Living and Learning – mental health
We have been looking at mental health over the last few weeks. Using mindfulness techniques (we like some of the Go Noodle ones) and talking about our feelings, moods and emotions is important. The SMILERS 7 steps to wellbeing is also a simple self-help guide.
Living and Learning: I recognise mental health is important
This week, our Living and Learning statement was “I recognise mental health is important”. At school, we understand how important our mental health is which is why the first question we asked at parents evening was about how each child has coped since coming back to school and the changes due to covid.
To support this learning, we have been looking at the different emotions that the children could have been/ have been experiencing and how this can impact their mental health and what mental health is.
We looked at different emotions, when we might feel them and how we could react to those emotions and feelings.
Together, we created a feelings wall – it showed us that all feelings are acceptable and we talked about the different strategies that we could use to overcome/deal with any negative feelings.
Our Living and Learning lesson involved using some resources from the Anna Freud website and it has lots of advice and links for children and families if they need support around mental health.
Phonics – sound mats
At the recent parent-teacher consultations, a few parents asked about the sound mats we use in school. Children have been talking about ‘orange’ and ‘green’ sounds at home – which is great!
Here are the sound mats and below is a link demonstrating how each phoneme (sound) is pronounced.
Listen to the orange sounds here.
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
Zooming
Today, Miss Beatson taught the class via Zoom. It worked really well and we had a great maths lesson. Miss Beatson enjoyed seeing everyone and was impressed by how hard everyone was learning.
Sneezing runway!
In science, we’ve been learning about microbes, infections and diseases.
At the moment, due to Covid-19, we are trying to keep our distance and use tissues to sneeze and cough into to help reduce the spread of infection. We thought we would investigate this to see if it really does work.
First of all, we created a ‘sneezing runway’ with paper and metre sticks.
We then filled a spray bottle (a nose) with water and food colouring.
Then, we simulated a sneeze by squeezing the trigger once over the paper. Before ‘sneezing’ we predicted how far and wide the sneeze would go. Then we measured accurately with the rulers and recorded the result.
The next step was to observe what happens when we put our hand over our mouth when we sneeze; the microbes stay on our hands and can spread to anything we touch. We used a hand with a glove on it.
Finally, we wanted to observe what happens when we cover our mouth with a tissue during sneezing. We held a tissue directly in front of the spray nozzle. We predicted if this would reduce the distance a sneeze could travel and then made accurate measurements.
What did we find out?
When sneezing without any protection, the sneeze travelled 3.7m. With a hand it travelled 2m. With a tissue it travelled 1m.
To conclude, we can help reduce the spread of infection through sneezing if we use tissues and keep our distance!
Fabulous writing
This week, we’ve been writing non-chronological reports about imaginative creatures that live in South America. Erin’s writing clearly shows she has taken pride in her presentation and I love her ideas and creativity!
“The Kanzo Dragon is given its fascinating name by Zeek Cheffman, a beast-ologist from South America. He experienced a malicious attack from this giant beast and was lucky to make it out alive….”
“This blood-sucking reptile is part kangaroo and part dragon. Like the kangaroo, the Kanzo has a pouch, except it’s on the creature’s tail. It is believed that it’s used to carry dead bodies inside.”
Celebration certificates
It’s Friday again… another learning-packed week. The children are now able to choose a library book to take home on a Friday. We enjoyed reading and sharing our books outside today.
As we can’t have our usual celebration assembly on a Friday at the moment, I will be posting the certificate winners on here each week.
For great learning…
Teddy – for being an active learner. You often have your hand up and like to contribute in lessons. Well done!
For living and learning…
Honey – for being polite. You know that manners are important.
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!