The End of Autumn 1!
Wow! What a busy half term we have had. We have developed lots of new skills, settled in to the routines of school life again and shared some magic moments in our learning.
Foundation 2 are flourishing in their phonics. Sid the squirrel has been super impressed with how they have explored and used each sound that he has shown them over the past eight weeks.
We have worked hard to become story-tellers, with everyone in F2 showing they can re-tell a story and some can even write the words or sentences from them! We have been using our fantastic imaginations to share our own ideas and create new stories too!
In maths, we have explored every aspect of our focus numbers and challenged ourselves in our counting, shape and size comparison.
F1 have enjoyed their key worker time, exploring nursery rhymes as a link to lots of different learning. They have been listening to stories, counting, constructing and sharing their thoughts, feelings and ideas.
We have started our PE sessions, working on balancing and movement. We can hop, skip and gallop. Importantly, we have shown that we can listen carefully and follow instructions to make sure that we are safe.
We have now voted for our new themes after half term, based on the children’s interests: Superheroes, Dinosaurs and Toys!
Half-term Home-link Challenges
F2- Please help us build up our role play area by using your ‘fiddly fingers’ to wrap up an empty box (in Christmas or any other style wrap) and add a label (included with the weekly up-date sent home) of what is inside and how much it costs. Please encourage your child to sound out their words and write the label independently.
F1- Please draw either a superhero picture or a picture of a toy for our toy shop. Please write down on the drawing exactly what your child has said about their writing in their own words.
Most importantly: have fun! Have a wonderful half term, Foundation 🙂 See you on 05 November.
Parent Partnership
Thank you to those parents who were able to stay at the end of the school day for our Parent Partnership meeting. We hope that you found the session informative and we look forward to hearing more about those learning and ‘wow’ moments at home.
If you were unable to make the session today, please do come and have a chat with us about the ways you can share your child’s learning from home.
Thank you for your support.
Parent reminder
The Yorkshire Evening Post will be delivering copies of the special newspaper edition (new school starters), featuring the class photo of Foundation 2 this Monday 22nd October 2018. If you have not yet ordered a copy, they will be available to buy from the school office at the special discounted rate of 62p.
Noah’s Ark and Harvest Festival
This week in Foundation, our focus was the Bible story of Noah’s Ark.
The children produced story maps, using all of their new phonics skills to label them with the parts of the story. We also painted some beautiful rainbows and animals to add to a special display we will be creating in the school corridor, next to our library.
In maths, we completed our work on the focus number 2 by creating “pairs” of animals to board Noah’s Ark! We explored different representations of the number.
The children have also been learning about Harvest Festival. At the end of last week, we harvested our own haricot beans from Spring-time planting.
We used this as a starting point to discuss fruit and vegetables that grow from the Earth and how we use Harvest time to give thanks to God and those who work on the land, for the food we eat. The children made posters to display their understanding of the importance of Harvest time.
In our music session, we learnt a Harvest song about a special machine used to harvest crops:
Ask your child if they can sing you the song they have learnt this week.
Important reminders:
Parent partnership meeting: Takes place this Wednesday, 17 October 3.15-3.45. We hope to see many of you there and look forward to discussing ways you can share your child’s achievements both at school and at home.
Early Years Pupil Premium form: Could all forms be completed and returned to school this week. A reminder text message was sent out. If you need a new copy please ask.
PE Kit: PE takes place on a Thursday and began this week. Please provide a named kit of shorts and t-shirt. Thank you for the kits already in school.
Wellies and outdoor coats: Please ensure your child has a rain-proof coat in school every day. We also suggest having a pair of wellies in school, if possible. We love to explore our outdoor area in all weathers!
Thank you for your support and co-operation.
