Welcome to Classes 1 and 2. Our team consists of Miss Sheppard (class 1 teacher), Miss Gill (class 1 TA), Miss Fairbrother, Mrs Burton (class 2 teachers) and Mrs Offord (class 2 TA). We love learning through play and spend our days being busy, active and often messy in our indoor and outdoor learning areas. Learning is planned around stories, chosen to engage and excite the children. Please check our website regularly to see the fun we have been having!

Teddy Bears Picnic

Week beginning 17.7.23

The big highlight this week has been our Teddy Bears Picnic. We enjoyed the bouncy castle, a delicious lunch and a fun treasure hunt! We hope our teddies enjoyed it just as much as we did! It was a wonderful day to mark an incredible first year at school. The children have been incredible all year - showing amazing respect, resilience and reciprocity. Thank you for all your support over the year - it has been wonderful to work in partnership with you. Have an amazing Summer! 

Well-being day 

Week beginning 10.7.23

The highlight this week has been our wellbeing day. Each class has enjoyed a morning of special craft and an afternoon of fun physical activities, all of which designed to have a positive impact on our mental and physical wellbeing. We made magnets to take home to remember our time in our class - bunnies for the Brilliant Bunnies and bears for the Beave Bears!

Inspiration and celebration

Week beginning 3.7.23

What a super time we've had in Foundation this week! We were inspired by the visit from GB heptathlete Katie Stainton and took the opportunity to show her our awesome athletic skills and learn some tips from her! We also celebrated the end of the year with our beach party, and our parent celebration. We also found time to harvest our turnips and cook the potatoes we harvested a few weeks ago! The turnips weren't quite as gigantic as the turnip in our story 'The Enormous Turnip' but the potatoes tasted great - especially the ones we made into chips!

New classes!

Week beginning 26.6.23

This week we have visited our Year one classrooms and spent time getting to know our new classmates and the Year one staff team. We also enjoyed the school trip to the theatre to see Winnie the Pooh - thank you Friends of Woodthorpe!

Potatoes, peas and plasters!

Week beginning 19.6.23

This week we've harvested some of the vegetables we've been growing. We picked peas and dug potatoes! The peas were delicious and sweet. Next week we'll enjoy the potatoes! We've also had a visit from Mini First Aid and discovered how we can help others when they are ill. We put plasters on, practised using an ice pack and learnt how to dial 999 if needed.  We are in very safe hands now!

Sports Day

Week beginning 12.6.23

This week we had chance to participate in our whole school sports day. We competed against members of the class and enjoyed a healthy competition in the hoop race between both Foundation Classes. The children were exceptional, showing brilliant respect and super resilience in all their races. 

If you have any coats, gloves, hats or wellies your child has grown out we could use them in school so there is always appropriate clothing available for our outdoor activities in school! We are looking forward to our end of year celebration to which you are invited! It's on Tuesday 4th July at 2.45pm in the school hall. 

Butterflies!

Week beginning 5.6.23

Over half term, the butterflies emerged (under the watchful eye of staff at home!) and were returned to school for us to release! It was with great interest and excitement that the children observed the butterflies and set them free. The butterflies were so at home, they hung around for a while which meant we got to follow them and observe them in their natural environment! We also enjoyed the visit of Rachel, a vet and an author! She read us her story of Whizz and Nelly and we got to meet her dog too! We are looking forward to sports day on Tuesday 13th June - PE kits have been sent home so the children can come to school wearing them on the day.

Amazing creations

Week beginning 22.5.23

What a lovely week! The children have really enjoyed their wellbeing day this week. Both classes created a fantastic piece of art using bottle tops. Class 1 made an octopus and Class 2 made a whale. We looked at the story 'clean up' which helped us learn the importance of recycling and reusing plastic. In the afternoon, the children enjoyed some different PE activities, especially the 'bootcamp' in the Early Years Garden! Thank you for all your donations for the wellbeing day activities. We hope you have a lovely half term and enjoy the sunshine! 

