Week ending 15.11.2024

It’s been a week jam-packed with activities and rich in historical significance! We started on Sunday when our Early Years children proudly showcased a beautiful wreath, they made for the Tonbridge Remembrance Service. The Year 6 students were especially proud of the artwork created by Early Years, and it was wonderful to see the school community come together for such an important occasion.

On Monday, we continued our focus on Remembrance Day with reflective worship, where the children learnt about the meaning of the day. In the afternoon, we explored remembrance through art. The children created poppies out of plastic bottles, connecting them creatively with this important symbol. 

They also participated in “Poppy Subitising,” where they practised recognising quantities by subitising the number of poppies and matching them to the correct numeral.

 

In English, we focused on describing soldiers, with the children using their phonics knowledge to sound out and write words describing what soldiers look like and the items they carry. We were very impressed with their descriptive skills.

In maths this week we have been focusing on the composition of numbers, particularly finding different ways to make the number 3. The children explored combining ones and twos and used Numicon pieces to visualize their understanding. 

We also focused on 1:1 correspondence skills, where children identified numbers up to 10 and matched each number with the correct amount of beads.

It has also been an extremely creative week. The children explored different ways of creating firework art, from using straws, marbles, toilet rolls and even their hands. They had lots of fun learning about the celebration of Bonfire night and the fantastic display of fireworks.

 

Week ending 08.11.2024

Welcome back! We hope you all had a wonderful half-term break. It was fantastic to see the children walk into school with smiles on their faces, eager to discover the exciting changes in our classroom.

In Maths, we've been representing numbers up to 3 in various ways. We've used our fingers holding up the correct number, worked with ten frames by placing counters to visually represent numbers, and explored number shapes and their values using Numicon. The children were also challenged to represent these numbers using their "bunny ears"—a fun activity where they showed numbers on two hands held up like bunny ears. At the end of the week we investigated one more and one less.

In Writing, we have been hard at work learning all about sentence construction. We focused on capital letters, full stops, and finger spaces—discussing why they are important and how to use them. The pupils applied their new skills to write their holiday news, sharing and writing about what they did during the half-term break. It was wonderful to read about their experiences and see them apply their writing skills with such enthusiasm.

 

In Phonics, we have been learning new digraphs such as "sh" and "th". The children enjoyed learning the sounds and the songs that go with them. It's been exciting to see them recognise these sounds in words and use them in their reading and writing activities.

The pupils loved exploring the new role-play area, which has been transformed into a bustling post office! They've had so much fun pretending to be postal workers—writing letters, stamping envelopes, and delivering parcels to one another.

Finally, to end on Friday, as part of our 'Celebrations' topic, EYFS immersed themselves in the vibrant festivities of Diwali. The classrooms were transformed with bright and cheerful colours, creating an exciting environment for the children to learn about the Festival of Lights. They participated in various hands-on activities, including creating beautiful henna designs on paper, making intricate marks and patterns in sand to reflect traditional Rangoli patterns, and crafting Diya lamps out of clay and paper plates, symbolising the triumph of light over darkness.

Throughout the day, we discussed the stories and traditions associated with Diwali, helping the children understand the significance of family, sharing, and the values of goodness and light. The children showed great enthusiasm and curiosity, embracing new traditions and celebrating together in a meaningful way, which enriched their understanding of the world and fostered a sense of inclusivity and respect for others.

Week ending 25.10.2024

As we approach the half-term break, we're delighted to share our final newsletter of the term with you, highlighting the fantastic activities and learning experiences we've had this week in Reception.

We have had a fantastic week in Reception, filled with exciting activities and new learning.

In Maths, we have been exploring mass, weight, and capacity. The children enjoyed weighing different objects found in the classroom using scales, discovering which items were heavier or lighter. We also experimented with capacity by mixing coloured water to investigate the concepts of full and empty. The children had lots of fun mixing the colours and filling up each container. By the end of the week, we delved into patterns—creating our own patterns, reading patterns to determine the rule, and even spotting mistakes in patterns. By the end of the week, we delved into patterns—creating our own patterns, reading patterns to determine the rule, and even spotting mistakes in patterns.

In English, we have been writing about what we like to do outside of school and discussing our hobbies. The children have begun to learn about finger spaces, full stops, and writing our letters correctly. We are so impressed with how hard they have been working to identify the initial sounds in words and their enthusiasm in sharing their hobbies with the class.

