Reception

WELCOME TO FS2

Class Teacher: Miss Tomlinson

Teaching Assistant: Miss Noble, Mrs Haires, Miss Aspinal

A massive welcome to all FS2 children, parents and visitors. We hope you have all had a fabulous summer and are as excited as we are about starting this new autumn term. We are thrilled to see so many familiar faces returning to the team and we extend a very warm welcome to those parents and children joining us for the first time this September.

Please do not hesitate to ask me questions regarding your child and their education or if you require a general update on how your child is progressing. I will ensure I make time to meet or speak with you. 

I love working out, HIIT is my favourite activity followed by hiking. I spend lots of time climbing mountains and exploring new places. I am so excited to learn all about your children's hobbies and interests and generally getting to know them!

Miss Tomlinson

Key Information

- School starts at 9.00am with the school gates opening at 8.35am (allowing extra time).

- School ends at 3.25pm

- Please ensure the office staff have your up to date contact details.

- Please ring the office if your child will be absent. 

-If someone else is collecting your child, please inform the office, we will not allow your child to leave the premises if we have not been notified.

►Reading - Reading is at the heart of all our learning at Holy Family. To support this at home, please could all children ensure that they read their school reading book every night and that the planner is signed by an adult. Alongside this, it is also key that all children select their own reading for pleasure book which they will also have opportunities to read and share with others in school. 

►Phonics- Phonics is a way of teaching reading where children are taught to read letters or groups of letters by saying the sound(s) they represent. The phonics programme we follow is called Read Write Inc. (RWI). In reception we are beginning to blend sounds together to create words. Your child will bring home sounds that they are learning to consolidate at home. It is really important that the children practise blending sounds together to create words so please blend, blend, blend with your children at home. Playing simple listening games can help your children understand phonics a lot more. Asking your child 'Can you get your c-oa-t?' 'Sit on the ch-air.' etc. will help them understand 'fred talk' or 'sounding out'.

►Homework - All children will be given weekly English/Phonics or Maths homework. This is to be completed and returned to school as required. 

Uniform

Here at Holy Family we pride ourselves on our smart appearances. Please ensure children come to school dressed appropriately wearing full school uniform in line with school policy, including black shoes and no jewellery.

EYFS have enjoyed preparing and celebrating King Charles' Coronation. They have familiarisied themselves with our new King. Children found out what a coronation is, what happens during the coronation ceremony and some of the special items involved, such as the crowns, sceptres and orbs. Children were also encouraged to use newly learnt vocabulary associated with the event. 

The dental nurse visited FS2 today to discuss how to look after our teeth and how we can keep them healthy.

FS2 children enjoyed handling and manipulating chalk. They made marks and rubbed the chalk to make repeating patterns when making their Easter Cards.

Farm animals visitied EYFS today, lambs and chickens. The children spoke to Charley, the farmer, and her daughter Maisey. They looked at eggs and discussed how to look after various farm animals. After close observation, children commented and understood similarities and differences between the animals and ourselves. 

All children thoroughly enjoyed the experience and it really did create a buzz for the animals in the natural world around them.

Reception children took advantage of the snow and joined in with an experiment. They gathered pots of snow from outside and discussed what they thought would happen. They estimated how long it would take to melt and discussed the changes they observed over time.

All children in EYFS worked together to create art work linked to World Book Day 2023. They chose 'What the Lady Bird Heard' for their reading for pleasure book. A range of different media was used to create the animals, tissue paper, felt, paint, wool and sewing were just a few resources used. Newly taught skills were used along with previous skiils. Children enjoyed their day and enjoyed creating a masterpiece that is now displayed in our reading room.

Reception children have written instructions using recognisable letters and spelling words correctly.

They drew a map using their knowledge of the story, 'What the Lady Bird Heard.'

Reception children learnt that pancake day is also referred to as Shrove Tuesday and that it is celebrated on the Tuesday before Lent begins. They were very excited to learn that pancakes were made using batter which consists of flour, eggs and milk. They really enjoyed mixing all the batter ingredients together before frying the mixture to make pancakes. 

'Delicious' was the word most used when eating the pancakes!

Children in FS2 discussed all the different types of technology they have at home. They made a ladder to rank their favourite at the top. Children answered lots of different questions and were made aware of do's and dont's when using the internet.

Together we became artists, inspired by Picasso, to create portraits. We looked at all the portraits Picasso ahd painted, decided on our favourite and used shapes and expressions to create our very own master pieces. 

Children in Recpetion learnt all about another faith -  Islam. They were introduced to new vocabulary and explored special days and ritual objects used within the religion. 

Children were introduced to the term 'Parish Family.' We discussed what the children already knew about celebrating in the  church. Children confidently remembered that we celebrate Baptism, Christmas, and Weddings in a church. 

Children learnt to pray 'Our Father,' named and labelled all the items used to celebrate in a church and write thank you letters to Father Joseph. Role play was used to reinact the Presentation Story where children were given opportunities to apply new vocabulary. 

Happy Chinese New Year 

Children in Reception have enjoyed celebrating Chinese New Year. They learnt that Chinese New Year changes each year because it follows a calendar that is linked to the moon and that it always takes place in January or February. This year is the year of the Rabbit. 

Lots of different learning opportunities were set up for children to explore Chinese New Year and to spark awe and wonder. 

Children tasted a variety of chinese foods and used chopsticks to improve their fine motor skills and perserverance.

What a fantastic experience had by all children!

