Reception Summer 2010

Teachers: Nicola Stanley, Frances Amos, Anna Kress

	General Information Welcome back to all the children in Almond class and Elm class. This letter will provide you with some information about the forth-coming term. As the summer approaches we would like to suggest that children bring in a water bottle, which they can access throughout the day and a hat. Our 2 PE sessions are as follows: Thursday/Friday: RK & Wednesday/Friday: RS. Please ensure that your child has their P E kit in school on Monday and it is taken home on a Friday. PLEASE, PLEASE ensure that ALL the clothes your child wears to school are labelled. Please look in the window for which shape group will ‘show and tell’ on a Friday: RS, Monday: RK; the children should know which group they are in! Please encourage your children to save things they want to show for this session as toys are not permitted in school. If there is anything you would like to ask or discuss please feel free to approach us. Help in the classroom will always be gratefully received, so if you are interested in coming in to assist please come and see us.
	Communication, Language & Literacy The children will continue to build on their phonic knowledge through the ‘Synthetic Phonics’ scheme. The topics for the first half term are Communities and Water which will change to Transport and Summer after half term. We will be exploring story writing, role play and narratives during the first half term and some information writing after half term. Every child will still participate in a guided reading session (small group reading session) once a week; a comment on how your child is progressing will be made in their blue contact book after each session (green pen). Please ensure that you also record the reading you do with your children in their contact books. We will be working on children’s pencil grip and letter formation throughout the term as well as developing the language they use when writing and encouraging them to write for a variety of reasons. Reading books will continue to be changed in accordance with the Synthetic Phonics scheme. However, you are welcome to take library books from the book corner and share them with your child if you wish.
	Mathematical Development This term the children will be learning to read, write and order numbers 0-20, learning to compare objects to find out which is longer or shorter, heavier or lighter, looking at shapes, flat (2D) and solid (3D), and making patterns. Learning how to work out one more or one less than a number and more challenging addition and subtraction skills. They will also be learning about time and money. All of this learning will occur through a variety of practical activities.
	Topic Work Our topics this half term are Communities and Water. Through this topic we will be exploring our class and school community and the wider community. We will be investigating water and how it behaves. We will look at the artists Hundertwasser, Archimboldo and Alexander Calder. During the second half of the term our topics will be Transport and Summer. We will also be performing in our class assembly and have the International Festival at the end of term. The Foundation Stage will be focusing on Australia, so if any parents have information, contacts or resources they would like to show us please let us know. The children will be encouraged to explore their creative side by using the role-play areas inside and in the new outside area. We will also provide many opportunities for other creative activities.
	Planned Educational Visits: