Welcome to Mr Ashton's Blog

13.7.18

Well done to our Star of the Week Miley and Charlotte for really growing up and showing maturity during this past week.

Well done to our merit winners Zack, Kenzie and Sophie for being brave and not being phased by new things this week.

Well done to our Reader of the Week Matthew for moving book bands in his reading assessment.

Well done to our Writer of the Week Alara for writing a fantastic sentence about the Seaside using out 'FANTASTIC' symbols to help.

Well done to our Maths Magician Charlotte for coming back into class and getting stuck into our Math challenges.

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This week the children have been learning about the Seaside. In class we have used our FANTASTIC symbols to discuss what we can hear, see, taste, smell and touch at the Seaside. The children have used the beach role play area to then act out different situations at the Seaside. In Literacy the children have used the FANTASTIC symbols to write sentences about the Seaside. In Maths the children have continued to recap the different Early Learning Goals to reinforce their knowledge.

This week we have watched the Year 6 rehearsal for their end of year play and we also had our end of year disco on Friday afternoon.

I cannot believe next week is the last week of the school year! We will be focusing on the theme of 'Summer'.

**Year 3 children (soon to be Year 4!) are raising money for a proposed trip next year and are having a raffle to win a virtual reality headset.

Tickets will be on sale from Monday next week, at last break, priced at £1 each. We would be very grateful for your support.

29.6.18

Well done to our Star of the Week Maisy for always being happy and enthusiastic.

Well done to our merit winners Isaac, Theo and Caleb G for settling into their Year 1 transition sessions very well.

Well done to our Reader of the Week Jaxon for showing a real interest in reading.

Well done to our Writer of the Week Phoebe for writing lots of information about haydock past and future.

Well done to our Maths Magician Sadie for doing very well with our capacity lesson.

94.48%

This week we have been celebrating 150 Years of St Helens becoming a borough! The children have learnt about the past and present of Haydock. In Literacy the children have been discussing what we have in Haydock at the minute and what they would like to see in Haydock in the future. In Maths the children have focused on properties of 3D shapes and subtraction. 

On Friday we went for a lovely walk around Haydock and wrote down the different things that we came across. Thank you so much for the people who volunteered to help. The children picked out places such as the park, Tesco and their houses. The children also drew pictures of different places in Haydock from the past such as the train station and factories. 

**The children also had a reading assembly to discuss the Summer reading challenge at Haydock Library. This year the focus is the Beano's because it is 80 years since the Beano magazines were first made. The children will have to read 6 books over the Summer to get their prize.

Next week our theme will be looking at 'Seaside'. 

29.6.18

Well done to our Star of the Week Lucas P for setting a very good example.

Well done to our merit winners Harrison, Charlotte and Megan for aiming high.

Well done to our Reader of the Week Caleb M for lovely fluent reading.

Well done to our Writer of the Week Tia for writing about what she enjoys in Reception.

Well done to our Maths Magician Jayden for adding and subtracting on a number line.

97.24%

This week the children have been learning about Handa's surprise. This is about a girl from Africa who takes lots of fruit to her friend but on the way it is stolen by lots of different animals. The children have looked at the differences and similarities between where we live and where the story is set. In Literacy the children have acted out the story. The children then wrote instructions about how to make a smoothie, using fruit that they have seen in the story and other fruit that they have tried before. In Maths the children have focused on using a number line to workout subtraction calculations.

This week the children have enjoyed the beautiful, hot weather and spent lots of time outside in the outdoor area and in the forest area. We also made smoothies on Friday using fruit from the story of Handa's surprise.

The children had a fantastic time on the bouncy castle on Friday morning!

Next week we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of St Helens. The children will be writing about what they like about Haydock and what they would like to see in the future. We would love to see any past photos or information that you have about the Haydock area.

* Please remember the Summer fair is Thursday 5th of July.

15.6.18

Well done to our Star of the Week Caleb G for a fantastic week with behaviour and trying his best.

Well done to our merit winners Maisy, Oliver and Kenzie for always giving the best that they can.

Well done to our Reader of the Week Sophie for lovely fluent reading.

Well done to our Writer of the Week Lucas P for a fantastic recount about our trip to Farmer Teds.

Well done to our Maths Magician Cooper for completing all of his Maths assessments independently.

92.07%

This week the children have been learning about farm animals. We had a fantastic trip to Farmer Teds which the children loved. They could see all of the animals, play on the play areas, feel some animals and see how the animals are cared for on the farm. They had a fantastic time as you can see by the pictures below and they where so well behaved. Thank you so much to everybody who helped with the trip. This week has also been assessment week in Reception so the children have been tested on their writing, phonics and Maths skills.

19.6.18 Farmer Teds

Today we pretended to be pirates and walk the plank!

15.6.18

Well done to our Star of the Week Isaac for taking part in Sports Day and being mature.

Well done to our merit winners Alara, Matthew and Jaxon for being the best that they can be.

Well done to our Reader of the Week Phoebe for showing enthusiasm when reading.

Well done to our Writer of the Week Ben for writing a fantastic message in a bottle to send to Pirates.

Well done to our Maths Magician Harrison for using a number line when adding two numbers together.

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This week the children have continued their theme of pirates. We have been using out imagination to travel to a desert island by using our role play and small world area. The children used their imagination to write a message in a bottle and describe the desert island that they had come across. In Maths the children have been looking at adding two numbers together using their Singapore Maths Journals. 