The very hungry caterpillar 

Week beginning 15.5.23

We have started reading the very hungry caterpillar this week. It is a firm favourite! Alongside our new book, we have had some new visitors in the classroom! Both classes have 5 caterpillars. We have enjoyed watching them grow so far and can't wait to see what they look like after the weekend. The children have been doing a super job retelling the story this week and have written some super stories! They have loved becoming little authors as they write part of the story. We have also enjoyed sharing our artwork this week. We hope you were able to have a look at the fantastic pieces of work that were displayed in the playground by the sandpits. 

Our trip to Attenborough

Week beginning 8.5.23

We had a fantastic trip to Attenborough Nature Reserve this week. Throughout the day, the children took part in three activities. We went pond dipping to find different kinds of wildlife in the water. It was very exciting to see the different creatures that were found. We also went exploring in the woods to find the Gruffalo characters. It was very hard to find them! When in the woods, the children had chance to go minibeast hunting and found lots of different minibeasts. In the garden, we were very lucky to see and feel different nests and learn about the birds that make these. The children even had a go at making their own! 

Coronation day! 

Week beginning 1.5.23

We have had a lovely week celebrating the King's coronation. The children looked fantastic in their red, white and blue on Wednesday. They made their own sandwiches in the morning and enjoyed them with a scone together in the afternoon. We loved seeing all the fantastic crowns! We were blown away with the effort put in. The children were great in the 'Royal parade', showing their outfits and crowns to the rest of the school. 

Under the sea

Week beginning 24.4.23

We have continued to enjoy the Commotion in the Ocean story. The children have been learning poems from the book and adding actions. Ask them to show you at home! We have also been very creative this week and have been making lots of under the sea creatures in the art area. It has been great to see the children so focused. In drawing this week, the children have been given a set of instructions to draw different animals. They have done a cat, mouse and a pig! We have loved seeing all of their creations and we hope you have too. 

A fantastic first week!

Week beginning 17.4.23

It has been great welcoming the children back this week. We hope you all had a fantastic break. This week, we have been learning about patterns! The children have been fantastic at spotting patterns and making their own. We have also been reading 'Commotion in the Ocean'. The children have loved learning about the different sea creatures and have been doing some super drawing and writing about them. The weather has been fantastic this week! We have loved spending lots of times in the outdoor area, especially making it through our very own spider web. Fingers crossed this weather keeps up! 

Eggcellent Eggs!

Week beginning 27.3.23

With Easter on the horizon, we have been enjoying all sorts of egg activities this week. We enjoyed rolling eggs in our school egg rolling competition and marvelled at all sorts of wonderful egg creations for the best dressed egg competition! As part of our commitment to wellbeing, the children have also enjoyed a varied day off timetable, crafting and playing games.  Please ensure your child has their outdoor PE kit on their return to school after the holidays.  We hope you all have a wonderful Easter.

Shark in the Park!

Week beginning 20.3.23

There was great excitement when Timothy Pope thought he saw a shark in the park! Our story this week has been Shark in the Park by Nick Sharratt and our learning has been based on Timothy Pope and his adventures with his telescope! We have made our own telescopes, been on an outdoor hunt to see what we could see and explored different objects using our senses.  Our favourite smell was the smell of sweets! We've also been busy making number bonds to 10 and having last cuddles with the ducklings before they went to their forever home.

Signs of Spring!

Week beginning 13.3.23

This week has been so much fun! We've learnt about people who help us (real life superheroes!) including builders! We've enjoyed a visit from Ilke Homes who are building the new development on Rolleston Drive. Duckling eggs have arrived in school and we've welcomed some ducklings. We have hunted for signs of Spring and planted potatoes in our Garden. We've also managed to explore number bonds to 10 using Numicon and had fun at the school disco! Time for a restful weekend... 

Superheroes!

Week beginning 6.3.23

Our Literacy text Juniper Jupiter has inspired our learning this week. We have enjoyed writing sentences about suitable side-kicks for Juniper and created our very own superhero masks during our 'Parents in the Classroom' event. We even had our very own superheroes come to visit us in the form of the schools' Digital Leaders who helped us program bee bots to move.  And of course, we have loved the arrival of the snow and made our very own snow superhero!

