Welcome to the Lapwings Class! 



Staff

Teacher: Abbie Donaldson

TAs: Tessa Darlington and Connor Hibbert

Mid Day Leader: Leanne Pearson


Newsletter

Food Glorious Food

This half term’s topic has been ‘Food Glorious Food’. 

We have focused this half term on the story of ‘Which Food will you Choose?’ We have been learning to sign the story and identify the different food in the story and what we could making using them. The children have been learning how to use lots of descriptive words to describe the foods and have been tasting. The Lapwings have enjoyed practising their writing in Move and Mark sessions to form letters correctly using both their hands, different digital devices and moving onto pencils on lined paper. The children are trying really hard to improve their hand writing! 

In Phonics the children are all working within phase two where we are learning to identify letter sounds and segment and blend CVC words to begin to read. The children are enjoying a range of phonics games daily and practising their writing skills throughout.

In our Maths sessions, we have been focusing on subtraction, recognising larger numbers up to 100 and looking at different shapes both 2D and 3D the children are getting very good at this! We have also enjoyed learning about concepts such as big and small and heavy and light.

Within our Science lessons the children have loved learning all about the parts of a plant, what they needs to grow and have enjoyed planting their own flowers! While in Geography we have learnt all about maps of the United Kingdom. Children can identify land and sea and have begun to identify the 4 countries in the UK.

In Music we have been following the Cheranga scheme of work where we have focused on singing and using our voices to perform as well as playing an instrument to the pulse of songs. The children have enjoyed stopping and starting to music and playing slow and fast to music.

The children have created some beautiful sculptures in Art inspired by Claes Oldenberg. They have been learning about the different sculptures of food he has made and displayed over the world. They have been designing their own pizza slices and have made both hard and soft sculpture of pizza.

In Design Technology children have focused on cookery and have been tasting different fruits. They have designed and then created their own fruit kebabs while learning to makes choices, share opinions and all about food safety. They were very excited to make their final pieces in the cookery room!

To help us move our bodies we have focused on movement in our Physical Development sessions. We have been focusing on a range of movement skills such as jumping, throwing and running. The children have also been accessing weekly yoga sessions to build upon their balance and coordination skills.

We have also been accessing shared areas making good use of soft play and the school studio to build our gross motor skills and manage our sensory needs.

We have had a lovely first term together in the Lapwings and we look forward to next half terms theme which will be ‘The World In My Town!’.

From the Lapwings                                               


Signalong

At Halcyon Way we use Signalong as a part of a Total Communication Approach, we are constantly using core vocabulary with the children to support their language development and then through each of our topics we introduce new signs and language, which extends their vocabulary further. We also have two “Signs of the Week” which helps maintain and extend key knowledge and skills of everyday vocabulary.

Each half term we will be creating a short video showcasing and demonstrating signs relavent for the current term so that you can learn the signs and further this learning at home.

Click play to watch this half terms Signalong video!


Lunchtime

If your child has a school dinner, the school menus can be accessed by clicking here. For children who bring a packed lunch, please remember to provide healthy and balanced options. We are a Healthy School and will be focusing on healthy eating and how children can make healthy lifestyle choices.


How You Can Help at Home

The following activities are suggested as appropriate homework activities which you can enjoy with your child and reinforce the learning we are focusing on this half term – ‘Food, Glorious Food!’

  • Ask them to tell you about a story they are learning this half term –‘What food will you choose?’ Children could create their own fruit art at home and use descriptive words to describe their work. They may be able to write sentences under their art work. 
  • Read books together and encourage your child to recognise letters and read some words if appropriate. Use inferencing with your child by modelling how to comment on what is happening or how the characters might be feeling. – See if your child can make any comments on this.
  • Practice your child’s understanding of numbers through counting activities and making amounts throughout day to day activities. Use mathematical language in day to day conversation by commenting of the shape, size and weight of items.
  • Look at plants in your garden or in the park. Discuss the different parts of plants and trees with your child. You could plant flowers with your children and they could watch them grow!
  • Discuss your family tree with your children and send in some photos via seesaw for us to discuss in class!
  • Make patterns using real foods or encourage them to draw patterns using colours. 
  • You can explore maps or globes online with your child and see if they can recognise the different parts of them eg land and sea. 
  • Practise topic related signs which are available on the school website. This half terms topic is ‘Food, Glorious Food’. Weekly signs will also be sent out via SeeSaw but if you would like to know any specific signs please ask.
  • Encourage and allow them to try new things independently, let them make safe mistakes and tell them it is ok to make them – Most importantly have fun and enjoy learning!

Useful websites

Phonics links-

https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/resources

Maths links-

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/shapes/2d-shape-reveal

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/learning-to-count/paint-the-squares


Useful Links


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