In other areas the children have really enjoyed designing their own pirate ship to travel around the ocean. As you also know it was Sports Day this week. Thank you so much for coming. The children really enjoyed performing their race in front of their parents, it was a lovely afternoon.

Next week our theme will be farm animals which will link to our trip to Farmer Teds. We will be going to Farmer Teds on Tuesday 19th of June!

8.6.18

Well done to our Star of the Week Megan for coming back to school ready for Y1.

Well done to our merit winners Jared, Jayden and Grace for always considering other peoples feelings.

Well done to our Reader of the Week Charlotte for remembering her tricky words when reading.

Well done to our Writer of the Week Matthew for showing a real enthusiasm to do his writing.

Well done to our Maths Magician Caleb M for his fantastic Maths work with partitioning objects.

94.83%

This week we have been learning  about Pirates. This is a topic that the children love and become very engaged with. In Literacy the children have been creating their own treasure maps which they have thoroughly enjoyed. They have come up with some wonderful ideas to put onto their treasure island. They then wrote clues for people to follow so that they could find the treasure. In Maths we have been looking at partitioning objects to 5 and writing number stories. This has been helping the children with their number bonds.

In other areas the children have designed their own treasure map that they have been able to use in the pirate ship role play area. They have used their imagination to pretend they are sailing to a treasure island. The children also had a lovely Music assembly by a band from St Helens Council.

This term we will be having Transitions mornings every Friday so that the children can meet their new teachers and become familiar with new environments. For the first two weeks new teachers will be going to children’s classes and for the later weeks the children will be going into their new classrooms. This week was the first week of transition.

As this is the final term of the year it is going to be very busy. Next week will be Sports Day (Thursday 14th June in the afternoon).

25.5.18

Well done to our Star of the Week Cooper for always doing the right thing..

Well done to our merit winners Tia, Sadie and Zack for showing people respect.

Well done to our Reader of the Week Grace for really trying hard with her reading.

Well done to our Writer of the Week Jack for showing better focus and doing his writing independently.

Well done to our Maths Magician Theo for showing a real interest in different Math topics.

98.62%

This week has been Fairytales week for the whole of the school. We focused on the story of Cinderella and the children were really engaged. The children retold the stories of each fairytale. The children have been writing several sentences and retelling the full story, it is great to see how their quality and quantity of writing has progressed. Mr Ashton’s class made their own carriage for Cinderella to go to the ball in and made their own accessory to go to the ball in. In Maths the children focused on different Early Learning Goal targets each day including shape, position, subtraction and pattern.

In other areas this week we have been focusing on arts and crafts related to the story of Cinderella. The children all made their own individual carriage using paper plates that could take Cinderella to her ball. The children and Miss Welding have also made a life size carriage that the children could show to the school in assembly. They also will have the chance to use it in their role play. The children also had a fantastic P.E lesson this week where they got the big climbing frame out. As you can imagine the children absolutely loved this.

Thank you for all of your support this half term and have a lovely break. 

18.5.18

Well done to our Star of the Week Lucas H for a fantastic week of hard work..

Well done to our merit winners Freddie, Caleb M and Sophie for looking out for other people in their class.

Well done to our Reader of the Week Sadie for using her phonics knowledge.

Well done to our Writer of the Week Ben for really trying hard in his writing assessment and using Phase 3 phonics sounds.

Well done to our Maths Magician Alara for showing real enthusiasm in Maths lesson.

94.83%

This week in Reception we have been assessing the children on their Phonics, Reading, Writing and Maths. This means after half term phonics groups will be changed and some children may have changed the colour of their reading books. The children have been introduced to 'Woody the Woodland Elf' and have wrote letters to him. We also thought of ideas as a class of how to help Woody make the forest area exciting and pretty! Due to the lovely weather the children had the chance to do P.E outside and had a fantastic time :).

In Other Areas the children have been working with Woody to help make our forest area very exciting. They have made their own fairy doors to go around the woodland area, special wands, their own stickmen and some children made clay faces. The children have loved being in the forest area this week and have been very excited to use the different equipment outside. 

Next week our theme will be Fairytales. Mr Ashton's class will be focusing on the story of Cinderella. The children will be retelling the story, focusing on their favourite characters and making different arts and crafts equipment related to the story.

The children celebrated the Royal Wedding on our red, white and blue day. They made crowns to wear whilst they had their dinner!

11.5.18

Well done to our Star of the Week Grace for maturing and showing more enthusiasm in her work.

Well done to our merit winners Jaxon, Jared and Phoebe for taking turns and playing well with their friends.

Well done to our Reader of the Week Cooper for a real improvement in reading and moving up to the next book band.

Well done to our Writer of the Week Oliver for really trying and taking care with his writing.

Well done to our Maths Magician Caleb G for showing a real interest in completing his Maths journal.

94.83%

This week in Literacy we have looked at animals and their habitats. The children have loved looking at the different types of animals and where they live, especially using the small world area to play with the different animals. The children have created their own fact files about the different animals. In Maths the children have focused on ordering and comparing numbers in their journals. They have looked at one more and one less, as well as halving and doubling using different objects.

This week has been a very busy week in Reception and the children have really enjoyed being outside in the good weather. The children have really enjoyed using the different continuous provision to find out the environments that different animals live in. They have also created their own habitat to go on display in our classroom (The picture has been put on ClassDojo). 

Next week we are focusing on our fantastic woodland area outside. The children are going to be creating different things such as fairy doors and clay faces. We would really appreciate it if you could  

4.5.18

Well done to our Star of the Week Grace for maturing and showing more enthusiasm in her work.

Well done to our merit winners Alara, Jayden and Theo being proud of themselves and what they have achieved.

Well done to our Reader of the Week Cooper for a real improvement in reading and moving up to the next book band.

Well done to our Writer of the Week Miley for taking more care with her writing.

Well done to our Maths Magician Caleb G for showing a real interest in completing his Maths journal.

95.55%

This week in Literacy the children have been learning about 'Planting Flowers.' They have been learning about the different flowers and labelling parts of the flower. The children then described the flowers. In Maths they have been practicing counting to zero. The children have really taken to Singapore Maths very well and are showing a real independence in their work for when they go into Y1. The children have also looked at positioning language such as under, below, above and next to.

In Other Areas the children have been making their own flowers, planting their own flowers and enjoying our new role play area that has been turned into a florist. The children hada special assembly from two police officers to talk about being safe online. We spoke about why it is important to be safe online and who we should tell if we are worried about something. Pictures are on ClassDojo :).

Next weeks theme is animals and their habitats. 

Could I please remind everybody about their Farmer Ted's payment. 

27.4.18

Well done to our Star of the Week Phoebe Lomas for following the rules of the classroom perfectly.

Well done to our merit winners Megan, Matthew and Rylee for always showing respect and being polite to adults and classmates.

Well done to our Reader of the Week Jared for using his phonics knowledge to fluently read his Biff, Chip and Kipper books.

Well done to our Writer of the Week Freddie for using his phonics knowledge to write sentences about minibeasts in provision.

Well done to our Maths Magician Isaac for showing a real appetite to make his journal very neat in Singapore Maths.

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This week the children have been learning about different minibeasts. They have focused on the names of minibeasts, describing the minibeasts and even went on a minibeast hunt to observe the different creatures that they could find. They then wrote about the hunt and described the minibeasts that they came across. In Maths the children have continued with Singapore Maths and focused on counting objects to 10 in a variety of ways.

In Other Areas the children made Wormeries using plastic bottles. We placed worms in plastic bottles filled with soil and sand so that we could track the different places that the worm liked to move to. The children also loved Dylan's Reptiles coming into Reception were they could look, hold and feel the different reptiles. They were so brave and I hope you enjoyed the pictures on Class Dojo. Thank you so much for Lucas' Dad for giving the children the oppurtunity!

Thank you so much to all of the people who donated equipment for the outdoor area, it is very much appreciated.

Next weeks theme will be 'Planting Flowers'.

20.4.18

Well done to our Star of the Week Jaxon Kay for setting a wonderful example to the rest of the children.

Well done to our merit winners Kenzie, Charlotte and Harrison for understand that their actions effect other children/people.

Well done to our Reader of the Week Tia for really trying with her segmenting and reading her sounds clearly.

Well done to our Writer of the Week Lucas H for a fantastic Easter diary.

Well done to our Maths Magician Oliver for explaining the different methods when doing Singapore Maths.

97.84%

Our first week back for summer has been a very busy one. The children have enjoyed learning about the life-cycle of a frog. They have labelled diagrams of the life-cycle and observed tadpoles. In Maths the children have been introduced to Singapore Maths for the first time ready for Year 1. They have focused on counting to 10 and finding the missing numbers, as well as journaling the different methods for the first time. 

Thank you so much for the effort you have put in with the Easter diaries. It is fantastic to see how much the children enjoyed their Easter holidays and the amount of writing they have done at home.

In other areas this week the children have made frogs using paper plates and their own creative designs.

IMPORTANT NOTICES**

Parents we need your help!!!
Our outdoor area is starting to take shape but we still need a fewthings to help set up our new forest area. If anyone has access toany of the items listed below we would really appreciate anydonations.
• Metal pans and kitchen utensils
• 5 wooden crates
• 1 small tyre
• Logs or knows someone who could get hold of these as part oftheir job
• 2 wooden cable reels
• Ropes

Can you please ensure children wear waterproof factor 50 suncream before coming to nursery. When it is very warm children will needa cap and will have shorter periods of time outdoors.

29.3.18

 Well done to our Stars of the Week Oliver Edwards and Maisy Storey for a fantastic final week and working very hard.

Well done to our merit winners Freddie, Caleb G and Tia for thinking about healthy choices.

Well done to our Reader of the Week Jayden for really trying with his robot arms.

Well done to our Writer of the Week Isaac for showing a real interest in writing.

Well done to our Maths Magician Sadie Harding for using fantastic language related to weight.

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We cannot believe it is the final day of the Spring term. The year is going so fast! The children have done so much this term and are really growing up! This week we have been focusing on the theme of Easter. The children have been writing acrostic poems for Easter. This is a really hard thing to get to grips with and they have been fantastic and very imaginative when thinking of words to start their sentences linked to the letters in 'Easter'. In Maths the children have been learning about weight. They have taken to this topic very well and were very independent when weighing different Easter eggs and ordering them.

In our other activities we have of course been making Easter baskets, Easter cakes and Easter cards. The children have designed their own Easter cards and they look fantastic. We also had a fantastic trip to church on Monday afternoon where the children learnt about the Easter story and went on an Easter egg hunt, as well as doing some craft activities.

