Wow, I can’t quite believe we have come to the end of Term 4 already! This term has been full of lots of exciting learning opportunities, and the children have really impressed me with the progress they have made and the maturity they are showing!
Our topic this term has been ‘I Need a Hero!’ We have been learning all about the roles and responsibilities of the people in our local community who help us. We have been extremely lucky to have received visits from lots of local heroes from our community: a veterinary nurse, a police officer, a firefighter, and a nurse. Alongside these visitors, we got to meet two important dogs (Peggy the patient and PC Donny). We have tried on lots of different uniforms, had a go at using bandages and stethoscopes, and even got to sit inside a police car!
As well as learning about the different people who can help us, we have really enjoyed learning all about space. We have explored the eight different planets in our solar system and have learned that we all live on Earth. We have discussed why it is important to look after our planet and the different things that we can do to look after Earth. We have also explored the moon, the moon landing, and what life is like for astronauts in space. Finally, we have learned about the sun and the importance it has in providing Earth with the warmth and light for us to survive!
In Drawing Club this term, we have shown great levels of progress and continue to enjoy writing about some of our favourite novels. We have read Aliens Love Underpants, Superworm, The Smeds and The Smoos, Beegu, and Stuck. We have enjoyed drawing some of our favourite characters, designing a pair of underpants, inventing a new imaginary planet, and creating aliens to live on it - to name just a few of the exciting things we have drawn!
Amongst all this learning, we thoroughly enjoyed Book Week and all of the fun-filled activities that we took part in. We had a great time reenacting ‘The Gruffalo’ with the Natural Theatre Company, reading with our buddies, taking part in the parade, swapping teachers and listening to their favourite stories, watching ‘The Time Machine’ show, and reading lots of new books.
Well done, Holly Class, for another fantastic term! Have a restful break, and I look forward to seeing you back in Term 5, with hopefully a bit of sunshine!
Miss Whittaker
Spring 1 - End of Term Update
This term in Holly Class we have spent our time engrossed in stories, tales and rhymes. Each week we have focused on a different traditional tale - we have made puppets and masks and used them to retell stories, we have created our own magic jelly beans and 3D paper bridges and we have also enjoyed building houses and bridges in the forest.
In Drawing Club, we have been sharing versions of traditional tales but with a twist. We enjoyed reading Jack and the Jelly Bean Stalk, Pigs Might Fly, Three Billy Goats Fluff and Goldilocks and Just One Bear. Our drawings have been full of creativity and imagination this term and we have written some fantastic captions!
In Forest, we enjoyed getting muddy and wet! We used different materials in the forest to make dens and houses that would withstand The Big Bad Wolf. We also have been busy building bridges for the Three Billy Goats Gruff. During the colder weeks, we went on welly walks to observe the seasonal changes and found lots of icicles, frost on the grass, icy puddles and bare trees. We also enjoyed playing with ice and using it to support our understanding of melting and freezing.
In Maths, we have been learning about mass and capacity. We have used scales to weigh objects in the classroom and find a balance. We have also been learning our numbers bonds to 5, using part-part-whole models to support us. We have begun to look at the composition of 6, 7 and 8 - using ten frames to support this.
Alongside this, we have been learning all about maps and areas of importance in our local area. We have discussed what a map is, what we use it for and the different features we can find on a map. We have also been learning our own address and trying to find it on a map of Midsomer Norton. During the last week of term, we all drew a map to demonstrate our journey from home to school. Then, using a map, we walked to our local postbox to post our map home to our address, for our parents to see! This was very exciting as lots of us had never posted a letter before!
Holly Class enjoyed Stem Week, especially taking part in the STEM Fayre. We got to meet up with our Year 6 buddies who helped us take part in all of the experiments and investigations. We even ran our own stall - challenging others to use strong and stable materials to build a house to withstand The Big Bad Wolf (the fan).
It has been a truly fun-filled term, with lots of learning and progress being made! I hope you all have a lovely break and I look forward to all the fun we will have in Term 4!
