Reception Class News 17/01/25

What a fantastic and busy week we've had in Reception Class!
From exploring new stories to discovering the wonders of the natural world in Forest School, we've had so much fun learning together and shining our lights.

Mathematical Development
This week, we focused on counting to ten using ten frames to scaffold our understanding of numbers. We explored cardinality (the number of items in a set) by using objects and different colored counters to represent the whole number in multiple ways. We practiced carefully counting out ten objects from a larger group, ensuring accuracy every time. We have loved seeing how numbers could be represented in different ways!

Physical Development
With Coach Gabriel, we explored the exciting sport of rugby! We practiced key skills like running sideways and intercepting, honing our coordination and teamwork. The highlight of the session was learning the "rock the baby and let go" throwing technique, which we picked up so well.

Literacy Development
Our superhero story focus continued this week with Juniper Jupiter and a similar example text, Joop and Nut. We loved singing along to the story song to familiarise ourselves with the rhyming pattern of the text. We explored the structure of the story, breaking it into four parts, and developed our comprehension by answering key questions about each section. In writing, we practiced sentence accuracy by using capital letters, finger spaces, neat letter formation, and full stops. By the end of the week, we were back in our writing groove, writing fantastic independent sentences. Fantastic effort, Reception Class!

Language and Communication
We had such an enjoyable time listening to a range of different superhero stories, including Dr. Ranj: a Superhero Like You. These stories sparked wonderful discussions about the many types of people who help us in our daily lives. We also talked about what we might like to do to help others when we grow up, from being firefighters to helping animals as vets.

Personal, Social, and Emotional Development
This week in HeartSmart, we focused on the importance and uniqueness of families. We explored this through 'The Big Book of Families', learning about all the different types of families in the world. During a fun parachute game, we shared facts about our families by running under the parachute when our family type was called out, such as "if you have a sibling" or "if you have a pet." It was a joyful way to learn more about each other and celebrate our families.
Boris reminded us, "Families are important to make us feel safe and loved."
Bible link: 'Do everything in love' 1 Corinthians 16:14

In our wellbeing session, we talked about what "important" means and shared the special things that are important to us. These included favorite teddies, family members, and toys given to us by someone we love. We ended the session with calming yoga poses to reflect and relax.

Expressive Arts and Design
In our music session, we started a brand new topic, "Everyone!" We listened to 'We Are Family' by Sister Sledge and discussed how it made us feel. We loved the upbeat tempo and said it made us want to dance. After identifying the instruments in the song, we talked about the singers and how they were all sisters, which tied in beautifully with our discussion about families. We ended the session singing action songs like 'Wind the Bobbin Up' and 'If You're Happy and You Know It', making sure to move our bodies and have fun while singing.

Understanding the World
This week's Forest School session with Mr Hadfield was filled with excitement as we explored nocturnal animals that live around Wybunbury, such as owls. We examined an owl pellet and were amazed to discover five tiny baby mice skulls inside it! Working in teams, we created minibeast homes in small containers and went hunting for bugs to feed owls. Among our discoveries were worms, snails, and woodlice. The session ended with our favourite activity, delicious toasted marshmallows by the campfire. What a perfect Wednesday morning!

In RE, we continued to answer our big question: What is prayer? We explored how people of faith communicate with God, comparing it to ways we communicate with each other, like letters, text messages, and phone calls. We discussed who prays, where and when they pray, and what they might say. For our activity, we created beautiful collages of the things we're thankful for, using magazine clippings and drawings. The children's gratitude for everything from family and animals to treats and beaches was heartwarming to see.

What a wonderful week it has been, Reception Class! You continue to shine in your learning, and we couldn't be prouder of all your hard work and enthusiasm. Have a restful weekend, and we can't wait to see what next week brings!