Christian Value: Friendship
This half term, our Christian Value has been friendship.
We have thought about how we can be a good friend and what we can learn from the Bible about friendship. We learned that Jesus teaches us to be a good friend to all – he told a story about how the good samaritan was a friend to someone who was supposed to be his enemy.
In our reflection areas, we had two challenges: a friendship flower and how to be a good friend.
For our friendship flower, we thought about who was a good friend or someone we were thankful for and wrote or drew a short thank you thought or prayer for them.
We took the friendship finger challenge and thought about all the things that make a good friend. We thought about how we could be a better friend.
Foundation stage have also been learning all about our Christian value of friendship. They’ve created a friendship tree and friendship stones whilst thinking about the qualities they would like in a friend.
Look out for next half term’s Christian value: perseverance.
Home – Link Challenge
Here’s the home learning moments sheet for the half-term home-link challenge.
You can either print it off and fill it in or send the home learning moments electronically.
Potion Commotion
As always, Foundation have had another fantastic week!
This week, we entered into a wonderful world of wizards and witches.
At the writing table, the children created their very own potions. Some of the children had a go at writing a list of ingredients.
In Literacy, we’ve been reading Potion Commotion by Peter Bentley. When reading the story, the children were great at listening for the rhyming words – it is a book full of rhyming words! The book is about a little witch called Betty. She ends up making a big mess when putting just about everything into her cauldron to make a potion. Betty’s potion grows and grows and spreads all over the town!
Talk to your child about the story and see if they can remember what happened at the end.
Linking to the potion theme, we decided to be scientists and make our very own hubble and bubble potions.
We did four experiments using five ingredients: oil, water, bicarbonate soda, energy tablets and vinegar – the classroom spelt lovely!
The children observed what happened and recorded their findings.
Ronan – “It’s bubbling.”
Connor – “It’s fizzing.”
Daisy – “It looks like a tornado.”
Beau – “It’s not bubbling.”
We talked about what a chemical reaction is and that bubbling is a sign of a chemical reaction.
In phonics, we’ve learnt more sounds: m, d and g.
Here’s a link to the Jolly Phonics songs.
The children are doing really well in phonics and love doing the drum roll before I show them the new sound – it creates a lot of excitement! Some of the children are starting to segment and blend cvc words, for example, sat, mad and pin.
The children went on a sound hunt around the classroom. They were encouraged to say the sounds when they found them.
F2 – Please remember to practise the sounds in their sound book and their words in their word passports.
In maths, we’ve continued looking at number 2. On Thursday, I dropped all of the counting bears all over the floor – silly Miss Marsden! The children had to collect two bears and put them on their ten frame. The children moved the bears around on their ten frames and checked that it still showed two. After half term, we will finalise our number 2 learning and move onto number three.
F1
The F1 children have also continued with their phase one phonics activities. On Tuesday, they had to watch carefully to different body sounds and pass it around the circle.
On Wednesday, the children went on a musical instrument hunt around the outdoor area. When a child found an instrument, they talked about its sound and compared it to the other instruments.
What else have we been up to?
We made playdough spiders.
In the sensory area, the children enjoyed melting the frozen hands!
Next half-term, we will become story tellers and look at some traditional tales. The children will come up with actions to help them retell the stories. We’ve chosen traditional tales because they usually follow a typical structure and include lots of repeated phrases. Here’s a clue to help you guess one of the books we will be looking at… It will help with our number three learning.
Here are some pictures of the displays in our classroom…
Foundation Parents
A Parental Partnership presentation will be uploaded onto the class news page on Monday 2nd November.
I hope you all have a lovely half-term break!
Home-Link Challenge
Busy Bees!
I can’t believe it’s nearly the end of the first half-term! I am so proud of all of the Foundation children. They have settled so well into school life and showed great resilience during these tricky times.
We have continued learning all about Autumn.
In the sand area, we made conker slides using ramps. We measured how far they travelled using tape measures and meter sticks. We had some very competitive children!
On the creative table, the children used a fork to paint a spiky hedgehog. We looked at a fact file and had some great discussions about hedgehogs.
In literacy, we continued looking at the story Leaf Man. The children created missing posters. We talked about why they are useful and the important features. They were great at describing Leaf Man!
“He has red hands.”
“He has a spiky nose.”
“He has yellow legs.”
In maths, we have started learning all about number 2! The children have been great at pairing the socks on the washing line in the home corner.
We used mirrors to spot pairs.
“two eyes”
“two ears”
“two eyebrows”
We have introduced the part-part whole model and found out which two numbers can be added together to make two.
“One is a part. One is a part. Two is the whole.”
“Two is a part. Zero is a part. Two is the whole.”~
Next week, we will continue learning about number two!
Phonics
F2 children have finished learning the first set of phase 2 sounds s,a,t,p,i,n.
We have focused on saying the pure sounds and correct letter formation. We have enjoyed listening to the Jolly Phonics rhymes and joining in with the actions – they really have helped us remember the sounds! Your child will now have their word passport and sound book at home. Weekly phonics practise at home will really support your child’s learning.
