Reception 2022-23
Welcome to our Class Page!
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This is the Owl Class Page. We will keep it up to date with information and photographs of the children's learning experiences. If you have any questions please speak to a member of the Reception team and we will be more than happy to help you. There will also be useful guidance for helping your child learn with you at home.
Please check back here regularly to see what we have been getting up to!
Miss G Russell (Class Teacher), Mrs H Musa (Teaching Assistant), Miss S Asghar (Teaching Assistant) and Ms Z Aspinall (Special Needs Teaching Assistant).
What's coming up?
See below for trips, visitors and events that are coming soon!
Little Lancashire Village - Thursday 20th April. A letter for consent will be sent out nearer the time.
Phonics
Reading Packs
Every week your child will bring home a QR Code for their phonics video and sound writing sheets. These are matched to your child's phonics ability and will help build your child's phonic skills and their confidence. Please return the sound writing sheet by the following Thursday.
PE
PE will take place every Thursday. Please remember to bring your PE kit and water bottle, PE makes us hot and thirsty!
Reading - What are we reading this term?
Every term we will focus on a different traditional tale. This term we are learning the story of 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'.
In Autumn, we focused on 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' and 'The Three Little Pigs'. We spent time learning how to retell the story using actions and puppets to help us!
Curriculum Overview - What are we learning this term?
Please see below for our Termly Overview. This gives you a brief look at the areas of learning that will be taking place in Reception.
Reception Documents
Little Lancashire Village
On Wednesday, 19th March, we went on a trip to Little Lancashire Village. We had a wonderful time in the different role play areas with all of our friends. We enjoyed pretending to treat our teachers to treatments in the salon and afternoon tea in the cafe. We had a wonderful time!
Owls Little Lancashire Village
Balancing
In Commando Joe this week, we were working on our balancing skills. We had to balance on beams to make our way around.
Reception Owls gross motor
The Gingerbread Man
We have been reading the story of The Gingerbread Man. We enjoyed working with our friends to follow the recipe and then decorating them. The best bit was eating them!
Reception Owls gingerbread making
PE
In PE we got out the climbing equipment. We enjoyed balancing and climbing with our friends and working on our gross motor skills.
Owls PE
Jack and the Beanstalk
On world book day we went on an exciting trip to the Lighthouse Venue to watch Jack and the Beanstalk. We loved going on a bus with our friends and singing lots of songs.
Reception Owls Jack and the Beanstalk
Beebots
We loved using the beebots to explore directions. We directed the beebots to our friends and to The Gingerbread man.
Reception Owls Beebots
Aqua Explorers
We had so much fun exploring the rockpools and learning about the different sea creatures that can be found.
Reception Owls Aqua
Commando Joe
In Commando Joe this week we had to look at a puzzle that Commando Joe had set up and work as a group to recreate it from our memory.
Reception Owls memory activity
Mother Goose
We watched a production of 'Mother Goose' performed as a Christmas panto at school. The children all really did enjoy the show and interacted with the actors with real energy!
Reading in the library
On Wednesday, 14th December, our parents were invited into school to come and share books with us in our beautiful school library. Everyone sat and listened to stories and chatted about the pictures in small cosy groups. We finished the session by all listening to a special Christmas story altogether, it was lovely!
Our Nativity
The children thoroughly enjoyed taking part in our Reception Nativity earlier this week. Everyone dressed up and took part and the children all did themselves proud by reciting their lines and singing the songs with real volume and enthusiasm. Well done Owls and Hedgehogs it was a performance to remember and the rest of school and the parents all loved it!
Our visit to the garden centre
On Tuesday 6th December we visited a local garden centre to learn more about the traditions of Christmas. The children really enjoyed the whole experience including the minibus ride across town.
Learning about China
Our new theme is 'Come fly with me to Asia' and the first country that we have learned about is China. It was interesting to find out about the differences and similarities that exist in the Chinese culture and traditions compared to ours' here in the UK.
Travelling to India
This week we began our visit to India. We flew across on an aeroplane to meet a 5-year-old girl who lives there. We learned about how she spends her time with her family, visiting the Temple, attending school and playing with her brother and visiting her cousins in the countryside. There were lots of things which were different and many that were similar to the things we do here. We also learned a traditional way to greet someone when in India. We went on to draw our own Mehndi patterns, make Diva lamps and use our senses to explore traditional Indian spices.
I am Special!
