Welcome back to Autumn Term 2!

 

Hello Reception Families and Friends!

Welcome back to Autumn Term 2! 

I hope you all had a restful and relaxing half-term break with your little ones.

First of all, I want to send a huge, heartfelt apology for the delay in getting this blog out to you all. Between my absences last half-term and our recent changes to the school blog guidelines (meaning we can no longer share photos of the children’s faces online) things have taken a little longer getting to you! Rest assured, even without face photos, we will still be sharing plenty of wonderful updates about all the exciting things happening in Reception.

A Look Back: Maiden Castle Farm!

Before the break, we had the absolute best time on our trip to Maiden Castle Farm! The children were brilliant representers of our school and had a fantastic day exploring the countryside. Highlights of the trip include exploring farm machinery, meeting the cows and discovering crops (We learned all about how crops are grown and spent time seeing real barley up close).

The children loved jumping in muddy puddles and I was so impressed with their resilience to enjoy the day despite the wet and windy weather!

Thank you so much to everyone who helped make the trip such a memorable, fun-filled day out!

What’s Coming Up in Autumn Term 2

We have an action-packed half term ahead! This term, we're diving into seasonal celebrations, winter themes, and all things transport through a super hands-on curriculum that blends early reading, science, and creative art.

In literacy and phonics, the children will be busy writing CVC words, unleashing their imaginations in Drawing Club with Penguin's Egg, and working hard on those all-important letters to Santa!

Our scientific investigations will be learning all about motion with our Ogden Box (The Wheels on the Bus), and experimenting with floating, sinking, and waterproof materials.

Over in art and DT, we’ll be getting creative by making papier-mâché hot air balloons, building working boats, and crafting beautiful festive woven wreaths. Plus, we'll be stepping out into the local community with wonderful visits planned to St Mary’s Church and Dorchester Library (more details yet to come!). 

It's going to be an unforgettable few weeks!

Forest Schools (Wednesday Afternoons)

Starting this week, Wednesdays are turning into outdoor adventures! The children will be taking part in Forest Schools every Wednesday afternoon. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to build self-confidence, develop risk management and problem-solving skills, explore nature, and practice team-building through hands-on outdoor learning.

What to Wear: Please send your child to school with a warm coat and clothing (Still in uniform please). We strongly recommend wearing trousers to protect little legs from stinging nettles and scratches!

Footwear: All children must have wellies in school for Forest School sessions so they can splash and explore safely. 

We would also appreciate children having a full spare set of clothes in their bags (including socks!) use in case we do get a little too mucky during these sessions. P.S. Label socks too!

Family Reading Afternoons (Fridays, 3:00–3:30pm)

We are delighted to invite parents, grandparents, and family members into the Reception classroom every Friday afternoon from 3:00pm to 3:30pm to share stories with the children! You can cozy up with a book at the tables, in our reading corner, or in the school library. You can bring your own books from home or come and find one of the lovely books we have in school. 

Dates: 

• 6th November

• 13th November

• 20th November

• 27th November

• 4th December

• 11th December

• (Note: Arrangements may change slightly closer to Christmas)

Sharing the Love of Reading: 

We completely understand that not every family can make every session. If you are able to attend, please feel free to invite other children to join in with your story time so everyone gets to share a book!

Library Borrowing: 

At 3:30pm, you are welcome to take your child to the school library to borrow a book to return the following week before picking them up from the Reception classroom as usual.

PE Days (Friday Afternoons)

In addition to our reading afternoons, Fridays will also feature our PE sessions!

What to Wear: To make things easier for everyone, children can come to school dressed in their PE kits every Friday.

I have attached below this weeks weekly timetable (our topic this week is all about fireworks and bonfire night!)

Do feel free to share this with your child, as I am sure they are all very excite to return but will also be feeling a mix of emotions and knowing what's coming up next can support them in feeling confident when coming in tomorrow morning. 

Thank you as always for your continued support. It is going to be a fantastic, busy half-term! If you have any questions, please feel free to send an email.

Best,

Miss Godden and the Reception Team

Tomorrow We Visit a Farm! 🌾🚜

Hello Reception Families and Friends!

We are so excited for our trip to a farm tomorrow morning! 

Here is everything you need to know to help the morning run smoothly:

Social Story

If you feel your child needs a story to support them in feeling confident on this trip then please acess the story I have created below:

My Trip to a Farm

Timings

8:45 AM: School doors open as normal.

9:15 AM: We will be setting off for the farm.

12:00 PM: We will return to school in time for our usual lunch at 12:30 PM.

Weather & Clothing

The forecast predicts heavy rain, but we will be going whatever the weather! Please ensure your child comes prepared to stay warm and dry:

• Warm clothing layers underneath.

