Another fantastic week both in school and at home. Thank you everyone for continuing to send in your home learning observations. We have also been very busy in school welcoming back some children and doing some wonderful learning. This week will be similar to last week, Mrs Browne and Miss Simmons will be saying hello to children in school while Miss Quinn will be  working from home and will be doing a lot of the feedback on the observations. This week we are continuing our topic of ‘Journeys’. We will be looking at the story ‘Oh, the Places you will go’ by Dr Seuss. Click here to listen to the story. 

As the children will continue to be in school on different days, we will again specify which activities we will be doing in school and which we would like you to do at home.  Remember, if your child is in school you do not need to send us observations of school based activities otherwise please continue to do so as before.

Phonics tasks

Please watch these videos at home:

Watch this week’s phonics lessons from the phonics hub: You can use your whiteboards for these activities.

• Lesson 1 – Compound words
• Lesson 2 – Compound and multi-syllable words
• Lesson 3 – Review and extend

Please continue  a daily recap of all the phonemes, digraphs and trigraphs on the list in the shared folder.  Join in with the Jolly Phonics song to make this fun.

How many phonemes can your child recognise? Make a note of those that they still need to work on and use Mr Thornes phonics to practise them.Click here to go to Mr Thorne Does Phonics YouTube channel

Phonics Suggestions

• If you have completed the phase 3 phonics booklet move onto the  Phase 4 activity booklet  or the phase 4 tricky words booklet.

• Continue exploring the phonics blending games on the Phonics Play website. 

Click here to go to the Phonics Play website.

Reading Tasks

Please do these activities at home. 

Remember to try and read every day just as you have throughout the year.

Please continue to practise reading the tricky HFW. Join in with these songs for a fun way to practise them:

Phase 3 tricky words song

Phase 4 tricky words song

It’s great to see that lots of you are now using the Bug Club online reading books. Please remember to let us know how you are getting on and if you think the level of books available to you needs adjusting.

Story Time

• Click here to listen to Mrs Hopkins read a story
• Click here to watch Miss Simmons reading a story.

Writing Task

We will be doing the writing task in school.

(If you are doing it at home please can you email a photograph of it so we can print it off for your new teacher.)

This week we are beginning to think about the exciting journey that you are all going to make as you finish your reception year and transition to year 1. We will be doing lots of things to help you get to know your new teachers and classrooms. But first we would like you to tell your new teachers all about you.

We would like you to write a letter to your new teacher to tell them all about you. Some ideas are: What you look like, Who is in your family, what is your favourite colour or food, What do you enjoy doing at home or at school.

Please layout your letter in the normal way. 

Start your letter with Dear ………. And end it with Love from………

Remember this is the first time your new teacher will see your work so do your best writing!

Letter Formation

Please do this activity at home   

• Find the letter formation activity sheet in the shared folder – this week we are practicing ur, ure, igh
• Find more fine motor support and activities in the shared folder. 

Mathematics Tasks

• Daily number games on Number Gym: Please login and click ‘Early Maths’. You will need to enter your personal login. Click here to see instructions to log onto Number Gym. Continue to explore the games we have previously signposted for you.
• Writing numerals to 0-20.
• Count to 100 and sing along to this video. Click here. 

You can do the following activities on a walk, in the car etc.

• Daily counting to 20/Daily counting back from 20.
• Daily 1 more/1 less to 20. (E.g. 1 more than 3 is __ / 1 less than 12 is __)

This weeks focus: 3D shape

• Click here to watch a video about 3D shape.

If your child is at home on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday:

• In the shared folder, find the 3D shape nets (choice of 2). Print and make them. Encourage your child to cut them out and stick them together to develop their fine motor skills. Talk to your child about the edges, faces and vertices.
• In the shared folder, find the 3D shape hunt sheet. Go on a 3D shape hunt in your house or outside. Encourage your child to record a tally for each shape they can see. Ask them to tell you the names of the 3D shapes as they find them. 
• Use the shapes your child has made. Ask them if they can name the shapes (see 3D shape mat in the shared folder for names!). Look at the faces. Ask your child if they can identify any 2D shapes e.g. a cylinder has 2 circle faces.

