Weekly News! 11.09.26
What a super week we have had in Reception! We have officially completed our first full week at school, and we could not be prouder of how brilliantly the children have settled in. They have absolutely blown us away with how quickly they have adapted to their new surroundings, routines and expectations.
This week, we have been focusing on our three good things when we are on the carpet: good sitting, good looking and good listening. These are really important skills that help us to become fantastic learners, and the children have been working so hard to show them. We have been practising listening carefully to our teachers, looking at the person who is talking and showing that we are ready to learn.
We have also been learning about our Chilton Rules: Be Ready, Be Respectful and Be Safe. We have been so impressed with how beautifully the children have demonstrated these values already. They have been kind and caring towards one another, have listened to adults and have shown us that they are ready to become wonderful members of our school community. We are so proud of them!
It has been so lovely to watch the children grow in confidence throughout the week. We have seen friendships beginning to blossom, lots of lovely conversations taking place and plenty of smiles, giggles and happy faces around Reception. The children have been busy getting to know their new classrooms and exploring all of the exciting things around them.
We have also introduced the children to Powerplay, where the children can explore, investigate, create and learn through their play. This week has been all about giving the children the opportunity to explore their new surroundings, discover what is available to them and, most importantly, begin developing those lovely new friendships. As we move forward, Powerplay will become a really important part of our day, providing opportunities for us to develop the children's learning, follow their interests and enhance their play.
RWI
This week, we have been getting ourselves RWI ready! Before we begin our phonics journey, we have been spending lots of time developing those all-important listening and attention skills.
We know that being able to listen carefully, concentrate and follow instructions is a really important part of becoming a successful reader and writer. We have therefore been enjoying lots of fun and exciting games to help us develop these skills.
The children have been practising listening for different sounds, following instructions, remembering information and responding to what they hear. We have even been challenging ourselves to see just how carefully we can listen!
There has been lots of excitement and enthusiasm during these activities, and the children have been fantastic at getting involved and having a go.
Next week, we will officially embark on our phonics journey, and we are SO excited to get started! We can't wait to see the children begin learning their first sounds and developing their early reading skills.
Maths
This week in maths, we have been learning an exciting new skill called subitising.
Subitising is the ability to recognise how many objects there are in a small group without having to count them one by one. This is an important mathematical skill and helps children to develop a strong understanding of number. It also provides an important foundation for future learning, including addition and subtraction.
We have been exploring different amounts using lots of practical and playful activities. The children have been encouraged to look carefully at what they can see, think about how many there are and explain how they know.
We have loved hearing the children talk about what they notice and share their mathematical thinking with their friends. Some children have even started to recognise small amounts incredibly quickly!
Maths in Reception is all about exploring, noticing, talking and having a go, and the children have certainly been doing plenty of that this week!
Thematic – Marvellous Me
Our first mini topic is called ‘Marvellous Me’, and we have begun our learning by exploring the wonderful world of feelings and emotions through the beautiful story The Colour Monster.
This has been a lovely story to introduce the children to the idea that we can experience lots of different feelings and that our emotions can sometimes change throughout the day.
We have talked about feelings such as happiness, sadness, anger and calmness, and the children have enjoyed thinking about times when they might have experienced these emotions themselves.
We have encouraged the children to talk about how they are feeling and to listen to how their friends might be feeling too. It has been so heartwarming to hear them beginning to open up, share their ideas and show empathy towards one another.
We have also been talking about what we can do when our feelings become a little bit overwhelming. We have explored different strategies that can help us to feel calm, such as taking some deep breaths, counting to ten, having a quiet moment or talking to a trusted adult.
We are really looking forward to continuing our ‘Marvellous Me’ journey and finding out even more about what makes each and every one of our children so wonderfully unique!
Important Messages
A few little reminders for the weeks ahead:
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We will let you know when PE will officially start.
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Please make sure your child has a named water bottle in school every day.
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Please ensure that all clothing is clearly named. This really does help us when we are trying to reunite lost jumpers and cardigans with their owners!
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Children are welcome to bring in a pair of named wellies, which can be left under their peg. We will be making the most of our outdoor learning, whatever the weather!
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Your child will have brought home a book from our book corner. These books are simply for sharing and enjoying together at home. You can return the book whenever you like and choose a new one to enjoy.
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Please spend some lovely time talking about your child's day. Even if they tell you they have done “nothing”, we promise they have been very busy!