Going to the Library!

Onyx class has recently started to visit our local library at Manor Top! The children loved going to the library for the first time. We had to be super sensible because it meant going out of school and up past all the busy roads on Manor Top. We had to use the green man to help us cross the road and make sure we stopped at all the kerbs to check for cars. Some of our parents even came with us to help us cross the busy roads.

We were all very excited to see the Library. Some of us had been before but not everyone had.

When we got into the Library we all took our coats off and found a special mat to sit on. We had to think about our behaviour in the Library and what might be the same and different to being in school. Everyone listened carefully when we knew we had to be quiet. We also remembered to walk around the Library and look after the books putting them back carefully when we’d finished with them.

Then Miss Boyd and the teachers let us look at the books. We had a great time looking for the ones we thought looked the best. We were lucky so many grown ups came with us so they could help read the books with us. Some children found books they’d read before at home or in Nursery, some children found new books which they thought looked interesting for them.

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We were sad when it was time to go back to school but we will get to visit again soon. Next time we can hopefully take a book home with us.

A BIG, BIG thank you to all the parents/ carers who came with us to the library 🙂  We love when you come to the Library with us. Look out for the next date in the classroom if you would like to come with us next time. 

What have we been learning? 

• to cross the roads safely. 
• to adapt our behaviour to different places and if we meet different people. 
• to enjoy looking at books for pleasure and looking for our favourites to read. 
• to spend quiet time looking at books on our own and with friends and grown ups. 

How can you continue the learning at home? 

• make sure your child has a FREE Library Card so they can bring a book home the next time we go the Library. Ask in class for a form to complete, 
• visit the Library with your child and look at the books together. 
• enjoy books together everyday.  A book at bedtime is an important part of your child’s bedtime routine. 
• talk to your child about staying safe near the roads and make sure you always model good behaviour near the roads because your children will copy what you do, even if you tell them to do differently. 

Christmas Celebrations Part 2

Onyx class had a lovely time in the run up to the christmas holidays. We had been practising so hard for our nativity play and working very hard to make gifts for our grown ups! Our teachers decided we deserved to have a party with our friends in Garnet class!

We counted down the days eagerly until the party. Our grown ups were very generous and brought delicious treats for us to share! Everyone was so excited!

The children all deisgned their own unique party hats to wear using different materials. They all looked so different! Finally it was time to go to the studio.

First we had a dance off! There were even prizes for the best dancers!

Everyone got involved, even the teachers!

We played lots of games together like musical statues and musical bumps! Which was your favourite?

Then we had a game of pass the parcel! Miss Boyd, Miss Deacon and Miss Hukin were very proud of how the children were so grown up and said well done to their friends who won the big prize!

Finally, it was time for some party food. We were spoiled as our grown ups had provided so many delicious treats! There was so much food, we could’nt eat it all. Everyone had what they wanted and we decided to give the rest to the local foodbank for people in need of it.

Everyone had lots of fun at our christmas party! Thank you to all parents and carers who provided us with food and drinks! Happy Christmas!

Christmas Celebrations Part 1

It has been a very busy and exciting couple of weeks on the countdown to christmas in Onyx class.

We talked about what we do to celebrate christmas with our families. Not everyone celebrates christmas, some of our class shared other celebrations that they celebrate with their families at other times of the year.

Lots of us enjoyed putting up trees in our homes and giving presents. We give presents to our families to show them we love them and to thank them for taking care of us. What does your grown up do for you?

Liam, “reads me stories”

Lathen, “Makes me dinner”

Hannah, “Play with me”

We enjoyed learning about why we celebrate christmas. The children had been learning about the christmas stories, practising for our nativity play Hump the Camel. Christians beleive that baby Jesus was born at christmas. The children in Onyx class did a great job learning to retell the christmas story, using Makaton actions to help them.

We had a delicious christmas lunch in school, and we even got to eat it with our teachers Miss Boyd, Miss Deacon and Miss Hukin. That was a special treat! Look at all of those smiling faces!

We decided to put up our own christmas tree! Miss Boyd put up the tree and put on the lights, but everyone worked together helping to decorate it! We thought it looked beautiful when it was finished! Well done everyone!

As the countdown to christmas got closer and closer, every day our elf has been setting us challenges! One day, we heard some bells in the corridor. We wondered who it might be??

Christmas workshop 2019

We have had lots of fun together making some christmas crafts with our families, really getting into the christmas spirit. It was lovely to see so many of our grown ups staying to enjoy making some crafts with us.

In reception, we encourage the children to think creatively and come up with their own ideas! For our christmas workshop we provided a range of resources and let the children and adult’s imaginations run wild. The results were so imaginative, and creative. Miss Boyd, Miss Deacon and Miss Hukin were very impressed. Most importantly the children loved having their grown ups spend time with them in school!

Everyone then got busy making different crafts in the classroom. The children whose parents and carers were unable to attend joined in too and were able to make their own crafts to take home. 

Everyone had a lovely morning. All of the staff would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who came!

The Nativity Play

When Miss Boyd first told the children in Onyx class that we would be putting on a christmas they were so excited. Some children remembered putting on a performance back when they were in Nursery!

We had to learn lots of new songs, and we had to practice singing every day! We have been trying so hard to remember all of the actions and the words.

Miss Boyd and Miss Deighton told the children that some children would be given speaking parts. We held special auditions in the hall, and those children who wanted to have speaking parts auditioned in front of everyone. Some of the children were very brave and confidently spoke in front of all the children and teachers in both classess!

The children had been rehearsing lots, practising our performance in the hall. Then the day finally arrived! It was time for the christmas performance! The hall was packed with all our grown ups who had come to watch us, but that didn’t put the children off!

