Summer Term 1 2023
We hope that you all had a wonderful Easter! We would like to start by welcoming our new starters to Nursery, we are all looking forward to getting to know them. This half term, we will be learning all about growing and life cycles. We will be planting seeds, creating a wildlife area in our FS1 garden and trying different fruit and vegetables.
We have had a fantastic start to our growing topic with some very generous donations from B&Q Harrogate, Lumby Garden Centre, Touchwood in Wetherby and our wonderful FS1 parents. We would like to say a huge thank you for all of these donations, as well as to the Kennan and Woodcock families for providing the materials and creating the planters to put them in.
Worship
Our Worship Table
We started the half term by adding white and gold cloths to our Worship Table. The white cloth represents purity and Christ’s resurrection. The children discovered what the word ‘resurrection’ means and decorated the Worship table for others to see and enjoy.
Ascension Day
We started the session by talking about some of the ways that we can say goodbye, such as through a hug or wave. We then explained to the children that today was a very special day, called Ascension Day. It is the day that Jesus said goodbye to his friends and went to be with his Father. We then reminded ourselves of what happened during Easter and how Jesus had risen from the dead. He had passed on important messages to his disciples and asked them to spread the word. 40 days after leaving the tomb, he was going to heaven to be with his Father. The children discussed how this would make others feel.
Jacob “I think he will be sad.”
Orla “I think God and Jesus feel happy.” “The people have been good, the people who live there. Try and be kind to God and Jesus through prayers and things, that’s what I think.”
Luana “I think the disciples feel sad.” “Because Jesus died.”
We discovered that Jesus would not leave everybody on their own but that the Holy Spirit would be there to remind them of all the things he did and taught them.
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New Life
We started our new topic on ‘New Life’ by recapping what happened to Jesus over Easter weekend. We discussed how Jesus had carried the cross, which he later died on. His body was then put into a tomb.
The children were asked how Jesus’ friends and Mum must have felt. They all said ‘sad’ and then showed a sad face. We then asked the children what makes them feel sad, here are some of their answers.
Sophie “When I am hurt but I know that soon I will be happy again.”
Greta “When I tripped over the stick.”
Hugo “I feel sad when my Mummy and Daddy leave me with Maisie. Then I see them when they come back.”
Lennon “I feel sad when my sister doesn’t play with me.”
Ettie “I am sad when Bailey died.”
Jacob “I’m sad when I fell off my bike.”
Frey “When my Mummy and Daddy go away.”
Luana “I feel sad when I fell off my scooter and when I fell over and hurt myself.”
Harriet “When Helena doesn’t share with me.
Rosie “When I slip over my toys.”
Ava “When my Mummy is away from me when I am at school.”
Orla “When Albie hurts me.”
William “When I fall off my bike.”
We started our next session by discussing all of the things that make us feel happy.
Greta “Staying with my sister.”
Orla “I feel happy when Albie shares with me.”
Sophie “I feel happy when I am at school but when I am at home, I like spending time with Jessica.”
Libby “I feel happy when my sister shares her teddies.”
Harmony “I feel happy when I am going to the seaside, going in the water and covered by sand.”
Ettie “I am happy when my family cuddle me.”
William “When my Daddy and Mummy cuddle me.”
Myla- Grace “When I go to the park with Mummy and Daddy.”
Harriet “When I play in the garden.”
Elizabeth “Go to the beach, build sandcastles.”
Oscar “On my scooter.”
Aliza “When I build a snowman.”
Sophia “My Daddy and Mama.”
We then read a story and discovered that Mary, Peter and an Angel were all smiling. We discovered that this was because Jesus was alive! The children cheered and then passed a smile around the circle. The children were asked what they could do to make other people smile.
Lennon “Share your toys.”
Harmony “Paint a dinosaur for Charlie I.”
Oscar “By giving them a sweetie when I have two.”
Literacy
Our class texts and rhymes
In FS1 we have a special book and rhyme which is linked to our current theme. This changes every two weeks, along with the books that we display in our reading area. Here are our key texts and rhymes this half term.
Words of the week
This half the term the children will be learning all about the following words. We will add to this every two weeks as we begin our new topic. We encourage the children to listen out for the words in our class text and to use them themselves in different contexts.
Key Author
This term, our key author is Julia Donaldson. Over the next few weeks, the childen will be reading some of her books and learning lots of different facts about her, such as where she grew up and what her hobbies are. They are making their own stories filled with illustrations of the characters from The Gruffalo too.
