Hi everyone. We have loved seeing all your adventures this week. Check out some of the things you have been up to. This week is Mental Health Awareness week so our Literacy and topic activities will be based around this. Reception, we will be meeting some old and new friends in Numeracy. We would also like to share our new school rules for September and we have a little update from Ginny.
This week’s adventures
Literacy
This week is Mental Health Awareness week. The theme this year is kindness. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week
The teachers will be sharing a smile on Tapestry. We would love the children to share a smile back. It could a new photo or a favourite photo that your child choses. Please share it by 3pm on Thursday so we can all share our smiles on Friday.
To celebrate kindness our book is ‘Pass It On’ by Sophy Henn. Read the book together if you have it at home or you can hear Mrs Nelson reading it on Tapestry.
This week we have thought of some ideas of how you could show kindness to other people.
Day 1: Reception and Nursery, can you pass on a smile like in the story? Can you pass your smile on by Facetiming a relative or friend? Take a photo of you smiling together so you can look at the smiles any time you like. Can you leave ‘Smile because…’ notes around the house for your family to find? Think of nice things to write to make them smile and add it to the note. We have made a little activity sheet with the notes to help you.
Day 2: Can you tell a joke and make someone laugh? Research some jokes and find your favourite? Reception can you write your joke on paper and take a photo of it for Tapestry? Can you make the teachers laugh? Nursery could your grown up take a video of you telling a joke for Tapestry? Will you make the teachers laugh? Here are some of our favourite jokes. Do they make you laugh?
Why do giraffes have long necks? Because they have smelly feet!
Which snack always makes you jump? POP corn!
What do you call a cheese that is not your cheese? Nacho cheese!
How does the sea say hello? It waves!
Why did the banana go to the doctors? Because it wasn’t peeling well!
Day 3: Reception and Nursery Can you make a picture for a friend or relative? Think about what they like? A favourite animal, a favourite colour, a favourite thing? Can you write down reasons you love them underneath. We have made a little activity sheet to help you.
Day 4: Reception and Nursery make a long distance hug for someone you haven’t seen for a while? Maybe a grandparent, relative or friend? Can you post I to them or take a
photograph and ask your grown up to send it. We would love to see a picture on Tapestry too.
Day 5: What can you be thankful for? Reception can you make a list of all the things you can say thank you for? Nursery can you draw a picture of things you are thankful for?
Other suggestions
· Can you make a bookmark for a friend or relative?
· Can you decorate a stone for a friend?
· If you have any balloons at home blow one up and play ‘Pass it On’, each time you pass it tell each other something nice about each other.
· Paperchain of kindness. Do as many acts of kindness as you can and each time you do add a link to a paperchain. How long can you make the paperchain by the end of the week?
· Telephone someone you haven’t spoken to for a long time.
· Say hi to a neighbour from a distance
· Play a game of kindness bingo. Make a bingo sheet of nine squares all with different kindness acts. Can you play against a family member?
Have a super fun kindness week everyone! We can’t wait to see what you have been up too. Love everyone in Early Years x
Numeracy (Reception)
This week we are going to recap our numbers to 20. If we are confident with them then lets go beyond. We love Numberblocks and all the spisodes are now on Iplayer.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b08bzfnh/numberblocks?seriesId=b0bls7vy
Does your child recognise all the numbers to 20. If they find any tricky (12, 13, 15 and 20 can sometimes be tricky to remember) then focus on those ones. Watch these episodes on BBC iplayer.
Hide these numbers and find them. Place the number they find tricky on the doors .
Can they order numbers to 20? We enjoy playing this game at school.
https://www.ictgames.com/mobilePage/countingCaterpillar/
Can they say which number is one more or less than a number to 20?
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/learning-to-count/chopper-squad
Next lets explore numbers beyond 20. There are lots of episodes looking at numbers beyond 20. The games above can be played with numbers beyond 20. Why not look for different numbers when you go for a walk, or when you play games such as snakes and ladders.
Topic
To finish off our healthy topic, let’s keep our mind healthy. This is very important at this tricky time. Below are some activities and links for when times are tricky or you need . I can assure you we have done quite a few bunny breaths in our house (and that might just be the grown ups!)
https://www.teachstarter.com/gb/blog/classroom-mindfulness-activities-for-children-gb/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2020/cbeebies-mindulness-app
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/joinin/seven-techniques-for-helping-kids-keep-calm
Our new school rules
These will be our new school rules in September. Mrs Turner would love you to talk about them.
Ginny update
Ginny is enjoying lots of cuddles, eating grass and dandelions and exploring Mrs Ward’s garden- she is quite adventurous. She also joined the teacher’s for a zoom chat!