We have had another extremely busy term in Holly Class - it has been jam-packed with lots of learning, festivities and our first ever Christmas performance!
In Drawing Club this term, we have enjoyed drawing and writing about the Pink Panther, Stickman and Room on the Broom. We have also enjoyed writing a letter to Santa and making Christmas cards for our loved ones.
In Maths, we have been learning more about the numbers 1-5. We have explored the composition, how to recognise and represent these numbers and 1 more and 1 less. We have also been busy using positional language, discussing 2D shapes and continuing to explore patterns.
We have enjoyed discussing and celebrating lots of different festivals and celebrations. At the beginning of term we learned about Remembrance Day and the significance of a Poppy. We created some fantastic Poppy art using wax crayons and apples for printing. We also discussed the history of Bonfire night and used salt and water paints to create some beautiful firework art. We enjoyed learning all about Diwali and how people celebrate the Festival of Light - we even made our own Diva lamps.
Finally, we have finished the term with all things Christmas! We have been busy making Christmas cards, writing letters to Santa and making Christmas decorations in forest school. We explored The Christmas Story and what this means to Christians. We also enjoyed having our special grown-ups in to make Christmas crafts, as well as visiting the church to sing Christmas Carols and we even had a visit from Santa himself! A highlight for us this term was definitely our phenomenal performance in the Christmas show. We were all such confident and cheeky elves!
Well done Holly Class for another amazing term - it has been such fun teaching you all and I am very proud of all the progress you have made.
Merry Christmas!
Wow - I can’t believe that we have come to the end of Term 1 already! Holly Class have had a superb first ever term at school and have settled into school life and routines fantastically. We have had a very busy term exploring our new school and classroom, building friendships and learning lots about ourselves and each other.
In Maths, we have been busy matching and categorising objects. We have also been using mathematical language to compare size, mass and capacity. We have enjoyed looking at repeating patterns and demonstrating our understanding through making fruit kebabs!
In English, we have been reading lots of stories, with some of our favourites being The Colour Monster, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and The Little Red Hen. We have focused on retelling these stories, sequencing the key events and have created our own characters and settings. We have also made a phenomenal start with our Phonics and are enjoying learning new sounds and beginning to blend these together to read!
A highlight for Holly Class this term has been our weekly cricket sessions with Dom the cricket coach - this was a new experience for lots of us. We have been focusing on our throwing and catching skills and we even had a go at batting!
We have enjoyed lots of circle times this term; discussing our families, growing up and feelings and emotions. We particularly enjoyed looking at each other's baby photos and discussing similarities and differences between us now and in the past, as well as between each other.
We have explored and investigated the changes of Autumn and have been very busy collecting autumnal gems in our Autumn Treasure Bags. We have enjoyed conker rolling, painting autumn trees and leaf printing. During Forest School we have explored the environment and autumnal changes. We have also enjoyed making clay faces, treasure hunts and getting very muddy!
Well done Holly Class for an amazing first term - you have all settled so well into school and are great additions to the Longvernal Family. I am particularly looking forward to next term, which will be jam-packed with lots of learning, festivities and celebrations!
Have a lovely half term break!
We are off to an incredible start to the school year - it has been wonderful to watch the children settle into school life with confidence and enthusiasm and see friendships begin to blossom. Exploring our new school and classroom has been an adventure in itself. We have spent lots of time getting to know one another and settling into our daily routines. We have also had a special visit from our Year 6 buddies this week! Why not ask us if we can remember our buddies' names?
I am looking forward to the exciting year ahead and working in partnership with you. As always, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Reminders:
PE: will be on Thursdays, starting from 14th September. Please ensure children come to school wearing their PE kits.
Forest School: will be on Fridays from 22nd September. Please ensure children come to school wearing appropriate forest attire (long sleeved top and trousers).
Reading: children are asked to read at least 3 times a week at home - it is important this is recorded in their reading journals. We also ask children to practise their sounds daily, using their Speed Sound Books.