This week, Badgers had fun joining their buddies down in Forest School. They learn how to be safe in the forest area, what activities they might be able to do with Mrs Kyte and enjoyed spending time with their buddies.

Our Creative sessions have been equally engaging. We drew pictures of our hobbies and what we like to do outside of school. We were very impressed with the range of sports the children enjoy—from golf to tennis to swimming. The children loved explaining their favourite activities to each other, fostering great conversations and connections amongst them.

For Fine Motor Skills, we developed our dexterity by picking out swimming bears from a tray of water. The children used tweezers to catch the bears and then sorted them by colour. This activity was not only fun but also excellent for enhancing their hand-eye coordination and fine motor control.

Overall, it's been a wonderful week of learning and fun. We are so proud of the children's progress and enthusiasm.

We wish you a happy half term and look forward to seeing you in November.

Useful links

We recognise that learning to dress and undress independently is a key milestone in your child's development, fostering independence, fine motor skills, and confidence. To support this at home, encourage your child to practice (with simple) clothing items, choose easy-to-handle clothes, break down the dressing process into manageable steps, and offer patience and positive reinforcement. If you have any concerns about your child's progress, please don't hesitate to contact us—we are here to provide support and resources to help your child develop this essential life skill.

Dressing and undressing | Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust

Week ending 18.10.2024

 

We have had a brilliant week in Early years that started with rain picked up in the middle with a heatwave and ended with a frost! The children have been enthusiastic and engaged in a variety of exciting activities.

In Fine Motor Skills, we used our dexterity to add hair to faces using paper clips. The children enjoyed seeing how long they could make the hair, and we measured the lengths, which tied in perfectly with our Maths focus on comparing lengths.

We compared the lengths of different objects in the classroom and investigated whose piece of string was the longest and who had the shortest piece of ribbon. We also investigated the height of different objects and even put ourselves in height order. 

The week ended by a final investigation all about heavy and light.

In Creative, we have been busy creating visual representations of who lives in our houses. The children expressed themselves wonderfully, sharing details about their families through their artwork.

In Phonics, we have finished learning all Set 1 sounds and have begun to spell CVC words (consonant-vowel-consonant words). We used our new phonetic skills in exploring time to spell these words using ping pong balls. The children then enjoyed making and sharing silly sentences, once they had formed the words.

This week, Squirrels had fun joining their buddies down in Forest School. They learn how to be safe in the forest area, what activities they might be able to do with Mrs Kyte and enjoyed spending time with their buddies.

Next week, Badgers will have the opportunity to spend time in forest school with their buddy class, 5N. Please remember to bring in Forest school clothing by Monday 21^st October.  This is giving the children a taster of forest school ready for Term 2!

Week ending 11.10.2024

We have had a wonderfully creative week in Reception, filled with exciting activities and new learning experiences!

In Maths, we have been representing numbers up to 3 and 4. We explored books that talk about groups of three, collected items in threes, and compared them. The children enjoyed counting and grouping objects, which helped strengthen their understanding of these numbers.

We also have been practising our subitising during exploring time.

In Creative Arts, we have been busy further exploring our "All About Me" topic. We created and designed our own houses using cereal boxes. The children loved talking about who lives in their house and produced artwork showcasing their families. It was delightful to see their imagination and creativity shine through these projects.

 

In Religious Education, we looked at the Creation Story and then created artwork inspired by day and night. The children enjoyed using cotton wool buds to paint and enthusiastically discussed why they included trees and fish in their artwork.

For Fine Motor Skills, we practised threading pasta onto pipe cleaners. This activity helped develop their dexterity and hand-eye coordination. The children had a lot of fun and were very proud of their creations.

 

Week ending 04.10.2024

We have had a brilliant week this week, where we have been continuing to explore more about our "All About Me" topic.

We began the week by introducing the book "Something Else" by Kathryn Cave—a story about a creature who is different from those around him and is told he's "not like us." Despite his best efforts, he doesn't feel like he belongs. We discussed how, even though we might look different, it's important to include everyone. We shared thoughtful ideas on how to make others feel welcome.

In Phonics, we have been identifying the initial sounds in words. We enjoyed finding objects that start with the same sound and are becoming more confident in recognizing and writing these sounds.

We have also been practsing writing CVC words and our name using the correct letter formation.

Creative time, we drew our friends and talked about what makes a good friend. We came up with wonderful qualities like someone who shares when playing, listens to us, and is kind.

We then drew portraits of our friends, which are now proudly displayed in our classroom.