F1 children have started their group times. Each week, they have two phase 1 sessions. The children have loved making silly noises with their mouths and watching what their mouth does in a mirror. Check out their faces!
On Wednesday, they made different body percussion patterns. For example, clap, clap, clap, stomp, stomp, stomp.
Dough Disco – check it out!
This is one of our favourite activities.
We use dough to exercise our hands and fingers to improve fine muscle control. The movements help us get ready to do some super writing!
Parent Partners
We know it’s frustrating as a parent not being able to come into the classroom – it’s very strange for us as well!
In Foundation, we really value home-school communication and have been thinking of ways to share more of the classroom with you.
Here are some of the ways:
- Next week, you will receive a collage of pictures of your child playing and learning.
- During the school year, if your child is in F2 they will be a ‘focus child’ for a week. There will be more information on this in our upcoming Parent Partners presentation which will be posted the first week back after half-term.
- The Class News page is regularly updated with what we’ve been up to in the classroom.
- Our Parent Partnership board in the classroom is updated weekly with your home-link emails.
Don’t forget to email any WOW moments at home – we would really love to see these!
Reminders
Your child needs a pair of wellies in school!
PE is every Wednesday. Your child needs to come to school in their PE kit.
F1 and F2 Parent-Teacher Zoom meetings next Tuesday and Thursday – see you then!
Home-Link Challenge
Have a lovely weekend!
What have we been up to in Foundation this week?
This week has been full of laughter and smiles in Foundation. All the children have come into school really happy and have been eager to get busy in the areas.
Here’s some highlights of our great week…
Watch the conker and acorn run in action!
Next week, we will continue our learning all about autumn. We will be thinking about describing words and making missing posters for Leaf Man. In maths, we will be starting our second focus number. I will give you a clue… It is one more than one and one less then three. That’s right, it’s number two!
PS Don’t forget to listen for a rustle in the leaves because it could be Leaf Man!
Home-Link Challenges
F2
F1
Bagel Bar
Our bagel bar has been open for a few weeks now and the children have really enjoyed eating breakfast with their friends and it’s been a positive start to their day. The doors open at 8.30am each morning and all children from Reception to Year 6 are welcome.
Word Passport
NOTICE FOR F2 PARENTS!
The F2 children will be bringing home their word passports and first words. By Friday, they will have done the first set of sounds: s, a, t, p.
Some of the words will include ‘i’ and ‘n’ – please don’t worry about reading these words until next week when we have done them in phonics.
Squiggle While You Wiggle
Last Friday we started Squiggle While You Wiggle. It is a kinaesthetic approach to stimulate early writing. Children use movement with music to develop their motor skills in preparation for writing. Through Squiggle While You Wiggle, children begin using scarves or ribbons to rehearse a range of shapes, which lead to children making those shapes on paper.
Check out us in action!
Parent Partnership Reading Presentation
Please click here to watch the presentation.
Your child will be bringing home their word passport and sound book on Friday. Please keep these at home! We will put new words and sounds in their book bags every Friday for you to stick in at home.
Reading books will be sent home Thursday 22 October. These will be changed weekly.
If you have any questions after watching the presentation, please email or chat to me on the gate.
stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org
Fantastic Foundation!
I can’t believe it’s Friday again – this week has flown by! We’ve had another busy week. The children are really starting to come out of their shells.
A big well done to Harper, Kiara, Ronan, Isla and Emily for completing all of the rainbow challenges this week!
What have we been up to in Foundation this week?
We have continued our phase one learning in phonics. The children are great at hearing and saying initial sounds in words. On Thursday, we had some fun making different voice sounds. Take a look here!
Next week, we will be starting phase two. The children will learn the first four sounds: s, a, t, p. They will be bringing home a sound book to support their phonics learning at home.
In literacy, we’ve been rocking in our school shoes! The children have loved reading Pete the Cat. We used actions to help us remember and retell the story. They also created their own versions of the story. Next week, our focus story will be Leaf Man.
In maths, we’ve started learning about number one. The children have explored what one is. We’ve been on number one hunts, made one wonderful world and monsters that represent one. Next week, we’ll be continuing to look at number one.
On Wednesday, it was our first PE session! In foundation, we like to call PE movement play. We encourage physical activity in a child-led manner which will support their health, learning and wellbeing. The children had lots of fun travelling and moving in different ways.
Our Christian value this half-term is friendship. We have discussed what makes a good friend and sorted different scenarios into good and bad friend. Last Friday, we made a class friendship tree. The children came up with lots of different words that remind them of friendship.
F2 parents!
Your child will be starting their reading journey. Therefore, I will be posting a Reading and Phonics Presentation on Monday 05 October. The presentation will be on the Foundation Class News Page.
It will include key information about how we teach phonics in school and what you can do to help your child at home. Your child should have received a letter today about the presentation.
Home-Link Challenge
Finally, I would like to say a big thank you to all the Foundation parents. It’s a strange time at the moment and I am so grateful for all your support and patience during these uncertain times. Please do come and chat to me if you have any concerns or questions about your child. I am always happy to have a little chat.
Have a lovely weekend!