EYFS Newsletter – 04.11.2022

It’s been a great start to the new half-term this week, with the children returning to school with great enthusiasm! We began a new topic of ‘Toys’ this week, with children invited to examine and play with some of the teachers’ old toys. The children have been invited to interact with these older toys and ask questions about them and discuss how they compare to more modern toys. We’d love to see photos of some special toys belonging to the children at home, so that we can discuss these and compare them to our older toys. Children have also been enjoying selling and buying toys in the toy-shop outside and we’ll be getting busy in the DT area to make toys as an outpost of Santa’s workshop, in the run-up to Christmas. 

Phonics sessions have introduced the new phonemes ‘o’ ‘c’ and ‘k’ and the children have had opportunities to explore hearing, reading and writing these letter sounds in a number of ways. Maths this week has focused on 2D shapes, with the children discussing their properties (edges, corners) and taking part in games to help identify and explore circles and triangles.  

Thursday’s Forest Schools session was themed around Bonfire Night, with children first helping to gather wood for a fire. The fire was then tended until ready to boiling water in order to help melt chocolate. The children meanwhile, helped by chopping apples ready to make chocolate dipped apple treats as a twist on a traditional Bonfire Night snack. There was also chance to make bonfire and firework pictures using natural objects gathered in the garden. Alongside a visit to feed the animals and enjoying a pumpkin heavy mud-kitchen, the children had a lovely morning outdoors. 

Christmas is certainly coming in fast in Reception, with children getting lots of practice in singing the songs for our Christmas play ‘Christmas Counts’. The children have all been assigned roles in the play and a slip showing your child’s part should have come home. School has costumes (or we will find/make costumes) but if you already have something appropriate please feel free to send it to school in a clearly named bag. Please do not worry about getting a costume ready – we will provide them! The play will be performed for family members on Wednesday 7th December at 2:3o p.m. and we’d love to see you if you can make it.

We hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

The Reception Team