Reception – St Mary
Summer term 2023
Dear Parents/Carers,
Our topic for this half-term is called ‘Growing and Mini beasts’. We have planned lots of exciting activities that will encourage children to explore different habitats and look at how plants and animals grow. Last term, we created a ‘bug hotel’, planted grass seed and wildflowers as we are trying to encourage mini beasts and butterflies into the area. The children have taken ownership of this and we have lots of Monty Don’s in our setting!
RE – New Life
Children will continue to learn to show care for one another.
We will recap the story of Easter and its significance and will show an understanding of why we are thankful for Jesus. We will begin to understand that Jesus gives a special gift of joy and peace and will think of how we can give this peace and joy to others. Children will know the story of Jesus going back to his Father in heaven and will be aware that Jesus is still with us. Finally, we will know that Mary is the Mother of Jesus and our Mother and will think of ways to show our love for Mary.
We will look at the church and will gain an understanding of how Sunday is a special day for the church family as we come together to celebrate.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Children will respond to significant experiences showing a range of feelings. They will be encouraged to show care and concern for others and for living things in their environment. They will continue to be aware of their own needs, the feelings of others and personal hygiene safety through consolidation of our school rules and routines.
Communication and Language
Children will continue to develop their listening and attention skills using two channelled attention by ‘listening and doing’ at the same time. There will be lots of opportunities for children to talk in small groups and as a whole class, sharing their opinions and ideas effectively. Children will develop vocabulary related to dinosaurs, plants, mini- beasts and life cycles.
Literacy
There will be many opportunities for children to create fact-files about mini-beasts and will use non-fiction texts to create these. We will read a range of books including; The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The five seeds, Tiny seed, Where the Wild things are, The seahorse, Sharing a shell and a variety of non fiction texts. Children will continue to learn Phase 3 letters and their sounds and practise their skills in segmenting and blending in order to read and write. They will continue to explore rhyming strings through stories and songs.
Mathematics
Children will learn to classify and count mini beasts. They will continue to add and subtract small amounts. Children will make pictograms based on their observations and have opportunities to use money in our roleplay garden centre. They will explore symmetry and repeated patterns.
Physical Development
Children will use a range of simple tools to achieve results. They will learn how to use these skills to create things that they want in their play or as models using a range of joining and cutting materials. Lots of opportunities will be provided to climb, balance and slide down apparatus as well as using bats and balls to encourage collaborative games.
Understanding the World (UTW)
Children will learn to identify different mini beasts and plants in their own environment outside. They will look at similarities and differences in the life cycles of animals including frogs and butterflies. Children have the opportunity to observe the metamorphosis of caterpillars in class.
Expressive Arts
Children will learn to carefully observe plants and mini beasts and identify their main features such as colour, pattern, size and shape, transposing their thoughts onto paper. They will make collages using a range of materials to create different textures. Children will use their own bodies to create movement and dance and explore tempo and beat with fun calypso songs.
Transition into year 1
Throughout the summer term, there are many opportunities for the children to explore the larger playground in the main part of the school. We use the small hall for our indoor PE sessions and the children will gain confidence in the large playground with KS1. The same goes for the current nursery children. In small groups, the nursery children will spend time in the reception playground which will prepare them for Reception 2023.
Ways to help your child learn
Please continue to hear your child read daily and share books together as sharing books is a great way to help and encourage your child to develop a love of books and expose them to a wide range of vocabulary.
Identifying numbers around them such as door numbers, numbers on buses and counting on and back from different numbers to 20 will really support their knowledge of number.
Continuing to give your child opportunities to become more independent by dressing and undressing themselves so they can practice buttons, zips etc, pouring drinks of water, using a knife and fork to cut their food at mealtimes and washing their hands after going to the toilet and before mealtimes.
Things to remember
Book bags need to be brought into school every day with their reading books inside so that your child can be heard reading and books changed towards the end of the week.