Name Writing
We have been busy writing our names in pre-cursive text this half term, we are really proud of the children for all of their hard work and motivation.
Phonics
Letter Sounds
This half term we will continue to teach the children a different letter sound a week. Please find below a very useful video which will support the correct pronunciation of each sound.
Oxford Owl Phonics- How to pronounce pure sounds
The children have already discovered the letters and sounds ‘a, i, m, s, t, n, o, p, b, c, g, h, d, f’. By the end of this half-term they will have also explored ‘v,e,k,l’.
Pre-cursive writing
Some of the children have expressed an interest in writing their own name and other letters. We encourage the children to use pre-cursive writing when forming their letters. Please find a fantastic PowerPoint presentation below, created by Twinkl, with demonstrations on how to form the letters of the alphabet, that you child can copy at home.
Letter Formation
Reading CVC words
The children have now started to read some CVC words by saying the sounds, reading the word and matching it to the correct object. They have also attempted to write the words too.
Initial Sounds
The children have been identifying the initial sound in a word and then matching it to the correct letter this week. They did a fantatsic job of identifying the letters and some children tried to say every sound that they could hear in a word.
Syllables
We have been learning all about syllables in FS1! The children have clapped out how many syllables are in their names and lots of different words. If you would like to also do this at home, please click on the videos below.
Maths
The Number ‘9’
We are starting this half term by learning all about the number 9. We have been making 9 in different ways such as by using our fingers, through resources and by creating number sentences. The children have been forming the numeral 9 and counting 9 claps and jumps as well as touch counting 9 resources. Within our provision areas, the children have been busy cutting out and ordering numerals 1-9, matching the correct amount of food to each numeral and making a basket that will hold 9 pieces of fruit.
Repeating Patterns
The children have been busy making repeating patterns this week. They started by completing a pattern that had already been created and then created their own within the provision areas.
Long and Short
The children have been learning about length this week, using the language short, medium and long to describe the size of objects. They have ordered three objects from around the classroom by size and made their own snakes to put in size order. We then went up to the field and every child chose three flowers to order by size.
Physical development
PE- Throwing and catching
After a fun warm up game of moving around the space in different ways, the children had the challenge of throwing and catching a beanbag with a partner. They worked on their underarm throw and cupped their hands in front of them as they attempted to catch the beanbag.
The children have also loved to work in small groups at our stations that Mrs Powell set up. They showed a variety of skills as well as some fantastic turn taking.
Gross Motor Skills
The children have had a wonderful time in our FS1 garden creating obstacle courses, digging and throwing and catching a ball. The children have also been exploring the climbing equipment on the school field.
Daily Dance Sessions
We love our daily 3 minute dances and exercise videos. This weeks favourite is below-
Fine Manipulative Skills
The children have been exploring a variety of activities this week which have supported their fine manipulative skills. They have been threading, weaving, cutting and manipulating dough.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Bobby the Police Bear
We have a new starter in FS1, Bobby the Police Bear! The children all gave Bobby a cuddle as we explained that the police can help us, they help us if we are lost and help us if we are worried. Bobby will be joining us in FS1 this half term and the children will be encouraged to share any worries that they have with him.
Different Families
We have been learning all about families in FS1. The children looked at different photographs of families. Some families were just a Mum, Dad and child, some had lots of children and some had Grandparents. The children commented on who they could see in the photographs. We discovered that some children have a Mummy in one house and a Daddy in another house too. The children then talked about who lives in their house.
Albert “My sister, Daddy and Mummy.”
Harriet “A Daddy and a Mummy and a baby brother and a sister and me.”
Aoife “Daddy, me, Mummy, my brother and sister.”
Jacob “My Mummy, Daddy, my baby and me.”
Patrick “Mummy, Daddy, sister and myself.”
William “Brothers and Mummy and Daddy.”
Rosie “Daddy, Mummy, my brother and a dog.”
Amelia “Mummy and Daddy.”
Ettie “I have got Mummy, Daddy, my sister, my cat and me.”
We discovered that all families are different, some people have brothers and sisters, some have Grandparents and Great Grandparents and some children have pets.
Feeling Excited
Every half term we learn about a different emotion, this half term we are talking about the things that make us feel excited. After sharing our excited facial expressions, the children discussed the things that they get excited about.
Ava- I feel excited when I go on holiday with mummy and daddy.
Aoife- I feel excited when I go to my friend’s house when it is their birthday.
Jacob- I get excited when I play with my baby cousin Theo.
Libby- I feel excited when I go to a festival.
