Mrs Millichap's Class 2022 - 2023

Welcome to reception!

Happy New Year and welcome to the Spring Term! Can you believe we are here already? The children have had a brilliant first term in school and have learnt so much already. This term the children will build on the progress they have made last term, learn new skills and consolidate everything they have learnt so far. Phonics will continue in small targeted groups based on children's sound knowledge and reading ability. Please continue to support your child with the reading materials being brought home which may be sound cards, blending books, ditty sheets or books. Thank you for your support at home in helping them progress, it really does make a big difference.

This term children will take part in a range of activities relating to the themes of Winter and the Polar regions, traditional tales, people who help us and vehicles old and new. These themes will be explored through a series of key texts shared with the children in class. Activities will be focused around supporting children in the prime areas of learning building on from last term - communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development along with providing opportunities for children to take part in exciting learning opportunites and to learn new vocabularly along the way. Activities supporting these areas of learning will be part of the children's daily routine and be embedded in everything that happens within the classroom.  Children will continue to follow the class rules and our good to be green behaviour system, and listen in class and to others with increasing attention and recall. We will be exlporing and celebrating calendar events throughout the term such as Chinese New Year.

Throughout the term there will continue to be a strong emphasis on fine motor development using a variety of activities for example, using scissors for cutting, using a range of mark making materials, using small construction and other fine motor control based resources along with timetabled letter formation/handwriting sessions. Any activity of this type strengthens the hands and fingers and is essential for the development of good pencil control and handwriting. Doing these activities at home is very beneficial in helping your child to write. Please help your child to practise using the RWI letter formation rhymes sheet for correct formation. 

In Literacy, the children will continue to learn new sounds in phonic sessions delievered through the RWI phonics scheme. This half term children will be learning new special friends in set 2 and 3 (two letters which together make one sound) along with consolidating the single sounds and special friends from set 1. Children will progress with blending sounds out loud and move onto blending sounds in their head (Fred in your head). As we move through the term we will progress to using these sounds for spelling and writing simple sentences. 

In maths the children will learn about cardinality and counting, comparison, pattern and shape and space across the term. We will be using mastery materials from NCETM including resources relating to the cbeebies numerblocks programme and also activities from the maths no problem scheme of work. Learning will be embedded in play and practical carefully planned maths games and activites that have a deep maths mastery focus. 

Week beginning 20.3.23

Literacy

In literacy this week we will be listening to the story of Zog and the flying doctors. We will be writing simple sentences about doctors using our sounds to help us, finger spaces and using the tricky word 'they'.

Maths

In maths this week we will be learning about capacity.

Understanding of the world

Children will be learning about how doctors help people.

ICT

Children will be directing a rabbit around a grid to collect carrots.

Expressive art and design

Children will be making observational drawings of Daffodils.

RE

Children will be learning about Spring.

PE

Children will take part in dance and gymnastic activites this term.

Music

Learning to sing along to action rhymes, listening and responding to different styles of music.

PSHE

This half term we will meet the character Rose from my happy mind who will help teach the children the importance of good listening and how to be a good listener.

Green Book Bags 
Book bags should be brought to school every day. These are for any letters, reading books 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 to the reception area 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. School finshes at 3.05pm 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 are provided with a water bottle which is cleaned and refilled daily. They are encouraged to access these independently throughout the day. 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 myself and through which, I 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!).

PE

PE days for this term will be Mondays and Wednesdays. 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