Easter Holidays

As we are coming to the end of the spring term we would just like to say Thank you for sending your children in with play clothes on several occasions and hope that their clothes were not too muddy on their return, the children had so much fun outside.

The children will bring their PE bags home on Thursday please check your children's PE shoes. Thank you.

Also please keep checking at home for any school books that may have escaped the book bag.

Thank you for your continued support
Reception Team

Maiden Castle Farm Trip

We all had a really good trip today, it was very cold and all the children did really well on the cold walk.
The children were all excited to see the baby lambs, some had been born today and some Ewes were having their lambs as we were walking round the farm. It was lovely to hear some of the questions that the children were asking.

A BIG Thank you to those Parents and Grandparents who gave up their morning to join us.

On the farm

  Undeterred by the few snowflakes fluttering form the snowy sky, Reception class wrapped up warm and headed for the hills. ( I mean the farm.) A brisk walk and half hour later we arrived. Only one child had managed to get stuck in the mud on the way, pulling her woolly socked foot out of her wellington boot and puting it down in the oozy sludge of brown beneath her feet! I think it was mud!
Once inside the barn and with a biscuit to munch, Hazel the farmer talked about the lambs and the sheep and all they were doing to keep them well and warm while the lambing was happening. The children learnt that a lady sheep is called a  Ewe and a man sheep a Ram. We watched the lambs feeding on their mothers and looked at the lambs that were being looked after.
Afterwards we went back to the barn ate more biscuits and asked Hazel questions about the other animals on the farm, before heading back for the warmth of school.
The children were very well behaved and coped well with the cold.

Library

As the Easter holiday approaches us we have taken out the 'Library' books from your childs book bag,  as these books are logged in and out on the computer please only take story books over the holiday time.

Many Thanks
Reception team

Farm Visit

This Wednesday we are going to Maiden Castle Farm, thank you to those Parents / Grandparents who have kindly offered to walk with us.
It is VERY cold so please on Wednesday make sure your children have double layers ,jumpers warm trousers, gloves, hats, scarf, warm coat, wellies are a must as it is very very muddy.

Thank you Reception Team

Group Reading Books

Please Please Please can you have a look at home for any Group Reading Books. We are still  missing quite a few and unfortunately this does mean some children will  not be able to have a book to take home to read with you.
Thank you Reception Team

An Awesome Week.

I wonder if there is any other school in the country where the children have moved a ton of  stone down a hill across the playground and up a slope by means of ancient technology.  What an amazing thing to do and your child was part of it! I hope it is something  they will remember in their lives. A great moment. Also a great moment was the standing stone ceremony this afternoon. Gut slogging work for the guys and girls trying to get it in position in the slimy slippery mud. Many of the Reception children were involved in pulling the stone into position to the accompaniment of ancient conch shells and horns.
Yes we got a bit wet and cold and muddy, but it was awesome. There was a real sense of  that ancient people that we have been learning about. I hope we learnt the inspiring  the exciting and the hard slog are worth doing.
We have had so much fun. I wonder what your child might accomplish in their lives if they took on these values?
Have a good weekend.

Archaeology

William's dad, who is an archaeologist, helped Reception yesterday with their Year 4 buddies. they explored a variety of artefacts found at school some years a go as well as others that Damian brought along. Watch out for the display!

Maiden Castle Farm

On Wednesday 27th March the Reception Class are going to walk up to Maiden Castle Farm. As we will be walking along the road before we get to the track we would really appreciate parent helpers to assist us on the walk. Please if you are able to help please see a member of the Reception Team.

Thank you for your continued support .
Puddles are great fun but lets keep our fingers crossed for a sunny day.

creative cooking and painting.

Today we have made cave age paintings. We have cooked slabs of sweet bread. We have covered the bread in white icing and we are using the coloured icing tubes to draw cave pictures. It looks fab and we can't wait to eat it. YUM!

Ploughing, painting and digging

On Wednesday  we spent time up in the round house with Sam, Anthony and Crispie.
They showed us how to dig using deer antlers and cow shoulder blades. We did some cave age  hand painting, learning how to make paint by grinding and bashing stones. Lastly we tried our hands at ploughing. Lots of team effort was required to plough the furrow. BUT we did it!.
Reception are super stars.

The story continues.

We have been having a wonderful time as our Ancient History week draws to a close.