In RE we have been talking about how we are all different, similar, totally unique and all very special to God who loves us. The children discussed how we all look different from one another and that we all experience a range of different emotions at various times. We looked at children from around the world and talked about God's love being the same for each living person. We then all placed a photograph of ourselves on the large heart to help remind us of God's eternal love for each of us. We finished our activity with a prayer thanking God for his love.
Dinosaur Dancing!
In PE this half term we are learning to dance like dinosaurs. This week we listened to a story about 'Where the wild things are' and learnt some new vocabulary. Then we explored words that describe how dinosaurs behaviour and look, for example, stomp, thud, fierce, claws, roar, gnash, etc. We then practised our moves and put them to music. Finally, we talked about how dinosaurs are born from eggs and we all pretended to be baby dinosaurs hatching, growing and then hunting! It was really good fun!
Our visit from the fire-fighters!
Yesterday the fire-fighters visited us at school. They talked to us about how to keep safe at home and told us not to play with matches or lighters. Mrs Robson tried on a full fire-fighters uniform, it was so heavy! Then, we all went outside to look at the fire-engine and ask the fire-fighters some interesting questions that we wanted to know the answers to. Finally, each of us had a turn to use the huge hoses to spray water in the car park and as the fire-fighters were leaving they put on the blue lights and sirens to give us the full experience!
Come and join the celebrations!
'Come and join the celebrations' is our new theme for the first part of this half term.
Diwali
We have been learning about Diwali the 'Festival of Light' for Hindus and have looked at how they celebrate at home and in the Temple.
Bonfire night
We have made firework pictures and creative 3D fireworks in the playdough to celebrate bonfire night and have talked about our own experiences of this special time at home.
Birthdays
The children were all very excited to talk about how we celebrate birthdays and what it means to grow up and get older. We have role-played birthday parties in the home corner together, made birthday cakes with candles in the playdough, created our own unique birthday cards in the writing area and sung 'Happy Birthday' to Mr Mistry from Year 1 when he came to celebrate with us on his 30th birthday.
Weddings
This week we have been learning about weddings in different cultures and have acted out a Christian wedding in class. The children thoroughly enjoyed it!
Therapy Farm Visit
The Owls loved visiting the Therapy Farm and have enjoyed lots of new experiences! First of all we got to touch and handle some smaller, exotic animals and we were all very brave. Lots of the children were eager to stroke them and we used lots of vocabulary to describe how the animals felt. After we explored outside and met the larger animals including the sheep, chickens, rabbits, goats and ducks! We got up close to the animals and even had the opportunity to feed them by hand which was wonderful.
Our Autumn Walk
This week we have been on a walk to our forest school to look at changes to the natural world around us. Before we went to look around the forest the children predicted what we might see. Some children thought we would see trees, grass, leaves on the ground, owls, hedgehogs and worms. However, some predicted we would find lions, bears, monkeys, snakes and a giraffe in the forest. It is safe to say that we didn't find any dangerous animals! We did collect lots of acorns, conkers, twigs and different coloured leaves and everyone really enjoyed exploring our forest and seeing the season of autumn first hand.
The Oral Health Team visited us at School
At the end of last week the Oral Health Team visited us in class to teach us about healthy eating, keeping our teeth clean and to better understand the role of a dentist and how they help us keep healthy teeth. We really enjoyed the visit and brushed our teeth with expert guidance, role-played visiting the dentist and looked at foods that are healthy and not so healthy. We now know more about healthy teeth and what we need to do to achieve them!
Our Visit from the Police
This week we were visited in Reception by a police officer. He came with all of his equipment and shared with us about how the police are here to keep us safe. He told us how often the police search and find lost people, both young and old using the police helicopter. Some of us then tried on the different police uniforms and pretended to be police officers. Finally, we spent some time looking more closely at his helmet with it's special badge, his handcuffs and walkie-talkie. It was a very interesting visit.
Celebrating and learning about Harvest
This week in RE we have been learning all about Harvest and how it is different and similar in different parts of the world. We looked at how familiar foods start out growing in fields as crops and how important the farmers are for taking care of them as they grow. Finally, we tried a range of seasonal fruits and then voted which was our favourite. Blueberries were most popular with our class. Everyone tried all the different fruits which was very grown up and made Mrs Robson and Mrs Musa very proud.
Thank you to all our parents who have sent in Harvest donations for Urban Outreach. Look at our great collection! Well done everyone.
Our First PE Lesson
We had great fun doing our first ever PE lesson together. Everyone joined in as we learnt how to control a ball and move it in a range of different ways. Mrs Robson and Mrs Musa were very impressed with the children's ball skills and listening. Well done everyone!
