Dear Parents,

The children have really enjoyed learning all about Diwali this week, creating beautiful Rangoli patterns with chalk outside and using playdough as well as different types of pasta to make them inside. They have also designed their own mehndi patterns on to hand templates. We have explored India on Google Earth, we discussed how we would travel there as it is very far away, we spoke about the differences and similarities we could see when exploring on Google Earth between India and England.  From this, we had a look at different customs across the world and how Diwali is celebrated across the world. We read the stories ‘Binny’s Diwali’ and ‘The Best Diwali Ever’ and the children designed and  created some amazing Diva Lamps out of clay, painted them and added sequins. We ended the week with acting out the story Rama and Sita in a dance as well as recreating the fireworks from Diwali. The children enjoyed making their own porridge in cooking after reading ‘The Magic Porridge Pot’.

On Monday, we learnt about Remembrance day and explained the importance of it. We created some lovely poppies from playdough, poppy craft and a large wreath to lay under our oak tree. Impressively, the children were able to keep quiet for a whole minute!

In Phonics, some of us have been revising our first 16 sounds- remembering how to say them and looking at blending and segmenting cvc words. Many of us have been moving on to ‘special friends’ looking at how two sounds make one. Please do use the fridge sound mat, that we sent home at the start of the year, to revise the key sounds. If you want to practise some letter formation at home: here is a  great video to use.

In Maths, we have been revising number recognition at the start of our lessons by practicing our subitising skills.  We have also been looking at 2d shapes and relating these to Rangoli patterns as well as symmetry and what a pattern actually is. Here is a great interactive activity creating Rangoli.

Our focus next week is Light and Dark, we will be reading different books to introduce us to the topic of light and dark, such as, Night Monkey/Day Monkey, Owl Babies and The Dark. We will be creating dark dens and writing messages with torches, sorting objects into two groups, are they a source of light, yes or no, matching the shadow to the scene, creating day time night time images using shading, exploring nocturnal animals, making lanterns and drawing around shadows we create.

On the 15th November, the children made a great effort to come in wearing something yellow to represent Children in Need. Thank you for all your kind donations.

Challenge:  Can you find a torch and shine it against a wall, what shadow shapes can you make using your fingers? You could ask a grown up to take a photo and upload it to Learning Book/ email it in. Can you find different sources of light in and outside of your home and make a poster?

Reminders: 

You should all have access to Learning Book now, to see observations of your child and what they have bene getting up to at school. If you do not please let us know.

Please name your child’s shoes if they do not have a name in, as we are changing into wellies a lot more with the wet weather, we are finding lots of shoes don’t have names in and it is difficult to find out who the shoes belong to.

As you’ve have noticed it is getting wetter and colder. Please could you ensure your child has the following:  Hat, coat, gloves, waterproof  kit (as well as leggings/ trousers & long sleeve to put underneath) for forest camp and NAMED wellies.

Have a lovely weekend.

The Kites Team