Water bottles are not needed as we have a tap and cups in class.
All uniform to be clearly labelled with your child’s name. Remember to bring in a sun hat as the weather gets warmer.
Any junk modelling would be greatly appreciated!
Wear PE kit on Thursday. Please make sure you follow the uniform policy and the top is plain white, no logos.
Stay and play sessions will continue to take place on Tuesday and Friday mornings 8.30-8.45am.
Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to another fun term.
Best wishes from all the Early Years team.
Ms Murphy Mr Cunningham
Mary, our Mother St Joseph, the Worker
jmurphy@swcps.lewisham.sch.uk acunningham@swcps.lewisham.sch.uk
Spring 2
Dear Parents/Carers,
A warm welcome back to you all. We hope you had a lovely half-term break.
Our topic for this half term is ‘Traditional tales’ which will include a range of stories such as The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Little Red, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Three Billy Goats Gruff and The Enormous Turnip to name but a few!
Religious Education
Sorrow and Joy – children will learn about the significance of Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Easter, that Jesus learnt to forgive and to reflect on ways that we can forgive, be kind and generous and help others.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Children will be supported to continue to initiate conversations and listen to others. They will have lots of opportunities to explain their knowledge and understanding and ask appropriate questions to further their learning. Children will be encouraged to become independent learners, expressing preferences and ideas through their own choices as well as learning the important skill of compromising when necessary.
Communication and Language
Children will explore different traditional tales and become acquainted with its story language and repeated phrases. A big emphasis will be to verbally retell stories through re-enacting prior to writing them down on paper. Children will be encouraged to introduce storylines and narratives into their own play. Children will take part in ‘helicopter’ stories to promote confidence and speaking skills as they express and share their ideas.
Literacy
Children will begin to recognise and join in with predictable phrases in stories such as ‘I will huff and I will puff’ and think about other words and phrases that characters might be saying. They will sequence stories in order to retell and act them out, exploring the different characters and settings through ‘hot-seating’ opportunities. In phonics, we will continue learning Phase 3 sounds and recap Phase 2 sounds daily. Children will continue to read words and simple sentences and build up a vocabulary influenced by stories.
Physical Development
Children will continue to develop their fine motor skills becoming more confident at using a pencil effectively and showing an interest in writing. They will also continue to develop their gross motor skills moving in different ways by running, jumping, skipping, hopping etc. This half term we will explore keeping healthy and foods that can help us stay fit and well. Children will have opportunities to have fun cooking recipes from traditional tales.
Mathematics
Children will continue to recognise numerals to 20 and gain a deeper understanding of what makes 10, eg. number bonds to 10. Children will explore money, counting out the Giant’s coins from Jack and the Beanstalk and continue to recognise the value of different coins. We will explore size, comparing the difference in size of the three bears in Goldilocks as well as the Giant. Children will develop their knowledge of 3D shapes, understanding them as a solid and exploring their different properties.
Understanding the World
Children will explore different settings in stories as well as discussing and imagining new environments. We will talk about different animals and their habitats and explore materials, for example through the story of the Three Little Pigs and the different homes they built.
Expressive Arts and Design
Children will be encouraged to act out traditional stories and their own stories, thinking about their body language and gestures in relation to different characters. They will use objects as musical instruments to help them think about characters actions through sound.
Things to remember
Please continue to hear your child read every day.
Junk modelling is always wanted.
PE kits are to be worn on Thursdays. Please refer to the uniform policy https://www.swcps.lewisham.sch.uk/parents/uniform/
WOW cards- Please continue to complete so we can share all their great achievements. This is a great way for children to share their accomplishments and place their card on the WOW wall.
Many thanks for your continued support.
Ms Murphy, Mr Cunningham and the Early Years Team
Ms Murphy jmurphy@swcps.lewisham.sch.uk
Mr Cunningham acunnungham@swcps.lewisham.sch.uk