If your child is at home on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday:

• In the shared folder, find the 3D shape nets (choice of 2). Print and make them. Encourage your child to cut them out and stick them together to develop their fine motor skills. Talk to your child about the edges, faces and vertices.
• Ask your child to use the 3D shapes they have made and sort them into 2 groups. One of shapes that roll and the other of shapes that don’t. Question your child about why the shapes roll? (They have a curved side). Ask them to make another 2 groups, shapes that stack and another of shapes that don’t. Question your child about why they stack? (Because they have flat faces). Ask your child if they know any other ways that the shapes can be sorted.
• Use the 3D shapes your child has made. Play ‘What is my rule?’ game using 3D shapes. Think of a rule e.g. shapes with curved sides, shapes with 4 corners, shapes which have a triangle face. Ask your child to choose a shape. If it belongs in your set, they can put it with the group. If it doesn’t belong, they put it in another pile. Once several shapes have joined the set, ask your child to see if they can identify the rule. Can you find any other items in your house that fit the rule?

Mathematics Suggestions

• In the shared folder, find the 3D shape challenge cards. Complete these with your child.
• Find the 3D shape colouring in the shared folder. 
• Continue to watch your beanstalks grow and compare them to other plants. Remember to use the language taller, tallest, tall, shortest, shorter, short.
• Continue to count in 5’s and 10’s.

Understanding the World

This activity will be done in school and at home

• As a school we are making a time capsule to capture this period of time because it will be important in history. Can you draw a picture of your family and something you did together in lockdown. For example, playing a game, baking a cake, or something creative in your garden. If you are at home you could ask your Mum or Dad to write on your picture about what it is you have done. We would love a photograph of your piece of work sent to your class email. This activity will also be done in school. 
• Imagine you are in a hot air balloon, if you looked down what could see? Can you draw a bird’s eye view of what you see?
• Can you think about things that can fly? Where might they fly too? Or where they might migrate? 

Expressive Arts and Design

This activity will be done in school and at home.

• This week we are looking at the story ‘Oh, the Places you will go’ by Dr Seuss. In the story we saw the character going on a journey in a hot air balloon. We thought it would be a great time to think about making our own hot air balloon, especially because they are very well-known in Bristol so we get to see them quite a lot. You can be as creative in designing your hot air balloon as you like, maybe you could use paper mache, design paper plates, paint your hot air balloon, or use origami to make your own individual 3D balloon. Why not find a picture of some hot air balloons in Bristol to help inspire you. Here are some examples of things you could do.

• Jenny Urquhart is a very famous local Bristol artist. She designs some amazing, bright and colourful hot air balloons in Bristol. Why not google some of her work and see if you can make your own collage of one of her balloons? 

PSHE

Due to the importance of well-being this can be done at home or in school. 

This week we are thinking of ways that we can have a growth mindset. We then want to continue to think about the importance of talking about how we are feeling and continuing with our kindness challenge. 

First, we would like you to watch these clips about having a growth mindset  

• Growth mindset clip
• Beans clip

and colour in some bunting to remind you about it.

Then listen to this story, read by Mrs Brand : My Strong Mind and talk about ways to keep your mind healthy and strong.

Our kindness challenge this week is playing the Empathy game. See if you can have a go with some friends or family members. 

To continue to talk about our feelings, make sure you are making time to talk about how you are feeling. How could you help these worry monsters feel better?

Physical Development

• Continue with Joe Wicks daily P.E sessions daily  live at 9am. These can also be accessed at any time during the day on YouTube.
• Learn a new game that you can play with the people in your household. This is a great opportunity to spend some time outside. Here is a game everyone can be involved with:

Red light, green light

• One person is the traffic light at one end, and the other players are at the other end. When the traffic light faces the group, he or she says, “Red light!” and everyone must freeze. The traffic light then turns his or her back and says, “Green light!” while the group tries to get as close to the traffic light as possible. The traffic light turns around quickly, again saying, “Red light!”, and if anyone is spotted moving, they have to go back to the starting place. The first person to tag the traffic light wins and gets to be the next traffic light. 

The Shape Game

• This is a great way to learn about shapes and find them in your house or garden. All you need is chalk and a surface to draw on with chalk. Draw a range of shapes using the chalk on the floor, see if you can find items around your house to match the shape.

• Can you beat Miss Quinn in another challenge? She was able to do 7 keepy uppy’s in a row with a football- Can your child beat this? See if you can improve on this each time.
• Take part in a yoga class, using cosmic kids. Click here for one about ‘Tiny the T-Rex’  
• Listen to BBC Let’s move dance routines; you can involve other members of your household with this. Click here for Part three: ‘Spots, Stripes and a stitch in time.’