In Maths, we have been subitizing numbers up to 5 and exploring different ways to represent these numbers. We have been comparing numbers.  We have also begun to think about cardinality—understanding that the last number you say tells us how many things there are altogether. At the end of the week, we experimented with counting using sounds and our magic finger wands to help us ensure one-to-one correspondence when counting objects.

For Fine Motor Skills development, we used pipettes to fill up different containers. We discovered that squeezing harder fills the pipette with more water, which means fewer squeezes are needed to fill a container. This activity was excellent for enhancing our hand strength and coordination.

Week ending 27.09.2024

The children have had a brilliant week, especially in phonics where they have been learning the sounds 'o, c, k, u, b'. The children have been beginning to blend words independently as well as orally blending words sounded out for them. Please practice these sounds at home! 

We started the week by sharing the people in our families and creating our own family trees. It was lots of fun talking about the key people in our families and talking about the similarities and differences between all families. 

We drew our family member and then we even made them using sticks, stones and leaves.

 

During exploring time, the children have been problem-solving by learning to work together to complete activities such as completing puzzles and creating models using Lego.  They have practised their fine motor skills when using tweezers to move pompoms to create patterns and following lines. This has really been helping their pencil grip skills when trying to write their names independently.

        

Badgers and Squirrels enjoyed their first PE lesson this week in the hall! They all did fantastically at getting changed by themselves and asking for help. They learnt how to move around a space safely and looking for obstacles. They played lots of games, changing directions when moving and moving in different ways. They are looking forward to their next PE lesson next week. 

On Friday, Badgers and Squirrels were really excited about seeing their Year 5 buddies again. This week, their buddies read to them in the classrooms. They shared different books from the book corner, shared the stories and talked about what they could see. 

      

 

Week ending 20.09.2024

We have had a fantastic week in the sunshine! The children have thoroughly enjoyed both indoor and outdoor activities, making the most of the lovely weather.

We began the week by exploring our core text, 'Have You Filled a Bucket Today?' by Carole McCloud. We shared ideas on how we can fill up our own buckets and fill each other's buckets with kindness and positive actions. The children came up with lots of wonderful suggestions! We also discussed how certain behaviours might empty people's buckets and the importance of being mindful of our actions.

During exploring time, the children practised their fine motor skills by threading pipe cleaners through small holes. This activity was great for enhancing their hand-eye coordination and patience. The children enjoyed creating various monsters and designs with the pipe cleaners.

In our creative area, we focused on self-portraits. We talked about how we all look different and celebrated our unique features and differences. Using mirrors and paints, the children created wonderful self-portraits. They were excited to see their artwork displayed in the classroom, and it was lovely to see them take pride in their creations.

 

In phonics, we continued learning the sounds t, i, n, p and g. We practised our letter formation using different media, including glitter! The children enjoyed correctly forming their letters in the glitter using paintbrushes.

      

 

In maths, we explored sorting objects into groups. The children were tasked with sorting objects by colour and then comparing which group had more items. They were also challenged to think of other ways to sort the objects. Some great ideas included sorting by size, shape, and number. This activity helped develop their analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.

 

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We are incredibly proud of how engaged and enthusiastic the children have been this week.

 

 

Welcome to the Early Years 2024 Newsletter!

Week ending 13.09.2024

We are excited to share our very first newsletter of the year with you, and what a wonderful start it has been! The children have settled beautifully into Early Years, quickly adapting to the new school routines with smiles and enthusiasm. It’s been fantastic to see them confidently exploring their new environment and making new friends.

One of the highlights so far has been the children’s exploration of the outdoor area. From playing music on the music wall, zooming around on the bikes, and hunting for golden coins in the sandpit, to using their creativity to build dinosaur hotels, the children have truly embraced outdoor learning and play.

     

    

In addition to outdoor adventures, we have also started our phonics journey. The children have loved learning new rhymes and actions as we introduce the first letters, m and a. It’s been a joy to see how engaged they are in learning to write these letters and bring the sounds to life!

Inside the classroom, the children have enjoyed exploring a range of tabletop activities. These have included creating Numicon patterns, forming patterns on peg boards, and developing their fine motor skills by picking up pom-poms with tweezers. They have also loved role-playing and getting creative in our home corner, which has been a wonderful space for imaginative play.

    

  

We are so proud of the fantastic start your children have made, and we look forward to sharing more of their Early Years experiences with you as the year progresses.