Our local area

Week beginning 27.2.23

We have been out and about this week exploring our local area. We enjoyed a visit to St Mark's Church as part of our learning in Religious Education and explored the place using our senses.  We also visited Green's Windmill, saw flour being made and had a go at making some bread. At the end of the week we had lots of fun on World Book Day by dressing up in our pyjamas or as our favourite story character. We even had a story round the fire with some hot chocolate! What a busy week we've had!

The Little Red Hen

Week beginning 20.2.23

Welcome back! Hope you've had a lovely half term. We have been continuing to enjoy the story of 'The Little Red Hen' and this week have been considering how she felt at different parts of the story. We have explored her feelings as we have listened to the story and then written sentences to explain how she was feeling. Some of the children also drew their own story maps independently to help them tell the story!

Someone new!

Week beginning 6.2.23

We have had exciting new members join class 1 and 2 this week. On our wellbeing day, both classes received a special box with a cuddly teddy inside! This is a special bear who is joining the class and gives great cuddles. Class 1 called their bear Cutie Bear and Class 2 have called theirs Violet. The children had lots of fun creating their badges and making a pillow and blanket for each bear. We also had a great time doing some different PE in the afternoon. It has been another fantastic half term. It was great to see so many of you this week for parents' evening and we thank you for all of your continued support. Have a great half term! 

Three Little Pigs 

Week beginning 30.2.23

We have loved learning the Three Little Pigs story this week. The children have been superstars this week at using the things we have learned independently! Lots of children have enjoyed retelling the story using props and even making their own masks to tell the story. They have also been using their cutting skills to make a house for the pig and have done a great job remembering to point their thumb to the sky. 

Chinese New Year

Week beginning 23.1.23

We have continued learning about Chinese New Year this week. The children had lots of fun doing a 'dragon dance' and making their own masks. They have also tried using the chopsticks in the home corner. The children have been better at using them than some of the grown ups! It was fantastic to see those of you who joined us for our stay and read this week. The children have been so excited about sharing their favourite stories. We hope you continue to enjoy these at home. We had lots of fun on Friday for 'break the rules' day. The children loved showing off their hair, glitter and temporary tattoos. 

Special visitors!

Week beginning 16.1.23

It has been an exciting week in F2! On Tuesday we had a special visit from Sarah and her assistance dog Barney. The children were excited to learn about what Barney does and how he can help. We also had a special visit from Mr Lau on Thursday. He came in to tell us all about Chinese New Year and showed us some exciting objects. We have continued learning the Three Little Pigs story and the children have done a great job at role playing and retelling the story. Ask them about it at home and see if they can tell you the story too! 

Amazing mathematicians 

Week beginning 9.1.23

This week we have been learning about number bonds to 5. The children have had lots of fun exploring the different numbers to 5 using lots of different representations. They have really impressed us! We then had a go at finding two numbers that add together to make 5. Class 1 have also used the apparatus this week and Class 2 have been learning about jumping and landing. The children have been very excited to use the equipment and I know the Class 2 children are very excited to use it after half term! Please remember, your child must have shorts and a t-shirt in their PE bags to wear when using the equipment. 

Welcome back!

Week beginning 2.1.23

We have been very happy to welcome the children back this week. They have been very excited telling us all about their holidays and the exciting things they have been up to. We have had lots of fun and have been straight back into our learning. We are so impressed with how sensible the children have been coming back. This week, we have started our new story 'Oi Frog'. The children have been working hard to spot rhyming words and have even come up with their own! 

Please remember to send in your child's PE kit. They now need indoor and outdoor kit. This consists of shorts, T-shirt, jogging bottoms, jumper and trainers. Please ensure they have shorts in their bag as we need them to use the apparatus. The children are very excited about this! 

Snowmen, Santa and Spinning!

