Reception Class News

Spectacular sport roundabout

The sun shone this year and we enjoyed a rather warm sport roundabout yesterday.

Spain were the winners with Ukraine in second place and England third.

We hope you all enjoyed it and thank you to all the families and friends who came to support us.

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.

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.

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

More of our learning this week…

 Reminders and Dates

Friday 5th July, 2024 NELL BANK SCHOOL TRIP

A reminder that children will need to be in school uniform with a named backpack including; water bottle and lunch. Children will be outside all day and will need weather appropriate clothing. Please see below a suggested clothing list from Nell Bank.

Learning journey drop-ins- week beginning Monday 8 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:

8.45 – 9.15 Tuesday 9 July

3.15 – 3.45 Tuesday 9 July

8.45 – 9.15 Thursday 11 July

3.15 – 3.45 Thursday 11 July 

Swimming

Rainbow- 26 June, 10 July,

Sunshine- 3 July, 17 July

Seaside Poems and environments

This week, we’ve explored differences and similarities between cities and the seaside.

Literacy 

We’ve been reading Seaside Poems– collected by Jill Bennett. We used the poems to explore features of coastal environments- the seaside.

Later in the week, we were introduced to our word of the week: city.

We sorted pictures of cities and the seaside.

We revisited the name of the city we live in and some features that Leeds has, that makes it a city.

In our writing, we also compared the environments of the city and seaside. We wrote about what we would see in each.

Maths

We have focused on deepening our understanding of numbers to 10, including the composition of each number.

Phonics

This week, we’ve continued to  focus on phase 4 words with long vowel sounds.

In provision, we’ve been reading words on boats and matching them to the correct picture.

Art; Watercolour landscapes

We’ve been painting coastal landscapes, using famous existing paintings as our inspiration!

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 called I Have a Little Frog.

click here to watch Reception recite this week’s poem

Check out our other learning…

Transition to year 1- Zoom meeting

As the weather becomes brighter and we near the end of the academic year you may be thinking about your child’s next steps as they journey into Year 1. Moving to Year 1 is perhaps a less significant change for children, and that’s because we’re a happy and healthy place to learn where we all know each other.

A zoom meeting for parent’s starts our transition process, here you will meet the Key Stage 1 staff and find out about the Year 1 curriculum.

The zoom meeting is on Monday 17 June at 6pm please follow the link that will be emailed to you.

The next step is for your child to spend some time in the Year 1 classrooms. They’ll meet the teachers and join in with the learning, they’ll get a taste of what it’s like to be in Year 1. The whole-school transition, later in July, completes the process, by spending a morning with their new class teacher.

This is a really exciting time of year, moving on and taking those next steps whilst continuing to strengthen the effective learning behaviours they have established in Reception.

Reminders and Dates

-A little reminder to please encourage children to come into class on their own each morning, in preparation for transition to year one. There is a more detailed explanation of why we encourage this on a previous post. Thank you for your support.

Swimming

Rainbow- 26 June, 10 July

Sunshine- 19 June, 3 July, 17 July

One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab

One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab

We’ve been reading One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab by April Sayre and Jeff Sayre.

This book, which is set on a beach, has a maths link. It describes how many legs you can see when combining different animals, insects and humans!

In our writing, we’ve used images from the book and described what we can see.

The book has also inspired lots of talk around seaside locations we have visited before.

Help at home- To continue our discussions around seaside locations, it would be lovely to have some pictures up around the classroom of the children visiting a beach. Please email these over to Scholesreception@spherefederation.org.

Geography- Where do we live?

In our non-fiction reading, we’ve been looking at maps of the United Kingdom. Country is our word of the week. We’ve learnt that there are many countries across the world and that our country is called England.

The children enjoyed looking at a map of the United Kingdom, locating Leeds and having a go at reading seaside towns.

Help at home- Next week, we’ll be focusing on our city; Leeds. Please have a chat with your child about their favourite places to visit in the city, as we’ll be asking about this in class. 

Maths; counting and arrangement of shapes

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be revisiting mathematical skills learnt across the year. This week, we’ve been revisiting number patterns, such as double facts.

In provision, we’ve been using Tangram pictures to match position, orientation and arrangement of shapes.

Art

We’ve been making observational drawings of real-life objects(shells).

Phonics

Summer 2 week 1 has focused on phase 4 words with long vowel sounds.

In provision, we’ve been having a go at ‘sentence substitution’; reading a sentence and replacing one word with a different word, making sure the sentence still makes sense.

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 called Thunderstorm.

Living and Learning

I know the ingredients of a happy and healthy relationship.

During our living and learning session, the children created a friendship soup. They thought carefully about what ingredients would make a good friend.

If someone wants to play and no-one else will play, I will play with them.

Please can I have that?

You share toys.

Please may I play with you.

Please can I have a turn.

Go to someone if they feel sad.

Music

Listening to a piece of music, the children drew in time to the music and shared their feelings.

