Dear Parents,

This week we have been learning about how the Hindu festival Diwali is celebrated. The children enjoyed watching video clips, retelling the story of Rama and Sita, making Diva Lamps and creating Rangoli patterns. Diwali is a time to have fun with family and friends. People exchange gifts and sweets, enjoy delicious feasts, watching firework displays and wearing new clothes. Today your child will bring home their own salt dough Diva Lamp which they molded and decorated themselves.    

Woodland Camp

The children were very busy in the woods this week. They had the task of laying bark on the path to the Woodland Camp so it is safe for people to use. The children demonstrated teamwork and responsibility. They were all very excited and took pride in their work. As it was such a big job they were unable to finish it but they were adamant that they wanted to carry on next week. Practising everyday ‘big body movements’ like digging promotes body strength, balance, agility and coordination.

PE

In PE we are comparing the different balls that are used in various sporting games. The children used basketballs, footballs, cricket balls, netballs, rugby balls and tennis balls. They compared the shape, size, pattern and weights. This week the children practised with the rugby ball. They learnt how to hold the ball securely, receive and control a pass before they score a try. The children enjoyed learning new skills and they showed great determination and teamwork.

Maths

In Maths this week we have been focusing on the number 7. We found that lots of things in our everyday lives have a seven – 7 sides on a 20p and 50p, 7 colours of the rainbow and 7 days of the week. We noticed how Numberblock 7 is made up from the rainbow colours.

The Seven Dwarves helped us with our partitioning this week! We have been using the number beads and tens frames to explore how 7 can be organised and partitioned, e.g. 5 and 2 more, a 6 and a 1, and a 4 and a 3.

We also talked about what is the same and different about the picture below. You might like to ask your child what they noticed.

Messages

• It was wonderful to discuss your child’s progress and talk about how they have settled in school. Thank you for your time, the zoom calls were very successful. It is really important that you feel part of your child’s journey at Preston Primary and it was wonderful to share your child’s learning.
• Your child may have come home already singing Christmas songs, we started to learn them this week. Although you are not able to come in to school at the moment we would still like to perform a nativity and share it with you. We have plans to make a movie and the children are very excited. 

Home learning options

• Watch the RWI speed sound lesson on Seesaw.
• Continue to learn the song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with the Makaton signs, a link will be on Seesaw.
• Start to learn the names and order of the 7 days of the week. There are some video links on Seesaw.
• Talk about and find things around the home that are the same and different. For example ‘ I have two plates that are the same’ or ‘These two plates are different, one is big and one is small’.

Upload photos on to your Seesaw journal and then you could use the microphone button to record your voice telling us about your work.

From Mrs Bastin, Mrs Clague and the Foundation Stage Team