EYFS Newsletter – 06.11.26

Welcome back after the half term break! We’ve had a lovely week in Reception at the start of our new topic ‘Toytown’. Thank you to all who have already shared with us photos of your children with their favourite toys. It’s been a great way to open up discussion about different types of toys and how we play with them. This week we’ve also engaged with some fantastic stories about toys, such as Shirley Hughes’ ‘Dogger’ which tells the story of a boy who loses his favourite toy. We used this to further our thinking about our emotions and how we can recognise other’s emotions and feel empathy for others. The children were able to think of the character of Dave at different points in the story and relate it his emotional responses to the ‘zones of regulation’ that we have looked at previously. We also read the story of the classic Pixar film of Toy Story and how those toys have a life of their own when their owners are not around, which brought on some fantastic imaginative role play, with some children taking on the roles of toys that had to freeze when their owners appeared to play with them! In the creative area this week some children took the challenge to extend our maths learning about 2D shapes to have a go at creating a picture of a teddy bear using only circles. We even set the children a toy-themed writing challenge where they were encouraged to have a go at writing the name of a toy that was found pulling out a picture card from our lucky dip box.

Another popular activity in our creative area this week was using colourful paints to create dazzling firework pictures on black paper. The children were encouraged to use alternatives to paintbrushes such as drinking straws and golf tees to create different textures and effects with the paint – and we saw some wonderful artworks as a result! During our topic times this week we have discussed the meaning behind Bonfire Night and why we celebrate it in this country each year with fireworks and bonfires. We also learned a little about the ‘festival of lights’ Diwali which is being celebrated this weekend by Hindus and Sikhs worldwide. The children saw how Diwali is celebrated with lamps, special decorations and with elaborate firework displays. We also discussed the importance of safety around bonfires and fireworks and how to stay safe if we are attending any fireworks or bonfires this week.

As ever, Monday’s Reading Buddies session with the Year 6 children was a great success, with Reception having a lovely time sharing books with the older children.

This weekend, the Reception children are all coming home with a piece of Christmassy art (too early, we know!) which can be turned into Christmas cards or a number of other gift items such as mugs or calendars.  The order details for these items have come home alongside the artworks. Please can you fill in the details on the reverse of the artwork and return it to school by MONDAY 16TH NOVEMBER (we know it says 4th November on the sheet, but ignore that!). You will then be emailed a link to order and purchase any items you so wish at a later date. Thanks!

Have a lovely weekend!

The Reception Team.

DATES FOR THE DIARY:

Friday 13th November – School Photos

Thursday 17th December – Reception Class Christmas Concert  – 14:30-15:00 – Families of Reception children invited to join us for a festive singalong.