Miss Boyd and Miss Deighton were so impressed with how the children acted out their roles confidently, even in front of a packed hall full of people! Everyone remembered what they had to say! The performance was amazing! All of the teachers couldn’t be more proud of the children! When it was finished everyone gave a huge round of applause!

A huge thank you to all of the people who came to see our performance. It meant so much to all of the children to have their families and friends there to see their Christmas play!

 

 

The Elves and the Shoemakers!

Recently Onyx and Garnet class made an amazing discovery in Reception! Who do you think left those footprint?

“It’s a fairy door” Saedi-Grace

“It’s the ginger bread man again” Harvey

“Its an elf cause look it the pointy bits on the footprints” Carter

Later that week we went to the studio upstairs in school, and we found “Girl” the elf hiding on boy! Elves love to play hide and seek she told us! She told us she had been in our classroom watching our amazing learning!

Girl told us all about the shoe makers! It was so sad! They didn’t have any money or any bread and they were so cold, they couldn’t even make shoes any more!

The shoemakers needed our help to make some shoes! Of course the kind children in Onyx class agreed to help them!

We made our selves into a shoe factory, each of us taking on different roles! We all got really involved in our parts, making up and doing our own actions! Some children drew the patterns on the leather, zig zag, zig zag. Some cut them out… snip, snip, snip. Some children punched the holes in the leather, bang, bang, bang. Some children pretended to be the sowing machine. Finally, some children had the important job of polishing the finished shoes, using our whole bodies.

We worked together as a team to make the most beautiful pair of shoes ever seen!

 

When the factory made a beautiful pair of shoes, the children got involved in some more drama, acting out the story of the elves and the shoemakers.

The shoemakers were visited by a very posh customer, who wanted to buy the beautiful new shoes.

Then the shoe makers could buy some wood, and some bread, and even a little present for one another!

Miss Boyd and Miss Deakin were so impressed with how the children really got involved in the drama. Well done everyone for being so expressive and imaginative!

Girl told us she would see us soon, at the theatre. We were so excited to go see the performance of The Elves and the Shoe Makers!

We counted down the days eagerly, until the day finally arrived…

It was time to go to the theatre!!

 

We had an absaloutely fantastic time on our trip the theatre! Thank you so much to all of the parent helpers who came with us!

What have we been learning?

to listen to a story and join in with the retelling.
to respond to drama in a variety of ways.
to go on a school trip and represent Prince Edward Primary.
to see some of the important buildings in our home city of Sheffield.

How can you continue our learning at home?

Read the story at home and act it out.

Talk about giving gifts and the fact that they don’t need to cost money. What could you give, make or do for someone that is free?

We decided to explore this theme in class…. there will be more on what we learned later.

Nursery Rhyme Week 2019

In Reception, our children love to sing nursery rhymes, and we learn a new poem every week! Not only are spoken and sung rhymes an opportunity for closeness and fun; the repetition, language, sounds and rhythm, help children to predict what’s coming next. This can make the words of the rhyme more memorable and highlight individual sounds, which prepares children for learning to read.

We know that learning to say and sing rhymes supports children’s skills as early readers! “Research has found that when a child knows eight or more nursery rhymes by heart, at the age of 4, that they are usually one of the best at reading and spelling in their class by the age of 8! ‘ Mem Fox Reading Magic.

So, this year Prince Edward decided to join many schools nation wide and take part in Nursery Rhyme Week!

First we descovered a crime scene outside! The children put together the clues and  guessed it must have been “Humpty Dumpty”. We enjoyed singing the rhyme, and the children even made a poster to warn people about what happened to poor Humpty Dumpty! The children have even made their own Humpty Dumpty’s from resources independently in the workshop!

We have also enjoyed exploring the musical instruments, and using these to retell  familiar rhymes. The children thought carefully about which instruments could make sounds to represent the beginning, middle and end of the familiar rhyme: incey wincey spider. This also supported our understanding of how stories are structured with an opening, problem and a resolution.

We have also enjoyed learning number rhymes 10 green bottles, 5 little ducks, 10 fat sausages, 5 little speckled frogs and 5 little men in a flying saucer. We have been learning all about subtraction and finding one less through being active, singing songs, and having fun.

We enjoyed learning rhymes, and we even created our own rhyming strings! We listened to the sounds in the words and looked at letter patterns to help us to identify when the ending of words was the same. We then thought of some other words that rhymed and added those to the strings!

We had a great week and have loved learning all about Nursery rhymes!

What have we been learning?

• to  sing nursery rhymes, showing an awareness of words that rhyme.
• to explore sound patterns and create our own rhyming strings.
• to talk about how stories are structured with a beginning, middle and end.
• to subtract and find one less through being active, using practical resources and singing familiar songs.

How can you continue the learning at home?

• Read books with rhyming words in them- Julia Donaldson books usually have rhyming words. Can your child finish the sentences with a rhyming word? Can they hear which word between two is the rhyming words? eg. The cat is black, It sits in a….. Is it sack or bed?
• Play other rhyming games such as Cake Bake on Phonics Play. Click this link to find the game. You will need the Username: PRINCE2 and the Password: EDWARD to access the site fully.
• Sing Nursery Rhymes with your children. If you are less confident with them yourself you can find them on Cbeebies and on the World Nursery Rhyme Week page (link is attached bellow).
• If you would like any more information on how rhymes support children’s reading development, please visit the sites bellow. You can also find videos, fun ideas and activities that you can try at home! https://www.worldnurseryrhymeweek.com/ https://www.booktrust.org.uk/news-and-features/features/2018/november/rhymes-in-early-childhood/