Thank you again for all of your support and help this half term. Homework for over half term is to write a diary about things you have liked doing during the holidays. You can use pictures and sentences to describe your favourite things about the Easter holidays. A sheet will be in the children's homework files explaining the homework and giving some ideas about what the children may want to write about.

Have a fantastic holiday and see you in the Summer term :)

23.3.18

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Cooper for fantastic writing about his Spring walk.

Our Merit winners Jared, Caleb M and Megan for always taking care of the world around us.

Our Reader of the Week Lucas P who has moved up a book band level this week.

Our Writer of the Week Jack for another fantastic piece of writing about his Spring walk.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Charlotte for knowing one more and one less of numbers to 20.

96.60%

This week has been assessment week for the children. We have been assessing the children in writing, maths, phonics and reading. Some children may have changed phonics groups or book bands after this week. 

On top of assessments we have been learning about Spring. The children have been able to go on a Spring walk and write about what they have seen in relation to Spring. 

The children have been creating their own art work related to Spring through collages, painting and drawing. They have also created their own 'Imagination Trees' using broccoli. The children were asked to use their imagination when decorating their own trees.

16.3.18

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Alara for an overall fantastic week and always trying her best. 

Our Merit winners Jaxon, Phoebe and Kenzie for always treating people the way they would like to be treated.

Our Reader of the Week Grace for really trying hard with her reading.

Our Writer of the Week Lucas H for improving his sentence writing by practicing.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Maisy for showing a real interest in writing number sentences for doubling.

94.48%

This week our theme has been the book Whatever Next. This is a favourite of the children's and some of them looked at the book in nursery. We used our FANTASTIC's in Literacy to focus on the story in detail. We focused on imagination and noticing. This allowed the children to use their imagination like Baby Bear did in the book, and discus what the characters noticed during the story and particularly whilst flying to the moon. In Maths the children have focused on doubling. We have practiced doubling numbers up to 10 and writing the numbers sentences.

In other areas of provision this week the children have made their own rockets in the creative area. The children have also watched a experiment called 'fizzy planets.' They have watched the planets fizz and then dissolve using bicarbonate of soda, water, food colouring and vinegar.

9.3.18

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Freddie for taking a real interest in his writing. 

Our Merit winners Rylee, Zack and Cooper for being able to talk about the good things about themselves.

Our Reader of the Week Jared for fantastic blending.

Our Writer of the Week Jaxon for listening to advice and improving his sentence writing.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Isaac for recognising coins and adding them together.

98.62%

Due to Messy Maths taking place on Friday afternoon I have not announced the awards to the children yet. I will do it on Monday. Feel free to tell them if you would like too :)

This week the children have been focusing on the book 'Aliens Love Underpants'. This week we have introduced something called FANTASTICS. This is something the rest of the school use in their writing. We have used is around reading and writing and it using symbols to look at different parts of the story e.g. The 'Eyes' symbol focuses on what the characters see in the book. The children have taken to this very well and have really focused when reading the story. They then designed their own underpants and wrote about them in their writing books. In Maths we have been focusing on money. In Maths the children have followed on from last week by focusing on money and adding different coins together to buy certain items from the shop.

This week the children have created their own underpants to use for their Literacy task. They have also made cards for a very special day on Sunday. I hope you have a lovely weekend and especially a lovely day on Sunday. I hope you like the cards that your child has made! 

Homework this week is focused around phonics. Each child will have a phonics game with an explanation attached to it. 

2.3.18

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Sadie for fantastic work in phonics. 

Our Merit winners Theo, Isaac and Matthew for being proud of their achievements.

Our Reader of the Week Caleb G for fantastic reading and recognising sounds.

Our Writer of the Week Freddie for taking a real interest in writing in his new independent journal.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Phoebe for creating her own addition problems.

96.55%

This week the children have showed so much interest in the Space theme. The children have learnt about different planets, making their own planets and describing them. In Maths we have been focusing on addition. This involved adding two numbers together using number lines and making their own number sentences. Our focus of money next week will link very closely with this as the children will be adding coins together.

In other activities the children have made their own planets and used them for Literacy to describe them. Due to the weather the children had a lovely chance to go and play in the snow. I am not sure who enjoyed it more the children or the adults though. 

Homework this week is to play a game involving addition. Sorry about the amount of the things the children had to bring home on Friday. There was lots. Than you Miss Rodgers for the lovely cakes and Happy Birthday for the weekend! :)

26.6.18 Reading Day with Parents :)

19.2.18

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Harrison for always following the rules. 

Our Merit winners Charlotte, Kenzie and Jayden for being able to talk about how they feel.

Our Reader of the Week Matthew for reading very fluently.

Our Writer of the Week Jack for using his independent journal to write fantastic sentences.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Megan for knowing one more and one less of numbers to 20.

Our first theme back after half term was Chinese New Year. In Literacy the Children learnt about the story of the Zodiac. They sequenced the story, acted out the story and read non-fiction books about Chinese New Year. In their Literacy books they then wrote about different parts of the story. We have now introduced an independent writing journal table into our class. The table is very special and is there to encourage the children to write. Each child will have write or draw in their independent journal everyday. In Maths this week the children have been looking at counting to 20 and finding one more or one less of numbers to 20.

