This week in Reception, we have been learning about Christmas, understanding that people believe different things and celebrate in different ways. In maths, we have been learning to identify and name circles and triangles. In phonics, we have introduced ‘special friend’ sounds, which are two or more letters that make one sound. This week we are learning ‘sh’ and ‘th’. Thank you for continuing to practise their phonics sounds at home. In the creation station, the children have been making paper chains to use as Christmas decorations for the classrooms. During free learning, the children have been using their phonics knowledge to recognise the sounds that make up a word and then make the word with letter Lego blocks. The children have also really enjoyed making a Christmas craft to be sold at the Christmas market, so please come along and purchase it if you can. The nativity rehearsals are in full swing and the children are having fun and growing in confidence. Please continue to practise their lines with them, and encourage big loud voices so they feel happy and confident to deliver them on the day.

Key messages 

• FAMILY STORY TIME: We will be having a family story time on Wednesday 20th December at 2.50pm in your child’s classroom. Please come if you can, sit down with your child and enjoy a story that the class teacher will read to them. 

• We would also appreciate any donations of compost to make our ‘mud kitchen’ even more fun for the children!

• To review the phonics sounds that your child has been learning, please visit the phonics website: https://sites.google.com/thevineyardschool.org/phonicsthevineyard/reception 

• Reading books: please note we don’t expect children to be able to read the story books that they have chosen to bring home. They are for you to read to them. The decodable books are the small rectangular books.

• Please remember to check your child’s bag every day in case they have brought home anything from school, or in case they have a first aid slip.

• The Nativity performances are at 9.30am: 5th December (Topaz), 6th December (Opal), 7th December (Jade).

• We have run out of all our spare clothes because they haven’t been returned. If you have any of our clothes at your house please send them back in. Please also remember to make sure your child has a spare change of clothes in their bag, even if they are not a child who usually has an accident.