On Tuesday we had a quiet day. The children were engrossed in a challenge.
The challenge was to move the podley cubes from one side of the playground to the other without using their hands. What fun they had and how resourceful they became. Some children used tubes and skipping ropes, others planks and baskets. Gradually they began to negotiate and collaborate with greater effectiveness. By the time they had finished one group had managed to move a child and a cube using the tubes as rollers. Come in and see the pictures that will be on display in the ICT suite next week.

EPIC STONE DRAG

Well we did it! We dragged that stone from the bottom of the field to its resting place by the round house. It was an immense task, but we did not falter, gathering all our strength we pulled and pulled and pulled.  In fact Anthony said Reception were the BEST.
We always knew it.

Pumps paddles and wellies

When we finished our ancient music session, we went back to the classroom to think about how things move. We explored toys and water wheels, paddles and pumps. Most of the children were very good at knowing whether the movement was related to a push or pull, but can they tell you what the word "Forces" means?


This afternoon it will be on with the wellies and old clothes for the "Stone drag". WATCH THIS SPACE!

Ancient music..

We have just been making up an ancient canoe paddle song with Kate Corwen. We have a hero, a seal an eagle and some musicians playing shells. There is even a conch shell blower. You willl need to come along to the ceromony on Friday to discover who these people are and what our story is all about!
The song lyrics which incorporate the word "Dune"  mean this is a female river a safe river to paddle down.

Welll it is Ancient History week!!!
We are very excited in Recption class this morning. The children have been absolutely brillant at learning new words like "History"  "Pre- historic" and  "Ancient"
We have been thinking about what our past history is, and using terms like "yesterday". Using our timeline in the class the children have begun to understand the idea and concepts involved in time passing. They showed a really good understanding.
We have looked at pictures of cavemen and watched a trailer from THE CROODS. How exciting was that!!!! 
Today we are loud noisy and full of it!!!!. I haven't told tham about the EPIC STONE DRAG YET!!
WATCH THIS SPACE

Cavemen

Next week we will be linking our ancient learning to cavemen. There are lots of exciting activities awaiting us!
I am teaching the children a musical called Dumble the Dinosaur. Did you know that it was Dumble and the cave men who created the first chocolate? It's called Choc Rock!
Actually we are also learning that cave men and dinosaurs did not dwell in the same time period. This is tricky when so many stories have cavemen and dinosaurs together. However it is a good teaching point to think about the differences between  information and fiction stories. If you think that you have any books or toys that would help with our learning in this topic, please let us know. Thank you.
Have a good weekend.
The Reception team

The children had a very good trip to the County Museum today.I was particularly pleased with the engagement the children showed.They asked some interesting questions.One of which was "Were there swordfish in the times of the Dinosaurs?" The children made drawings of what they saw and attempted to write dinosaur words. We were interested that crocodiles, turtles and ants have all survived from those times. Did you know that?

Dorchester County Museum

WOW!!

What a fantastic trip the children had a great time at the museum . The children learnt lots about dinosaurs and prehistoric times. Can you ask your child to tell you some of the things they did today? 

RED NOSE DAY.....

DONT FORGET.......

15th March (tomorrow) is Red Nose Day, please can your children come to school in non-uniform wearing a white t-shirt with the red nose theme.

They will also need 20p to buy a cake and please if you have time could you make some cakes to bring in for the children to buy and sell.

Many Thanks

Reception Team

PE plimsolls

Over the Easter Holiday please could you check your children's PE shoes, some of the children have mentioned that their shoes are too small.

Many Thanks

Reception Team 

Cold Weather

During the cold weather spell please make sure the children have a warm coat, hat, scarf and gloves, as they all love to play outside but we do need to make sure they are warm.

Many thanks

Reception team

Dorchester County Museum

This Thursday we are taking the Reception class to the 'Dorchester County Museum'

If you have not handed your child's permission slip to a member of the team, please do so ASAP.

Thankyou.

Children should wear school uniform, we will be travelling by coach and will be back in time for lunch.

Thank you Reception Team

Library Reminder

Each week the children go to the library with Mrs Collis or Mrs Howell.

The children all choose one book, they keep this book for a week, they are able to look at it during school or at home.

Please make sure the library book is put back in your child's bookbag each day as the day they go to the library does vary.

One last thing... please don't change this book in the library as it has to be put on the computer.

Many Thanks

Reception Team