The children have done lots of fun activities related to Chinese New Year. The really enjoyed making their own chinese dragons, painting their own Chinese patterns and most importantly, trying Chinese food. They tried prawn toast, spring rolls, prawn crackers and noodles. They then filled in a sheet to show which ones they liked and disliked. Lots of the children related their food tasting to other times when they have tried Chinese food. We also have an area in our classroom that focuses on Chinese New Year. The children can look at art, eating equipment and other information about China. This year is the year of the dog!

Homework this week is looking at writing about the story of Chinese New Year!

Our new theme next week is Space. If you have completed a project about Space over the half-term could you please bring it in on Monday :)

WC 5.2.18

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Rylee for a fantastic week in school and always staying on task.

Our Merit winners Jared, Lucas H and Harrison for always being kind and following the class charter.

Our Reader of the Week Lucas Pender for moving up to a higher book band.

Our Writer of the Week Maisy for a great improvement in writing using capital letters, finger spaces and full stops.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Jaxon for always taking part and understanding the concept of subtraction.

97.24% 

This week has been assessment for Reception. The children have been assessed in Maths and Literacy.  The children have been researching about Arctic animals and writing facts about them. They have also been practising writing and ordering numbers to 20, 2D/3D shapes and adding two numbers together.

As it is pancake day whilst we are on half-term, on Friday we made pancakes. The children were able to pick their own toppings from chocolate/strawberry sauce, strawberries and golden syrup. The children really enjoyed trying them.

Homework for over half term is a project for our Space topic. You can choose what you would like to make. There are lots of options such as a rocket, planet, alien etc. In the children's bags this week will be 3 learning stories. These are stories of different topics we have done this year so far (superheroes, Christmas and dinosaurs). This is a lovely way to show you what the children have been doing. They provide a brief outline of the topic covered, pictures for you to look at and links to the Development Matters outcomes. We would like you to fill in the back of the sheet with any opinions or comments that you would like to tell us. These will then go into the children's files. 

The children have been fantastic this half term. Have a lovely break and be safe everyone! :)

WC 29.1.18

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Sophie for writing brilliant sentences in provision.

Our Merit winners Tia, Lucas P and Kenzie for learning from their mistakes.

Our Reader of the Week Isaac for a fantastic improving when reading CVC words.

Our Writer of the Week Matthew for writing really improving his handwriting and practicing his writing at home.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Rylee for making his own clock and showing a real interest in telling the time.

96.55% 

This week in Literacy the children learnt more facts about dinosaur. A real life dinosaur entered our Reception classroom and messed it all up! The children wrote about what the dinosaur had done to the classroom. In provision they also used the pictures from our Liverpool Museum trip to write sentences about what they liked, what they saw and what happened during the day. In Maths we have been focusing on time. The children have been looking at days of the week, the different times of the day and how to measure time in simple ways. 

As you know we had our fantastic trip to Liverpool World Museum this week. It was a lovely trip and the children learnt so many things. In provision the children also got to play with gloop, shaving foam and different coloured rice. They also got to smell different scents to see if they could recognise what they were.  On Thursday the children loved seeing what the dinosaur had done inside of our classroom and following his footsteps to explore where he had gone. 

Homework this week is looking at telling the time. Also the Messy Maths workshop has now been changed to after the half term. We apologise for the inconvenience. Have a lovely weekend. :)

29.1.18

School Trip to Liverpool World Museum!

The children had a fantastic time at the museum. They had the chance to explore 4 different floors including Aquarium, Egypt, Dinosaurs and Space floors. They were all so well behaved and were a credit to Grange Valley Primary School.

WC 22.1.18

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Jack for writing fantastic sentences about Harry and the dinosaurs.

Our Merit winners Isaac, Grace and Megan for knowing to ask for help when it is needed.

Our Reader of the Week Freddie for reading very fluently.

Our Writer of the Week Jared for writing CVC words independently.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Cooper for being able to tell the time when it is o'clock.

98.8% 

Thank you so much for your help this week. I know it has been hectic but we really appreciate it. In Literacy we have been looking at the story of Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs. We have looked at different stories including 'Harry and the Dinosaurs go to school' and 'Harry and the Dinosaurs go wild.' The children love these stories and lots of them wanted to read the stories whilst in provision. We focused on speech bubbles and what we think Harry and his dinosaurs are saying in certain situations. In Maths we focused on time for the first time this year. I was very impressed with the children and they did very well at telling the time when it was o'clock.

In Reception this week we have been designing our own dinosaurs using different materials. We have used arts and crafts, colours and with Mrs Fowler the children created their own dinosaur out of playdough.

Homework this week is to have a think about what Harry and his dinosaurs may be saying and write it in their speech bubbles.

Have a lovely weekend :)

WC 15.1.18

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Jayden for trying his best in Literacy and Maths

Our Merit winners Jaxon, Ben and Cooper for always trying to be the best that they can be.

Our Reader of the Week Caleb M for fantastic progress in reading.

Our Writer of the Week Phoebe for writing some brilliant labels and using adjectives.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Kenzie for knowing one more and one less of numbers to 20.

98.62% 

What an exciting week in Reception. Dinosaurs seems to be the childrens favourite theme so far, they have all been so engaged and fascinated. Again thank you so much for all the work you put in making the dinosaurs with the children. They look brilliant in the classroom. In Literacy we have looked at labelling different dinosaurs using adjectives. In Maths we have been looking at one more and one less. Homework this week will be looking at one more and one less than a specific number.

