Welcome to Squirrels Class. 

Mrs Harrison is our Class Teacher on Tuesday's- Friday's and Miss Moore is the Class Teacher on a Monday. Miss Thorpe and Miss Burton are our wonderful Teaching Assistants. 

Our topic this term is 'We're going on an Adventure'. We will begin our adventure somewhere cold (The Antartic) and explore states of matter to see how solids can be changed by heating or freezing. We will look at what life is like somewhere cold and consider what animals we will find there. We will then turn our attention to somewhere hot (Africa) again, seeing what life is like and what animals we will find there. We will compare these destinations alongside woodlands to Mansfield and Bull Farm. By using globes, maps, atlases and digital resources we will observe where these places are in the world.

Communication and Language 

Throughout the term, we will be supported to learn and develop our spoken language along with our listening and understanding. We will begin to respond to 'how' and 'why' questions, use a range of tenses when speaking, and to listen and talk about stories and non-fiction texts. 

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

We will be supported to develop important skills to lead happy and healthy lives. These include, forming and maintaining friendships, managing impulses and big feelings and checking in on those feelings on a daily basis by continuing to learn how to use Zones of Regulation. We will continue to develop our understanding of the school rules and understand why it's important to have and follow these rules.

Physical Development

We will have opportunities to develop our gross and fine motor skills. We will participate in weekly PE sessions lead by a trained Coach, this term it will be Express Coaching and we will develop our multi-skills such as kicking, throwing, catching, balancing and agility skills. In our continuous provision, we will have opportunities to develop our pencil grip, use scissors correctly and safely and continue to write recognisable letters. We will also use a range of tools which support our fine motor skills. 

Literacy - Drawing Club and Supersonic Phonic Friends

During this term, we will develop our reading, writing and comprehension skills through comprehensive phonic sessions following the Supersonic Phonic Friends scheme, a daily reading session, reading with an adult 1:1 once a week and high quality reading and writing resources in our continuous provision. We will also be taking part in Drawing Club, which allows us to use a short story, traditional tale or cartoon/animation to draw their own ideas and write code words/sentences to make our own versions.           

Maths 

In maths, we will be developing our understanding of numbers, numerical patterns and shape, space and measures. We will be doing this through cool count sessions, weekly maths challenges and high quality maths resources in our continuous provision. We will have a focus on sorting objects, comparing mass and capacity and identifying sets. 

Understanding of the World

Geography is a big focus this term and we will explore different aspects through our topic work. We will explore different places, looking at climate, animals, traditions and how others peoples lives compare to our own. We will make connections to the world around us!

Each week, we will participate in Nature Detective sessions. This will involve us exploring our environment and look closely at changes in the world around us. We will also talk about special times in our lives and talk about who is important to us. 

Expressive Arts and Design

Throughout the term, we will develop our artistic and imaginative skills through weekly mini makers sessions. We will explore a range of mediums and develop understanding of construction, textures and design. We will have opportunities to bake and make food dishes from around the world. Both indoor and outdoor provision will have role play areas to further our imagination and a music area where we can play musical instruments, develop our singing skills and perform to our hearts content. 

PE

PE is on a THURSDAY. Please make sure your child has their PE kit on that day. Earrings must be taken out - please do this at home or provide plasters to cover them. 

Reading Books 

Please make sure your child brings their reading book and reading record to school everyday. Your child will also need a book bag. 

Tapestry

Reminder to check Tapestry for updates on your child's learning. Please also add observations and share your child's experiences at home. We love to see what they get up to! 

Open Door 

If you have any queries or questions, please do not hesitate to speak to a member of the team. If we can't speak when dropping off in the morning, please arrange a time when we can have a chat. 

WE ARE SUPER SQUIRRELS!