Welcome to the Wagtails Class!
Staff
Teacher: Rebecca Halliwell
TAs: Ellie Towers, Katie Stanfield, Anne Harrison and Mohima Miah
Mid Day Leader: Shapla Begum
Newsletter
Food Glorious Food
The Wagtails have had a very busy half term and have enjoyed lots of learning based around our topic ‘Food Glorious Food’.
This term in our Early English/English sessions we have really enjoyed reading our class story ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’. Each week we read the story and incorporated lots of different sensory aspects, the children have enjoyed re-enacting the story and remembering the different foods that the caterpillar eats. After each sensory story session, the children engaged in a range of different learning activities including overwriting, colouring and art activities focused on the book.
Each week every child has taken part in Move and Mark sessions where the children have completed mark-making and writing activities and have focused on copying adults doing ‘zig zags’ and completing writing patterns. This half term we have used a range of different mediums to make marks, these include things such as foam, soap flakes and custard.
In Early Maths lessons we have been focusing on all aspects of Early Maths/Maths through our build, sort, manipulate and play model whilst also developing our knowledge on number, using and applying and shape. Each child has been working towards their individual targets using whole class, small group and one to one maths activities.
Creative Development has been a particular favourite this term, each week we have engaged in a range of different learning activities relating to joining different materials together. The children have enjoyed using playdough to make their own creations and then enjoyed making their final product of a clay bowl.
In our Food Discovery sessions this term we have been practising our cutting skills. The children began by practising cutting playdough into small pieces, then we moved to soft fruits, then to hard fruits. We then finished the term by making fruit kebabs.
This term we have also enjoyed celebrating World Book Day focused around our class book of choice ‘The Colour Monster’. We also enjoyed celebrating Red Nose Day by wearing red and exploring all things red themed be this strawberry jelly or making marks in red paint.
We hope you have a nice break!
The Wagtails Team 😊
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 focussing on this half term –
- Encourage your child to develop their counting skills where possible e.g. can they count how many houses they can see, how many windows are on a house, how many cars can you see etc.
- Listen to and share stories with your child, ask your child questions (where relevant) and model language for them.
- Discuss the theme ‘The World In My Town’ with your child. Our class story this term will be ‘The Smartest Giant in Town’. Read the story with your children or watch the video recording of this story on YouTube. Can your child join in with the story? Can they anticipate what is coming next? Can they tell you what happens in the story? Can they remember key events? Can they remember the different animals the giant meets on his journey? Can they remember what clothes he buys from the shop?
- Immerse your child in sensory materials you have around the house e.g. custard, angel delight, oats etc. Encourage your child to make marks in these materials, this term we will be focusing on ‘dots’ in move and mark.
- Encouraging your child to dress up and encourage role play, ask them to make you a cup of tea and cake or a sandwich.
- Discuss emotions with your child, recognising happy and sad faces. Can your child tell you things that make them happy?
- Read the story ‘The Colour Monster’ with your children or watch the video recording on YouTube. Can your child recognise the different colour monsters and what they symbolise?
- Promoting independence as much as possible; can your child put on their own coat? Can they zip up their coat? Can they take off and put on their jumpers/cardigans? Can they put on their own shoes? Can they brush their teeth?
Thank you for your continued support!
