Saturday, 15 May 2010

This week's newsletter...well done to our Superstars Rebecca Musson and Jessica Richardson!

FOUNDATION STAGE NEWSLETTER
NEWS ROUND-UP
The Pirates have landed in Reception – along with some fabulous dressing up clothes: hats, cutlasses, eye patches and sparkly dresses for our damsels in distress! The children have taken part in a treasure hunt using their reading skills to read and follow clues and are showing as much enthusiasm for pirates as they did dinosaurs!BLOGSPOT
We know that we have one follower already for our Reception blog – thank you! Please join them... We are adding to it on a regular basis, so please do have a look at what your child has been up to this week. http://robinhoodfoundationstage.blogspot.com/.
Numeracy this week:
We have looked at symmetry and the children have learned that a line of symmetry divides something into two halves so that both sides look the same. Thank you for looking at symmetry with your children over the weekend - they were able to explain their ideas well. We have been developing our ICT skills making symmetrical patterns using the Softease programme.
Next week:
We will be starting to look at measuring length, comparing height directly to identify the tallest/longest and the shortest. We will then be using non standard measures – e.g. strides, hands, lengths of string – before beginning to compare lengths/ heights of two or more objects using a ruler.
Help us by:-
A family investigation…
Find out who is the tallest and who is the shortest member of your family – you can include grandma, granddad, aunts and uncles too – whomever you can find!
Literacy this week:
We have created our own treasure maps complete with authentic tea staining! The children have drawn their map using a key, thinking carefully about the perilous areas which might surround (and protect) the treasure! This week, we have learned how to use the stapler to help us make a booklet and developed our scissor skills in creating the flaps for lifting..
Next week:
We will be receiving a variety of messages from our friend Pirate Jack as he travels around the world. The children will be locating his destination on a map and developing our geographical awareness as we look at the landscapes, climate and animals in each place. We will be following his journey on a daily basis and replying to his messages.
Help us by:-
Continuing to read at home – 3 or 4 times a week really does impact very quickly on your child’s reading.
Topic this week:
As you can see on the blog, the children have been painting their own pirate characters. Mrs Friar has helped the children create a fabulous tropical treasure island using mod roc. Finally, the children have designed and made their own boats out of box modelling materials with the additional challenges of choosing waterproof materials and making a boat that will float!
Next week:
We will be using charcoal and chalks to draw our pirate ships. The children will make comparisons about the different places Captain Jack travels to using photographs to develop their ideas and think about the type of weather and clothing that would be most suitable for each place.
Help us by:-
Either have a look at a real-life map of some kind – shopping centre, theme park, road or world map, asking them to tell you what they can see on the map OR draw a map of your street or a room in your house etc.
Our handwriting is a key area for improvement this half term, so your support with that at home would be very much appreciated. This week we will be consolidating our practise of the ‘curly caterpillar’ letters [c o a d g] and will begin to look at the ‘long ladders’ [l i t u j h]. All of these letters MUST start at the top… Please encourage your children to write these letters for you at home and insist they do so correctly. 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.
•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
Rebecca Musson for amazing us with her mathematical knowledge
Jessica Richardson for her super speedy reading!

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