When it was loud, I wanted to run. Violet

I liked it because there were drums. Frankie

It makes me want to dance. Eli

It made me think of an elephant because it was loud.  Sienna

It made me feel excited. It sounded like a lion. Lula

Reminders

Getting ready for year one

We are now in Summer 2 and starting to think about transition into year one. To get the children prepared, we’d like parents/carers to encourage children to come into school through their classroom door independently and wave them off at the waving window. We know there are a few children already doing this, which is great for developing that independence.

Having said this, please know that our door will continue to be open to you for chats and if your child wants to show you their learning.

Thank you for your support.

Swimming dates 

Rainbow –  12 June, 26 June, 10 July

Sunshine – 19 June, 3 July, 17 July

Our bodies!

This week, we have learnt more about how incredible our bodies are.  We have: looked at a range of non-fiction books; set up an egg experiment; and looked at the changes our bodies have made in our lives so far.

On Monday, Professor Myers our scientist came to visit the children! She set up a scientific experiment. We took chicken eggs and placed each one in a different liquid. We used milk, water and coca-cola. The children made predictions and carefully observed any changes to the eggs. Professor Myers came to help us examine the results of our investigation. Our findings resulted in the following conclusions:

Water is good for your teeth-Charlotte

If you have a fizzy drink, you have to brush your teeth!-Florence

Milk is white like your teeth-Rupert

In Maths we have been introduced to a rekenrek. We have had one each to help us with our perceptual and conceptual subitising skills.

The children have been incredible at sliding different quantities smoothly.

Home Link

Have a wonderful holiday and please send photographs of your adventures to us.

It’s a farmyard festival!

Old MacDonald had a farm ee igh, ee igh oa!…

and on that farm he had some pigs…

and on that farm he had some cows…

and on that farm he had some sheep…

and on that farm he had some cats…

and on that farm he had a donkey, dog, chicken, owl, fox and rabbits!…

Old MacDonald had a farm, ee igh ee igh oa!

Thank you for the fabulous costumes. We’ve had a fantastic farmyard festival!

Have a lovely week and we’ll see you on 3 June, for our last half term of the school year.

Farmyard Hullabaloo

It has been a fun-filled farm themed week!

We have continued our learning on our topic Life on Earth, by exploring animals that may live and work on a farm.

We began our week by reading Farmyard Hullabaloo.

Farmer Time

We had a very exciting video call with a farmer named Luke. The children were very eager to find out about Luke, his animals, and life on a farm.

On the call, we learnt about Farmer Luke’s farm and what types of jobs he does. We even got to join him on a drive to see his neighbour’s cows!

The children confidently asked their questions and listened carefully to his answers.

What is it like being a farmer? Charlotte

What jobs do you do? Sienna

How loud are you animals? Liezah

How do you plant seeds? Norah

What tractor do you have? Albert

Butterflies

Everyone was very excited to see the newly hatched butterflies on Monday morning. The children enjoyed observing them closely and looking at the details on their wings and bodies.

By the afternoon, it was time to release them outside. It was wonderful to watch them fly around our wildflower garden and some children also had the opportunity to hold them.

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 called The Fox.

Phonics

This week we have focused on reading root words with the suffix ing, ed and est.

plumpest   swimming   melted   helped

We’ve learnt the tricky words; out and today.

Help at home- Please continue to work through the weekly learn at home phonics sheets. We’ll continue to send these home each Friday.

Reminders

Sun cream – Please remember to bring in a labelled sun cream, ready for those hot spring days.  As your child will need to independently apply their sunscreen, please practise this at home.

Thursday 23 May – Farmyard Festival: (Letter sent home) Please don’t go to the expense of buying anything new – creative adaptations of something you’ve already got will be fantastic.  Outfits need to be suitable for school, safe and warm/cool enough to be worn all day.

Friday 24 May- School Closed: Training Day

SWIMMING DATES- Summer 1

Sunshine– 22 May

Rumble in the Jungle

The sun is shining and it has been just wonderful to feel like it’s finally Spring time! Here’s what we’ve been doing in our ‘Life on Earth’ topic this week…

Rumble in the Jungle

This week, our focus book has been Rumble in the Jungle by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz.

The book is a collection of fun animal poems. Whilst reading, the children enjoyed listening for rhyming words and noticing the patterns made with the words.

Our word of the week is Rainforest. We’ve been learning all about geographical features of rainforests and about some of the animals who live there.

In our writing, we’ve been remembering facts about rainforests. Lots of children are challenging themselves to write more- check out these amazing double-sided writing examples!

Maths

In maths this week, we’ve continued to develop our understanding of the composition of numbers to 10. Using the rhyme ’10 Fat Sausages’, we have found different ways to represent 10.

We have also used 10 frames and dice patterns to show ‘5 and a bit’ numbers to 10.

Help at home

Use the language – First, then and now to create a number story to match the picture.

Phonics

This week we have continued to read longer words as well as compound words such as windmill, handstand and lunchbox.

We’ve learnt the tricky words; there, when, what, one.

Help at home- Please continue to work through the weekly learn at home phonics sheets. We’ll continue to send these home each Friday.

Living and Learning- I know the importance of ‘five a day‘

Following on from our discussions about healthy balanced diets, we’ve been talking about the importance of getting your ‘five a day’.

