This half term our topic is 'Winter life in a Freezer'. Throughout this topic the children will be learning about the different polar regions and what types of animals they will find there. The children will also be looking at similarities between the Arctic and Antarctic and comparing them to the UK.

Chinese New Year

Today the Reception the children have been learning about Chinese New Year and how and when it is celebrated. The children have also learnt that this year is the year of the Pig. We have enjoyed making Chinese lanterns, hand print pigs and dancing around like a Chinese Dragon. To end the day we enjoyed trying some yummy spring rolls, prawn crackers and sweet and sour sauce.

Story Sleepover

Some of the Reception children joined us for our Story Sleepover. The children changed into their pyjamas and enjoyed a nice cup of hot chocolate and biscuits whilst reading a story with their grown ups. It was great to see the children loving the stories being read with them in such a cosy atmosphere.

Stay and Play

Today we have invited the local community into our Early Years to explore and enjoy the provision we have. All of the children who attended seem to have a great time!

Pumpkin Competition

Today we held our annual pumpkin competition. All of the children were invited to crave a pumpkin and bring it to school to be judged by Mrs Silverwood. All of the pumpkins looked fantastic but unfortunately there can only be one winner! Our class winner was Joseph Senior, who won a lovely Halloween chocolate hamper.

100% Attendance

Today the children celebrated which children in the class had 100% attendance. All of these children were awarded a certificate and Mrs Ward drew the raffle for the family ticket to the cinema. Jacob Booth won the tickets and is looking forward to going to the cinema with his family.

Garden and Growth

In Reception this week the children have been he;ping Mrs Ward plant some new bulbs for our outside garden area. The children have been planting daffodils. the children took great care when handling the bulbs and ensured that they were well watered when they had been planted. We can not wait to watch them grow.

Spanish Day

Today has been Spanish Day in school. The children in Reception have been finding out where Spain is on Google Earth and on a map. The children have also been learning their colours in Spanish and colouring in a rainbow using the right colours. We have been watching some flamenco dancing and listening to Spanish music and colouring in the Spanish flag. All of the children have had great fun and enjoyed all of the activities.

Calling all Nature Detectives

Getting out into the crisp autumn air with your child and collecting lots of exciting treasures to share and explore with their friends at school - what could be better!

Autumn is a great time of year to head outside and see what things you can find. It is a wonderful season for discovering and a great way to have your child connect to their natural environment and recognise the significant changes that can come about from one season to the next. There are so many beautiful colours and exciting treasures to be found!

So find somewhere outdoors you can explore, it doesn't have to be a big nature reserve, although it can be if you want, a small part area, green space or even your garden can be great too.

At school children will be encouraged to share what they have found with their friends, opening up dialogue about their adventures and learning new vocab. We plan to build a huge collection of Autumnal loose parts that we can use for all kinds of exciting activities. And don't forget, you can post photos of your adventures on Early Essence.

We look forward to seeing the children's Autumn treasures on Monday 8th October

Safety Day

On Friday 21st September we held our Safety day throughout school. The children in Early Years focused their Safety Day on using equipment in the classroom safely. The children were shown a selection of objects such as glue sticks, scissors, pencils, felt tip pens, knife, forks and hole punches. We went around the circle and spoke about the hazards of each object and how to use it safely. We also discussed how to keep safe on the playground at play times and dinner times.

I can write my name

The children in Early Years have been trying really hard to write their names independently. We have set up lots of activities to promote name writing with the children. Please encourage your children to practice writing their names at home.

Remember to use Espresso at home.

Your login details can be found in the front of your reading diary.

What is Espresso?

Espresso is the UK's leading educational digital content company. It is available for parents and children to use at home. The aim is to transform learning at home by providing high-quality educational resources. Espresso Primary is an easy-to-use and constantly growing library of digital educational resources. Everything on Espresso supports the National Curriculum and the classroom work which we do here a Shafton Primary. Children can log on to this resource at home by using their log in details given to them by their teacher.

School is Fun

The children in Early Years have settled into school routines very well. We are making friends, exploring the classrooms and learning lots of new things.