Learning futsal skills
Understanding of the World
Reception enjoy exploring and discovering the world around them.
PE
PE will be on Mondays and Tuesdays starting from the week beginning 13 May. This is due to sports coaches that will be teaching Monday’s session.
It’s not all about the SATs!
Year Six took a well deserved morning off revision and produced these astonishingly good abstract representations of Flamingoland. I have to say, their artwork is awesome.
Learning about time
Thanks to everyone for sending a photo of your child as a baby. This topic is always fascinating for young children, especially when they realise their teachers were babies too! Most children find the concept of time diificult because of its abstract nature. In the early years, the focus is mainly on the aspect of sequencing events and using the vocabulary of time.
This week, we’ll be learning how to read o’clock times as well but it’s important that children have the concept of time.
For many children time only exists in the present and they find it more difficult to remember past events than to imagine a future event such as a birthday.
Talk to your child about past events and use the language of time, such as:
- yesterday,
- today,
- tomorrow,
- last week,
- last month,
- quicker,
- slower,
- before,
- after,
- earlier and
- later.
Set your child challenges and time them. For example, ask them to tidy their toys away and time them. Talk about how long it took. Were they quicker or slower than yesterday?
As you begin to tell a story emphasise the opening phrases ‘once upon a time’ or ‘a long time ago’. When you have finished reading the story discuss the sequence of events. Use the language first, next, and then, and finally.
As always: have fun and keep it playful!
Topic
We begin this half term with a mini-topic all about nocturnal animals. We will learn what it means to be nocturnal and some examples of nocturnal animals.
Our big topic for this term is all about farms. We will learn about animals and their habitats, compare farms in different countries and study how farms have changed over time. We will even visit a farm later in the term!
SEAL
This theme is the first of two focusing specifically on feelings. It explores feelings in the context of the child as an individual, developing self-awareness and helping the child to realise that it really is ‘Good to be me’. The theme is about understanding our feelings as well as considering our strengths and weaknesses as learners. It aims to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in three key social and emotional aspects of learning: self-awareness, managing feelings and empathy.
New beginnings
Sadly, this half term will be my last here at Moortown. I have a new role as a class teacher in York (much closer to home) which will begin in June. My new job has extra leadership responsibilities so I am looking forward to sharing all of the good and outstanding practice that I have learnt during my time here.
I am currently writing the children’s reports so you will receive them as normal before the end of the school year. SATs will be completed and marked in the next few weeks too.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all parents for being supportive as it has really helped the children to make very good progress so far this year. The class have been an absolute delight to teach and I will miss each and every one them.
Is there a new teacher in Y1?
You could be mistaken in thinking there is a new teacher in Y1! However, if you look carefully you will see that one of the children has let me have a rest. Lots of Y1 have brought books in this week to read to each other. It’s great to see how confident they have become.
Incidentally, can you see the questions on the interactive whiteboard? These questions are about our forthcoming Big Topic – the questions are from the pupils – they help us to plan what to teach during the topic!
Flamingoland: the day in pictures
What a great day!
We had fantastic fun at Flamingoland. These pictures will give you a flavour of the day.
Your children were exceptionally well behaved and threw themselves into the activities with great gusto.
It certainly was an adrenaline-filled day.