FOUNDATION STAGE NEWSLETTER
NEWS ROUND-UP
This week we have rounded off our Dinosaur topic by sharing our research about extinction. We have developed our ICT skills by opening, minimising and watching video clips which have sparked off discussions and debates about the different theories! We have been keeping an eye on our eggs in the incubator; we are all waiting for the emergence of the chicks…. A big thank you to Mr Reynolds for taking care of them over the bank holiday weekend.
BLOGSPOT
We hope you had chance to look at our new Reception blog. This is a fantastic way for us to share information and our experiences with you. You can access it at http://robinhoodfoundationstage.blogspot.com/. Please do!
Numeracy this week:
We have focused on 3D shapes (cone, pyramid, cuboid, cube, sphere and cylinder) using mathematical language to describe the shapes, talking about corners, faces, sides. We have also made our own 3D shapes from play dough and made box models with a variety of different shapes.
Literacy this week:
We have created a movie about the extinction of the dinosaurs which we are keen to share with you – tune into the blogspot to hear it. We have also been reading and writing silly sentences, just to make us laugh.. your children are very funny and had plenty of fabulous ideas – some posted on the blog… Post some comments and let us know what you think!
Topic this week:
We have found the best ways to ‘rescue’ our dinosaurs from blocks of ice – the children found very insightful ways to melt the ice quickly, including using the sunshine, pouring on warm water and breaking into smaller pieces (aka smashing!) We have also made our own dinosaur puppets, working out how to make a body part move using split pins. Scissor skills will be an ongoing focus.
Next week in Numeracy:
We will be printing with our 3D shapes, looking for similarities between these and 2D shapes and talking about these. We will also start looking a symmetry- looking at flat shapes to see how we can divide them to make each side a mirror image of each other.
Help us by keeping up the counting work – find opportunities to count, to add and take away practically.. Basing a 5 minute ‘mental maths workout’ around a packet of sweets (or raisins!) makes it interesting…
Next week in Literacy
We will be developing our understanding of pirates by looking at some notorious fictional characters and role playing some pirate adventures. We will be drawing and labelling our own pirate island map, and reading clues to find hidden treasures in and around school…
Help us by continuing to read at home – 3 or 4 times a week really does impact very quickly on your child’s reading.
Next week in Topic
The Pirates will land in Reception!
Highlights will include making our own pirate ship, hunting for treasure using a metal detector, recording secret messages for our partners to follow and find the treasure, making flags etc. etc.
Help us by cutting and sticking – many of the children are underdeveloped in their use and control of scissors.. Get a catalogue, some plain paper and a glue stick and watch them go!
Our handwriting is a key area for improvement this half term, so your support with that at home would be very much appreciated. Many of the children are forming the ‘o’ incorrectly, as they begin at the bottom and travel clockwise, which presents many problems later on. This week (and next) we are concentrating on the letters ‘a’, ‘d’ and introducing ‘g’. Please encourage your children to write these letters for you at home and insist they do so correctly, starting each of these letters at the top right, and moving anti-clockwise around the circle…Practise ‘little and often’ really works with this small but important aspect of writing. If your child will not write at home, please encourage drawing, colouring, cutting out, gluing etc – it all improves muscle control in the hands and handwriting in the long run… If you would like more advice, please let us know. Thanks for you support.
REMINDERS
BOX MODELLING – is a big focus this half term. Thank you for all your boxes, cartons and newspaper so far……please continue to send them in..
PARENTS/CARERS – All children are asked to change their books during school time on a weekly basis. Please feel free to come back into class to change books more frequently should you wish to do so.
WEEKLY SUPERSTARS
Joseph Ross for his amazing progress in Numeracy
Emily Thomas for sharing her ICT skills with her peers
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