Week beginning 19.12.22

The final few days of term have been very busy with our Christmas party, making a special Christmas gift for you to enjoy at home and welcoming Santa! We even managed to do some amazing writing about our snowmen in the style of 'That's not my Snowman' by Fiona Watt. Thank you for all your Christmas wishes and thoughtful gifts. We hope you have a lovely Christmas break. Please collect any cardboard boxes and other recyclable materials over the festivities - we'd love to use them our making area! We are looking forward to welcoming you back in the New Year with your completed Tricky Word challenges.

A week of Christmas fun!

Week beginning 12.12.22

Christmas festivities have begun this week with our Christmas concert performance of 'A Little Bird Told Me' and with our Christmas themed parents in the classroom event. The children enjoyed baking festive biscuits to share with you and listened intently as you read them Christmas stories. We have loved celebrating with you over the week. Thank you for your ongoing support and we wish you a Happy Christmas!

That's not my snowman!

Week beginning 5.12.22

With the cold weather we have experienced this week, we have been enjoying the book 'That's not my snowman!' We have been exploring words in the story and retelling the story using a story map. We have also been busy making snowmen, painting snowmen and playing snowman themed games. Next week we will be changing the story and writing our own sentences to match our snowmen! We are looking forward to our Christmas concert next week and our parents in the classroom event on Thursday. Hope to see you there!

Beaumanor Hall

Week beginning 28.11.22

We really enjoyed our trip to Beaumanor Hall on Thursday. It was a beautiful building and we spent time learning about how Christmas was celebrated in the past and even had a look at an old school room. The desks were very different and they asked us to write with a feather! There were also some toys from long ago we could play. At the end we gathered to sing some Christmas songs inside when all of a sudden we heard a noise. Santa had arrived! Everyone visited Santa in his grotto and received a special pencil with which to write Santa a Christmas letter! On Friday we enjoyed our wellbeing day and created some beautiful pictures using torn paper. What a special week we've had!

What a lovely baby!

Week beginning 21.11.22

Our Literacy this week has been learning a version of the Nativity called 'Jesus Christmas Party' which follows an innkeeper who is desperate for a good nights' sleep but is constantly woken by visitors! In the end, he is so angry he storms into the stable to find, to his surprise, a lovely baby and his anger immediately disappears! We followed this up with a visit from Miss Tyler (currently on maternity leave) with her baby.  We now have a 'baby' of our own in our home corner to look after. If you have any baby supplies such as nappies, dummies, bibs etc that you are willing to donate, it will help us look after him properly! During the week, we have also been practising for our nativity - the songs are sounding beautiful! We have also enjoyed drawing symmetrical shapes.  Everyone in the Foundation Team is so impressed with the children's blending - we hope they have enjoyed showing off their reading skills at home! Thank you for sending jars and teddies in for the Christmas fair. We now have enough. However, please save your cardboard tubes (toilet rolls and kitchen rolls) for a Christmas craft we will be doing! Thank you!

Writing words

Week beginning 14.11.22

This week we have been using our phonic knowledge to write CVC words (consonant, vowel, consonant) such as 'cat'. The children have been amazing at segmenting and writing words - we are super proud of all of them. We have also enjoyed a spotty day for Children in Need (thanks for your donations) and our school disco. Thank you to all who helped with the event - the children loved it and looked very smart in their disco clothes! Please could you complete this form if you haven't done so already to share your feedback on our 'parents in the classroom' events which will help us plan future events? Thank you for bringing your unwanted teddies and empty glass jars into school for the Christmas fair - keep them coming! You will be receiving some tricky word flashcards soon and a letter explaining how these words are taught in school. We hope you find them useful.

Celebrations

Week beginning 7.11.22

We have had a week of celebrations in Foundation this week. We have been learning about Diwali and hearing the story of Rama and Sita whilst discovering how Hindus and Sikhs celebrate. We have also been thinking about other special celebrations such as birthdays and how we feel when we celebrate with others. You may have received a colourful firework picture, a bright Rangoli pattern or a diva lamp so you can continue the celebrations at home! Thank you to those of you who came to our 'parents in the classroom' event on Wednesday - it was lovely to celebrate the children's achievements in phonics and share our practice in school. We hope you are continuing to enjoy reading with your child at home. Click here for further information about phonics including videos showing how each sound is pronounced and letter patters to use when writing. Thanks for all your support!