Litter Picking at School
We have been helping at school this week by litter picking on the large field. We all worked together and collected lots of rubbish. Afterwards we all washed our hands! Well done Owls, good job!
Road Safety Visit
On Wednesday this week we had a visit from someone from the Road Safety Team. She talked to us about keeping safe when we are out and about near roads and how important it is to always hold a grown-ups hand. We also learnt about where it is safest to cross a road and the role of the lollipop person. It was great fun and we will be practising stopping the traffic and crossing the road next week in our play outside.
Our First Lunchtime at School
On Tuesday of this week the children did a full day in School and had their first ever lunch in the big hall. They did so well and everyone tried both their dinner and pudding. Well done children!
Our First Week in Reception - September 2022
The Owl class have had a wonderful start to their life in Reception at St Matthew's! We were so brave when leaving our families and we were all excited to visit our new classroom. The children had fun exploring and learning in all areas of the provision. Mrs Robson and Mrs Wright are so proud of how we came into school and how quickly we are settling into life in Reception.
Reception Class 2021-22
Have a look at all the wonderful things the Reception children got up to last year.
Little Lancashire Village
Summer 2
The children have had a fantastic trip to Little Lancashire Village. The children had lots of opportunities to explored a variety shops and job roles which inspired them to play and get into different characters. The children were vets, builders, shop keepers, chefs, police officers and many, many more! Have a look at our photos to see how much fun we had!
Knowsley Safari Park
Summer 2
What a fantastic day we had at Knowsley Safari Park!
When we arrived at the park we started our trip by looking at the meerkats and watching the giraffes eating leaves from the tree tops. We then walked around the tiger trail and were lucky enough to spot a tiger hiding in the shade!
Next we enjoyed a fantastic sea lion show. It was a very hot day so we enjoyed a picnic together sat under a large tree in the shade. Later in the afternoon we went on safari! While on safari we spotted a rhino, some buffalo, an ostrich, some camels, lots of deer some cheeky baboons and many more animals!
Summer 2 in Reception
This half term our theme has been 'Dear Zoo'. The children have really enjoyed learning about zoo animals and have written some brilliant letters to the zoo asking for a perfect pet. We have also read 'Handa's Surprise' and retold the story using puppets.
The children have enjoyed weekly Forest School visits. While in the forest they have had fun in the mud kitchen, searched for minibeast, learnt about woodland creatures and learnt how to take care of our beautiful forest.
Summer 1 in Reception
The children have been very busy exploring the indoor and outdoor provision with their friends. We have celebrated Eid by having an Eid party.
We have spent time looking after our garden by planting new plants and noticing changes. The children have also enjoyed looking for insects hiding under the plant pots.
As part of our Once Upon a TIme theme with have focused on The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Cinderella and The Ginger Bread Man.
Moss Bank Park
Summer 1
The Owl Class have had a fantastic fun filled morning at Moss Bank Park! When we first arrived we went to the walled gardens and had a look at all the plants and flowers, building on what we have previously learnt during our Bolton Garden Centre visit. The children's favourite parts of the gardens were walking under the plant covered arches and smelling the very strong wild garlic! Next, we went for a walk around the field. We spotted more wild garlic and saw lots of bluebells, daisies and buttercups. Before we left the park the children thoroughly enjoyed exploring the play equipment together.
Zoolab Visit
Summer 1
We have had a very special visit from Zoolab! Our Zoolab ranger Chris brought lots of interesting animals for us to look at and learn about. We could even touch and hold some of them! First we met Sheldon the African land snail who had over 10,000 teeth! Next we met Max the hissing Madagascan cockroach. We learnt that they eat almost anything - apart from glass, metal, brick and plastic! Then we met Athena the tarantula. We looked at her and were surprised to learn that the crickets in her home were actually her dinner! Finally we met Milton the millipede who can grow up to 30cm long and can live to 5 years old.
The Owl Class were so brave when meeting some very unusual animals. Well done!
Road Safety
Summer 1
We have had a visit from Mrs Tinker who came to talk to the Owl Class about how we can keep safe when we are near or crossing roads. The children identified different vehicles and learnt how to cross the road safely. The children also enjoyed seeing a member of the class dress up as a lollipop lady!
Bolton Garden Centre
Summer 1
The Owl Class have enjoyed a trip to Bolton Garden Centre. The children really enjoyed looking at and talking about all the different plants. We talk about the different smells of the flowers and discussed similarities and differences between different plants. We also thought about how we could take care of the plants once we took them back to school. The children went to the till and bought some flowers to plant in our Reception garden.
