We’re Going on a Bear Hunt!
We’ve had a great week this week using our focus book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury.
We’ve made beds for the bear in the workshop area, cut bears out in the funky fingers area and written messages to the bear in the message centre. But the most exciting part of our week was definitely when we went on our very own bear hunt. We listened for lots of different noises on our sound walk: we heard, children talking, birds tweeting, leaves crunching and finally we found a bear!
Our word of the week has been squelch the children have really enjoyed using this during their learning.
“I am squelching in the mud!”
“Mrs Rippon made the paint squelch, it was a funny noise!”
Poetry Picnic
This week our poem was Falling Apples
Here is the tree with its leaves so green.
Here are the apples that hang between.
When the wind blows, the apples will fall.
And this is the basket to catch them all.
Phonics
This week, we have learnt the phonemes (the sounds a letter makes) g, o, c and k. We’ve also learnt a new tricky word; is.
During our phonics learning, we listened carefully to the initial sound in a word and sorted objects by the sounds they begin with.
Help at home: Look out for a ‘learn at home’ sheet which recaps the phonics learning from the week. Please look at this with your child and complete the activities.
Maths
This week, we have explored how numbers can be composed of 1s.
We have will learnt that a ‘whole’ is made up of smaller parts and is, therefore, bigger than its parts.
The classroom Challenges this week have been
- to write a message to the bear.
- to cut out the bears.
- to make a bed for the bear.
- to sort the materials wood, plastic and paper.
- to go on a bear hunt.
- to make a collection of up to 3 items and use the stem sentence 1 and 1 and 1 makes 3.
Next week our focus book is Henri’s Scissors by Jenette Winter.
Reminders and Notices
Stay and learn session
Our first stay and learn session will be on Wednesday 9th October 9am-10am. This is an opportunity for you to come into school to find out about phonics and watch your child learning in school. There will also be a coffee morning after the session.
Please ensure you sign up at the door before Tuesday 8th October or email stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org
Have a happy and healthy weekend and please don’t forget to email any pictures from home to stjames@spherefederation.org thank you as always for your support.
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon and Miss. Feldman and Mr. Smith.
The Everywhere Bear
This week we have had great fun with our focus book The Everywhere Bear by Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb.
In the story the Everywhere Bear goes on lots of adventures with the children and a huge journey when he gets lost! We added actions to help us to remember the ten different place he went, this helped us to remember and say them all. Great work reception!
Our word of the week has been journey the children have really enjoyed using this during their learning. We also created maps to show some of the journey’s we go on.
“On my journey to school I go past the Bob shop.”
“I found a conker on my journey today.”
Poetry Picnic
This week our poem was Breezy Weather
Breezy weather. Freezy weather.
When the leaves fall, we all fall together.
Breezy weather. Freezy weather.
When the wind blows, we huddle together.
The classroom Challenges this week have been
- to write a message to the Everywhere Bear.
- to cut along the lines.
- to join two materials together.
- to make a map of a journey.
- To use the investigation station to explore the garden.
- to use the images to say what you can see and how you can see it.
Phonics
This week, we have learnt the phonemes (the sounds a letter makes) i,n,m and d.
During our phonics learning, we listened carefully to the initial sound in a word and sorted objects by the sounds they begin with.
Help at home: Look out for a ‘learn at home’ sheet which recaps the phonics learning from the week. Please look at this with your child and complete the activities.
Next week our focus book is We’re Going On a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury.
Reminders and Notices
Stay and learn session
This is an opportunity for you to come into school to find out about the Early Years Curriculum and watch your child learning in school.
Phonics Phase 2 and coffee morning – 09.10.24 9am-10am
PE– Is on Monday please send your child to school wearing their PE kit and trainers they can fasten themselves.
Sharing Books– Please can these be returned on Thursday for the children to pick a new one.
Family Photo-please can I remind you to send in a photo of your child with their family so we can add them to our class display. You can in a copy of your photo or email it to:
stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org
Have a happy and healthy weekend and please don’t forget to email any pictures from home to stjames@spherefederation.org thank you as always for your support.
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon and Miss. Feldman and Mr. Smith.
The importance of attendance
What did you do today? ‘We just played’…is the answer many parents of Reception children get. But here’s just a few of the things your child would miss if they’re absent for five consecutive days.
