do when we visit the seaside. Scholesnursery@spherefederation.org