Wednesday, 18 June 2025

Hot Weather Reminder!

 

Dear Reception Parents,

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow we are expecting temperatures to reach the high 20s! Please ensure your child comes to school with:

  • A water bottle to stay hydrated

  • A sun hat 

  • Suncream already applied before coming to school


As a reminder, Forest Schools will be taking place tomorrow, so a hat is especially important to protect your child while they enjoy outdoor activities.

Thank you for your support in keeping our little ones safe and comfortable in the sun!

Best regards,
Miss Godden and the Reception Team 

Monday, 16 June 2025

Boxes for Reception!

 


Dear Families and Friends,

We’re getting creative in our classrooms and would love your help!

Reception are currently collecting small cardboard boxes for junk modelling activities, and we’d be so grateful for any donations you can send in. 

Ideal boxes would be no bigger than a standard shoe box — think cereal boxes, tissue boxes, or similar.

We’re also on the lookout for plastic milk bottle tops, which are great for adding fun details to our models!

If you have any at home that you're happy to part with, please send them in with your child by Wednesday 18th June at the very latest, as we’ll be using them in class that afternoon.

Thank you so much for your continued support — it’s always hugely appreciated and makes such a difference to the children’s learning.

Warm wishes,
Miss Godden

Sunday, 8 June 2025

Supertato To The Rescue!

What a super week it has been in Reception! From mysterious slime to sneaky villains and heroic potatoes, our little learners have had an action-packed adventure—and learned so much along the way!


Our week started with a splaaaat! as we walked into class to find a trail of blue slime all over our tuff tray... but who could have done such a thing? After much discussion, the children decided it must have been a villain named Slimer! 







Using teamwork, problem-solving, and a whole lot of imagination, we headed outside and constructed our very own Slimer Traps in the Reception garden! The children used natural materials, construction toys, and their brilliant ideas to try and catch the culprit.










On Tuesday, our imaginations took flight as we created stick puppet superheroes and acted out city-saving scenes! Children used role play to rescue buildings, stop cheeky villains, and keep the peace. The drama led beautifully into some fantastic early writing as we began telling our own superhero stories. 

We can’t wait to share these amazing superhero tales with you next week—prepare to be wowed by their creativity and developing literacy skills!

Disaster struck on Wednesday when Evil Pea (yes, that tiny terror from Supertato!) froze some of our classroom resources in blocks of ice! 

Our brave learners transformed into scientists and problem-solvers, experimenting with ways to melt the ice. They discovered that salt water worked fastest, which sparked some brilliant discussions about cause and effect. A chilly challenge with a warm result!

Armed with real potatoes, googly eyes, and capes galore, on Thursday the children designed and created their very own Supertato heroes









These characters have become the stars of our learning, and on Friday we took them one step further…

Using our new Supertato friends, we began exploring stop-motion animation! With a camera, a backdrop, and some imaginative storytelling, the children created the first scenes of their very own short superhero films. 

We’re so excited to continue these mini-movies next week—Hollywood, here we come!





We were lucky enough to dodge the raindrops and enjoy a wonderful session in Forest School. Mud kitchens, stick collecting, and bug hunting were all part of the fun as children developed their physical skillsconfidence, and a love for the outdoors.



















 This week has truly been one for the storybooks! Through play, teamwork, science, storytelling, art, and outdoor adventure, the children have explored every corner of the EYFS curriculum—all while becoming heroes of their own learning.

A quick reminder for next week:
As we prepare for the changeable weather, please ensure your child has a light, waterproof coat in school each day. While we know many children enjoy bringing umbrellas, we kindly ask that these are kept at home, as they can’t be used during break or lunchtime for safety reasons.

Thank you for your continued support, especially through this busy week—and stay tuned next week for our Superhero Story Showcase!

