Emmaville Primary School

Login

Newcastle Reception

Welcome to the Newcastle Reception Class Page.  Here, you can find out about everything that we've been doing this term.
W.E. 8th December 2023
 
This week we have held two of three Stay and Play sessions for our children and their grown-ups.
What a great way to get in the Christmas spirit !
Thank you so much for coming and joining us- the children loved having you in their classroom.
 
 
W.E. 1st December 2023
 
Newcastle class have worked so hard to fill the class marble jar this term! On Friday afternoon, they were rewarded with a marble jar treat of Christmas movies, party games & biscuits.
W.E. 24th November 2023
 
This week in PE, we continued our 'Jungle Journey' programme, which helps the children practise key skills such as; moving safely in a space, jumping, throwing, catching and balancing. I was so impressed with how well Newcastle class listened to instructions!
 
This week we spent some time investigating objects that float and sink.  We enjoyed predicting what would happen and seeing if we were right!
W.E: Friday 17th November 2023
 
On Tuesday we walked down to Clara Vale which is quite a way for little legs! We stopped at the village hall for an energy boost of juice and a biscuit and then we set off an an adventure to the bird hide. Using binoculars, the children spotted lots of small birds on the feeders, especially blue tits, but we were very excited to also see lots of squirrels and even a kingfisher by the pond. We had a play on the field, with footballs and a parachute, and then we walked back up to the hall for some much needed lunch.  After lunch, we walked through the nature reserve, spotting and collecting autumn treasures on the way to make an autumn crown. We finished the day with a play in the park and catching the coach back to school.  What a fun packed day...Newcastle class were all super stars and a big thank you to the grown ups that came with us.
 
We had a lovely day on Friday as well! Thank you so much for all of your support and donations for such a worthwhile cause. 
W.E: Friday 10th November 2023
 
Welcome back everyone!
 
It has been great to see everyone playing with their friends and settling back into our daily routines.
 
Here are some pictures from this week's Choosing Time.
Week Ending Friday 27th October
 
What an amazing first half term we have had in Newcastle class. We are so proud of how hard you have worked, how you have settled into the routines of Reception life, and for being so positive and kind towards each other. 
We cannot wait for all the fun that next half term will bring...is it too early to mention Christmas?!
Week Ending 20th October 2023
 
This week we would love to celebrate Newcastle class for their fantastic work in maths.
 
We have been studying 2D shapes; particularly circles and triangles. We have been learning how to recognise them including how all triangles don't look the same...for example, a triangle is still a triangle, even when its base is not on the bottom. We have been looking at the properties of the shapes, such as how many sides they have and whether they are curved or straight. We then went on a shape-spotting walk around the school to see if we could see shapes in our environment. 
We also looked at the work of Kandinsky, who used lots of shapes in his artwork. The children then had a go at creating their own shape masterpieces inspired by Kandinsky's colourful artwork.
Week Ending Friday 13th October 2023
 
Lots and lots to celebrate in Newcastle class this week...
 
Firstly, we are very proud of how all of the children are adjusting to life in Reception, especially for lessons such as PE. Going into the hall, listening as a whole class and teamwork are not easy asks for four-year-olds, but they are taking it all in their stride.
 
Secondly, In RE this half term, our Big Question is 'What makes people special?' This week we looked at lots of pictures of people doing tricky jobs and activities. They included people painting, playing football, building, reading, and cooking. We talked about the need to be encouraged to keep trying to get better at things we might find tricky at first. People can teach or coach us to do new things, encourage us, and help us to get better at them. Another word for this person is a 'role model'. The children were then asked to talk about & draw who they thought their role model was. We had some lovely drawings; lots of mummies and daddies, some teachers, some sports coaches, and some big brothers and sisters.
 
On Friday we also had a special visitor.  Jenni is a Lead teacher of the deaf and she explained how our ears work and what we can do when our ears don’t work. She read us a story and showed us lots of different types of hearing aids. She also gave us some tips on how we can help people who are hearing impaired, and what makes it easier for them to join in and understand. Everybody listened very carefully and we had lots of questions and ideas.
 
Lastly, just a snippet of the true joys of Early Years... On Thursday in choosing time one little boy decided he wanted some help to make a paper aeroplane. He took it outside for its maiden voyage. Fast forward an hour and lots of the children in Reception have joined in; all making aeroplanes, organising competitions between themselves to find out which aeroplane travels furthest and the fastest, which aeroplane came first, second, or third. So much teamwork, fine motor skills, understanding, speaking and listening, mediation skills, and mathematical vocabulary without a lesson plan in sight!
 
 

Week Ending Friday 6th October
 
This week, Newcastle went on their first class visit out of school. We were lucky enough to be invited to a Halloween-themed story and activity session at Crawcrook Library. The children loved the stories and were really enthused by the idea of coming back to the library with their grown-ups to choose their own books to take out.
 
We would also love to celebrate Newcastle class for their hard work during Poetry Week in English. Amongst other activities, the children have learned to perform the poem 'A Basket of Apples'. Here is their finished class performance.
We have also loved watching all of the amazing individual 'home' performances that have been sent to us on Tapestry. What superstars you are Newcastle class!
Week Ending Friday 29th September
 
This week in Newcastle class we have loved our English text 'Holey Moley' by Bethan Clarke. This was one of the lovely new books that we got from our Seven Stories 'Hooks into Books' pack. The book was hilarious and formed an excellent base on which to explore rhyme with the children. By the end of the week, the children were able to produce their own class rhyming poem.
 
In maths, we looked at the vocabulary of 'more', 'fewer', and 'the same as' when comparing groups of objects. Specifically, using the language of 'fewer' for comparing countable sets of objects. For example, I have fewer bears than you.  'Less than' should be used when comparing numbers or measures, for example 'this jug holds less than that bucket.' or 'one is less than 3'.
 
Week Ending 22nd September 2023
 
Another busy week with lots of 'firsts' for our Reception classes.
 
Week two of phonics and the children are already blowing us away. We have introduced magnetic letters in our phonics lessons for the children to begin to make, blend, and read words. Their hard work is paying off and lots of the children are beginning to be able to hear the sounds in simple words.
 
Keep up the good work Newcastle class.
 
 
Week Ending Friday 15th September 2023
 
Welcome to Newcastle class! 
What a fabulous first week we have had in our new Reception classes!
In the children's first full week, they have managed to pack in so much; they have begun daily phonics and maths lessons, getting to know each other circle games, PE lessons, and lots and lots of time to play and explore their new classrooms.
Please keep an eye on our class website page for a weekly update of what we get up to in Newcastle class.