École primaire Canterbury Cross 
Là où les avenirs brillants commencent '

This week in Reception, we have been investigating light and dark. As part of our class discussion, we discussed where light comes from, how shadows are made and which animals are nocturnal. We then investigated light and dark using different materials. We worked as a group to predict which material would allow the light to shine through. The children took turns to shine a torch through fabric, black card and net to see if the light shone through. We discussed what changes we could see when each material was changed. The children recorded their results on a table. In Literacy, we have continued our work on Funnybones where the children have retold the story using story maps and wrote labels for pictures using phonic knowledge. In Numeracy, children have learnt how to add 1 more using a number line. Well done Reception! 

This week in Reception we have been discussing our hopes and dreams as part of Mental Health Week. The children discussed a range of ideas that included learning how to swim, playing football, building cars and earning lots of money to share with family and friends. In Literacy we have been reading a book called ‘Lila and the secret of the rain’. As a class we talked about how rain had not come down for months and the sun beats hard on the villagers, affecting the people, plants and animals. When a young girl called Lila hears a story from her grandfather about the secret of making the rain come back, she sets about on her own quest to save her village. Children have been engaging with writing words and initial sounds to match pictures from the story. In Numeracy, the children have been continuing to develop their counting skills and have learnt how to add 1 more to an amount. Well done! 

This week as part of our topic lessons, Reception have been learning about how we are all different from each other. Children had discussions about the different eye colours, hair colours, skin colours, the people we live with, the languages we speak and what foods we like to eat. We created mirrors to portray what makes us special. Children have also been learning how to count amount to match numbers and taking part in lots of fine motor skills activities to develop hand strength. Well done Reception!

This week the children have continued to settle well into their new classes. We have introduced Numeracy and Literacy into our daily routine. We have also learnt about kindness. We read The Rainbow Fish and talked about how being kind can help us to make friends. We discussed different ways we can be kind to each other. Ideas included sharing, taking turns and helping each another. Children then joined in with creating a class rainbow fish showing how they will be kind to each other. Well done!

This week in Reception we have been learning all about our families. Children discussed their family members and created a family tree. We also celebrated Asian and Black history month, where children learned about Marcus Rashford and discussed how they can show kindness and help others. They shared ideas and contributed to a creating 'helping hands' as a whole class. We have continued to learn how to add 1 more to an amount in Numeracy, and we have enjoyed retelling the 'Funnybones' story during Literacy time. Great work Reception! 

It was lovely to welcome our Reception parents to our Parent Workshop this week. 

The workshop focused on the different ways parents and carers can support their child’s learning at home. We explored simple, practical ideas to help children develop their confidence, independence and enjoyment of learning.

We would like to say a big thank you to all the parents who attended and for your continued support in helping your children learn and grow. We look forward to continuing to work closely with our Reception families throughout the year. 

This week in Reception we have been exploring the theme of kindness. We shared a story called ‘Have you filled your bucket today?’ which looked at filling an imaginary bucket with acts of kindness. The children discussed ideas about how they will be filling up their buckets at school. We have continued to introduce Numeracy and Literacy activities, and the children have been enjoying learning in our outdoor area.  Well done!

Our Reception children have had a fantastic first two days at Canterbury Cross!

We have been busy settling into our new classroom, making new friends and exploring all of the exciting areas of learning. The children have shown lots of confidence as they discovered our indoor and outdoor provision, enjoyed story time together and began learning our new routines.

We are so proud of how well everyone has settled in, and we can't wait for all the adventures this year will bring!