FS2 had a very special visitor from CAFOD today. The children learnt that we are all unique, we are all different and that it is is OK because that's how God made us. Children also learnt a song and joined in confidently with the words and the actions. Children identified similarities and differences when reading the story.

EYFS worked together to create our whole school Community RE display. Reception made the church, Our Lady of the Assumption and Nursery children made our Preist, Father Joseph. Together we became artists, inspired by Picasso, to create the Parish Family. We looked at portraits and discussed shapes and expressions. 

Children in FS2 have been getting better at fundamental moving skills. They have moved in different directions at different speeds.

Children were given dinosaur skeletons and were encouraged to think about and discuss what they wanted to do with them. Children looked at them and together generated ideas. They decided they wanted to draw them. One child suggested they draw around the skeleton to make it look the same size and another child said to add detail. These comments inspired other children to do so.

Children have been observing and interacting with natural processess. They have used magnets to attract objects.

Children were provided with opportunities to work together to develop and create ideas. They discussed what they could make and in maths, they made a pictogram to decide on the colours to use. hildren were given a range of materials for them to construct with. 

Children also applied their joining techniques, using adhesive tape and different sorts of glue.

FS2 children have spent time deepening their understanding of immediate family by remebering and talking about special times in their lives.

We made posters and plaqards to inform everyone who they should reach out to if they saw, heard or felt bullying.

Reception children remembered all the fallen soldiers that died in wars. They learnt that the truce was agreed on the 11th hour of the 11th month of the 11th day. They worked collaborately to make a display using fine motor skills and a range of media.

Children in FS2 learnt all about Frederick Douglass.

Lot's of interesting facts were discussed and children made a timeline of his life events.

FS2 time for reflection. We lit a candle and dedicated it to loved ones.

Children in FS2 are so excitied to learn all about Winter. Snow, ice, nocturnal animals, similarities and differences and changes in the world around us. They are looking forward to being introduced to other climates and cultures and finding out about animals living in the snow and ice along with lots more!

Children in Recpeption re-enacted a Baptism. They welcomed the baby into Church, poured water on the baby's head and said, "I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". They wrapped the baby in a white shawl and said, "Recieve this white garment".

This term we have discussed the artist Jackson Pollock. We looked at images of him and his work for inspiration. We liked the that Jackson Pollock used lots of different items to paint with not just a paint brush, as our topic is all about autumn, we decided to use conkers to produce our art work.

Children were asked to place a piece of paper in a shallow cardboard box and dip conkers into autumnal colours. They then rolled the conkers around in various directions to create action paintings reminiscent of Jackson Pollocks work. 

Reception children gathered around the whole school display board to admire their art work; salt dough Rosary Beads. They learnt that the purpose of the Rosary is to help people remember the events in the lives of Jesus and Mary and to thank God for them. Children also practised praying the Hail Mary.

FS2 children are becoming skilled in setting up their own Prayer Liturgy. Today we reflected on our virtue to live by: I am grateful for all I have and praise God for all he has given me.

Children selected objects which they could talk about which referred to their own gifts and talents.

Children in FS2 have used the prayer chair to reflect. One child wrote a prayer asking God to, 'help mummy get better' whilst another had some quiet time just to sit and think.

Children learnt the importance of their name - Explore

They learnt that God knows and loves each child and knows each child by their name - Reveal

All children aquired the skills of assimilation, celebration and application of all of the above - Respond

In RSE, FS2 children have been introduced to the story of creation, where God created the earth, sea, stars, planets animals and humans. The five-story sessions encouraged children to creatively explore this topic and help them to deeply know that they are created by God out of love and for love. The children really enjoyed using their creative talents to create all things on our amazing earth that God created.

Reception children looked at the historic day when Princess Elizabeth formly became Queen Elizabeth II. We looked at photographs taken on the day of her Coronation - 2nd June 1953. We made a crown, flags and 'God Save our Queen' banner to use to role play our very own Coronation. Children were introduced to sketching and tried really hard to study the face of the Queen. We wrote a prayer together and we looked at coins, making observations and noticing that they all had the Queens head on one side.  

Children in FS2 are already enjoying reading for pleasure. They have enjoyed some time in our reading room choosing a variety of books and discussing lots of characters.

FS2 children have been introduced to a new edition to our class, everyone, please meet Prayer Bear. Prayer Bear is very excited to help the children learn their prayers at home.

After discussions in the classroom regarding everyones favourite food, the children then went out into the outdoor area. "Miss Tomlinson, Miss Tomlinson" the children shouted. "We are making you your favourite lunch, spicy soup" The children told me they had put all the ingredients together, mixed it, added water to make it runny, stirred it and then put it in the oven to cook. Delicious!

The children gathered objects from outside and within the class room to make their very own autumnal tuff tray. Children discussed texture, size and shape and expressed what part of autumn they liked the best.

Children were using the vehicles in the outdoor area and a child asked for some chalk so they could, "Make a road for the vehicles to travel" (Vocabulary introduced in last years topic). This encouraged lots of children to join in, using large movements to develop their gross motor skills.

Children in Recpeption are already demonstrating independence. They balanced their food on their tray, removed their lunch and took their own tray. The dinner staff were amazed at how well they managed their first week in the hall, also commenting on how well the children used their manners.

Take a look at our inviting classroom environment.

Children will be challenged in the maths area, use provision to apply what they have learnt in phonics and read in the reading area.

Children will also learn all about the season of autumn and observe changes in the environment.

They will create habitats and understand why animals hibernate.

Mr Smith and I are extremely excitied to start this learning journey with the children.