Summer Term in Reception
The following information is for the events specific to Reception this half term - this will be updated throughout the year.
Welcome to Summer Term in Reception! This term we will be building on the knowledge and understanding children have gained during Autumn and Spring term, challenging them and beginning to prepare them for transitioning into year 1. We will be consolidating the phase 2 and 3 phonics sounds, which children have already learnt, and continuing to explore number, shape and measure in our maths activities. The children will be encouraged to play, explore and learn in all the different areas of our environment, including challenging them to investigate areas they are less confident in. Throughout both teacher-led and child-initiated learning opportunities, children will be developing all 7 areas of the EYFS; personal social emotional development, communication and language, physical development, literacy, maths, understanding the world and expressive arts and design.
Keep up to date by using Tapestry and look out for our regular memos, which will give you further information throughout the term!
Teacher Led Topic this half term:
Our Topic this half term (Summer 1) is Circle of Life! To introduce our topic, we will be learning all about what things are living and what makes them living, as well as going on a mini beast hunt. We will be looking closely at flowers and plants to complete observational drawings of them and will also be having a go at planting and taking care of our own seedlings.
Later in the half term, we will go on to complete a range of activities such as; developing woodwork skills to create animal homes, growing cress, learning about life cycles and using correct terms, retelling stories, creating own stories and through narration and role play, recognising coins and exploring patterns. These teacher-led opportunities will cover the 7 Areas of Learning in the EYFS Educational Programmes. Your child will also have opportunities to participate in activities based around their own interests during learning lots, as well as the above.
Here is our topic map for Summer 1, which outlines both the teacher-led opportunities and learning lots (child-led) opportunities your child will have this half term.
Reception Topic Map - Summer 1 Circle of Life
Special days/events in Summer Term:
Monday 15th April - Reception Spring Walk to Redhouse Park - Ladybirds and Bees
Tuesday 16th April - Reception Spring Walk to Redhouse Park - Grasshoppers and Dragonflies
Thursday 9th May - Reception Parent Workshop - Maths - 9am Ladybirds and Bees, 2pm Dragonflies and Grasshoppers
Friday 14th June - Reception Fathers Day Workshop - 1.30pm
Tuesday 2nd July - Reception and Little Valers Sports Day - 9am
Monday 8th July - Reception Summer Walk to Redhouse Park - Ladybirds and Bees
Tuesday 9th July - Reception Summer Walk to Redhouse Park - Grasshoppers and Dragonflies
We will also be having an exciting trip to the Birmingham Wildlife Reserve at some point in Summer Term. We are awaiting a confirmed date for this trip and will let you know as soon as we have a confirmed date.
Books and Stories
This half term we have lots of opportunities for reading books and stories to your children as part of our day. Here is just a sample of the stories we will be reading:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Extraordinary Gardener
The Great Pet Sale
Frog and Toad are Friends
Handa's Surprise
The Little Red Hen
Katie and the Sunflowers
Swimming Information
For this half term, we are going to continue our usual Swimming routine and take 2 family groups at a time and alternate this every other week. The dates for Summer 1 will be:
Wednesday 10th April - Ladybirds and Grasshoppers
Wednesday 17th April - Bees and Dragonflies
Wednesday 24th April - Ladybirds and Grasshoppers
Wednesday 1st May - Bees and Dragonflies
Wednesday 8th May - Ladybirds and Grasshoppers
Wednesday 15th May - Bees and Dragonflies
Wednesday 22nd May - Ladybirds and Grasshoppers
Please see the uniform leaflet for guidance on the appropriate swimwear.
No jewellery is allowed at all.
ALL children need a NAMED bag with a named swimming hat and towel.
School staff are supporting with swimming, both at the poolside and in the changing rooms.
* If you wish your child to wear swimming goggles you must send in written permission for your child. You only need to do this once as the letter will be kept for the rest of the term.
* It would be very helpful if girls could wear socks rather than tights as they are finding these difficult to put back on.
OUR RECEPTION DAY
The following outlines the activities and experiences your child will have throughout the week.
-SODA (our soft start activity)
-Jolly Jobs (teacher led activities)
-Learning Lots (child initiated, play activities)
-Phonics
-Kinetic Letters (handwriting)
-Quick Maths (maths activities, songs and stories)
-Read and Rhyme (guided reading session, nursery rhymes, library etc)
Our Feel Good Friday activities include - Special People, Yoga, Hey Duggee Workouts, Mindfulness, Music & Movement, Commando Joe, Games and Physical Development tasks.
Each week we share the Picture News for that week, which looks at a current news story and discusses what it is about and how it makes us feel.
A COUPLE OF OTHER REMINDERS
-Check memos we upload on Tapestry to ensure that you are kept aware of the activities and information needed about weekly events.
-Each week we have some time for children to share anything you have uploaded on tapestry from home so please keep uploading, the children love sharing it with us and the other children.
Please upload the Spring 2 Project task to Tapestry by Friday 19th April, so we are able to share it with the children. A new Tapestry Project will be set later on in Summer Term.
As the term progresses, we will begin to set a weekly Maths task on Tapestry as homework for you to complete with your child. Please complete and upload this to Tapestry weekly, as well as completing reading regularly with your child.
