Reception Ash

If you have any questions about the work that has been set please feel free to email the team on: 

fs@strathmore.herts.sch.uk

We will aim to respond to you the same day (during school hours)

I hope that you are all well. 

A google classroom has now been set up - you should have all received an email inviting you to join Ash class page. If you have not then please email fs@strathmore.herts.sch.uk and we can sort this out. 

I will be adding activities, stories and challenges regularly and you will be able to leave messages about your learning for the adults in Ash class and each other.

Joke of the Week

Q. What do kittens like to eat?

A. Mice cream.

Hello and welcome to Ash class web page.

In our classroom, you will find

     Mrs Mountney

   Miss Bartle

  Miss Cox

    Mrs Pipkin

      Mrs Courlander

    Mrs Du Fou

     Mrs Chowdhury

                      Mrs Turner (Tuesday mornings)

If you have any questions please feel free to speak to a member of staff at the beginning or end of the day.

In Ash class our P.E lessons are on a Tuesday morning and a Friday afternoon. Please ensure P.E kits are in school on these days and all items are clearly labelled.

We use the outside area as our second classroom so please make sure the children bring suitable clothing as they will be outside whatever the weather. If possible please leave wellies (named) in school as we have a digging area, water wall and mud kitchen that the children have daily access to. We have some spare pairs of wellies that children are also able to use.

Your child should be reading daily to an adult, which can then be recorded in their green reading record book. This needs to be in school everyday and placed in the white baskets in the corridor each morning. Please keep the book your child is reading in their drawer. If your child reads a library book, a book of their own, listens to a story tape/CD or any kind of reading related activity, please also note it in their green reading record book. 

We use the Ready to Learn Chart to help manage our emotions. We are free to move our name to the appropriate colour when we are feeling excited, sad, tired, or cross. We understand it is normal to feel all these different emotions. By acknowledging them we can then find strategies to help us, which in turn will ensure we can move ourselves back to green. When we are on green we are ready to learn. 

What we are learning: 16.3.20

We had lots of fun in Ash class last week. We made kites on a windy day, created collage ladybirds, made wanted posters, walked a mile and even had a dance-a-thon.

This week we will be thinking about people who are special to us, how they help us and what makes them special. There will be a special assembly on Friday morning at 9.00 and the children will be showing some of their work.

Our story this week is ‘What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday’ by Julia Donaldson. In the story, Lanky Len and Hefty Hugh hatch a plan to steal a monkey from London zoo to help them steal the Queen’s crown. The children are very excited about the story, they recognised some of the landmarks in the book and enjoyed talking about zoo animals they have seen before. The children will be writing a postcard to a friend as part of our literacy work.

In Numberland we will be continuing with our subtraction problem solving. The children will also discover that Inky the mouse has removed some of the numbers from the Numberland path.

The phonics challenge will continue to be focussed on curly caterpillar letter formation. The letters c,o,a,g,d,q,s,f and e all belong to the curly caterpillar family and the children start writing each of these letters as a ‘c.’ Ask them to show you how they write them. The children will be using their curly caterpillar letter formation when they write their postcards

This week the children will be changing their library books on Monday so please ensure the children have them in their drawer. 

There will be a Mothers’ Day assembly on Friday 20th March at 9.00 followed by a coffee morning. The children will be showing some of their work.

Story of the week: What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday

Maths table: Ladybird subtraction

Finger gym table: Making famous building using the STEM resources

STEM area: resources for construction

Phonics challenge: letter formation

What we are learning: 9.3.20

The children enjoyed dressing up for World Book Day and sharing their favourite stories with the rest of the class. The year 2 children also came to read to us some stories they had written. Ash class listened really carefully and enjoyed chatting to the older children about the characters in their stories. 

This week our learning will be based on the story ‘What the Ladybird Heard Next’ by Julia Donaldson. The children were particularly interested in the characters Lanky Len and Hefty Hugh and their antics as robbers. This week we will be making wanted posters for one of the characters, thinking carefully about what they look like and using a range of adjectives to describe them.

