Wow, what a busy and exciting week we’ve had in Reception! Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to:

Phonics

This week, we recapped the digraphs qu and ch, practising writing these sounds and words containing them. We also learnt the tricky words we and me. The children enjoyed practising writing these on their whiteboards and blending them into sentences. We even had a go at writing our own sentences using these words.

Maths

In maths, we continued exploring the idea of comparing groups of objects. We practised spotting when someone has more or fewer of the same kind of items and used the phrase an equal number to describe when two sets have the same amount. We also worked on our counting skills, counting aloud confidently as a group.

RE

Our RE lessons continued with the topic of Incarnation. We discussed rules – just like we have in school. We learnt that Jesus also had rules known as commandments. We watched a video about loving one another and explored the “Golden Rule” that Jesus taught his followers: “Do for others what you want them to do for you.”

The words of the Golden Rule were hidden around the room on golden paper. The children excitedly hunted for the words, pieced them together, and then we discussed its meaning. We talked about how we would like others to help us when we’re sad, struggling with our work, or have lost something – and how we can do the same for others.

Expressive Arts and Design

We were inspired by the artwork of George Seurat this week! We learnt about pointillism, a technique where small dots of colour are used to create a picture. Using dinosaur templates, the children recreated his style by painting their dinosaurs with their fingers. The results were fantastic, and the children loved exploring this new technique!

Drawing Club

In Drawing Club, we explored a non-fiction dinosaur book. We discussed the difference between fiction and non-fiction, learning that non-fiction books contain facts. The children then created their own dinosaur fact files! They chose a dinosaur, wrote down facts such as whether it was a herbivore or carnivore, and how big it was. They also drew a picture of their chosen dinosaur and wrote its name – a great way to combine creativity with learning new information.

Amelia Trip

The highlight of the week was definitely our trip to The Amelia! The children enjoyed a session on dinosaurs and fossils, learning about where dinosaurs came from, different types of dinosaurs, and even getting to touch real fossils! We discussed how fossils were made and explored the museum, searching for clues and discovering even more fossils. It was a fantastic hands-on learning experience, and the children were buzzing with excitement!

A huge thank you to the parents who joined us on the trip. Your help and support made the day run smoothly, and the children loved having you there to share in the excitement. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Drama Geezers and Saving the Planet

We were also thrilled to have a visit from the Drama Geezers. They read a story about saving the planet, and we acted it out together. Following this session, we discussed why it’s so important to recycle and reuse items instead of just throwing them away.

Using donated plastic bottles, the children painted and created water catchers! We plan to use these water catchers to help us water our plants or for other exciting activities. It was wonderful to see the children so engaged in learning about sustainability and being creative at the same time.

Thank you to all the parents who contributed plastic bottles and to those who continue to support our learning journey. It’s been another action-packed week full of exploration, creativity, and fun!

Welcome Wednesday is every week from 8:30–9:00am—come into the classroom to read with your child or see what they have been learning!

Star of the week: Congratulations to Sophia, who is our star of the week, for always contributing fantastic ideas during lesson and on our trip this term. Sophia will be taking home her certificate and Wilfred the Elephant to write in the book all about her time spent with Wilfred over the next week and will bring him back next Thursday.

Please remember to read with your child, even for just 5 minutes! Please do also remember to record it in the reading record. We will only change your child's book if you have read with them 2 or more times in that week! Please remember to have the library book in your children's book bag on Thursday to be changed. 

Any issues or concerns we need to know about, please speak to the Acorn team before and after school or email at: acorn@st-barnabas.kent.sch.uk

Have a lovely half-term!