What a fantastic and busy week we have had in Reception!

Phonics

This week in phonics, we learnt the tricky word was and the new sounds ai and ee. The children practised saying these sounds before writing them on their whiteboards. We also worked on blending words containing these sounds and had a go at writing simple sentences using them. It has been great to see the children becoming more confident in their phonics skills!

Maths

In maths, we consolidated our understanding that 8 is made of 5 and 3. We also explored conceptual subitising—looking at a set of dots and recognising smaller groups within them to determine the total. For example, when seeing six dots, children might notice a familiar 5-frame with 1 extra dot, helping them quickly identify the number. Alongside this, we built on our understanding of length by comparing different objects and using mathematical language to describe them.

Drawing Club

Linking to our topic People Who Help Us, we read Busy People: Firefighter. The children explored new vocabulary, including firefighter, drill, quickly, and fire station. They had a go at drawing firefighters, a fire station, and even designing their own firefighter uniform! The children also practised annotating their work, using their phonics knowledge to label their drawings.

PE

• Dance – We focused on expressing and communicating ideas through movement, exploring different directions and levels. Using the theme of transportation, the children created their own actions to represent different types of movement.
• Gymnastics – On Friday, we developed our balancing skills and practised taking weight on different body parts using a variety of techniques. The children showed great determination and control!

RE

In RE, we recapped Palm Sunday and then explored the Easter story. We discussed the key events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, talking about why Easter is an important celebration for Christians. The children listened carefully and shared their thoughts beautifully.

Welcome Wednesday is every week from 8:30–9:00am—come into the classroom to read with your child or see what they have been learning!

Star of the week: Congratulations to Teddy, who is our star of the week, for demonstrating fantastic progress in reading and writing. Ted will be taking home his certificate and Wilfred the Elephant to write in the book all about his time spent with Wilfred over the next week and will bring him back next Thursday.

Please remember to read with your child, even for just 5 minutes! Please also remember to record it in the reading record. We will only change your child's book if you have read with them 2 or more times in that week! Please remember to have the library book in your children's book bag on Thursday to be changed. 

Any issues or concerns we need to know about, please speak to the Acorn team before and after school or email at: acorn@st-barnabas.kent.sch.uk

We hope you all have a lovely weekend and we look forward to another great week ahead!