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Tidy week 2

This was our second week using the book Tidy by Emily Gravett. This week we practised orally retelling the story using actions to help us remember.

Art
This half-term, our featured artist is Alexander Calder. Calder was most well known for his sculptures and mobiles.  We explored photographs of his artwork, discussing the different shapes, colours and how his creations made us feel. Inspired by Calder’s moving mobiles, we designed and made our own using plastic bottles, paint and glitter. They are now hanging from the classroom ceiling for the wind to catch and make them move.

Sports day reminder
Sports Day is on Tuesday at 9.30am. Please ensure your child comes to school wearing PE kit. They should also wear a t-shirt in their team colour. As the weather is expected to be warm, please make sure your child brings a named sun hat and has sun cream applied before they come to school.

Meet your new teacher
On Wednesday morning, the Reception children will spend some time getting to know their new teacher and exploring their new classroom. This is an exciting part of the transition process and helps the children feel more confident and familiar with their new learning environment.

Thank you to all the parents and carers who joined the transition Zoom meeting. We hope you found the session useful. As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, please don’t hesitate to speak to me.

Summer 2: Seaside and Cities

Welcome to our final half term in Reception our theme is Seaside and Cities and our focus books this half term are

Have a fantastic half term everyone and enjoy the sunshine but be safe. Drink lots of water and don’t forget to wear some sun cream.

A visit from d:side

On Friday we had a special visit from d:side who talked to us about different feelings and what we could to to help us when we have these feelings. We had some fantastic responses and it was clear to see that our Feelings First sessions are a success.

“He is feeling cross and angry, when I am angry I rip up paper until I feel calm again.”

“She is sad, she needs to tell her mummy or the teacher. They can help her feel better.”

We also talked about being healthy and did some exercises in class. Dave was very impressed with how well we listened and answered each question.

Well done Reception, you showed our visitor how fantastic you are.

Summer 1

This half term will be learning about bugs and will be going on lots of bug hunts. We will be learning about the life cycle of a butterfly and will hopefully set some free! We will be using some hand drills to build a bug hotel for our outdoor area.

We are also hoping to develop our outdoor space a bit more so if anyone has any compost, plant pots, tree stumps or plants we would would really appreciate them.

Reminders and Notices

Forest School- It is our turn to go to Forest School after the holidays. Please send your child to school in their PE kits on Friday with waterproofs and wellies in a labelled plastic bag.

Jack and the Beanstalk

This week we’ve continued our learning using the traditional story Jack and the Beanstalk.

We’ve learnt to retell the story using our class story map and a few actions to help. Our prosody has really improved as we became more confident with the story.

Maths

In maths we’ve been doubling, we’ve used the stem sentence 2 is made of 1 and 1, double 1 is 2. Doubling numbers up to 5. We’ve also had a go at doubling the leaves on a beanstalk.

Poetry Picnic

Each week we learn a new poem and recite it every day. By saying the poem out loud, we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line. We talk about how this can help us become better readers. This week’s poem is called Hungry Birdies.

Hungry Birdies
I have built a little nest,
look inside, look inside.
Hungry birdies with their beaks,
open wide, open wide.
And the little birdies grow,
day by day by day.
‘Till they spread their wings and fly,
far away, far away.

We talk about how a poem sometimes has rhyming words and sometimes doesn’t. Can your child tell you the rhyming words in this week’s poem? We also talk about how a poem can have a fast rhythm or a slow rhythm.

Living & Learning – I know the importance of personal hygiene, including handwashing

This week in living and learning, we’ve been thinking about how we can keep ourselves healthy by paying attention to our personal hygiene.

We’ve had some very honest conversations about handwashing, reflecting on when we should wash our hands and the times we’ve not washed our hands.  Did you know that there are parts of our hands that we are more likely to not wash well? We made a diagram to show this:

Help at home: Together, look at the guidance from the NHS about how to wash your hands. Get your child to coach you or a sibling to see how much of the guidance they can remember and apply. NHS handwashing guidance

Reminder: Reception parent/carer survey

If you haven’t already and you’re a parent of a child in Reception, please complete this short survey. Thank you to those of you who have already completed the survey.

At St James’ Primary, we’re always trying to keep getting better and better. Your views help us to do that. The survey will only take a few minutes to complete and you’ve got until Wednesday 18 March to complete. (If you’d like us to follow-up any of your responses with you, we can only do this if you leave your name.)

We can’t guarantee to meet the needs and wants of every parent / carer, but we do assure you that we consider all the points raised and aim to act on specific points that are raised by many, or a useful idea raised by just a few.

Previously, based on your feedback, for example, we alternated the days Stay and Learns were held – to give all parents an opportunity to attend.

Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey. We’re looking forward to reading your views.

This Green Moon

Today was a very special day for our Reception class as we went on our very first school trip to This Green Moon! As soon as we opened the door this morning, the children were buzzing with excitement.

When we arrived at Green Moon, we were warmly greeted by the two leaders, Paul and Matt, who took us on the most amazing adventure.

From the moment we stepped onto the coach to the minute we arrived back at school, the children were exceptional – what a credit they were to our school! Their behaviour, listening skills and enthusiasm were wonderful to see.

We thoroughly enjoyed spending the day outdoors, exploring the natural world around us. The children took part in so many exciting activities: making a fire, creating sculptures using potatoes, designing bracelets with pieces of coloured wool we found in the forest, and even working together to create a giant piece of artwork. It was fantastic to see their creativity and curiosity shining through.

What a fantastic day full of learning, laughter and adventure. Well done, Reception – we’re so proud of you all!

Living and Learning; I know what a drug is

This week, we have been learning about what a drug is.

We learned the definition:
A drug is a substance that changes the way the body or mind works.

We discussed how some substances at home are drugs, such as medicines, because they change the way the body works. We also talked about other household substances, like cleaning products. Although cleaning products are not drugs, they are still important to learn about because they can be harmful if used incorrectly. We discussed why we use these substances. For example, medicines help us feel better when we are ill and cleaning products help keep our homes clean and safe.

We also discussed the risks. Some drugs can be harmful if they are used in the wrong way, taken in the wrong amount or touched without permission. That is why it is very important that children only take medicine given to them by a trusted adult.

We looked carefully at a medicine packet and discussed the important information on it:

We learned that this information is there to help keep us safe.

The children showed great maturity during this discussion and asked thoughtful questions about staying safe at home.

You can support your child by:

• Talking about what medicines are used for in your home.

• Reminding children that medicines should only be taken with a trusted adult.

• Looking at labels together and discussing why instructions and warnings are important.

• Explaining that cleaning products are not for children to use and should always be kept safely stored.

Thank you for supporting our learning about staying safe.

Internet Safety Day

Today is Internet Safety Day. Year 5 have been learning all about how to stay safe online and be critical users of the internet, especially with the rapid advances in computing technology (AI, for example).

The children began by looking at three concepts – misinformation, disinformation and hoaxes.

Misinformation is the sharing of false information by accident (not knowing what you’re sharing is false).

Disinformation is the sharing of false information on purpose.

Hoaxes are false information/claims that are created for effect/impact.

We had a look at some fake website articles (hoaxes) and discussed some top tips to look out for when reading online. When sharing these stories to friends without being critical of what we’re sharing, we may be sharing misinformation.

We’ve learnt all about what personal information is and why it’s important to keep it private, especially when online. The article below gives more info on personal information.

If you’d like to read more from this article with your child, please click the link below.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zwbq7ty

Help at home: 

Help your child at home to be critical thinkers online. Check websites for…

• padlocks
• http//  www.
• known pages
• spam/clickbait adverts (phishing)