Phonics: Children learn four new graphemes and three tricky words each week.
Reading: Children practise reading books that closely match their phonics, plus loads of stories are read aloud and celebrated. We visit the school library once a week to choose a book to take home.
Poetry picnic: There’s a poetry session every day –another valuable activity which helps children learn to read.
Writing: We write every day using the graphemes that we’ve learned.
Handwriting: Children learn how to form letters correctly, otherwise joining letters will be difficult in Key Stage 1.
Maths: We’ve four maths sessions a week, setting the foundations for children to be successful in using and applying numbers in the future.
Alongside all of this, children learn Science, Music and other subjects. Even more importantly, children learn to concentrate in a large group, to share resources, take turns when speaking, answer in full sentences, regulate our feelings and prepare ourselves for future learning.
There’s a lot happening when ‘we just play’!
‘Welcome to Reception’ meeting
Thank you to those parents/carers who were able to attend our ‘Welcome to Reception’ presentation on Wednesday evening. I hope you found it informative.
If you were unable to attend or would like to re-visit the subjects we discussed, please click here to be taken to a PDF version of the slides used in the presentation
The Great Big Book of Families
We’ve had a busy week using our focus book The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman and Ros Asquith.
We’ve talked about how all families are different and special and made pictures of our families using pebbles.
Our word of the week was family the children have really enjoyed using this during their learning.
“My family live is a flat, it is just me and my dad.”
“My family has lots of people and I even have a dog!”
Poetry Picnic
This week our poem was Chop Chop.
Chop, Chop, Choppity Chop.
Cut off the bottom and cut off the top.
What there is left, we put in the pot.
Chop, Chop, Choppity Chop.
This week we have introduce the classroom Challenges, these are activities the children need to complete during their time in our areas of provision over the course of the week. This week they have been
- to write a message to someone in your family.
- to thread the beads onto the lace.
- to use the pebbles to make a pebble picture of your family.
- to draw around a friend and fill it with nature.
Phonics
This week, we have learnt the phonemes (the sounds a letter makes) s,a,t and p.
During our phonics learning, we listened carefully to the initial sound in a word and sorted objects by the sounds they begin with.
Help at home: Look out for a ‘learn at home’ sheet which recaps the phonics learning from the week. Please look at this with your child and complete the activities.
Next week our focus book is The Everywhere Bear by Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb.
Reminders and Notices
PE– Is on Monday please send your child to school wearing their PE kit and trainers they can fasten themselves.
Sharing Books– Sharing books were sent home last week. Please can these be returned on Thursday for the children to pick a new one.
Family Photo-please can I remind you to send in a photo of your child with their family so we can add them to our class display. You can in a copy of your photo or email it to:
stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org
Have a happy and healthy weekend and please don’t forget to email any pictures from home to stjames@spherefederation.org thank you as always for your support.
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon and Miss. Feldman and Mr. Smith.
Starting School
We have welcomed all the children into class this week and we are so proud of how everyone is settling in, getting to know their new classroom and making new friends.
PE Day
PE will start on Monday 16th September. Please send your child to school in their PE kit every Monday. ( plain white t-shirt, navy blue shorts, school jumper and trainers they can fasten themselves.)
Bags, Wellies and Spare Clothes
Don’t forget to bring in your school wellies and a draw string or small bag of spare cloths/underwear to keep in school. Thank you to the parents and carers who have already provided these.
Family Photo
We will soon be talking and learning about different families. Next week we will introduce out first focus book The Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman and Ros Asquith. To support our learning, please send in a photo of your child with their family. You can in a copy of your photo or email it to:
stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org
Dates for your diary
This year we will be offering various opportunities for you to find out more about Early Years at school.
There will be after school meetings with your child’s teacher.
There’ll be stay and learn sessions where you can come into school and be part of a lesson and then find out how you can help at home.
Then, opportunities to pop into school to share your child’s learning journey book with them.
We hope that you can join us for as many of these sessions as possible.
Welcome to Reception
An invitation to this event was emailed to you back in July but here is a reminder.
Come into school to find out some basic “need to knows” about life in Reception.
18.09.24 – 6pm – 6.30pm
Stay and learn sessions
This is an opportunity for you to come into school to find out about the Early Years Curriculum and watch your child learning in school.
