EYFS – Newsletter – 07/02/25

This week has flown by in a flurry of activity, with everyone busying themselves in lots of fun challenges. In our Amazing Animals topic this week,  we have been focusing on animals that live in mountainous regions of the world. We have looked at pictures, videos and fact-files about animals such as golden eagles, bharals, snow leopards and mountain goats. The children loved having a go at creating goat paintings using forks instead of brushes to help give the effect of rough hair and building their own mountains and volcanoes from carboard. We’ve also used the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff as stimulus for some fun activities. Some children have had a go at building their own bridges for the goats and acted out the story with toys, while others have enjoyed acting out and retelling the story with masks and props. 

Our Cookridge Pet of the Week was Marshmallow the guinea pig. Marshmallow is sadly our last surviving guinea pig in school and this week he paid a visit to Reception so we could take a closer look and learn some interesting facts about these popular pets. Of course the one that most will probably remember is that guinea pigs will eat their own poo!

In Phonics sessions this week, we have introduced the children to the phonemes ‘ai’ as in snail ‘ee’ as in cheese and ‘igh’ as in knight (the first trigraph introduced – three letters making one sound). The children have engaged in board games, caption writing and and outdoor hunt to practise their reading and writing of words and phrases using these newly introduced sounds. 

Maths sessions this week have concentrated on the concept of time – how we measure time and how we talk about time in our everyday lives. The children have had a go at completing different challenges within a specific time to help better understand how much time a second/minute really is; tried building towers from instructions using time vocabulary such as first, next, then and finally; and learning and ordering the seven days of the week (they might even sing you a song!). 

We’ve had some lovely sunshine this week and as such our outdoor space was very popular, with lots of fun had building and navigating obstacle courses; basketball and catching games; writing in the shed; and as ever there has been lots of singing and dancing on the music stage.

It has also been Children’s Mental Health Week in school this week and Miss Kendrick talked with the children all about how we are all special and individual with things that make us great. The children were then encouraged to complete some affirmative work to put down on paper their qualities that make them special. 

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team

Dates for the Diary

Tuesday 11th February – Valentine’s Disco – 3:30-4:30 (EYFS and KS1 only). Tickets are £2.00 (parent pay) and a tuck shop will be available (£1.00 will buy a sweetie bag).

Friday 14th February – Champion of Champions whole school art competition deadline – see web-post for details if you are unsure.

Friday 14th February – Last day of Spring 1 term.

Monday 24th February – First day of Spring 2 term.

Wednesday 26th March – Foods of the World Parent Event – 2:00pm – parents and carers invited to join us in Reception to share in our learning and enjoy some delicious foods.