• A good waterproof coat (or a one-piece waterproof suit if you have one).

• Wellies: Children should wear their wellies into class in the morning. (If your child already keeps their wellies at school, they can put them on when they arrive).

• Water bottle: To take with us.

• Spare clothes: Please pack a full set of spare clothes in their bag for when we return, just in case anyone gets soaked!

Morning Arrival Routine

When your child arrives at 8:45 AM:

1. Children should come straight into the classroom with their wellies on, waterproofs on, and holding their water bottle. (We understand many children have their wellies at school so don't worry, we will sort this!)

2. They will put their water bottle into a designated class crate (which we’ll take with us).

3. Children will sit on the carpet, where an adult from the Reception team will support them in putting on their hi-vis vest.

A Little Request for Drop-Off

We love and appreciate all your help in getting the children ready! To help us manage the morning smoothly, please keep the cloakroom area as clear as possible. The Reception team will be on hand inside to support all the children with their hi-vis vests and gear.

Thank you so much for your continued support - we can't wait for a muddy, fun-filled farm adventure!

Thank you,

Miss Godden and The Reception Team

🚀 Space Day Magic & Weekly Highlights in Reception

Welcome Families and Friends to another weekly class blog update! 

We have had an absolutely out-of-this-world week in Reception as we rounded off our Space Topic!

Here is a look back at what we’ve been up to this week:

Communication & Language and Literacy

Read Write Inc. Phonics

This week in our RWI Phonics sessions, we introduced five new single letter sounds:

f

e

l

h

r

The children have loved forming these sounds on their whiteboards, practicing their oral blending with Fred the Frog, and using their sound knowledge to begin decoding simple CVCs.

Children have taken home some letter formation worksheets to practise at home. These are completely optional and do not need to be returned to school. We have also created some pathways to support your children with their Phonics at home if you have a spare 5-10mins with your child.

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/resources/vc-pathways/524412/NsjMRQzQiey1Uh9r

English & List Writing: Man on the Moon

Inspired by our focus text, Man on the Moon, the children stepped into the role of space explorers preparing for a lunar mission! During our English focus sessions and small group tasks, we practiced list writing to note down all the essential items an astronaut might need on the Moon. It has been wonderful to watch their confidence grow as they apply their phonic knowledge to write meaningful words independently.

Understanding the World (UTW)

Our Understanding the World sessions were divided into two exciting themes this week:

The 5 Senses Exploration

Every afternoon, our young scientists investigated a different sense through hands-on table jobs and experiments:

Smell: Sniffing out different scents on Monday.

Hearing: A range of sounds and roleplaying based on sound on Tuesday.

Sight: Exploring Light, reflection, glow in the dark and magnifying on Wednesday.

Taste: Testing sweet, sour, and salty flavors on Thursday morning.

Touch: Exploring textures through mystery object bags and messy play on Thursday afternoon!

Days of the Week Song!

We spent time developing our sense of time and community. During our daily input sessions, we learned the days of the week through songs and interactive discussions. 

We also explored our "Daily Dash" focus, asking the question "Where Do We Belong?" to encourage children to talk about their families, local environment, and school community.

Expressive Arts & Design & Continuous Provision

Adventure Time

"Adventure Time" (our child-led continuous provision) allowed the children to take their learning in whichever direction inspired them. Along with space-themed role-play, building with construction materials, and messy play, the children were busy throughout the week.

🌟 Friday Space Day!

Friday was an absolute highlight of the term as we celebrated Space Day! Wearing their handmade space helmets, the children participated in space-themed maths, rocket launch role-play, and cosmic storytimes.

🚀 A Huge Thank You to Parents!

We want to say a massive thank you for sourcing and sending in all the fantastic cardboard boxes for our space helmet making! Your support in gathering resources makes such a huge difference to our creative projects.

An extra huge thank you for your incredible efforts with non-school uniform day- everyone did such a wonderful job dressing the children up as astronauts and all things space-themed! The children looked out of this world, and their faces lit up seeing each other’s amazing outfits.

Design & Technology: Space Helmets!

On Friday afternoon, our creativity reached new heights! Using recycled materials, craft supplies, and lots of imagination, the children designed and built their very own astronaut space helmets to wear during our Space Day activities.

How You Can Help at Home

To support your child's learning over the weekend, you might like to:

1. Phonics Practice: See if your child can spot objects at home starting with this week's sounds (f, e, l, h, r).

2. Days of the Week: Sing a "Days of the Week" song together to reinforce sequence and time.

3. 5 Senses: Ask your child to describe what they can hear, touch, or smell during mealtimes or outdoor walks!

Thank you all for your ongoing support. Hope you have had a wonderful weekend!

Warm regards,

Miss Godden and The Reception Team