It has been a very arts and crafty week in Reception. This week the children have painted their favourite dinosaur for our classroom display, investigated dinosaur eggs, made dinosaur egg cakes and made our own class dinosaur.  The children really enjoyed investigating the dinosaur eggs by using magnifying glasses and describing how they felt. 

Have a lovely weekend :)

WC 8.1.18

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Caleb G for coming back to school very grown up after Christmas.

Our Merit winners Oliver, Grace and Alara for being able to explain what they would like to be better at.

Our Reader of the Week Harrison for fantastic sounding out and recognising tricky words.

Our Writer of the Week Sadie for doing lots of her own writing during 'Get Busy' time.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Tia for adding two groups together independently.

Attendance 96.12%

Our first theme of the Spring term was Paddington Bear. It was a lovely choice as every class across the school did work about the Paddington Bear story. The children loved this and really enjoyed having a new Paddington in their classroom. In Literacy we wrote sentences about Paddington's adventure in our school. In Maths we focused on addtion. The children used a number line for the first time to help them solve number sentences.

As Paddington left his suitcase in our classroom we had the chance to look through it and discuss what things he keeps in his suitcase. We then spoke about where he comes from and where he came to visit. The children were very excited to tell Mr Ashton and Mrs Mather that Paddington loves eating marmalade sanwhiches. Later in the week the children made their own marmalade sandwhiches to try.

Please do not forget to bring in your junk model dinosaurs on Monday if you have not already. There is a small task of researching dinosaurs for homework. This will help the children with our topic of 'Dinosaur facts' next week. There is also a letter in bags about our trip to the museum on the 29th of January. We really need the replies in by the 19th of January so that we can sort out packed lunches and other details. If you have any queries then feel free to ask at hometime or via Class Dojo.

Have a lovely weekend! :)

WC 18.12.17

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Miley Brown for having a brillaint week and writing a fantastic sentence about her trip to Imagine That.

Our Merit award winners Jack, Matthew and Tia for staying calm even when they can be fustrated.

Last Thursday the Children got to meet Father Christmas before our Christmas party. 

The children also had a fantastic time at Heyeswood Retirement Home on Friday. They sang their nativity songs and got to meet some of the residents. It was lovely to see the children confident to go off and meet people that they had never met before.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I cannot believe how fast this term has gone. This week we have been getting ready for Christmas in Reception by finishing off Christmas crafts and finishing out writing about our trip to Imagine That. 

All the Reception staff would like to say a huge thank you for all of your support, help and patience throughout the year. We would also like to thank you for your generosity with all of the gifts, we really appreciate your kindness. The children have been fantastic. We hope you have a fantastic Christmas break.

WE WISH YOU A LOVELY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR :D

WC 11.12.17

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Oliver Edwards for performing two different roles in the Christmas Nativity and doing brilliant.

Our Merit winners Caleb G, Isaac and Theo for making the right decisions when annoyed.

Our Reader of the Week Cooper for reading sentences fluently.

Our Writer of the Week Miley for writing her own sentence during 'Get Busy' time.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Megan for fantastic counting and number writing to 20.

Attendance 95.86%

It has been such a busy week in Reception and we have really been getting into the Christmas spirit. It has been fantastic to see how much the children and the staff have enjoyed all of the activities this week. In Literacy we have been writing about our favourite part of the trip. This will also carry over into next week. In Maths we have been practising counting, ordering and writing numbers to 20. 

As you know it has been a brilliant week! The children have performed their nativity, been on their trip to Imagine That, had their Christmas Party and sang for the residents of Heyeswood resedential home. For the staff it has been an amazing week to enjoy with the children and see them having so much fun with so much sense of achievement. It is clear the children have also had so much fun! The pictures definately show how much the staff and children have enjoyed this week. As there are so many pictures I have only selected a couple from the party but the Imagine that pictures are below on a separate post!

As next week is a short week their is no homework. We will be giving homework out next Wednesday for the Christmas period. If you would like to do some extra work with your child over the weekend then Education City is a brilliant website to use. Have a lovely weekend and thank you so much for all your help this week with costumes, food etc. We really do appreciate it :)

Imagine That Trip - 13.12.17

WC 4.12.17

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Kenzie Ikin for really growing up and being very mature.

Our Merit winners Grace, Alara and Megan for always being good friends.

Our Reader of the Week Sadie for learning her sounds and doing lots of reading at home.

Our Writer of the Week Isaac Allen for writing some brilliant letters to Santa and his elves in his 'Get Busy' time.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Freddie Lunn for creating a wonder 2D shape pattern.

Attendance 97.93%

In Literacy this week the children have been getting to know our classroom elf 'Eddie'. We have looked at pictures of what Eddie has been up to while we are not in class. The children have then described what is happening within the pictures using words and sentences. In Maths we have been making patterns using 2D shapes. The children have created their own patterns using presents that are different 2D shapes. They really enjoyed creating their own patters using presents.

We have been very arts and craft this week in Reception. The children have made Christmas cards and calenders for the New Year.

We also had our fantastic trip to church! It was a lovely experience and the children behaved so well! They split into two groups while at church. One group did arts and crafts and the other group learnt about the Christmas story then they swapped over. I would like to say a huge thank you to Christ Church for allowing us to visit and all of the people who made the childrens experience so wonderful!