A bare foot walk!

Week beginning 31.10.22

This week we developed our understanding of the story 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' by going on our own bare foot sensory walk! We went through the grass, mud, river, forest and snow before finding a bear in the cave! It was great fun and we thought of some amazing words to describe what everything felt like! We've also been learning to put our coats on by ourselves and are getting much better! The children now need lots of practise at home to fasten the zips on their coats which are a little trickier! Thanks for all your bug hotel supplies - do keep them coming. We need things such as pine cones, logs, old tiles, broken plant pots and bamboo canes to create a comfortable home for all the bugs in our playground.

An exciting week 

Week beginning 10.10.22

The children have had a fantastic last week of the half term. They have enjoyed their wellbeing activities. On Monday they played handball, laser tag and did clubbercise and on Friday the children were showing their creative sides as they made the class animal for the hall and decorated the big class rock for the drive. Keep an eye out for these as you walk to school! Over half term, we are building a bug hotel! Please collect natural resources such as sticks, pinecones and stones and bring them in when we come back. 

We have been so impressed with how the children have settled into school life over the last 6 weeks and we can't wait to everyone when we come back. Have a fantastic half term break! 

Resilient learners

Week beginning 3.10.22

The children continue to amaze us with their resilience and eagerness to learn. This week we have been using the 'pinch and flick' to hold our pencils correctly and the children have been amazing. Some of them have even been reminding the grown ups to 'pinch and flick'. You can ask them to show you at home. We have also been using cutlery to cut our playdoh. The children have tried really hard to hold the cutlery properly. The children have shown great resilience in their learning this week and we can't wait to see more next week. We have our wellbeing afternoon on Monday. Please remember to send your children to school in their PE kits. Mrs Burton is looking forward to spending some time in the Early Years Garden over half term tidying and preparing some exciting areas for the children to use. She's looking for some willing helpers - do come along and get to know others while we work! See newsletter for dates and times.

Strong Fingers

Week beginning 26.9.22

Thank you very much for joining us to celebrate our strong fingers! It was fantastic to see so many grown ups in school. The children were very excited and loved showing you how they do their strong fingers activities. We have also enjoyed exploring 3D shapes this week. The children have been doing an amazing job spotting 3D shapes in the environment and describing them. It has been an exciting week as the children have started reading and have brought home their first reading practice book. They are very excited to 'show off' to you! Please remember that books need to be returned to school on Monday and kept inside the children's reading diaries. 

Creative children! 

Week beginning 19.9.22

The children have had another fantastic week in their classes. This week they have been showing their creative sides as we have been doing lots of artwork. We have been looking at different drawing skills using pens, chalk and chubbi paints. The children are great at doing the 'zig zag zig zag', 'dot dot dot', 'wiggle', 'up and down', 'side to side' and 'round and round'. Ask them to show you their fantastic skills at home! 

We have also been painting and decorating our stones to add to the Pebble Pathway on the school drive. Keep an eye out for your colourful rocks to appear. 

Special stories

Week beginning 12.9.22

We have been so impressed with how well the children are settling and adapting to school life. They continue to amaze us every day. This week we have enjoyed learning our literacy story 'Goldilocks and the three bears'. The children are fantastic story tellers. We were also very excited to share our special stories from home. They had fun looking at all the different books and the children were able to explain why they were special. Thank you for sharing these with us! 

A great start to school! 

Week beginning 5.9.22

We have had a great start to the year. The children have been fantastic! They have shown great bravery coming in to school and have settled so well. They have been excited to see old friends and meet some new ones and have enjoyed getting to know the school environment. It has been a fun week full of exploring and playing and the adults have enjoyed getting to know your children better. 

Thank you for supporting your children with everything they need for the school day. Please ensure everything is clearly labelled with your child's name. 

Have a great weekend and we can't wait to see your children next week for some more fun!