In Numberland the children will find an envelope next to each garden which will have a number written in it. That will tell them how many objects they need to take away from their garden. An extra challenge will include writing the matching number sentence.

The phonics challenge is curly caterpillar letter formation. The letters c,o,a,g,d,q,s,f and e all belong to the curly caterpillar family and the children start writing each of these letters as a ‘c.’ Ask them to show you how they write them

This week the children will be changing their library books on Tuesday so please ensure the children have them in their drawer. 

Story of the week: What the Ladybird Heard Next

Maths table: subtraction towers

Finger gym table: using tweezers to rescue ladybirds and bees

STEM area: resources for construction

Phonics challenge: letter formation

What we are learning: 2.3.20

The children had lots of fun during Feeling Good Week and had the opportunity to try some new activities which they thoroughly enjoyed, particularly painting to music! We were also very lucky to have some special visitors in school, a doctor and a dentist who came to talk to us about how to keep our bodies healthy. We drew pictures of healthy foods, made fruit kebabs, and umbrella and sugar-free biscuits. We also did lots of singing, dancing and yoga, it was lots of fun!

Next week is World Book Day and we will be reading ‘What the Ladybird Heard’ by Julia Donaldson and lots of our learning will be based on the characters from the book. We will be designing our own stealing plans like Lanky Len and Hefty Hugh’s. Our creative activities will include painting ladybirds and using a range of materials to make collage ladybirds.

When the children visit Numberland they will find that Inky the mouse has placed a strip of tape along each garden. Their challenge will be to double the amounts of objects they place in their garden. An additional challenge will include writing the matching number sentence.

Thursday 5^th March is World Book Day and the children can come to school dressed up as a character from a traditional tale. We will also be collecting photographs of the children reading in unusual places.

Story of the week: What the Ladybird Heard

Maths table: ladybird doubles

Finger gym table: using Lego to make a marble maze

STEM area: resources for construction

Phonics challenge: picture and caption matching

What we are learning: 24.2.20

Welcome back, we hope you all had a restful half term break.

Next week is Feeling Good Week and the theme is ‘Being the Best I Can Be.’ Each day there will be a different theme and a range of exciting activities linked to each one. Remember to check the website to see our learning. The themes are;

Monday – I am creative

Tuesday- I am mindful

Wednesday- I am healthy

Thursday- I am active

Friday- Together we are Strathmore

The children will be taking part in a range of creative, mindful and active activities which will include painting to music, yoga, lots of cookery and friendship activities. We will also be doing lots of dancing, singing and playing games together.

In assembly on Friday morning the children will also be showing some of their learning from Feeling Good Week. After the assembly parents are invited to stay and visit Strathmore Cafe to enjoy some of the themed baked items that the children have made. Refreshments will kindly be provided by FOSSA and year 2 children will be on hand to serve the cakes and biscuits. Please come and join us.

Story of the week: Creepy Crawly Calypso

Maths table: making 10

Finger gym table: feed the monsters

Phonics challenge: caption and picture matching

What we are learning: 10.2.20

A huge thank you to all the parents who were able to join us at the maths workshop last week. The children really enjoyed sharing the activities with you and the feedback from parents was very positive.

If you have any questions regarding any of the activities from the workshop or need some ideas to support your child further please ask

a member of staff.

This week we will be exploring music and musical instruments. In the tuff tray there will be a range of different jars and containers filled with varying amounts of water. The children will be encouraged to strike them gently with a beater and listen to the sounds.

In literacy we will be writing our own music and songs then performing to the rest of the class. We will also be exploring a range of different instruments and writing a caption to describe the sounds they make.

The phonics challenge this week is to look at a range of different pictures and segment then write the CVC or CVCC words. The children will need to think carefully about the families that different letters belong to and use this information to support their letter formation. 

In Maths we will be thinking about and exploring time. This will include singing the days of the week song and talking about the sequence and routine of their days. We will be using the vocabulary, yesterday, today, tomorrow, morning, afternoon, evening and before, now and next. On the maths table there will be a timer. The children will be given a physical challenge each day, for example jumping and will need to count how many jumps they can do before the timer runs out. They will be asked to write their names on a whiteboard and record their total.

