What a busy and exciting week we have had in Acorn Class! 

In phonics, we have begun our very first steps into phonics learning. The children have been playing lots of fun listening games, where they guessed which item or animal was making the sound. We have also enjoyed using body percussion, copying and repeating different rhythms. The children listened carefully to sounds in our local area and talked about the different noises they could hear. We also explored real objects, such as keys and crisp packets, describing the sounds they make and coming up with words to explain them.

In maths, we have been practising our counting through songs and rhymes. We sang Five Little Ducks, Five Speckled Frogs, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Once I Caught a Fish Alive. The children showed numbers up to 10 on their fingers and are starting to become more confident with number order through these fun activities.

In PE, we played some introduction games such as Copy Cat, where the children copied each other’s movements. They also developed their motor skills and coordination by moving around the hall as different animals and joining in with the Bean Game. These games really helped us to get active while also practising listening and responding carefully.

This week was extra special as we went on a tour of the school. The children visited different classrooms, Mrs Duncombe’s office, and the Reception area that they hadn’t seen before. They enjoyed asking some of the older children questions and learning more about school life. We also had our first library visit, where the children looked at a wonderful selection of books. From next week, they will be able to take home a book to borrow, and if it is returned the following week, they will be able to swap it for a new one.

On Friday, the children joined the whole school for their very first assembly. They listened carefully to hear which children had made it into the Golden Book and discovered who our Star of the Week was. They were very sensible and it was lovely to see them being part of this important weekly celebration.

We also introduced our Special Helper this week. Each day one child is chosen for different reasons, such as excellent tidying, great learning in class, or being especially kind and helpful. The Special Helper gets to sit in the Special Helper chair, lead the line, and take on other important classroom jobs. The children have been very excited about this new role!

Star of the week: Congratulations to Sara, who is our star of the week, for trusting the adult in the class and for becoming much more confident. Sara 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.

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. If you have any concerns or issue to discuss before year 1 please email: willow@st-barnabas.kent.sch.uk

It has been such a positive week, and we are really proud of how well the children are settling into school life.