This week in Reception, we have been learning all about some of the different theories behind how the dinosaurs became extinct! The children have been fascinated while learning about volcanoes with their boiling lava and poisonous ash clouds - an area we will explore further in STEM week next week. In English, the children have been writing amusing sentences imagining what life would be like today if the dinosaurs were still alive. They have also been writing descriptive sentences all about volcanoes, thinking about their senses when describing and adding ambitious adjectives. We have also revised the red words ‘was’, ‘to’ and ‘said’. In phonics, we have been revising all of our sounds, focusing on the ‘chatty’ special friends (smile, cake, huge, home). In maths, we have been drawing addition symbols when interpreting maths stories - why not have a go at home at creating your own maths story then writing number sentences using the addition and equals symbols to represent the calculation taking place? During free learning, the children have been balancing dinosaurs on bridges using tweezers to improve their fine motor skills; they’ve been classifying different herbivores, carnivores and omnivores using a venn diagram and in the Learning Garden, they have become mini archaeologists by using brushes in sand to reveal hidden objects! With the loose parts and at the light box, the children have been creating their own volcanoes. In the Creation Station, the children have been making their own dinosaur fossils and creating dinosaur skeletons out of art straws. In Vineyard Adventurers, the children have been exploring fire safety before getting to light their own fires!

  

  

  

  

Key messages:

• To review the phonics sounds that your child has been learning, please visit the phonics website: https://sites.google.com/thevineyardschool.org/phonicsthevineyard/reception 

• Please continue to give us donations of clean recycling to add to our junk modelling as we use it throughout the year - egg boxes, small boxes, toilet rolls etc. 

• Vineyard Adventurers will be continuing; please make sure children come in their PE kit with long trousers to cover their legs, with some wellies and a waterproof coat. If they have waterproof trousers, please send them in too.

• Now the weather is finally getting warmer please ensure your child has a sunhat in school with them everyday (clearly labelled) and that you apply sun cream before they come to school. 

• Thursday 11th July - Reception Festival of Sport 1.45-3pm 

• Monday 15th July 2.55-3.10pm - Reception family story time. We would like to invite you to come and listen to a story being read by your class teacher with your child. 

• We are hoping to add a water butt to our Learning Garden so if any families are no longer using theirs or know of any gardeners keen to recycle an old one, it would be gratefully received.