Hello Reception Families!
What a fantastic return to school!
This week in Reception, we have been on an incredible journey into the world of insects! The children have been buzzing with excitement as we explored creepy crawlies through stories, hands-on activities, and a special visit from the amazing Bug Man. It has been a week filled with curiosity, discovery, and plenty of wriggly fun!
One of the highlights of our week was diving into the classic story The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. The children loved following the journey of the tiny caterpillar as he munched his way through a feast before transforming into a beautiful butterfly. Inspired by this, the children wrote their own wonderful stories, using their growing phonics knowledge to write and retell this marvellous story.
Reception were fascinated as they discovered how caterpillars grow and change. Using pictures, models, and discussion, we explored the four stages of the butterfly life cycle: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly. The children loved sequencing the stages, deepening their understanding of the natural world.
With our budding engineers and nature lovers in mind, we set out to build our very own bug hotels! Using natural materials such as twigs, leaves, and moss, the children worked together to create cosy hideaways for mini-beasts in our outdoor area.
On Friday the excitement reached new heights when the Bug Man came to visit! He introduced us to an incredible range of insects, including spiders, scorpions, stick insects, and millipedes. The children showed great bravery and curiosity as they observed these fascinating creatures up close. They asked thoughtful questions and were eager to share their knowledge with our wonderful visitor; engaged in meaningful discussions and newly learned facts.
One of the most unforgettable moments was when each child had the chance to see the most enormous tarantula – a real (but no longer alive!) specimen. There were gasps of amazement as they took in the size of its legs and body, and many children were eager to share their thoughts on how it might have lived in the wild.
It has been a truly memorable week in Reception, filled with hands-on learning, creativity, and awe-inspiring moments. The children have developed their confidence, communication skills, and understanding of the natural world, all while having an amazing time!
We encourage you to chat with your child about their favourite part of Insect Week and perhaps even explore your garden or local park together to see what insects you can find.
Coming up next week:
This week children will be continuing our topic of Amazing Animals and looking at African Jungle Animals. Our focus stories will be Dear Zoo, Rumble in the Jungle and Monkey Puzzle.
This week we also start our mystery readers. Thank you so much to everyone who has volunteered to come in. It would be really good if we can try and keep who is coming in a secret as the children try and guess before you come in. We are still in need of a Mystery Reader for Wednesday! so please get in contact if this is something you are interested in. (There is no mystery reader on Friday as it is the Receptions Class Assembly)
Thursday is World Book Day where children are invited to dress up as their favourite book character and we welcome children to also bring a book of their choice in to school (please name the book so we can return any misplaced).
On Friday, Reception has this Class Assembly where we will be showcasing some of our favourite topics and pieces of work from the year so far as well as sharing some of our favourite songs! It would be amazing to see as many parents and family members there as possible!
Thank you for your continued support – we can’t wait for another exciting week of learning ahead!
