Mrs Millichap & Miss Hook's Class 2024 - 2025

Welcome to the Spring Term!

We hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year! We're excited to welcome the children back and are eager to hear about their holiday news. This term promises to be an exciting journey filled with learning and discovery under the theme "Where Shall We Go?"

Exploring Nature and the Changing Seasons

This term, our activities will encourage children to connect with the natural world. Using their senses, they will explore the outdoors, observing the sights, sounds, and textures that nature offers. We'll focus on the transition from Winter to Spring, discussing how these seasonal changes affect plants, animals, and the environment. Outdoor activities will include nature walks, sensory play, and observation tasks designed to deepen their appreciation of the world around them.

Cultural Celebrations and Festivals

We will also explore the significane of various festivals such as Chinese New Year and Easter. Through engaging stories, colourful images, and expressive art and design activities, children will learn about the history and customs of these celebrations. This will include making traditional crafts, tasting festive foods, and participating in themed physical activities. Our goal is to foster a sense of cultural awareness and respect for diversity.

Reflecting on the Past

Our theme will also take us on a journey to the past. Children will have opportunities to share personal memories and experiences, helping them develop a sense of self and continuity. We will look at historical images and artifacts, prompting discussions about life in the past and how it compares to the present. These activities aim to build a foundational understanding of history and time.

Learning About People Who Help Us

Later in the term, we will focus on the roles of people who help us in our community. Learning about this will include inviting parents and local professionals into the classroom to talk about their jobs. Children will learn about various professions, the importance of these roles, and how they contribute to society. If you or someone you know would like to participate, please reach out to us. Children will take part in a visit to 'Apple Tree Town' where they can immerse themselves in roles in the society through play in a 'real-life' town.

Supporting Development in Prime Areas of Learning

Throughout the term, we will continue to emphasise the development of key skills in the prime areas of learning. Our "Good to be Green" behaviour system will support children in understanding and following classroom rules and routines. We will focus on building self-regulation skills, such as sustained listening, effective conversation, and managing emotions. Children will be encouraged to develop persistence and perseverance, particularly when facing challenges, and will learn grounding techniques to help manage stress.

Enhancing Numerical Development

In mathematics, we will build on the children's knowledge from last term. They will engage in activities that extend their understanding of counting, addition, patterns, capacity, and shapes. We will continue to use the Maths No Problem program and the engaging materials from NCETM including resources relating to the cbeebies Number Blocks programme, which have been a favourite among the children. Learning will be embedded in play and practical carefully planned maths games and activities that have a deep maths mastery focus.

Developing Fine Motor Skills and Literacy

Fine motor development remains a key focus. Children will practice letter formation, improve their pencil grip, and engage in activities involving scissors and other mark-making tools. Both indoor and outdoor environments will be used to provide diverse opportunities for developing these essential skills.

In literacy, our Read Write Inc. Phonics program will continue to support children's reading and writing development. Regular assessments every six weeks will ensure that each child is progressing at a steady pace. Children will revise familiar sounds, learn new ones, and consolidate their blending skills to read words fluently. Writing activities will include forming CVC words, writing captions, and constructing sentences using phonics knowledge.

Fostering a Love for Reading and Expanding Vocabulary

To nurture a love of reading, we will conduct "Talk Through Stories" sessions each week. These sessions will introduce children to new, rich vocabulary, with each story featuring eight words that are less common in everyday conversation but important for literary development. This will help expand their vocabulary and deepen their comprehension skills.

Key Texts for the Term

Our learning journey will be supported by a selection of engaging key texts, including:

• Stick Man
• Goldilocks
• Red Riding Hood
• The Gingerbread Man
• Zog
• Zog and the Flying Doctors
• The Runaway Wok
• You Can’t Take an Elephant on the Bus
• A Little Bit Brave
• After the Fall
• One Snowy Night
• Billy and the Beast

These stories will provide a rich foundation for discussion, creative activities, and thematic exploration.

We look forward to a fantastic term filled with exploration, growth and discovery!

Week beginning 20.1.25

Literacy

In literacy this week children will be listening to the story 'Billy's Bucket'. They will be writing simple sentences about the story using CVC words, finger spaces and tricky words.

Maths

In maths this week children will be representing numbers from 1-10 on five and 10 frames and writing numbers up to 10.

Understanding of the world

Children will be finding out about the sea creatures from Billy's Bucket.

Expressive art and design

Children will be designing and making their own bucket.

PE

Children will be develop their fundamental movement skills through the topic of places and spaces. Children will develop skills of running, hopping, travelling, balancing and changing direction.

Music

Children will be learning to sing along to action rhymes, listening and responding to different styles of music.

PSHE

Children will be working together as a team to build a den.

Helpful information:

Green Book Bags 

Book bags will be provided by school and should be brought in every day. These are for any letters, reading books, sounds and reading records. Until children can read simple words they will be bringing home a quality picture book. This is for you to read to your child at home encouraging listening and responding and building up that important routine of a quiet 10 minutes reading time daily.

Mornings 
The wooden gate and playground door will be open each morning at 8.45am ready for lessons to begin at 8.50am. Please ensure your child is brought to school promtly and line up around the wall of the building. This is so teachers can meet and greet each child and deal with any parent enquiries. School finshes at 3.10pm and children will need to be collected by an adult known to staff. If you need to make a change to who is collecting your children please contact school prior to collection to let us know.

Water bottles

Children have been provided with a water bottle on their transition days which is to be brought to school each day, taken home, cleaned and refiled with water only. Children are encouraged to access these independently throughout the day and are also sat down at set times to ensure they stay hydrated. Children are also offered milk and fruit throughout the morning and therefore no other snacks are needed to be brought in from home.

 
Seesaw/Class Webpage 
Please check the class webpage regularly. Information will be added as we progress through the year and I will provide more details of our class learning. Please accept the invitation sent to you to connect to seesaw. During the day we may send you photos of your child at school so you can see what they have been learning. There is also a message feature where you can message us and through which, we will be sending videos and tips on how to support your child's learning in class.
 

Spare clothes
If your child  has regular accidents please send spare clothes in their book bag. 
 
Coats and Hats 
Please ensure your child has their coat in school every day. Depending on the weather, the children may also need sun hats or woolly hats. Please remember to label everything (even shoes!). If your do not want school shoes coming home muddy (we have a mud kitchen, sand and water play) please provide a pair of names wellies that can be kept in school for them to change into.

PE

PE days for this term will be Mondays and Tuesdays On these days children will need to come to school dressed in their outdoor PE kits and wearing trainers.

Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.

Mrs Millichap and Miss Hook