Amelia- I feel excited when I play with Emma and Adam.
Sophia- I feel excited when I go on holiday with grandma.
Ettie- I feel excited when it is Christmas.
Charlie D- I feel excited when I go to my grandma’s house.
Expressive Arts and Design
Designing and then Building
The children have been designing their own buses and then making them from Lego. We are very proud of the children for thinking carefully about the shapes that they need and the amount of them too!
The children have also been designing and then making homes for the characters from ‘The Gruffalo’. They had to think about where the character lives in the story and then try to create this.
Colour Mixing Powder Paint
The children have been learning how to mix up their own paint this week. They have placed their brush in the water, then onto the sponge, into the paint and then mixed it in their palette. The children made lots of different colours to create a variety of different fruit and vegetables.
Taking on a role
The children are often taking on a role in FS1. This half term they have enjoyed creating their own stories in our greengrocers role play area and outside in our wood kitchen, as well as with the dinosaurs and fairies in our small world areas.
The Gruffalo Song
In our music sessions, we have been learning ‘The Gruffalo Song’. The children have been clapping to the beat and then adding instruments to it too.
Understanding the World
Our class responsibilities
These children will be helping us to look after our classroom and planet this half-term. Lennon and Ettie are also our planet protectors, working with the class to discover more ways in which we can look after God’s World.
Planting Seeds
The children have been learning about what plants need to grow. They have been planting their own cress and sunflower seeds and will be responsible for watering them. We will also be placing one sunflower seed in the cupboard to see what happens when it does not have light and one will not get watered.
Earth Day
During our circle time session we asked the children why they were not in school uniform.
Ettie “Because it is World Day.”
Orla “Dressing up as colours of the world.”
The children discovered that the clothes that they were wearing all linked to environment, such as by being reused or having a picture of an animal on.
The children were then asked what they do to help keep God’s world a happy place. They were asked if they could remember our ‘8 to be great’.
Orla “We did it before, I see it every day on the wall. We learned about how the world feels sad and happy.”
Charlie D “You can do something else on paper if there is not a lot on the paper.”
Greta “Turn the lights off, save electricity.”
Hugo “We have to tidy up or we will break it.”
Harriet “Put the lids on or pens dry up.”
Orla “Put paper in the recycling bin so it can be used again.”
Luana “It can be recycled.”
The children then went out to see the plants that a garden centre had kindly donated. They were asked why plants are important.
Orla “We get food from one.”
Freddie “Bees.”
Oscar “We leave them alone to grow.”
Aliza “They need water.”
Harmony “They need sunshine as well.”
Hugo “The flowers grow and then sleep over winter.”
Blackout Day
The children have been learning about electricity during our Blackout Day. We made the decision to keep the lights, heating and smartboard off all day and explained to the children why this was. During our circle time we discussed where electricity comes from and that we are helping to look after God’s world by reducing the amount of electricity we use. We talked about some of the appliances that use electricity and what we could do instead of using these, for example, rather than putting the heating on, any children that felt cold could put their coat on. Instead of a 3 minute dance, we played an active maths game and instead of Dough Disco we read a book.
Charlie “We turn the lights off.”
Myla “To save electricity.”
Orla “If you got something like an Ipad you don’t use too much of the battery or you will run out and charge it.”
Ettie “Plugs use electricity.”
Luana “You turn the light off and the smartboard off, saving electricity.”
Aliza “Put coats on because we don’t have to put the heating on.”
The King’s Coronation
We had a wonderful day celebrating the King’s Coronation. The children joined in with some crafts and danced to ‘I just can’t wait to be King’ from the Lion King with FS2. We read a story, watched short videos about the Coronation and had some party food.
Culture Week
The children started the week by taking part in some Bollywood dancing run by Chiragi Solanki. They learned some new dance moves and then put them altogether as they danced to some music. Chiragi then showed the children where India is on a map and explained that it is 14 times the size of the UK. The children asked her if there were any shops there, if it was as hot as the desert and if you can get there in an areoplane. Over the course of the week, the children then found out more about India and watched videos of Bollywood dancing. They noticed that the dancers used their hands and arms a lot in their dancing, that they didnt have any shoes on and that they all had dark hair and darker skin than we do. The music was different to ours and the dancing was too.
Exploring Outdoors
Thank you all for your donations and support to enhance our FS1 garden, here are some of our favourite photographs from the first week of half term.
Enhancing our outdoor area
Please click the button below to see our latest enhancements. We would like to thank everybody that has donated their money, resources or time to this project.
EYFS Outdoor Area