Reception - Kangaroos: Blog items
Voting time., by Mrs Thomson
Date: 18th Dec 2024 @ 8:10pm
The kangaroos are feeling very proud of themselves this week. They have achieved all of their stars to receive a class compliment. We had an afternoon of sharing ideas. The kangaroos suggested a pyjama day, a trip to the park, a cinema morning, a scooter and bike afternoon, a disco and even a camping trip!
Everyone had thinking time and then we had a class vote. The cinema morning won! Tomorrow morning the kangaroos will have a variety of activities available in the classroom but we will also set the classroom up like a cinema. They have chosen to have popcorn and hot chocolate also.
In the afternoon we will be walking to the library for Christmas stories and a craft session. (Please send hats and gloves)
This week in science we looked at light and dark. We found lots of different sources of light and talked about the shadows we made on our school field. We created our own shadow puppets in the classroom. We even tried to make animal shadows with our hands.
In phonics this week we have revisited some of our tricky sounds - er, ur, ure, igh and oi. Please continue to look at these in your wallets.
We had lots of fun dancing at our party with year one and year two yesterday. The year six DJ's did a great job!
This morning we had a lovely surprise visit from Mr. Brown. He brought everyone a drink and lovely biscuit which Father Christmas had asked him to pass on to us. Mr. Brown was told that Father Christmas was super proud of the kangaroos!
This afternoon we enjoyed our teddy bears christmas picnic. The children all set the tables beautifully with table clothes, bowls, plates and name cards for their bears. They all made a sandwich and enjoyed fruit and a golden chocolate coin.
Hot Chocolate Wednesday!, by Mrs Thomson
Date: 13th Dec 2024 @ 11:15am
Another busy week for the kangaroos!
The children have worked very hard in their maths. They have been detectives spotting circles, triangles, squares and rectangles. They know how to recognise the shapes and identify how they are different or how they are similiar.
Mrs. Morrison has started an art and craft project with the class. They are creating a class christmas tree using junk materials. The class will have to build it, starting with the largest boxes next week and decorate it using their wonderful imaginations.
On Wednesday everyone enjoyed their Christmas lunch together. It was a very festive occasion.
We have been talking about the past and the present this week. We have linked this to Christmas traditions. Please talk about the traditions you have in your family and any traditions you had when you were very young.
Next week we will send home a lot of art and craft - please send a carrier bag in so we can get this all home to you.
Christmas Homework - Rest, Relax and Reading (please). We are sending your green 'All about me' book home. One or two pictures drawn by the children or a new photograph added would be fantastic! Thank you.
Tuesday 17th December - Christmas Party afternoon.
Wednesday 18th December - Kangaroos Afternoon Christmas Picnic (Please send a small soft toy / teddy - it must fit in the book bag) Thank you.
Homework., by Mrs Thomson
Date: 5th Dec 2024 @ 8:44pm
A huge apology!
The homework sheet has not gone home with the kangaroos! It was put in a very safe place!
It will be sent home tomorrow.
Thank you for your patience.
What an amazing week!, by Mrs Thomson
Date: 29th Nov 2024 @ 9:58am
Wow what a fun and fantastic week!
Our 'Traditional Tales' took us on lots of adventures. The kangaroos created a 'kind friends' beanstalk and also a huge castle made from junk materials. It is something very special! It has a floating kitchen, keypad on the door, spy lookout and a telescope to see the stars! Next week we will cotinue to decorate our castle. We will keep you posted with pictures!
Yesterday the kangaroos enjoyed a baking / maths morning with Mrs. Morrison. The children went in small groups to our fantastic kitchen and made gingerbread men. The smell around school was wonderful!
In the afternoon the children decorated their biscuit and some children ate them for their afternoon snack. Which part of a gingerbread man do you eat first? This was a great discussion!
We have been planting this week, learning new sounds in our phonics and looking at larger numbers in maths.
We hope you enjoyed 'Higgledy Piggledy Nativity'. The children have enjoyed learning the songs and actions. Thank you for helping with costumes.
We had our fingers crossed for snow!, by Mrs Thomson
Date: 22nd Nov 2024 @ 12:57pm
Although we didn't get enough snow to go out having fun building snowmen, the kangaroos still managed to run and play on the crispy, crunchy and frosty field. We even started to look at our shadows. We tried to join them up without holding hands.
