Learning at Home
Reading
It is vital to your child's reading progress and development that you support their reading at home by listening to them read a minimum of twice each week. To encourage reading, we now have a reading reward system. Children will receive a marble in their colour group jar when they read three times at home so please ensure you record it every time you read at home.
We understand that children are tired after school, so you might consider completing phonic books or reading before school or at the weekends when they are not so worn out.
Tricky Words
Tricky words are words that are not decodable (you cannot sound them out). Children will just need to read these words by sight. Once your child can read the tricky words on the sheet provided, please get them to colour the words and the castle and return the sheet for testing. We will then be able to move them on to the next set of tricky words.
Please find below (bottom of the page) a document providing you with many creative ideas on how to learn these with your child at home and a list of the tricky words.
Grandparents' Day
Today was Grandparents' Day. Our grandparents came in and we showed them around our school. We then sang them some songs and told some stories. It was really interesting to hear the differences compared to when our grandparents went to school when they were younger.
A School Trip to Tyntesfield
On 18th May, Reception went on a school trip to Tyntesfield. We explored the den village, climbed on the wooden climbing frame and went on a bug hunt! Enjoy looking at our photos!
Our Trip to Chew Valley Farm
Today we went to Chew Valley Farm. In the morning, we walked around the farm and saw all of the different animals. We saw wallabies, meerkats, cows, goats, lots of different birds, alpacas and many more! In the afternoon, we all had the chance to cuddle some baby animals. Luckily, the weather was dry and we had a lovely day. We were all worn out on the journey back and some of use even fell asleep! Please take a look at our photos!
World Book Day
This week we celebrated World Book Day - we all dressed up as our favourite book characters, even the teachers dressed up! We participated in lots of different book themed activities; we made masks, went on a hunt for fairy tale characters and wrote our own stories. In the afternoon, the Year 5 children came down from the junior school to read us lots of different stories. We had lots of fun!
Red Panda Class Perform in Stages 2017
Red Panda Class performed in Stages 2017 at the Colston Hall. The children danced to a song called 'On Top of the World'. In the morning the children had a dress rehearsal where they practiced their dance on the stage. Before lunch time we walked up to the museum and looked around there. In the afternoon, the children performed their dance in front of a huge audience. Lots of mummies, daddies and other family members came to watch. What a fun day!
Our Visit From Sean Taylor
To develop a ‘Love of Reading’, an author called Sean Taylor came into visit us. He told all about writing books and the processes he went through. He showed us the different versions of his stories that he had scribbled down on paper, before they were turned into a real book. In fact, he told us that he had written at least 15 versions of one of his stories before it was published!
He taught us a poem about different animals and added different actions and voices. We then performed the poem altogether.
He then read us some of his stories; we listened to a story all about a monster called “When a Monster is Born” and a story about dogs called “Don’t Call Me Choochie Pooh”. There were lots of parts we were able to join in with and “Don’t Call Me Choochie Pooh” made us cry with laughter!
At the end of the workshop, he helped us to write our own Reception poem; it was titled “Cosy Box”. Please have a read of our poem below.
COSY BOX
My grey, medium-sized rabbit.
I will always keep him safe.
My warm and snuggly coat with a blue hood.
I will always keep it safe.
My brown and white cat, Boots.
I will always keep her safe.
My toy, Blaze, who goes on wheels.
I will always keep him safe.
My soft, cosy blanket.
I will always keep it safe.
My nice, helpful, funny, jokey friends.
I will always keep them safe.
We had to think of our most precious things and then think of adjectives to describe them. It was a great workshop and some of us even got our books signed!
Break Week
During 'Bread Week' we took part in many bread related activities. In literacy, we learnt about the story of the Gingerbread Man and we had a go at writing our own version. In maths, we learnt about weight by cooking and making our own gingerbread men. We also explored data handling by tasting lots of different kinds of bread and voting on our favourite. With the data we collected, we made our own bar charts and interpreted the information. To finish the week, we completed a carousel of activities one of which was making our own pizza and cooking it in a pizza oven outside in the playground! We had lots of fun! Please take at look at our photos.
Library Visit
To develop our 'Love of Reading', Reception went on a local visit to Wick Road library. The librarians read us stories and we explored the children's area. It was lots of fun!
Term 3
This term we have been adapting the story of The Three Little Pigs in literacy and in maths we have been problem solving using the book '365 penguins', you should ask your children about that naughty Uncle Victor and his penguins!
We have also celebrated Bread Week; we made our own gingerbread men and made pizzas and cooked them on a pizza oven outside in the pencil playground!
Winter Celebrations
Our winter celebrations are well under way. Children enjoyed making fruit rockets and finding out about Guy Fawkes around our 'camp fire'. We wrapped up warm and drank hot chocolate.
Joyous singing can be heard around the school as each year group practise singing their Christmas songs. Reception children are working particularly hard rehearsing the songs in our nativity performance.
Term 2
We are already in full swing of Term 2 and children are very busy at school. Now each child has a reading book and should be regularly changing these when they come in to school. Children are reminded to do this each morning but if you are aware that your child has not been changing their reading book please let us know and we will ensure that it is changed.
Please find below resources we think you may find useful.
Please find below presentations from the beginning of the year.
Please find below, some recipes we have used in the classroom.
