Week 3

This week we started to learn some phonics sounds! We learned what s, a, t and p look and sound like as well as having a go at writing them. We impressed Mrs Burden so much with our amazing efforts that we all earned a golden ticket!

In maths we have had lots of fun subitising dots (this means spotting how many there are without counting them out). We have been finding groups of 2 and 3, showing them on our fingers and talking about them in different ways. Then we read a story called The Button Box and explored different shapes, sizes and materials of buttons before sorting them in different ways.
 

In Outdoor Explorers we talked about Catherington and learned the word village. We talked about the things we can find around our school - a pub, a church, a pond and lots of houses and fields. Even though it was raining outside we still managed to enjoy the field in our wet weather gear!

This week we thought about what makes a safe and happy classroom. We came up with some really good ideas! After we’d written them down on a big piece of paper, we all stuck our own little star onto the list to show that we all agree to follow these special rules.

Every day we have special ‘funky fingers’ sessions. During these sessions, we work on making our whole bodies stronger so that we become ready to write. This week, we focussed on balance. We walked along lines like we were on a tightrope, jumped from dot to dot and strode from footprint to footprint. We were very good at balancing!

On Friday we had so much fun using the bikes and trikes for the first time! We loved zooming up and down the big playground with our friends. Whilst we were waiting for our turn, some of us joined in with a dough disco session. These routines are great for making our hands, arms and fingers strong.

We officially made it to the end of our first full week at school - we have worked so hard and are very tired… Time for a restful weekend!

Week 2

We have had lots of fun this week getting to know each other better and finding out more about our school.

We went on a tour and visited all of the different places in the building. We met the children in Seahorses and Turtles Class and all of the adults that work at Catherington. We loved visiting Mrs Burden in her office and were so excited when she gave us a special smelly sticker!

In class we read the story ‘Have You Filled a Bucket Today?’ and learned about our Christian values of love, respect and courage.

In phonics we have been singing songs and listening to lots of rhyming stories. We listened to a fun story called ‘The Listening Walk’ and then went on a listening walk of our own! We heard children singing, cars zooming, birds tweeting and shoes plodding. 
 

In maths we have been listening to counting stories and practising counting to 10 and back. We sorted animals into those with 2 legs, 4 legs and 0 legs and then played ‘What’s the time, Mr Wolf’ on the big playground.

We have been having so much fun exploring Dolphins Class and making lots of new friends. We have served our own morning snacks of cereal and bread each day, learned how to line up, crafted with all sorts of different materials, written special messages and played lots of fun games. It’s been a wonderful week!

Week 1

Miss Willett and I had a wonderful time visiting all of the Dolphins and their parents during home visits this week. Thank you for being so welcoming, it was great to be able to spend time with you and find out more about your children.

We were extremely impressed with how much courage the children showed each afternoon during their school sessions, too. They all came into class confidently and ready for action! We can't wait to see you all again next week.

Thank you to the parents who were able to join me for our meet the teacher session on Wednesday evening - I hope it was useful for you to see the classroom again and talk through what you can expect over the coming weeks.

For anyone who was unable to attend, please find the powerpoint presentation below. As always, if you have any questions, please ask!