The children spoke about why we should eat fruit and vegetables and what that might look like.

It keeps us healthy- Heidi

It makes us strong- Rupert

You should eat a rainbow- Albie S

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 called A Little Shell.

A Little Shell

More learning from this week…

Getting ready for year one

We are now over half way through Summer 1 and starting to think about transition into year one. To get the children prepared, we’d like parents/carers to encourage children to come into school through their classroom door independently and wave them off at the waving window. We know there are a few children already doing this, which is great for developing that independence.

We will be asking that after the May half term break, all children come in independently.

Having said this, please know that our door will continue to be open to you for chats and if your child wants to show you their learning.

Thank you for your support.

Reminders and Dates

Thursday 23 May – Farmyard Festival: (Letter sent home) Please don’t go to the expense of buying anything new – creative adaptations of something you’ve already got will be fantastic.  Outfits need to be suitable for school, safe and warm/cool enough to be worn all day.

Friday 24 May- School Closed: Training Day

SWIMMING DATES- Summer 1

Rainbow- 15 May

Sunshine– 22 May

Walking through the jungle

This week our focus book has been Walking through the jungle by Julie Lacome.

Top tip for watching YouTube with your child: go to the settings cog along the play bar and turn off auto play – this avoids an inappropriate clip coming up automatically, and helps to discourage your child from passively watching clip after clip.

This repeating story has been great for retelling from start to finish. We recalled the ‘action words’ used throughout the story: walking, running, leaping, swinging, creeping and wading.

First, we drew a story map to re-tell the story. Then, we used our story telling actions below to re-tell the story.

Finally, we re-tolled the story.

Every week, we introduce new vocabulary using the focus book. This week, our ‘word of the week’ is leaping – to jump quickly or suddenly a long way.

“The lion is leaping in the hot, sunny jungle” Albie said.

Design and Technology; using a tool

This week, we have been making a ‘bug hotel’. We’ve been carefully using hand drills to create holes, holding the tool firmly in place and using our strength to wind the handle.

Maths; composing 5

In Maths, we’ve been composing 5 and using the song ‘5 little kittens to explore the parts that make the whole number.

We’ve been using full sentences to explain what we can see on our fingers, as we move through the song:

“There are three kittens on the bed, there are two kittens that have bumped their head, there are five kittens altogether”

“There will always be 5 because we started with 5. We haven’t added any more” Harry said.

We’ve represented our parts on a Hungarian frame (or  ‘die frame’):

Help at home– Collect 5 objects. Place some of the 5 objects in front of you and some hidden behind your back. Ask your child how many are hidden. Swap and take it in turns to be the person hiding the objects!

Your child is familiar with this game as we have played it in school. Encourage your child to explain why they know how many are hidden.

“3 are hidden because I know 2 and 3 makes 5. 5 is made of 2 and 3.”

Encourage your child to repeat the below phrases.

5 is made of ____ and ____.

____ and ____ make 5.

Please email us a quote from your child or a photo when playing the game. You’re child will get an extra star challenge on their challenge chart!

Phonics

Summer 1 week 3 has focused on phase 4 words with short vowels and longer words. We’ve learnt the tricky words; were, here, little, says

Help at home- Please continue to work through the weekly learn at home phonics sheets. We’ll continue to send these home each Friday.

Poetry Picnic

One week in every half term, we focus on a traditional nursery rhyme. This week we’ve been reciting Sing a song of sixpence.

Reminders and Dates

SWIMMING DATES- Summer 1

Rainbow Class-  15 May

Sunshine Class- 8 May, 22  May

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

This week, we have been reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar. As a class, we created a story map to help retell the story. We used time connectives to develop our story language.

First,   Next,   After that,   Finally,  

In our writing, we have been composing sentences to retell main events of the story. Some children chose to adapt the story by changing the main character and food.

The reading challenge this week was to create a story map.

Maths

This week, we have continued to develop our subitising skills (see the quantity without counting) in complex arrangements.

We have explored creating arrangements of 6. The children explained how they could see 6.

Phonics

This week, we have continued to learn phase 4 words such as frog, shift, chimp and drum.

We’ve also learnt more phase 4 tricky words; some, come, love and do

Help at home- Please continue to work through the weekly learn at home phonics sheets, throughout the Summer term. We’ll continue to send these home each Friday.

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 called Under a Stone. Watch here.

Living and Learning

I know the importance of sleep.

The children thought about different reasons we need sleep and how to get a good night’s sleep.

It can sometimes make your eyes sting. (screens)

It wont help her brain. If she’s distracted she wont go to sleep. (iPad)

You shouldn’t have any screen one hour before bed.

If you put a calming song on your might go to sleep.

Science

The children have been amazed at the rapid growth of the caterpillars. Each day, we have observed how they have changed and recorded what we noticed

They are massive now!

They have got too big for their skin.

They are moulting.

Reminders and Dates

SWIMMING DATES- Summer 1

Rainbow Class-  1 May, 15 May

Sunshine Class- 8 May, 22  May