Red - Reception
Red Class Autumn 2 newsletter
This half-term our topic is Celebrations! We are going to be learning all about different celebrations around the world and each week we will focus on a different celebration! We will also be taking part in the Nativity performance in December.
Literacy and Maths
Communication and language: This half-term we will be focusing on sharing our ideas and talking through ways to solve a problem. We will also be exploring how important it is to listen carefully to each other. We will be looking at what a good listener does (gives full attention, eye contact etc) and how listening to others can help us in our learning both inside and outside the classroom.
Phonics: The children have completed their phase 2 phonics sounds and will be moving into phase 3, which focusses on digraphs (two letters that make one sound). The children will be using their knowledge of digraphs in their reading and writing.
Literacy: We will be focusing on poetry for the first 3 weeks by looking at visual poems and describing words. The children will be learning how to write and recognise lists, so they can create their own letter to Father Christmas.
Maths: This half-term we will be learning about 2D shapes in our environment, the properties of 2D shapes and how to use 2D shapes to make pictures. We will continue to explore numbers to 5 by counting, writing and ordering these numbers. We will be using Numicon to help with this, to develop our number sense.
The wider curriculum
Understanding the world: Throughout this topic we will look at, discuss and celebrate the similarities and differences between celebrations in different cultures and religions. We will look at the history and stories of all the different celebrations in our topic. We will continue to look at the different seasons by exploring Autumn in our Forest School activities. We will talk a lot about animals who hibernate and how we can help.
Expressive Arts and Design: Our main focus in our creative work this half term is learning how to mold and manipulate different materials to create something new. We will be using clay to design and create our own Diwali lamps and we will also be using the junk modelling (cardboard boxes, yoghurt pots etc) to create our own firework rockets. We are going to be learning lots of songs and dances for our Christmas Nativity too!
Personal, Social and Emotional Development: We will be looking at how to become effective learners by breaking down each characteristic of learning in the EYFS development matters. Can we ask lots of questions like Mr Nosey? Can we challenge ourselves in our learning like Mr Brave?
Physical development: Children will be focussing on their spatial awareness and fundamental skills with Mr Stephenson and will be focusing on developing our core strength and upper body strength with Mrs Probert in gymnastics.
Additional information
PE - our PE days will be on Wednesday and Friday. Can children please come into school on those days in their PE kits? On Wednesday it will be our outdoor PE session with Mr Stephenson, so children will need to come in their trainers and joggers in the colder weather. On Friday it will be gymnastics, so children will need shorts and pumps.
Forest School - Our Forest School morning for this half-term will be on a Thursday. As the weather is getting colder, we ask that children come to Forest School in warm jumpers, trousers, (waterproof overalls - if you have any at home), a warm coat (with a hood), warm socks, hat, scarf and gloves. Wellington boots are essential for Forest School days. You can leave a pair of wellington boots in our outdoor area, so children can have access to them on rainy days too. We also ask that your child brings a change of clothes in case they get wet or muddy and want to change so that they are more comfortable.
Junk modelling please: If anyone has junk modelling materials at home (such as plastic bottles, bottle lids, cardboard tubes, cardboard boxes etc) Red Class would really appreciate them being brought into school for this half-term.
Dates for your diary
Monday November 13th Children’s Flu Vaccinations
Friday 17th November Children in Need children to bring £1 and wear their own clothes
Friday 1st December Height, weight and hearing checks for children in Reception
Tuesday 5th December R and KS1 nativity 9.30 am and 5pm at school
Tuesday 12th December Christmas Carol Service 2pm Year 3- 6 St Marys Church
Thursday 14th December Christmas jumper and Christmas dinner day
Tuesday 19th December Christmas craft morning whole school 9 – 10am parents, carers
welcomed into classes
Thursday 21st December end of the autumn term
Friday 22nd December Inset day (school closed to children)
Red Class Forest School
This half-term the children loved exploring our Forest School area on our school field. They have taken part in craft activities, finding animals and building dens.
Red Class Autumn 1 newsletter
Welcome to Red Class! We will be starting with an "All about me topic" which will allow pupils lots of opportunities to talk about themselves and their families. We will be encouraging children to talk about their families, their house, their religion and their heritage.
Literacy and Maths
Once the children have settled in after the first two weeks we will begin our more structured whole class lessons.
As part of our communication and language we will be asking the children to make an "All about me" box. The children will be given the opportunity to talk about their box with the other children in their class and during this time we will explore how important listening to others is. In our literacy we will be looking at rhythm and rhyme and changing the words of familiar nursery rhymes to make them into silly rhymes! We will be focusing on Phase 2 sounds in our phonics lessons. We will be doing lots of work on hearing initial sounds in words and beginning to blend sounds together in simple words. We will also be learning how to retell different stories to others.
In our maths we are going to be really exploring our number sense this half-term. Can we count to10? Can we read the numerals to 10? Can we match a quantity of objects to a numeral? Can we subitise numbers to 5? Do we know the composition of each number? Number formation is also going to be a focus, and we will be sending home some fun rhymes to help you support your child with this at home. We will also be spending some time exploring and naming different 2D shapes.
The wider curriculum
Understanding the world: We will discuss and celebrate the similarities and differences between all the different pupils in our class. We will be looking at, smelling, feeling and tasting lots of different fruits and vegetables during our Harvest festival.
Expressive Arts and Design: Our main focus in our creative work this half-term is learning how to draw simple representations of people. We will be talking about and drawing our families as well as looking closely at ourselves to paint self-portraits. We will be encouraging children to choose appropriate colours when colouring in and painting people. It would be great if you could encourage this at home too! Our role play area this half-term is a home corner.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Our main priority this half-term is ensuring that all pupils settle happily into school life. We will be playing lots of ‘getting to know you’ games to help children develop the confidence to speak about themselves and to develop new friendships. We will be introducing children to our important school rules and ensuring that they become familiar with our school routines.
Physical development: Children will begin their PE lessons with our sports coach Mr Stephenson this half-term. We will be encouraging children to develop independent dressing skills and put their PE kits on at home all by themselves.
Additional information
Our PE days will be on Wednesday and Friday. Can children please come into school on those days in their PE kits? On Wednesday it will be our outdoor PE session with Mr Stephenson, so children will need to come in their trainers and joggers in the colder weather. On Friday it will be gymnastics, so children will need shorts and pumps.
Forest School - Our Forest School afternoon for this half-term will be on a Thursday afternoon. Can children please come into school in weather appropriate clothing?
We will be starting to send home our class teddy bear from Week 2 (name to still be confirmed as it is chosen by the children) to spend a weekend at someone’s home.
As part of our "All about me" topic we will be asking the children to bring in an all about me box from home. This can contain photographs, special objects and special memories. We will send out a letter about this during the second week.
Dates for your diary
Sensory Bus visit: 14th September
Meet the teacher: TBC