Very shortly we will be exploring and looking at 'light and dark'. We will create shadow puppets.
This week we have continued with our topic 'Traditional tales'. We have looked at how many of these stories start and end. We have also identified good and bad characters. We have been sequencing our stories and this week after we received a letter from the giant we helped him by writing 'Wanted' poster to help him find Jack. The kangaroos 'wowed' us with their writing! They were using their amazing sounds to write - naughty, sneaky, fast, short, bad and cheeky!
We have started to create a class beanstalk. Do you like our troll masks?
Thank you for sending in items for the Christmas costumes. If you did not receive a letter this is because we have everything needed in school.
Thank you for your continuous support with reading. This week we have enjoyed your children reading new and tricky words to us. They have been very proud of themselves!
Remembrance Day, by Mrs Thomson
Date: 13th Nov 2024 @ 2:28pm
On Monday we had a very special 'Remembrance Day' assembly in school. All of the classes met in the hall and took part in a very special service. Children in school shared medals and memories with everyone. Mr. Turner came to visit us and we listened to his story about his dad leaving him to go off to war when he was a little boy.
At 11am we stood very still and you could hear a pin drop in our assembly hall as we took part in two minutes of silence.
Sam brought a very special picture into class to share of his great grandfather. It was very interesting and we looked for clues of how we could tell it was a picture from the past.
At lunch time we enjoyed sausage and mash or corned beef hot pot. We all sat in big long rows, just like in the pictures we see from the past.
That day we talked more about Remembrance day, why we wear poppies and we saw a picture of King Charles laying a reef in London.
We have continued talking about 'Respect' this week as it is 'Anti-bullying' week. We have also been talking about 'Respect' in our RE work.
A huge apology!, by Mrs Thomson
Date: 12th Nov 2024 @ 10:16pm
A huge apology! We cannot hold our 'Bookworm Bistro' tomorrow after school. It will swap over to next Wednesday. However if you need any support with reading or have any questions about our phonics or reading books please do not wait until next Wednesday.
Please pop and see us one morning or afternoon (apart from Wednesday afternoon this week and we will gladly help).
Thank you
Festival of Light., by Mrs Thomson
Date: 8th Nov 2024 @ 7:08pm
This week the kangaroos have been learning about Diwali. They have carried out a variety of activities to celebrate this festival of light. Our playground was decorated with Rangoli patterns to bring good luck, good fortune and good health. The kangaroos made 'divas', cards and mehndi designs. They enjoyed traditional dancing with Mrs. Morrison outside.
We have enjoyed role play, phonics, finding different ways of making the number five, practising our letter formation and being scientists. The kangaroos had to create a bridge strong enough to hold out 'Billy goat Gruff'. They had to test it to check it was long enough and strong enough to hold the billy goat over our large trays of water. Our kangaroos showed great resilience and didn't give up!
Earlier in the week we enjoyed a special visit by Miss. Sally the dance teacher. She was fantastic and every single kangaroo had fun learning two routines.
A huge thank you for coming into class this week. The kangaroos were very excited to have you all in our learning environment.
On Wednesday a lot of classes went on a trip to the cinema. We decided to be a little cheeky! We did our phonics lesson in the year six classroom and we also did our maths in our buddies, year five classroom. We left a secret note for them to find!
Phonics - In your wallet this week you will notice that you have two sound cards for 'th'. The moth card is for the sound 'th' as in Beth and moth. This 'th' sound doesn't use the voice.
The second card has a moth and moon on it. This 'th' sound is used in 'this and that'. The 'th' sound uses the voice 'th-a-t'. I hope this helps.
Please pop in on Wednesday afternoon after school if you need any help with these sounds or any others. If you have any questions about your childs reading or reading book please do come in for a coffee on Wednesday after school! You are most welcome.
Wonderful week One!, by Mrs Thomson
Date: 1st Nov 2024 @ 10:52am
Welcome back!
This week we have finished off our topic 'Marvellous Me'. We have talked about our amazing bodies and how we have changed since being a baby and a toddler.
We have looked at our bones and produced a skeleton piece of art, linked to the story 'Funnybones'.
We were invitied to watch the year six assembly this week. It was amazing to hear about their school holiday and everything they have been learning in class since September. Mr. Pearson was so proud of our listening skills that he awarded our class with a class compliment!
