Spring 2

Desert to Garden

In this half term, as we begin Lent and begin to look forward to Easter, our

RE theme is ‘Desert to Garden’. The children will hear and learn about the stories of Jesus in the desert, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, Death on the Cross and Resurrection. They will learn about Lent as a time when we prepare and get ready for Easter.

 

This is a time when we reflect on our lives and on how the things, we do affect the lives of others.  It is difficult for young children to realise that we are all capable of hurting others and to know that when we do so we should feel sorry and try to be kind.

 

They will begin to understand that Jesus forgave those who hurt him and teaches us to forgive people who hurt us.

At home you can help by:

• Encouraging your child to recognise when they have hurt someone. It is particularly difficult for young children to grasp the idea that someone’s feelings can be hurt.
• Giving gentle reminders to say sorry in times of conflict, taking time to talk things over quietly so that your child thinks about what has happened.
• Encouraging your child to give some small gift to a charitable cause and explain to them what the charity does to help people.
• Going to Sunday Mass. Mass at All Saints Church (Saturday evening 5pm or Sunday 9.30am.) At Sunday morning Mass there is also Little Church that the children can go to and listen to the Gospel with their friends. We would love to see you!

Our theme this half-term is Adventure Above and Under the Clouds

As part of this topic we will be exploring – What can we find beyond the sky? What’s in Space, and how will we get there? We will also be finding out about which planet we live on? What makes Earth special?

Peek into the past

This half-term we will also be exploring our History topic, ‘Peek into the past’. The children will reflect on memories and experiences from their own past. For our lessons we need a photograph of your child as a baby and one as a toddler. Please can you send the photographs to Tapestry as soon as possible.

 

Adventures Above and Beyond the Clouds 

The children loved exploring the resources linked to this topic. We have read books about exploring space and created our own space outfits.  We definitely have some future astronauts with us!

 

 

Recognising Patterns 

We have worked hard recognising and making patterns. 

 

Exploring Characteristics of 3D Shapes

How many corners? How many edges? Can you feel straight or wiggly edges? What shape could it be? What shape could it not be?  Our challenge – can you find a shape in the classroom with 8 edges ? 

 

Mothers' Day Celebration

Thank you for joining us to help celebrate all our mothers this week when Reception had their Mothers' Day Assembly. They all created a beautiful portrait as a memory of this special time. 

 

Exploring Shape 

We have been exploring shape through printing - ‘What footprint do you think this cylinder will make? What about if you roll it?’

 

World Book Day 

Reception had a fantastic time celebrating World Book Day. We all looked amazing in our outfits!

 

P.E

We are working hard to develop our gross motor, listening and turn-taking skills.

 

 

Spring Fun Outside 

We have been making the most of the beautiful spring weather we have been having and learning outside.

 

 

 

Chinese New Year

At the start of this half-term, we have been excited to explore Chinese New Year, focusing on the special significance of the Year of the Horse. The children have been learning about how this important festival is celebrated around the world and why it is such a meaningful time for families.

 

We have ended our Chinese New Year celebrations with some dragon dancing and a Chinese banquet. 

A highlight of our celebrations has been learning about dragon dancing. The children enjoyed finding out how dragon dances are performed during parades and festivals to bring good luck and prosperity for the year ahead. We explored the vibrant colours, the rhythmic movements and the teamwork needed to bring the dragon to life.

Through creative activities, discussions, and movement, the children have gained a deeper understanding of this joyful celebration and the rich cultural traditions behind it. It has been a wonderful opportunity to celebrate diversity and learn about traditions from around the world...

The Great Race

As part of our Chinese New Year celebrations, we have been enjoying the traditional story of The Great Race. The children were fascinated to learn how the order of the Chinese zodiac animals was decided and loved discovering the unique characteristics of each animal.

We explored the strengths of the different animals — the determination of the Tiger, the bravery of the Dragon, and the cleverness of the Rat. The story sparked wonderful discussions about fairness, perseverance, and teamwork.

A key moment in the story that really stood out to us was when the kind Ox helped the cheeky Rat by allowing him to ride on his back as they crossed the river. The children thoughtfully reflected on how the Ox showed kindness and generosity by helping a friend. We talked about how helping others can make a big difference and how small acts of kindness can lead to big outcomes.

This led to meaningful conversations about how we can show kindness in our own classroom — helping friends when they are stuck, sharing resources, taking turns, and using gentle, caring words. The children shared their own ideas about being a good friend and recognised that kindness helps everyone feel happy and included.

Through exploring The Great Race, we have not only learned about an important cultural story but have also deepened our understanding of friendship, teamwork and the importance of helping others. Linking to our school values

Some of our animals got mixed up. We used our number skills to solve the problems.

During our learning about the animals in The Great Race, we discovered that some of them had become mixed up! This gave us a wonderful opportunity to put our number skills into practice.

The children carefully worked together to sequence the animals in the correct order, thinking about who arrived first, second, third  and so on. We used our counting skills, ordinal numbers and careful reasoning to solve the problem. There were fantastic discussions as we checked our answers and helped one another to make sure every animal was in the right place.

Our theme this half-term is  Galilee to Jerusalem  and the World Around Us...