Our library sessions have changed to a Monday afternoon. They will be able to choose from either a fiction or non-fiction book and bring it home to share with you. Books will need to be back in the children’s drawers each Monday morning so they can be changed weekly. If you have any questions please speak to a member of staff.

The challenges for the following tables are:

-maths table: timed challenge

-finger gym: writing music

-story table: Creepy, Crawly Calypso

What we are learning: 3.2.20

We want to say a big well thank you to the St John’s Ambulance First Aider who came to talk to us about her job. She showed us all the equipment she carries to help people who are unwell. The children asked lots of interesting questions.

Please note that the next parents' workshop will be held on Wednesday 5th February at 9.00. The focus will be maths and parents will have the opportunity to work with their children to try a range of different maths activities. Staff will be available to answer any questions you have. If you have any questions please ask a member of staff.

This week we will be continuing with our work on people who help us, with a focus on the police and fire service. We will be discussing how they help, the vehicles they drive and the ways we can keep ourselves safe. In computing we will be using the camera on Purple Mash to take a picture of ourselves and drop it into the outline of a different occupation. These will then be used to add captions.

In literacy we will be writing captions and sentences in speech bubbles for a range of different occupations. We will be working hard to segment words, form our letters correctly and spell tricky words independently.

The phonics challenge this week is letter formation. The children will need to think carefully about the families that different letters belong to and use this information to support their letter formation. They will then need to transfer this information into their literacy work and when writing their name.

In Maths we will be continuing to explore combining amounts practically. On the maths table there are 2 dice and a coat hanger. The children need to roll both dice and place the correct number of pegs on each side of the hanger. The next step is to add the total number of pegs together and have a go at recording the information as a number sentence.

Our library sessions have changed to a Monday afternoon. They will be able to choose from either a fiction or non-fiction book and bring it home to share with you. Books will need to be back in the children’s drawers each Monday morning so they can be changed weekly. If you have any questions please speak to a member of staff.

The challenges for the following tables are:

-maths table: dice game- combining amounts

-finger gym: finger painting, people who help us

-story table: A range of non-fiction books about people who help us

Please note that the next parents' workshop will be held on Wednesday 5th February at 9.00. The focus will be maths and parents will have the opportunity to work with their children to try a range of different maths activities. Staff will be available to answer any questions you have. If you have any questions please ask a member of staff.

What we are learning: 27.1.20

We want to say a big well done to all the reception children for their amazing Chinese New Year dragon dance in assembly on Friday. They were very excited and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Throughout the week we have tasted different Chinese food, made dragon pictures and acted out the story. 

We also had a visit from Keith the Firefighter who explained to the children all the different ways he helps people and how they can keep themselves safe. The children listened carefully and had some interesting questions for him to answer. A member of staff tried on different items of his uniform and Keith explained how they are used or keep him safe. 

This week we will be continuing with our work on people who help us, with a focus on the police and fire service. We will be discussing how they help, the vehicles they drive and the ways we can keep ourselves safe.

In literacy we will be writing captions and sentences in speech bubbles for a range of different occupations. We will be working hard to segment words, form our letters correctly and spell tricky words independently.

This week we will introduce a new phonics challenge area for the children to access daily. This week is an eye spy challenge. The children will need to look at a picture and try to find items that include the linked phonemes. They will need to use their robot arms to segment the word and then have a go at writing it, remembering to form their letters correctly as they write them.

In Maths we will be exploring combining amounts practically. On the maths table there are pizzas, some toppings and a list of recipe cards. The children will choose a recipe and place the correct 2 toppings onto it. They will then have a go at recording the addition number sentence using marks, lines or numbers. 

Unfortunately the children were unable to visit the library on Friday, however we will be visiting for the first time this week. They will be able to choose from either a fiction or non-fiction book and bring it home to share with you. Books will need to be back in the children’s drawers each Friday morning so they can be changed weekly. If you have any questions please speak to a member of staff.