In phonics this week we have been introduced to 'digraphs'. Two letters that make only one sound - ch, qu. The kangaroos have embraced their learning and they have been sounding out new words and also writing them. I hope you enjoy the new actions.
Thank you for listening to your child read everyday. Mrs. Morrison has listened to all of the kangaroos read this week. She has been amazed!
Our 'super star readers' will continue next week - children will receive a certificate in assembly and a badge that they can keep. The reward will always be for effort in reading. Your feedback and signature in the record books is very much appreciated.
Next week we will start our new topic 'Traditional Tales'. We will be learning about Diwali - can you see our dancing for Diwali photograph?
Dates for your diary., by Mrs Thomson
Date: 28th Oct 2024 @ 9:33pm
Wednesday 30th October 6pm - 7pm Halloween Disco. Parents are welcome to stay for this event.
Tuesday 5th November - 2pm. Parents in Class. You are very welcome to come and spend some time in class with your child / the kangaroos. Have fun being involved in our learning! Home time as normal.
Monday 11th November - Remembrance Day in school. Your child can wear red for a poppy, dress up as a nurse, doctor, soldier or evacuee. (Come into school wearing these clothes - no uniform needed)
Smiley Friday!, by Mrs Thomson
Date: 18th Oct 2024 @ 2:06pm
This morning we decided to rename our 'Fun Friday' to 'Smiley Friday' as everyone came into school with the biggest of smiles on their faces!
The children started their day by having a phonics competition with Mrs.Thomson. The kangaroos won! Fantastic team work!
This week we have revisited our work senses and Autumn. We have also been talking about how we have changed since being a baby and what we dream to be when we are older.
Happy homework -
Homework for the half term break is to please continue reading and practicing the phonics and words in your wallet. Also we have sent home the 'All about me' books for you to add one or two pages. (Bus ticket, map, picture, writing)
Please save any old washing up squeezy bottles with lids for next half term, thank you.
Using our senses., by Mrs Thomson
Date: 11th Oct 2024 @ 1:54pm
This week the kangaroos have had fun using their senss to explore. They went on a sensory walk around the inside and outside of our school, they made scented and prickly play dough, listened to a sounds story, used their senses on our class herbs and also explored our feely boxes and scented pots. They used their super power listening ears in the library when Helen read stories to the children and followed her instructions on hot to make a giant peach.
The librarian from Longton library has invited us back for a Christmas story and craft session later in the year. She was very impressed at how all the children listened and behaved in the library.
Thank you for your amazing support with reading and phonics. It is a delight to see the kangaroos feeling so proud of themselves when they sound and blend the new words I give them in phonics each day. Mrs. Morrison and I really do appreciate the daily reading that you are doing at home as the children are beaming with confidence in phonics each morning. I hope you spot their excitement at seeing a new sound each morning on the washing line!
Don't forget that you are more than welcome to call into our 'Bookworm Bistro' after school on a Wednesday if you have any reading or phonics questions!
Next week I would be very grateful if you could send one baby photograph into school with your child. We will be sharing our memories, looking at how we have chnaged and talking about our amazing bodies.
Harvest Celebration!, by Mrs Thomson
Date: 4th Oct 2024 @ 2:02pm
We hope you enjoyed the Harvest Celebration this week. The kangaroos had a lovely time listening to each class and their performance was a real treat!
Did you manage to get a story massage this week? Mrs. Morrison and I encouraged all of the children to help you unwind after a busy day. They are getting very good at using their kind hands to remember all of the different moves to the stories and rhymes.
A little reminder that projects need to come into school on the 10th October. If you need any help on ideas or further information please pop and see us next week.
Autumn is here!, by Mrs Thomson
Date: 27th Sep 2024 @ 2:56pm
What a week! Wonderful kangaroos! Lots of learning and lots of fun!
This week we having been learning about Harvest and spotting signs of Autumn. After talking about farmers and harvest we had fun baking bread with Mrs. Morrison. One of our kangaroos has already asked Mrs. Morrison if she can make chicken and vegetable pie with them next time! Sounds like a great plan!
We have been counting in maths with Henry hedgehog and we have had four new sounds to learn (new cards added to your wallet) I wonder if your kangaroo can teach you the action to g, o, c and k.
We have enjoyed dough disco, story massage and PE. We had lots of fun learning to put on our puddle suits in preparation of the Autumn and winter weather.