Miss Godden and The Reception Team











Sunday, 1 June 2025

Reception's Outdoor Project This Half Term - Gardening with Gardener Jim

 Dear Parents and Carers,

We’re excited to let you know that this half term, the children in Reception will be spending an hour each Monday morning from 11:15am to 12:15pm with Gardener Jim in the Reception outdoor area. During these sessions, the children will be helping to tend to our raised flower beds and working together to enhance and improve our natural outdoor spaces.

As part of this hands-on gardening experience, we kindly ask that you pack an extra pair of socks for your child each Monday, just in case their feet get a little soggy while carrying water or exploring the garden.

We would also love to welcome any parents, carers, or family members who would like to join us for these sessions! Your help—and your green fingers—would be greatly appreciated as we work to make our garden a beautiful and inspiring place for the children.

Thank you for your continued support!

Miss Godden and The Reception Team

Gruffalo Fun!

 

Hello Reception Families! 

What a fantastic week we had in Reception as we rounded off our Julia Donaldson half term with a deep dive into one of her most loved stories – The Gruffalo! The children were full of excitement as we explored the deep, dark wood together, using our imaginations, storytelling skills, and creativity every step of the way.

We began the week with a magical moment as we released our class butterflies into the world. The children have been carefully observing the caterpillars' transformation over the past few weeks and were full of wonder as they watched them flutter away. This was a lovely way to deepen their understanding of the natural world, encouraging curiosity and respect for living things.





Tuesday took us on a real-life adventure as we headed to the local park for our Gruffalo walk! Equipped with scavenger hunt sheets and plenty of excitement, the children hunted for natural treasures and clues that hinted at where the Gruffalo might be hiding!










On Wednesday, our little scientists investigated the magical world of shadows. Using torches and the mouse from The Gruffalo, the children experimented with light to create the biggest and scariest shadow possible—just like in the story The Gruffalo's Child! They then measured the shadows using cubes, developing both scientific enquiry and early mathematical skills in a fun and engaging way.










On Thursday, the classroom was filled with giggles and dramatic flair as the children roleplayed The Gruffalo using character masks. Whether they were the brave little mouse or the fearsome Gruffalo, the children threw themselves into their roles with enthusiasm. It was a joy to see such confidence, creativity and understanding of story structure.









Friday was filled with awe and wonder as we visited Thomas Hardye School for a special science morning. The children were fascinated by a real chemical reaction that produced a large flame—just like a rocket taking off! They also explored how different chemicals can change the colour of fire, and had a blast making their own slime. These experiences encouraged hands-on investigation and introduced early concepts of chemistry in a fun and accessible way.













To celebrate the end of the half term, we hosted a Gruffalo-themed party on Friday afternoon. A HUGE thank you to all the parents who attended and to those who kindly brought in themed food—we were so impressed by the creativity and effort! The children sang beautifully, proudly showcased their artwork, wrote invitations to families and friends and of course enjoyed a spectacular tea party. It was a joyful celebration of all they’ve learned and accomplished this half term.























Going into the next half term

In Summer 2, Reception have lots of exciting adventures lined up! We’ll be soaring into a new topic all about Superheroes—both the imaginary kind and the real-life heroes who help us every day. Later in the term, we’ll explore our spectacular Jurassic Coastline, learning more about our local environment and history. Finally, we’ll spend time preparing for our next big adventure: Year 1! It’s going to be a wonderful way to finish the year.

Keep a look out for upcoming blogs as we are keen to get parents involved over the next half term where possible.

🌞 A Quick Reminder for Hot Weather

As the warmer weather approaches, we want to make sure all children are comfortable and safe during the school day. Please could we kindly ask that:

  • Children come to school wearing sun cream (applied at home before the day begins). We advise using the 8hr protection sun cream so children do not need to reapply.

  • They bring a named sunhat each day

  • They have a water bottle in school (clearly labelled with their name)

  • Footwear is suitable for outdoor play (no open-toe sandals please)

Thank you for your continued support in helping us keep the children happy, healthy and ready to learn. And hope you have all had a wonderful half term and we look forward to seeing you all back tomorrow. 

Best wishes from Miss Godden and the Reception Team