This half-term, children in Reception will be getting to know Jesus. Throughout the RE branch, the children will be given opportunities to become aware that Jesus has a great love for each one of us and will think of ways in which we can show our love for Jesus. They will hear that Jesus welcomed and cared for many people. The children will use key religious vocabulary to talk about this branch, including words from Scripture, hymns and prayers. We will enjoy exploring Scripture to tell stories about Jesus and how Scripture can make us good friends and work together.

Learning in Continuous Provision

We have all been busy learning in both our inside and outside provision. 

Tempo and Pitch

We have been exploring tempo and pitch through scarf dancing and asking the questions: Is the music high or low, slow or fast? 

Gymnastics

This week in gymnastics, we began by working on the floor, focusing on different body shapes and control. The children practised shapes such as pike, tuck, straddle, straight and star.  We explored travelling movements, thinking carefully about how to move smoothly and with control between actions.

We practised different types of jumps, including star, straight and tuck jumps, focusing on taking off and landing safely with bent knees. When working on balances, we learned how important it is to squeeze our muscles to help our bodies stay still and steady, and to focus our eyes on one spot to improve stability.

We then moved on to using the equipment, where the children applied these skills in a new context. To finish the session, they created a short sequence, linking their movements together and including a balance and a jump. The children performed their sequences to their friends, demonstrating growing confidence, control and creativity.

 

Big Schools' Birdwatch!

Our Reception children have loved taking part in the Big Schools’ Birdwatch! Over the weekend, many of the children enjoyed birdwatching at home with their families and were so excited to share their sightings and facts with the class. We heard about robins, blackbirds, blue tits and even some very lucky spotters who saw larger garden visitors.

Exploring our School Grounds

In school, we explored the school grounds to look for winter birds. The children used their excellent looking skills to spot movement in the trees and listen carefully for different bird sounds.  We also thought carefully about an important question: How can we help our birds? The children shared wonderful ideas, including putting out bird feeders, leaving fresh water, and making sure birds have safe places to rest. It has been a fantastic opportunity to develop our observation skills while learning how to care for the wildlife around us.

Drawing Club – Birds

We also enjoyed sharing a non-fiction book about birds, which inspired our Drawing Club activity. The children were fascinated by the different features of birds and used what they had learned to create their own detailed drawings.                                                                                     
They carefully labelled the parts of a bird, showing fantastic understanding and attention to detail. The children impressed us with their thoughtful labelling and brilliant use of codes. What a wonderful way to bring our learning to life!

Music and Movement 

This term we have been exploring music and movement. We have focussed on recognising whether a beat is fast or slow and understand the word for this is tempo. We listened to different pieces of music and moved around the classroom as if we were elephants, lions or kangaroos. 

 

 

Composition

We have had great fun this week composing and de-composing numbers. Through practical activities, we have recognised that numbers can be made by combining parts in different ways. 

Gymnastics

Reception are working hard in their gymnastics sessions. They are developing their travelling, balancing and movement skills while practising body shapes such as straight, tuck, pike, and star. Using a range of equipment, the children are applying the moves they are learning with increasing confidence and control.                                                                                         These activities help children to improve their gross motor skills, coordination, balance and spatial awareness.  Also encouraging perseverance, focus and confidence in movement.

 

Telescopes 

Following on from our night sky investigations, the children have thoroughly enjoyed creating their own telescopes, just like the Three Kings. Through this activity, they have been encouraged to talk about what they might see in the night sky, share ideas, ask questions and explain their thinking. This has helped to develop their oracy skills by building confidence in speaking, listening to others, and using new vocabulary related to space and the story of the Three Kings.

 

Star Constellations

We have been inspired by the story of the Three Kings and their journey to find the baby Jesus, guided by the stars in the night sky. This has led us to explore how the stars can form patterns and constellations.

The children have been investigating different star patterns and learning about constellations, before creating their own beautiful and imaginative constellations. This has been a wonderful opportunity to combine storytelling, curiosity about the world and creative expression.

 

Exploring our need for kindness in how we act with each other

We have been learning what kindness is and how we can be part of a class where we all feel safe. 

 

Parts and Whole-knowing 1 and 2 are parts of 3 

Jack Frost Drawing Club

Creative Penguins

We used our cutting skills to create our own penguins. The children carefully cut out the different shapes and assembled them thoughtfully, showing great control and improving their fine motor skills. Each penguin was unique – The children were very proud of their creations. It was a lovely way to combine creativity with developing our scissor skills. 

Fine Motor Control

We had so much fun cheering each other on, giving directions and using language to help our friends navigate the course. Super teamwork 🚗🗺️ #physicaldevelopment #oracy 🙌🏼💪🏼🖌️

Ditty Work 

We have been working with our partners, taking turns reading the speed sounds, green words and ditty. 

Ice Pictures 

While reading the book Jack Frost, we noticed all the different shapes on the page. The children then used these pictures as inspiration for their artwork. 

 

 

Turning a wintery day into an exciting learning experience

Our Reception children became curious investigators as they explored the snow and ice outdoors, asking questions and making observations about what they discovered. They experimented with mark making in the snow using a range of tools, noticing how different movements and pressures created different effects. As the snow and ice began to melt, the children closely observed the changes, discussing what was happening and why.

 

To extend their investigation, we froze water in containers overnight and brought the ice indoors to examine its solid structure. Using magnifying glasses, the children carefully explored the patterns trapped inside the ice, deepening their understanding of changes in materials through hands-on scientific enquiry.