The children also had their Christmas dinner in school on Friday. It was a lovely occasion as you can see by some of the pictures :)

Homework this week involves labelling pictures or writing sentences about a picture. Please encourage your child to listen for as many sounds as possible when writing words. 

Next week is a very busy week. It is our nativity service on Monday and Tuesday morning at 9:30. The children are so excited to perform. We also have our trip to Imagine That on Wednesday. Then it is the Christmas party and non uniform day on Friday. Busy, busy, busy. Have a lovely weekend :)

WC 27.11.17

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Lucas Pender for setting a brilliant example.

Our Merit winners Kenzie Ikin, Jayden Sheridan and Harrison Hartley for always involving everybody in their play. 

Our Reader of the Week Lucas for using his robot arms to sound out words.

Our Writer of the Week Maisy Storey for a fantastic letter to Santa.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Caleb Gorringe for recognising 3D shapes.

Attendance 92.68%

This week in Literacy we have been writing our letters to Santa. The children have really enjoyed talking about what they would like for Christmas and writing a list to Santa. In Maths the children have been introduced 3D shapes for the first time. We have looked at cubes, cylinders, cuboids, spheres and pyramids. We have been recognising shapes and finding objects related to the correct 3D shapes. 

It has been a very busy week in Reception. The children have been creating Christmas decorations for church and also decorations for the Christmas bingo and enterprise sale. We made salt dough stars and cinnamon christmas trees.  We had a fantastic surprise on Thursday and was able to watch the Robin Hood pantomime. The children loved it and could not take their eyes off it. I know some of you have been told the story at home :). They also decorated our class Christmas tree! 

The children are so excited to have met our classroom elf. Eddie the elf has left his elf door in our reading corner and is watching us to see if we have been good. He has been leaving special presents and taking children's amazing work to have a look at!

Homework is looking at 3D shapes.

The children will be going to church on Monday morning and will be back at school for dinner.

Could you please bring Nativity costumes in for Monday. More information is on the letter.

WC 20.11.17

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Rylee Troilett-Travis for having lovely manners in class.

Our Merit winners Ben Burrows, Charlotte Rose and Zack Dealing for always telling the truth even when it is hard. 

Our Reader of the Week Alara for trying really hard with her blending.

Our Writer of the Week Grace for using her robot arms to sound out words.

Our Maths Magician of the Week  Tia Brown for recognising different coins and using it to by toys from our toy shop.

Attendance 89.66%

This week we have been looking at old and new toys. The children have enjoyed looking at toys they play with now and toys that their Mum and Dad played with, some similar and some very different to their surprise. In Literacy the children focused on sounding out the names of different toys and writing about the materials that the toys are made of.  In Maths the children have looked at money for the first time. We looked at recognising different coins up to £2 and using our own toy shop to buy different toys. 

The children have loved having a new toy shop in their role play area. They used different coins to buy different toys within the role play area. The children have also enjoyed using the magazines and creative area to find toys that they enjoy using or making their own toy that they would like to play with.

WC 13.11.17

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Phoebe Lomas for setting a good example.

Our Merit winners Jack Dean, Lucas Pender, Jaxon Kay for making everyone feel welcome and being kind. 

Our Reader of the Week Maisy for continuing to show a real appetite for reading her books.

Our Writer of the Week Oliver for showing a real interest in writing.

Our Maths Magician of the Week  Charlotte for adding two groups together.

Attendance 93. 79%

This week our theme has been the Rainbow Fish. The children love this story and it focuses on being kind to other people.

In Literacy we have been describing the rainbow fish and writing sentences about our favourite part of the story.

In Maths we have moved onto adding two groups together. This is a big step up for the children and they have been brilliant! We have looked at the add and equals symbols. Homework will focus on adding two groups together and using the correct numbers.

The children have been making their own Rainbow Fish in different parts of the classroom. They have been using the playdough, paints and CD's covering in glitter, googly eyes and sequins. They are now on display in the classroom and the children love looking at their sparkly work.

Have a lovely weekend. Homework is adding two groups :)

WC 6.11.17

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Freddie Lunn for settling into our Reception class perfectly.

Our Merit winners Kenzie, Jared and Harrison for always respecting co-operating with adults and their friends. 

Our Reader of the Week Caleb Maleedy for using his robot arms to sound out words.

Our Writer of the Week Matthew for writing a brilliant sentence about Guy Fawkes.

Our Maths Magician of the Week  Jayden for ordering objects by their size.

Attendance 96.53%

This week our theme has been about Bonfire night and Guy Fawkes.

In Literacy we have looked at the story of Guy Fawkes. The children acted out the story of Guy Fawkes using role play masks. They also wrote about the characters and their favourite part of the story.

This week in Maths we have focused on ordering objects in terms of size and measured different objects using cubes.

This week the children have made a new display in our classroom. They made firework pictures using paint and straws, then they wrote some words relating to noises that a firework makes.  They had lots of fun making the pictures and they look fantastic on our display.

Have a lovely weekend! Next week is parents evening on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. A sheet has been sent home with your times on. We have tried to make it as close to the time you asked for as possible, particularly if you are coming to see more than one teacher. If you have any problems then feel free to Dojo or speak to me on Monday. Thank you :)

WC 3.11.17

Welcome back! It has been a great first week of the Autumn 2 term.

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Caleb Maleedy for being very grown up and setting a good example.

