Reception Class

Hello Reception Families and Friends!

Jambo! 🇰🇪

Before we dive into our jam-packed week, I wanted to share a little about my trip. I had the most incredible, life-changing opportunity to travel to Kenya to teach at our wonderful link school, Kiriani Primary. It was an honor to work alongside the teachers there, but I must say, as much as I loved the sunshine and the warm welcome, I am absolutely thrilled to be back in my own classroom! I of course missed the children’s energy and smiles immensely; there really is no place like home (or Reception!) and am forever grateful that you and reception class have been in full support despite my absence!

It has been a whirlwind of a week as I returned and have picked up form our new topic, Amazing Animals. In true Prince of Wales style, we’ve been busy explorers, artists, and mathematicians!

Digging Deep with Gardener Jim

On Monday, the children headed over to the Year 4 garden for our first session with Gardener Jim. There was a lot of Understanding the World in action as we churned up the soil and planted new crops. The highlight? Finding a healthy handful of wiggly worms! This was a fantastic way for the children to learn about living things and their habitats firsthand.

A Taste of Kenya

On Tuesday, I shared stories and treasures from my trip. We looked at beautiful handmade items brought back by myself and the Murugi Community Trust, including fans, bags, and jewelry crafted by the talented mothers at Kiriani Primary. Keep an eye out for our Kenya Stall at upcoming school fetes to see these vibrant items for yourself!

Art & Imagination: From Picasso to Pottery

Our Expressive Arts and Design journey took some truly creative turns this week! It has been wonderful to see the children develop their own unique styles while exploring different mediums and famous artists.

Cubist Creators: Picasso-Inspired Portraits

Following on from our initial portrait work, we took a dive into the world of Pablo Picasso. We talked about how art doesn't always have to look "real" to be amazing!

The children looked at how Picasso used bold colors and "shuffled" facial features. We discussed how an eye might be higher than the other, or a nose might point a different way.

Using a mix of media, the children began creating their own abstract masterpieces. This is a brilliant way for them to develop fine motor control through careful cutting and sticking, while also building the confidence to express their own ideas without a "right or wrong" answer. We’ll be adding more layers to these throughout the coming week!

Sculpting the Savannah: Clay African Animals

On Wednesday, the classroom turned into a mini-sculpture studio. As part of our Amazing Animals topic, we moved from 2D drawing to 3D modeling. Using air-dry clay is a fantastic sensory experience. The children practiced "pulling," "pinching," and "rolling" the clay to create legs, trunks, and long giraffe necks. We encouraged the children to think about the textures of the animals- like the scales of a crocodile or the mane of a lion.

What’s Next? These are currently drying safely in the classroom. Next week, we will be using our color-mixing skills to paint them with realistic (or perhaps very colorful!) patterns. We can’t wait for you to see the finished herd!

A Magical World Book Day

Thursday was a truly magical highlight of our week! It was a joy to see the classroom transformed into a living library as the children arrived dressed as their favorite book characters. From brave superheroes and magical fairies to the most amazing superworm, the effort put into the costumes was incredible! Thank you for your support with this!

One of the most heartwarming moments was our shared reading session with the Year 4 children. Our older "buddies" sat beautifully with the Reception children, modeling expressive reading and helping our little ones navigate the pictures and plots of their chosen books. It was a fantastic way to build our school community and boost the children's confidence in talking about stories.

The Great Book Swap: There was so much excitement during our school-wide book swap! The children practiced their decision-making skills as they browsed the "new-to-them" stories. It was wonderful to see them valuing books as treasures to be shared.

Library Explorers: We took a special trip to our school library, where every child had the chance to select a book to take home. We talked about how to handle books with care and how the library is a quiet place for big imaginations.

Chalk Masterpieces: In the afternoon, we took our learning outside into the fresh air. Armed with chunky sticks of colored chalk, the children turned the playground into a giant storybook! They drew their characters and settings on the ground, narrating their drawings to their friends as they worked. This Physical Development activity (using those big shoulder movements to draw) is a secret way we help build the strength needed for writing!

Our Reception Class Assembly

Thank you so much to everyone who attended our Reception Class Assembly on Friday! The children showed such confidence (a key part of their Personal, Social, and Emotional Development) as they, shared their future career dreams, retold The Three Billy Goats Gruff, explained the Butterfly Life Cycle, performed our legendary Doubles Rap and of course much more!

After the high energy and excitement of our class assembly, the celebrations didn't stop there! We truly made the most of our Friday. A Victory Lap at the Park!!!

To celebrate the children's hard work and their brave public speaking during the assembly, we took a short trip over to the local park. This wasn't just about letting off steam (though there was plenty of that!), It was wonderful to see the children negotiating turns on the swings and organising their own games of tag, showing how much they’ve grown in their Personal, Social, and Emotional Development.

An Inspiring Visit from a Guest Author

In the afternoon, the atmosphere turned cozy and attentive as we welcomed a very special guest author to our classroom. There is nothing quite like hearing a story read by the person who dreamed it up! The children were transfixed as he shared his book, and they had some brilliant questions about how he chose his characters and where he gets his ideas. Seeing a real-life author helps the children understand that the marks they make on paper in class are the very beginning of becoming authors themselves.

Bonus Content: Our guest author has a sequel to the story he read! I have attached a QR code below so you can watch a video of the follow-up story together at home.

The Magic of the Mystery Reader

One of the absolute highlights of our week has been the daily anticipation of our Mystery Reader! Each afternoon, the tension in the classroom was palpable as the children speculated who might be knocking on our door. We want to extend a massive thank you to the parents and family members who volunteered to step into the "hot seat." You truly made storytime feel like a red-carpet event!

Important Dates & Reminders

🐚 Class Trip: Sea Life Centre (Wednesday 11th of March)

We are so excited for our underwater adventure!

To help the day run smoothly:

Bags: Please provide a small, light backpack. Children must be able to carry their own lunch and water bottle.
Gear: Sensible walking shoes and a waterproof coat are essential.
Timings: Drop-off and collection are at the usual school times.
Lunch: Ensure your child has a school lunch booked or a packed lunch from home.

Please find the attached Social Story below to read with your child this weekend to help them prepare for the trip.

Sea Life Center Social Story

🧩 Family Games Afternoon (Thursday)

Join us in the Reception classroom from 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm. You are invited to bring a favorite puzzle or board game from home to play with your child and their friends. It’s a lovely way to build social skills and have some fun!