We are working hard with scissors and writing our name.
The children had fun with Mr. Sumner today and did lots of acting before making musical instruments with Miss. Darby.
Thank you for your support with reading. The children are so proud to tell us about their reading and what new words they can sound out! Fantastic!
Super Reading!, by Mrs Thomson
Date: 22nd Sep 2024 @ 7:34pm
A huge thank you for attending our phonics and reading meeting. The kangaroos have embraced their reading books and are surprising themselves each day reading words during our phonics sessions. A huge thank you for hearing your child read each day - please remember to initial or leave a comment in the record book.
Please remember to drop into our 'Bookworm Bistro' on a Wednesday 3.45-4pm to ask any questions, read to your child, talk about phonics or just come and chat. You are always welcome!
During the week ahead we will be learning about Harvest and Autumn. If you go on a walk please look out for signs of Autumn and feel free to send in leaves, acorns, pine cones and conkers that you collect. We are going to create an Autumn display to encourage drawing, writing, weaving, observing and colour mixing.
A huge thank you to Joey who told us all about honey and even brought in a honeycomb to show us. Everyone listened and enjoyed learning about how the bees make the honey, how the smoke made the bees leave the hive and how to separate the wax from the honey. Great job Joey!
The kangaroos received their first two class compliments last week. Two members of staff spotted the whole class working as a team and following our golden rules. Well done Kangaroos!!
Please ask your child about our 'story massage'. Our song this week was 'Twinkle Twinkle'. Perhaps they will show you and you may enjoy a shoulder and back massage. The kangaroos were very relaxed, calm and quiet after the session!
Kind Kangaroos!, by Mrs Thomson
Date: 13th Sep 2024 @ 3:41pm
What a wonderful week! Superstar children!!
Kind words, kind hands and kind feet! Our classroom has been cared for and the children have shown kindess to each other!
A lovely day of phonics, music, drama and dancing! I think your kangaroo may be ready for a rest over weekend!
Yesterday I sent home a plastic wallet of sounds. I hope your kangaroo taught you the actions and the sounds! They did say they were going to be Mrs.Thomson!
Please look at these sounds as often as you can because this will help when the reading books come home. Please send the wallet back to school in your book bag every Thursday morning. New cards and words will be added to the wallet each Thursday.
Highlights from our week -
- The kangaroos met their year 5 buddy. They got to share their 'All about Me' books with their new year five friends
- We started learning a song for our Harvest celebration. We will sing it and also sign it in Makaton.
- We have started our phonics adventure! A new sound has appeared everyday!
- We all found a new friend to play with by finding who had the missing piece to a heart.
- We joined in with year one and year two singing practice.
An exciting day tomorrow!, by Mrs Thomson
Date: 9th Sep 2024 @ 9:01pm
Tomorrow the kangaroos will meet their year five buddies. Both classes are so excitied! Our buddies will come and have story sessions with us, play afternoons and they will hold our hands when we walk to church for celebration assemblies. Tomorrow we will be sharing our 'All about me' books with them and have a story time together.
Today we started our phonics learning. The kangaroos did a sorting game finding objects which start with the 's' sound, we had a practise of writing the sound holding a pencil correctly. We did an activity on the scissor station and also set up our 'wow' washing line to hang up pictures, writing and crafts that we are proud of! Super busy kangaroos!
Lots of kangaroos had their name on one of our 'super stars' today. Our mission for this week is to 'use kind words'. Everytime we hear someone using kind words in class and around school the kangaroos find their name star and pop it on the board.
Wonderful Wednesday!, by Mrs Thomson
Date: 4th Sep 2024 @ 7:01pm
The kangaroos have been superstars today!
Our day began with a PE lesson in the hall. We worked on moving safely, finding spaces, working on positions (next to, around, behind and in front of) and also our driving skills. Our hearts were beating very fast and we worked up an appetite for our toast and milk.
We have been using scissors, writing our name, painting a self portrait and exploring our classroom and outdoor area. We managed to get the bikes out today whilst the sun was shining.
Mrs.Morrison took groups of children on a Longton Primary School tour this afternoon. You can see from the pictures that they met lots of our staff and visited lots of classes today.
I am looking forward to chatting to you next week at our 'meet the teacher' afternoon. I have lots of exciting news to share with you!
Mrs.Thomson