Our Merit winners Cooper, Oliver and Sophie for always respecting adults and being polite. 

Our Reader of the Week Alara for really enjoying her reading and talking about the story.

Our Writer of the Week Jaxon for brilliant segmenting when writing a list of ingredients for our potions.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Rylee for recognising and writing his numbers correctly.

Attendance 96.79%

This week our theme has been spooky stuff.

In Literacy we have looked at the story of Room on the Broom and wrote rhyming potions for Winnie the Witch. This involved the children segmenting words using their robot arms.

This week in Maths we have looked at counting, recognising and writing numbers between 0 and 20. The children have been counting different objects and then practicing writing their numbers correctly.

This week the children have been doing fun activities such as carving pumpkins, decorating shoe boxes and of course we had our brilliant ugly bug disco on Friday afternoon. The children really enjoyed partying in school with their friends. They were also performed brilliantly in their phonics assembly and I hope it was very useful for you to come and watch.

Thank you for your support and have a lovely weekend.

WC 2.10.17

Welcome to our class blog!

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Oliver Edwards for always doing the right thing.

Our Merit winners Matthew, Maisy and Jack for talking about the world around us. 

Our Reader of the Week Rylee for recognising his letters.

Our Writer of the Week Tia for forming her letters correctly.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Ben Burrows for recognising all of his numbers to 20.

Attendance 90%

This week in Literacy we have been practising listening and writing different sounds. We used our autumn topic to focus on the different autumn objects that we may see in autumn. The children used different strategies to practice their letter formation and listen to the different sounds in the words. We have been focusing on using robot arms to help us sound out words.

This week in Maths we have looked at counting, recognising and writing numbers between 0 and 20. The children have used autumn objects that we have collected to practice their counting. They have also drawn autumn objects and wrote the correct number next to them.

This week the children really enjoyed going down the lane on an autumn walk. We looked at all of the different things that we may see in autumn. We collected some leaves, conkers, acrons and pine cones so that we could use them in class.

Thank you very much to the people who also brought in autumn objects. This week we have used them to explore and for counting!

It is great to see the children coming out of their shells now that they are settling into Reception!

I hope you have enjoyed reading our first class blog. Have a lovely weekend!

WC 9.10.17

Welcome to our class blog!

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Jack Dean for independently completing his work.

Our Merit winners Charlotte, Zack and Grace for being brave and overcoming fears. 

Our Reader of the Week Alara for using their robot arms brilliantly to blend and segment words.

Our Writer of the Week Miley for thinking of and writing different rhyming words.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Jayden for recognising 2D shapes and their properties.

Attendence 94.46%

Our theme this week has been Harvest. 

This week in Literacy we have focused on the story of The Little Red Hen. The children loved reading this story. We looked at sounding out CVC words within the story such as the characters names and also looked at rhyming words. The children came up with lots of words rhyming with hen. We also practised ordering the story correctly.

The children have continued to practice writing their names every morning when they come into school. They are making real improvements and it is brilliant to see. 

This week in Maths we have focused on 2D shapes. The children looked at recognising different 2D shapes and the properties that they have. They really enjoyed going on a shape hunt around school and making diferent objects out of shapes. They made cars, tractors, trains, houses and fairies.

With the brilliant help of Miss Welding the children also made Receptions own combine harvester!

As our theme was harvest festival the children got the chance to make bread. They really enjoyed looking at the ingredients, stirring the mixture, needing the bread and finally getting to eat it. They were very good at remembering what ingredients we needed to make bread.

I hope you have enjoyed reading our first class blog. Have a lovely weekend!

Mr Ashton and Mrs Mather

WC 16.10.17

We cannot believe it is the end of the first term. The children have progressed so much personally and academically. We are so proud of them!

Well done to...

Our Star of the Week Theo Wilkie for having a fantastic week and listening very well.

Our Merit winners Sadie, Caleb Gorringe and Isaac for talking about the world around us. 

Our Reader of the Week Jaxon for taking a great interest in books whilst at the library.

Our Writer of the Week Jared for forming all of the letters in his name correctly.

Our Maths Magician of the Week Megan for finding one more and one less for numbers to 20.

Attendance 95.36%

This week we have been looking at the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

In Literacy we have read the story and focused on how to make porridge just like the three bears.  We looked at writing a list of ingredients for making porridge and made a set of instructions to tell Mr Ashton how to make porridge at home. We practised hearing initial sounds, sounding out words and blending words so that we can write words. We also made our own porridge so that the children could practise using a microwave and making their own food :).

This week in Maths we have focused on one more and one less. The children have played different games to practise finding one more and one less for numbers from 0-20.

The children have also continued to practice writing their names. They are making great improvements.

We have had a very exciting week in Reception. On Tuesday we made porridge like the three bears and added our own topping. On Wednesday we went on a brilliant trip to the library. The children were very excited and brillaintly behaved whilst walking to the library and inside the library. They listened to a story and also looked at the books that the library had to offer. The library service also kindly gave each child a copy of the book that we read.  

The homework over half term will be on Education City. When you log onto Education City you will be able to see the activities that you need to complete. If you have any problems then please Dojo me. If you have any spare time and want to do any other activities with your child then name writing, counting to 20 and learning the sounds/letters of the alphabet are some activities that will be very beneficial. 

I have had a brilliant first half term. Thank you for all of your support and I hope you all have a fantastic week off! :)