Reception M & W 2023 - 2024

Miss Millington

Reception Teacher

Miss Woodcock

Reception Newsletter June 2024

Miss Millington reception class teacher (RM) and EYFS coordinator

Miss Woodcock reception class teacher

Mrs Landell reception teaching assistant RM

Miss Ward reception teaching assistant RB

Miss Dunlop and Miss Nicholson Supporting teachers

Welcome to Summer 2!

It’s hard to believe we are now in the final half term of the academic school year!

The children have worked extremely hard to get to this point as have the staff and we would also like to say a big thanks to all our parents and carers for your continued support!

During this final half term Reception’s topic is Our Universe and on Mondays we will investigate under the topic of Eco Warriors

During this topic we will be supporting the children to re-think about the place in which we live and the way we live our daily lives and the impact this can have on our planet. They will explore the three R’s reduce, re-use, recycle and will be encouraged to become Eco warriors themselves litter picking around school and taking on roles that will each help to save the planet. In addition to exploring the changes we have seen our planet go through, the children will also look a lot closer to home and review their year in Reception and the progress they have made. During our whole school transition days, they will begin to prepare for their next phase in learning, familiarising with the change in environment (their new class) and their new teachers. There will be an opportunity for you to come and celebrate your child’s achievement in EYFS on their Graduation morning on Tuesday 23rd July from 9am.

Literacy

During our literacy lessons this half term we will begin with the text ‘Odd fish’ by Naomi and James Jones which is all about a plastic bottle in the ocean which confuses the other fish. This links nicely to our ‘Universe’ topic and supports children's awareness of litter and pollution and the damage it can cause.

Our second text ‘If sharks disappeared’ by Lily James is a new book from our ‘Fantastic foundations’ spine and will also support children's knowledge and understanding around looking after our planet and builds on previous learning around endangered animals from our last topic. Through both of these texts and the consolidation of phase 4 phonics (as seen below) we are aiming to get the children to meet the Literacy Early Learning Goal (ELG) which includes them being able to discuss stories they have read in detail. Apply their phonics to read simple sentences within books independently and write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others with most letters correctly formed.

Phonics

Maths

This half term we are transitioning into the whole school scheme ‘Maths no problem’ to support children’s move into year 1. During this half term they will consolidate their understanding of numbers to 10 by exploring composition and patterns of numbers including odds and evens, double facts and sharing. They will also revisit shape, space and measure revisiting volume and capacity, 2d and 3d shapes, time and money. A copy of the term overview can be seen in the files below.

A few quick reminders...

Each week each class awards 2 pupils the 'Star of the week' certificate and our Characteristics of effective learning certificate. Children who receive the star of the week certificate are mentioned on the school’s weekly newsletter. The certificates will be given out to the pupils in the closest celebration assembly which is held in the studio at 9am so keep an eye out for this term’s dates in the newsletters. If your child has been awarded a certificate you are welcome to come to the celebration assembly to see them receive it and we will also get a text sent out to remind you of this. Please remember that the final assembly is open to all parents to come and celebrate the children's work and achievements over the half term!

Homework: We would just like to remind you about homework. We appreciate that life is busy but helping your child at home is vital for their learning. Each Friday, your child will be sent home with a book for enjoyment that they have chosen. There will also be some literacy/ phonics and maths homework. Please ensure that the homework bag is returned by the following Thursday morning. The homework is designed to be no more than ten minutes long, but it is good for the children to revisit the concepts of the maths and literacy we send home. They will also be allocated an e-book that they have been reading in their ‘reading practice’ groups in school - this is for them to try and read to you and answer questions, you will have received a letter informing you of the log in details you need.

Reading books – please make sure you listen to your child read each night. Talk about the pictures, help the children to read the words that are in the book and please make comments in the reading log.

Phonics - please practise the letters/words that are sent home on the little wandle phonics sheet, this is really helping the children develop their phonics skills and decoding words when reading. It is also important to keep practising the reading book you have on the Collins reading app. We read three times a week with your child and you are then given the book to practise the following week.

Maths – there is also maths homework each week which reflects the work we have done in school during the week. Please complete that as this re-enforces the learning that is taking place in school.

Attendance and Punctuality – if your child is not in school on time or off school altogether, they miss out on so much learning – please make sure your child is in school, on time, every day.

Drop off and pick up- Please enter by the Myrtle Street entrance and walk your child onto the EYFS playground. Gates open at 8:40am and and pick up will be at 3:10pm.

Outdoor play- please make sure your child has suitable clothing, waterproof coat, wellies, sunhat, gloves, etc. We go outside every day rain or shine.

P.E- Will be run by city in the community on a Wednesday afternoon. Children do not need to come to school in a P.E kit however please make sure they have suitable footwear on that day.

Rainbow Challenge - In Reception a key priority is for us to support children to become independent, confident and resilient learners. We consciously spend the first weeks building positive relationships and creating a fun and safe space that the children both enjoy and feel comfortable in. Continuing on from nursery they will be encouraged to display independence and take ownership over their learning through the use of the ‘Rainbow Challenge’. For those pupils and parents who are new to school the ‘Rainbow challenge’ is used by the children during their ‘continuous provision time or extended learning’ which occurs after adult input lessons. The classroom is broken up into areas such as construction, roleplay or reading and each represents a different colour of the rainbow. Children are encouraged to explore their whole environment throughout the week and in doing so gain a coloured lollipop stick for each area they have engaged with. If they complete the Rainbow they are rewarded with a sticker at the end of the week.

Please remember to put names in all clothes, shoes, bags, lunch boxes, etc.

Other useful websites-

For phonics support see:

Phase 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zVmn8APPzE&list=PLetiKvWftA5sAktFI03wtvxNrmHFlGK2n

Phase 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf3Pa3VVGJs&list=PLetiKvWftA5vy3w2uzkQT0rqnEVD0GJzV

Formation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCKu-m-8czk&list=PLBylnf4b6qQvsCziWw816PVJ7ye7ef9gO

https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/

Interactive learning games

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?Subject=37&AgeGroup=1