The challenges for the following tables are:

-maths table: pizza making- combining amounts

-finger gym: finger hopscotch

-story table: A range of non-fiction books about people who help us

Please note that the next parents' workshop will be held on Wednesday 5th February at 9.00. The focus will be maths and parents will have the opportunity to work with their children to try a range of different maths activities. Staff will be available to answer any questions you have. If you have any questions please ask a member of staff.

What we are learning: 20.1.20

This week we will be saying a big welcome to Miss Bartle who will be joining Ash class from Monday.

Throughout the week we are going to be learning all about Chinese New Year. We will be drawing our own dragons, making shakers and re-telling the story. The reception children will also be taking part in a special dragon dance in the hall on Friday at 9.05, we look forward to seeing you there.

We will also be cooking and tasting different Chinese food and then writing sentences about what is our favourite food and why.  

This week we will introduce a new phonics challenge area for the children to access daily. This week is an eye spy challenge. The children will need to look at a picture and try to find items that include the linked phonemes. They will need to use their robot arms to segment the word and then have a go at writing it, remembering to form their letters correctly as they write them.

In Maths we will be learning how to use vocabulary related to time. The children will be taking part in races outside and then working out what position they have come eg first, second, third, etc. In Numberland this week the children will be continuing with their problem-solving activities.

The children will also be visiting the school library for the first time on Friday. They will be able to choose from either a fiction or non-fiction book and bring it home to share with you. Books will need to be back in the children’s drawers each Friday morning so they can be changed weekly. If you have any questions please speak to a member of staff.

The challenges for the following tables are:

-maths table: sequencing the story using ordinal numbers linked to Chinese New Year

-finger gym: making a paper chain/making a fan

-story table: The Chinese New Year Story

Please join us in assembly on Friday morning to see the reception children perform a dragon dance to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Please note that the next parents' workshop will be held on Wednesday 5th February at 9.00. The focus will be maths and parents will have the opportunity to work with their children to try a range of different maths activities. Staff will be available to answer any questions you have. If you have any questions please ask a member of staff.

Our learning- 13.1.20

The children settled back well into the class routines last week and were very excited to share their holiday news.

They thoroughly enjoyed our football session with the Stevenage Football Club coaches and these will continue each Tuesday afternoon until half term. Please make sure that the children have their PE kit in school each week. The focus will be on developing early ball skills and control, working together and towards the end of the sessions the children will be playing mini-matches.

We will also be investigating a science challenge that involves biscuits. We will be thinking about the equipment we will need, finding and organising the equipment, making predictions and finally investigating the challenge. Afterwards we will be discussing our findings and thinking about what we could change and why. I am sure that the children are going to be very excited.

Our story this week is Dear Zoo, a story that many of the children will already be familiar with. We will be discussing why the crates were different sizes and shapes, what the messages on the front mean and what animal they would like to have delivered and why. We will be painting different animals from the story, writing letters to the zoo and using our creative skills to make lift the flap pictures.

In maths we will be learning about 3d shapes and using our 2d shape knowledge to describe the shape of each face. We will go on a 3d shape hunt around the classroom to see which shapes we can find and have a go at naming them. Why not have a look at home and see how many 3d shapes you can find together. In Numberland we will be continuing with our positional language work from last week.

This week in phonics we will also be recapping all the tricky words we have learned so far and having a go at writing them. The children will be taught how to write each letter and how to identify them in words. The children will also be using their robot hands to orally segment and blend words independently. When the children are reading their books to you or you are out and about point out the letters we are learning and ask the children to tell you the sounds they make

 The challenges for the following tables are:

maths table: positional language challenge

finger gym: building a shelter for a pet

-story table: Dear Zoo

Please note that the next parents' workshop will be held on Wednesday 5th February at 9.00. The focus will be maths and parents will have the opportunity to work with their children to try a range of different maths activities. Staff will be available to answer any questions you have. If you have any questions please ask a member of staff.

Please ensure that children are heard to read as often as possible and their reading record books are signed and placed in the corresponding basket every morning. Reading takes many different forms and if the children have read a menu, recipe book, birthday card or a leaflet on a day out these can be recorded in their reading record book too!  Many thanks for your continued support.