Phonics Phase 2 and coffee morning – 09.10.24 9am-10am
Number 1 – 13.11.24 2.20-3pm
Phonics Phase 3 – 14.01.25 2.20-3pm
Fine Motor and coffee morning – 03.02.25 9am-10am
World Book Day- 06.03.24 9am-10am
Number 2 – 18.03.25 2.20-3pm
Learning Journey Drop In’s
An opportunity to “drop into” school and share your child’s learning journal with them.
Learning Journey Drop in 1 – 03.12.24 and 05.12.24 Times – 8.45 am-9.15am and 3.15pm-3.45pm
Learning Journey drop in 2 – 28.03.25 and 01.04.25 Times – 8.45 am-9.15am and 3.15pm-3.45pm
Learning Journey drop in 3– 08.07.25 and 10.07.25 Times – 8.45 am-9.15am and 3.15pm-3.45pm
Please note that a paper copy of these dates will also be sent home this week.
Have a happy and healthy weekend.
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon, Miss. Feldman and Mr. Smith
Our new sensory space; The Den
Over the summer, Mrs Freeman has been busy creating a sensory themed room in school.
The Den is a safe space which aims to provide any child with the individualised sensory input they need to self-regulate so they can be better prepared for learning and interacting with others.
The Den offers a safe space for relaxation, exploration, independence, and social sessions. The resources in The Den can be used to stimulate, soothe, entertain and distract, depending on the child’s requirements.
We would like to say thank you to the school PTA for the contributions towards resources for this room.
We hope users of The Den benefit from the stimulating visual and tactile activities.
Welcome to Reception
We’ve been busy over the summer holidays washing all the teddies and toys so we’re ready for when you start ‘big school!’
Your classroom is all ready and set up and we’re looking forward to lots of learning, making new friends and having fun!
If you need to get in contact with a member of the team please use our dedicated email: stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org
We’re looking forward to the year ahead, getting to know you and your children.
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon, Miss. Feldman and Mr. Smith
Teddy Bears Picnic
We had a fun filled day when our teddy bears came to school for the day. They sat beautifully with us on the carpet and as we did the register and they even joined in for reading practice. Our reading team teachers were so impressed with them all!
In the afternoon we went out onto the big field and had a lovely picnic with sandwiches, cucumber and carrots and a few crisps it was so much fun!
“This is the best day ever!”
“My teddy really likes school!”
The Fish Who Could Wish
This week our focus book was The Fish Who Could Wish by John Bush and Korky Paul.
The children have enjoyed talking about the things they would wish for if they were special like the fish.
“I would wish for a new bike.”
“I would wish for a swimming pool.”
“I would wish for lots of friends.”
Our word of the week was Unique the children have really enjoyed using this during their learning.
“I am unique because nobody has hair like me.”
“I am unique because I have legs like this.”
Poetry Picnic
This week our poem was Dance by Nancy White Carlstrom (good luck with the actions!)
Do a dance says one foot.
Other foot says let’s jiggle.
Hands say clap, slappity slap.
And all of me says wriggle.
Help at home: can you teach our poem of the week to your family, don’t forget to include the actions?
The classroom Challenges this week have been
- to write a message to the fish who could wish.
- to sort the pictures into morning activities and night time activities.
- to draw and label a fish.
- to paint a self portrait.
Move Up Day Fun
The children had a great time when they went to visit their new classroom and teachers. Miss Bye and Mrs Palmer as really looking forward to getting to know ‘the best class in the school’ in September.
Nell Bank
What an amazing, but slightly wet day we had when we went on our school trip to Nell Bank, the children were so fantastic and showed great resilience. During the day we listened to a story called Tidy about Pete the Badger who likes everything in the forest to be neat and tidy. We went on a walk and found some rubbish that we sorted it into things that can be recycled and things that can’t. We crawled through some badger tunnels, had our lunch, (the highlight of the day!) went looking for minibeast and then made a home for a baby badger. It really was a jam packed day out!
Reminders and Notices
Please can you send your child to school with a sun hat and sun cream already applied.
Waste Innovation– Please don’t forget to send in any donations for us to be creative.
Have a happy and healthy week and please don’t forget to email any pictures from home to stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org thank you as always for your support.
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon and Miss. Feldman.