Reading Workshop
Thank you again to the parents who made it to our Phonics and Early Reading Workshop on the 25th September. For those who were unable to attend, please click on the link below to view the presentation shown at the meeting;
As always, please do ask if you have any questions and we will be happy to support you. If you did attend the workshop, please send feedback responses as soon as possible. This will help us to determine what went well and to tailor future parent meetings where necessary.
A reminder that our next session for parents will be our Parent Partnership Meeting- Wednesday 17th October 3.15-3.45pm.
Please return the slips sent home last week, to confirm your attendance.
Thank you.
Reflection Time; Friendship
Friday afternoons are a special time in Foundation. Although we reflect on our values and share our thoughts throughout the school week, we set aside a quiet time on a Friday afternoon to have circle time in our school Reflection Area. Recently, we’ve been thinking about Friendship.
We ensure that we are respecting our friends as they talk by using our talking hedgehog. We take turns: the person holding the hedgehog is the speaker and we listen as they share their thoughts and ideas.
We’ve thought about what it is to be a good friend and reflected on the qualities our friends have. We have spoken about why our friends are special to us. During reflection time, we have made dough representations of our friends and in the classroom we have created a display of our friends through paper doll portraits.
Fostering friendships is so vital at school. Friendships can boost confidence, help children feel safe and secure and even support learning through co-operative play. It has been wonderful to see continued and new friendships blossoming during these first few weeks at school – friendships that will enhance the children’s enjoyment of their time at school this year and in the years to come.
Making Moves!
Here in Foundation, one of the prime areas of learning is physical development.
The learning in this area focuses on a child’s independence with regards to their own health and safety and has important links to other areas of learning. Here are just a few of the lovely examples from this week of how physical development is supported and enjoyed in our classroom and outdoor area:
Well done, Foundation- another busy week with great examples of independent learning.
Fabulous Foundation!
This week we’ve welcomed back our returners moving from F1 into F2 and made some new friends! We’ve made a fabulous start to the year with happy faces, smart uniforms and busy learning. Our little learners jumped straight back into their favourite activities, as well as exploring the new areas we have on offer this year.
The story shed has been a new addition to our outside area; a cosy new space to read books and magazines, tell stories and make-marks.
We also have a new water station next to our mud kitchen, to make all sorts of wonderful potions and mixtures, which has been very popular during our first few sessions.
It makes us so proud to see how settled and content the children are in the classroom, both returners and new pupils.
Please remember that although your children have settled well, we welcome you into the classroom each morning to share some learning with your child and explore the activities on offer in the classroom. This year we have some new additions in the classroom, just for you parents and carers;
Join your child at the ‘Learn with me’ activity in the classroom- a teacher-free zone! A new activity will be placed here each week, for you to complete alongside your child. Our ‘Parents as partners’ board in the classroom is for you to share great examples of learning at home. You can also email us photos and descriptions of your child’s learning at home. Please send these to:
stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org
This half term we’ll be theming our learning around ‘Becoming a story-teller’, using traditional tales as a basis for learning across the classroom. As always, we will also use the children’s interests and ideas to tailor our activities.
We look forward to sharing this year of learning with you.
Foundation’s Got Talent!!!
Take a look at this bunch of talented stars!!!
Have a lovely Summer holiday everyone- see you on the 4th September!
“Today’s the day, the teddy bears have their picnic!…”
Wow! What a lovely day meeting all of your fluffy friends!
We have enjoyed making teddy biscuits this morning, before donning our teddy bear crowns (made earlier in the week) and taking our pals outside for a lovely picnic and extended play time.
Some of the children told us it was their “best day ever!”
What a lovely celebration for our last few days of the school year 🙂
Roundhay Park and Tropical World
F2 have had a fabulous day out at the park and Tropical World.
We did leaf collecting and rubbing, played in the play park, had circle games and songs, a picnic and parachute games. We then walked to Tropical World for our tour.
We finished off the day with goodie bags and ice- lollies!!!
Ask your child what their favourite part of the day has been.
What facts can they remember, about the different tropical species they have seen today?