Litter Picking
Summer 1
It's the start of the Summer term and Reception have been busy helping our local community by litter picking. After learning about how harmful litter can be to our environment the children were keen to get outside and help make a difference.
Spring 2 in Reception
This half term we have been looking at the change in season and spotting signs of Spring.
The children have been working hard and have used their Fred Fingers in the provision to help them with their independent writing.
During PE we have been learning how to safely use the apparatus and have been working together during team games.
The children have learnt about growth and have been planting in the garden. After reading the story of Jack And The Beanstalk we all planted our own beans.
We dressed in red, white and blue as part of British Values Day.
Smithills Open Farm
Spring 2
Reception have had a wonderful day at Smithills Open Farm. We started the day by going on a tractor ride to feed the horses. The children then had the opportunity to go on a donkey ride. Next everyone had lots of fun learning about and feeding the goats and lambs. There was also the chance to pet and hold small animals such as chicks and rabbits. After lunch the children enjoyed feeding the llamas and before coming home we watched the cows being milked. What a fantastic day at the farm!
World Book Day
Spring 2
Everyone has had a wonderful World Book Day. The children dressed up as their favourite book characters and were keen to show off their fantastic outfits. At home the children had turned a potato into a book character which was then entered into a competition. The winners from each won a book.
Early Years focused on the story Elmer. We all read the story and enjoyed completing various Elmer activities. In the afternoon the children spent time listening to stories in our new beautiful school library.
Bolton Library and Aquarium
Spring 2
The Owl Class have had a brilliant afternoon visiting Bolton Library and Aquarium. The children spent time in the library, choosing books to read independently and to one another. They then voted for which stories they wanted to hear read to them. The children split into smaller groups and listened to their chosen stories.
We ended the afternoon by visiting the aquarium and looking at a variety of sea creatures and fish from around the world.
Bikeability
Spring 1
The Bikeability team have been in school for a whole week teaching the children how to safely ride balance bikes. The children have listened carefully and followed instructions. At the end of the week all the children received a special Bikeability certificate.
Spring 1 in Reception
In Spring 1 our topic was 'Winter Wonderland'. We learnt about happens in Winter and how to dress for the cold weather. The children learnt about the Arctic and Antarctica and the different animals that live there.
During RE we read the story of Noah's Ark and talked about God's promise, to never floor the entire earth again. The children thought about promises they could keep.
We have introduced a dressing up area to our classroom. This is really helping the children to become more independent and dress themselves as well as helping their friends.
We have also had lots of fun celebrating the Chinese New Year.
Reindeer
Autumn 2
Reception could not believe it when some of Father Christmas' reindeer came to visit our school. The children really enjoyed looking at and stroking the friendly reindeer. We also learnt some very interesting facts.
Elf Run
Autumn 2
Reception took part in the Elf Run! On the day of the run children wore festive jumpers and elf hats. Due to bad weather the children ran, jogged or walked around the hall and raised money for Bolton Hospice.
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Our Autumn Walk
Autumn 1
The Owl Class enjoyed an Autumn walk to our Forest School. The children took clip boards and were eager to tick off any signs of Autumn that they could see.
Autumn Term in Reception
The children have spent lots of time freely exploring both the indoor and outdoor classrooms. We have been focusing on getting to know one another, sharing resources and forming good relationships. The children are becoming familiar with the school routines and are enjoying taking part in new experiences with their friends. Have a look at our photos to see just a snapshot of our learning.
Reading in Reception
Reading is an essential part of each and every day in our Reception class! Each week your child will bring a reading book and reading record home which has been matched to their specific reading ability. Please read with your child as often as you can. Please return your child's reading book everyday. Below you will find some tips for some tips for parents to make reading at home a success!
Reception Reading Documents
Your child will take part in a daily phonics session. They will learn to read letters by saying the sounds they represent. They can then start to read words by blending individual sounds together to make words, e.g. c-a-t... 'cat'.
Your child will also take part in daily story times where we share stories together as a class, in groups or individually. We love reading and we want your child to love reading too!
Every Friday your child will take home a library book - this might be a fiction or non-fiction book for your child to share with you and enjoy at home. Please return your child's library book each Friday so that they can choose a new one.
Communication is key to all that we do in Reception. We work so hard on our communication skills, including our speaking, listening and concentrating.
You can help your child at home by reading and following the '5 Golden Rules of Communication'.
5 Golden Rules for Communication
Learning Links
Below are some links to websites which will support the learning taking place in school. Click on the picture to visit the website.
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