Thank you so much to everyone who was able to make our ‘Dress to Express Parade’ today. We are so glad to have shared this with you. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

We have reached the end of term 5, just one more term together before the children move on to year 1. We cannot believe how quickly time has flown by. Time flies when you’re having fun! We will be spending time throughout term 6 preparing children for their upcoming transition. Once we have more information regarding this, we will be sharing it with you.

RWI

Our children are making fantastic strides in their reading and writing skills this term! Their enthusiasm and hard work have truly been commendable, and it’s wonderful to witness their progress.

As we approach the end of the term, please do take a moment to check your child's reading record for their Term 6 target. This is an excellent opportunity for you to support their learning at home. Engaging in regular reading sessions, discussing stories, and encouraging writing activities will greatly benefit their development.

If you have any questions about your child's target or need suggestions on how to help at home, please do not hesitate to ask your child's teacher. We are here to support you and ensure your child continues to flourish.

In our classroom, we are currently focusing on set 1 and 2 sounds, practising speedy reading, and tackling trickier words, including multi-syllabic ones. This practice not only enhances their reading fluency but also builds their confidence in writing.

Maths

This week we have been focusing on the concept of repeating patterns. As part of our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, we have been exploring how patterns can be created around shapes, including circles and squares.

We used templates and stickers of food inspired by “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” to create our own unique patterns. The children had a wonderful time selecting their favourite foods and arranging them in circles and squares. It was delightful to see their creativity flourish as they manipulated the items to form different types of patterns!

To recap, we have been learning about various patterns such as AB (e.g., apple, strawberry, apple, strawberry), ABC (e.g., pear, sausage, gherkin, pear, sausage, gherkin), and ABB (e.g., cupcake, ice cream, ice cream, cupcake, ice cream, ice cream). Each of these patterns helped the children develop their understanding of sequences and the rhythm of mathematics.

Thematic

This week, we have had an inspiring and educational time in our classroom, centred around the remarkable book Wangari's Trees. This poignant story follows Wangari Maathai, who leaves her lush hometown in Kenya only to return to a barren landscape due to deforestation. The tale highlights the significant issues caused by tree loss, including the displacement of animals and the disruption of ecosystems.

As part of our discussions, we explored the rich contrasts between Kenya and our own environment here in the UK. While we noted similarities, such as lakes and mountains, we also discovered the differences in wildlife and notable landmarks. This comparison has encouraged our children to appreciate the unique features of both regions while understanding the importance of preserving natural habitats.

In our lessons, we also learned about the different parts of trees, labelling them and discussing their essential roles in our environment. The children engaged enthusiastically, and it was wonderful to see them grasp the concept of deforestation's impact on the planet and the people living in it.

 

Next term our learning will be about dinosaurs. Your child’s love to learn book was sent home last week for their half term challenge.

Love to learn challenge: May Half Term

Our next topic will be ‘Dinosaurs’. We would like you to create something, it could be a piece of art, fact sheet or a model of a dinosaur. During our next topic, we will learn all about dinosaurs; the food they ate, where they lived, names of the different dinosaurs etc.

Please return your Love to Learn work by Wednesday 4^th June.  Your child will then be able to share their work with their friends in class.

Viking games

Our children had an absolutely fantastic time at the Viking Games held at RAPS. This was our very first experience of such an event, and I am delighted to report that our little ones were impeccably behaved, embodying the Chilton Way and representing our school with pride.

During the morning, the children participated in a variety of engaging activities, from team challenges to traditional games. It was wonderful to see them work together as great team players, showing not only their skills but also their enthusiasm and commitment to supporting one another.

Important messages

- Please ensure your child comes to school ready for the weather. As it has been hot, we will need sunhats and suncream (named and in bags).

-Please ensure your child comes to school with a water bottle.

-All clothing should have your child's name.

- Reading record books are changed every Tuesday and Friday, please sign the record and put them in the basket to be changed. 

Thank you very much for your continued support. Have a great half term break.

From the EYFS team.