Term 4 - People Who Help Us

This term, our topic is People Who Help Us and our learning will focus around answering the big question 'how do people in our community help us?'. We will learn what a job is and how some jobs affect us. We will explore how in our local area we have a community and some jobs help our community to thrive. We will know that some jobs can be identified through their vehicle, equipment and uniform, especially the emergency services. Our learning will be underpinned with the books: ZOG and the flying doctors by Julia Donaldson, MOG and the V.E.T by Judith Kerr and You can't call an elephant in an emergency by Patricia Cleveland-Peck. These books will help us further explore the job roles of doctors, vets and the emergency services.

This topic of learning is supported by our curriculum drivers 'Courageous Advocates' and 'Worldly Wise' where through our learning, we encourage children to make an impact to our community and take an interest in issues affecting society. 

Our PE days will continue to be on a Tuesday (Cygnets) and Friday (Owls) with additional PE provided on a Thursday with Matt, for children on rotation throughout the year. 

Term 3 - Over the Rainbow

Our topic this term is 'Over the Rainbow'. We will focus on Expressive Arts and Design and develop our understanding of colour and tone through painting and collage. We will be learning about the artists Jackson Pollock and Piet Mondrian and recreating our own versions of their famous artworks. We will develop our science knowledge by learning all about animals. We will learn about what animals do and how they are similar or different to humans. We will also learn whether they live near or far from us. All of this learning will be supported by the books: Elmer by David McKee, The Mixed up Chameleon and the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. 

Term 2 - Build Me a Story

Our topic this term is 'Build me a story'. This term we will explore scientific and geographical topics through reading traditional tales like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Gingerbread Man and The Three Little Pigs. 
We will decide which of the little pig's house would float or sink and how each material feels, using scientific language like 'float' or 'sink' during our experiments. The gingerbread man's journey will help us to create maps, learning about how we have a start and end point and how to represent things along the way using pictures. We will learn about teddy bears through time and explore how their features contribute to them looking old or new. We will use our own teddy bears from home to help our discussions, as well as taking them on a walk through the school grounds to explore how nature around us changes during the season of autumn. 
 

You will have seen that your child has a new paper reading record, please continue to log when you are practising sound cards at home! As we listen to children read throughout the week, please ensure that the reading log is kept in your child's book bag so we can share comments with you, each time they read. 

We have lots of fun activities coming up this term and are really excited to share them with you!

Term 1 - Only One Me

Owls and Cygnets have had a busy few weeks settling into school and learning all of the rules and routines. We have enjoyed making new friends and working with all of the adults. We have been learning all about our bodies and singing songs to help us remember the parts of our bodies. We have been practising using our ears to hear as one of our senses, and listening to all the sounds around the school. We have also carefully painted ourselves, making observations of our hair colour and eye colour.

Our knowledge organiser, below, encompasses all of the learning we will undertake this term. It highlights specific vocabulary we will be teaching, alongside books being read and key knowledge that we will reference throughout our topic 'Only One Me'. By the end of the term, we should be able to answer our big question 'what makes me special?'.

Our PE this term will be on Tuesday and Friday. We will be working on our fundamental skills including balancing, and also using scarves and resistance bands to develop our gross motor skills. Children need to have their PE kit in school all week, kept in a bag on their peg. Please ensure all items of clothing are labelled.