Hello!
This week in school we have been celebrating science in our annual science week. Our theme this year is ‘Connections’. The children have been busy observing changes and linking their knowledge to weather, seasons, animals, health and changes of state. The children have had the opportunity to observe and touch some interesting creatures when Zoo Lab came to school on Tuesday. There was a curly haired tarantula, a hissing cockroach, a python, a giant African snail and a tree frog! The children were very brave and all had a go at touching the creatures. At the start of the week we made ice gardens; the children filled cups with natural objects from the garden and added water. We then put them in the freezer to turn the water to Ice. The children hung their ice gardens outside to observe the changes throughout the day. We also had a visit from a dentist who told us information about keeping our teeth clean and healthy. We learnt about Mary Anning, the great fossil hunter, and how her work has helped us to know so much about prehistoric animals. We created our own fossils using a salt dough recipe (2 cups of flour and 1 cup of salt mixed together, 1 cup of water added gradually whilst stirring, then knead the dough for 5 minutes). The children worked together to create the dough and then they used a fossil shape and printed it into the dough.
In Maths, we have been recapping our learning on numbers 6, 7, 8 and 9. We have been thinking about different number combinations and using different representations to show our understanding. At home you could make numbers using different pieces of fruits, for example challenge your child to make 7 using oranges and apples, how many ways can they find? You could also do an egg hunt, tell your child you have hidden 8 eggs around the room, comment you have found 4 eggs, how many left to find.
After the holidays we will progress onto teen numbers. We will look at how teen numbers are made, focusing on the language of tens and ones. We will notice that the 1 in a teen number represents a 10 and then see how many ones there are. At home you could notice teen numbers around the local environment or practise counting past 10.
In understanding of the world we will look at plants. The children will learn about the different parts of plants, look at similarities and differences and we will learn how to look after plants to keep them healthy.
The children have had a busy half term and have worked really hard, they deserve a well-earned rest! We hope that you have a lovely break over Easter and enjoy some time with your family.
Take care,
The Reception team