In Bluebird and Reception this term, the teachers have been working hard to help our children to settle into the new routines and structures that will happen throughout their day in our EYFS classroom. The children have worked incredibly hard and adjusted to school life well.
Bluebird and Reception have spent the latter half of the term exploring traditional tales, such as ‘The Gingerbread Man’ and ‘The Three Little Pigs’ and completed some excellent accompanying role-play activities. The children have been working on using their vocabulary to retell these stories in their own words.
During this term, Mrs Gibson and Miss Porter led a Maths workshop focusing on our new Maths mastery approach. This was an insightful workshop where parents learnt about the curriculum and engaged in activities to explore mastery. In this workshop, parents were introduced to our resources and shown methods to support their children at home. We had some lovely feedback on this, and parents left with a greater understanding of the curriculum and how to best support their children.
Year 1
Year 1 children have had a brilliant first term and transitioned well into their new classroom.
They have been engrossed in Antarctica, from retelling the adventure story of Shackleton to learning about penguins, killer whales and Albatross. It’s safe to say we have had a fun-filled topic.
Using all of their newly acquired knowledge, the children were challenged to make an Antarctic habitat showcasing their understanding of Antarctica. Each day in the lead-up to the project’s due date, the children were explaining their progress on their projects, with Noah telling me each day that I needed to get ready to see his amazing Mount Erebus model! Parents have commented on how impressed they are with their children’s knowledge.
After seeing these projects, I have been blown away by the time, dedication and effort spent on these; it has been lovely to see the children so engaged and excited about homework (I would also like to thank the parent for their support in this too)! Here is a video showcasing the homework projects. If you would ever like to find more information about Antarctica, please ask one of the Year 1s, as I’m sure they will be able to answer!
Now that we have acquired so much knowledge on Antarctica, I am excited to welcome Year 1 back into school in January, ready for their new topic, one of which I am very excited for Disney through time!
To develop inclusivity, Year 1 have focused on introducing sign language into their daily routine. Every day the children will say thank you in sign language, even to the coach drivers during our recent trip to Imagine That! Year 1 gave a magical rendition of Little Donkey in Makaton for the carol service. By embedding this critical skill early on, we hope the children continue developing their knowledge and awareness of sign language.
To finish our term, the Pre-Prep children performed their annual nativity in the Jubilee Hall. Being well-prepared for this, it went down a treat with the parents. Bluebird and Reception acted out the Christmas Story, with Year 1 narrating. Year 1 then surprised parents with a fantastic, choreographed dance which showed movements to a mash-up of 2 classic Christmas songs; ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘Rocking Around the Christmas Tree’. It was a showstopper!
Our Pre-Prep teachers are incredibly proud of how dedicated and enthusiastic the children were during their participation in this lovely event!
The Pre-Prep Department wishes you a happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
Miss Nugent and Miss Porter