Apple Class Blog 2024-2025
20.12.23
A festive final week!
This week we have enjoyed lots of different activities in the build up to Christmas. We have finished making our Christmas Cards and are sending them home today. On Tuesday afternoon we had our class party - we played a variety of games and had some lovely treats for our party food. We also had a special visit from Santa who brought all the children a gift. The children were fantastic at taking turns, being good sports and using their manners during the party. Everyone had a super time as you can see in our Gallery.
Today we have rounded off the term by making some lovely crafts with our friends in Oak class. The children really enjoyed working with the older children to make some snowmen decorations and some even went to visit the Year 5 classroom. Year 5 treated us to a lovely performance where they sang “White Christmas” with Makaton signs. It was truly special and put us all in the Christmas spirit!
Finally, we would like to say a big thank for all of the kind wishes and generous gifts that we have received. They are always enjoyed and greatly appreciated. This Autumn term has been a very busy one and the children have done so well at coping with the lengthy term. They have learned so much and come such a long way. We are proud of each and every one of them and look forward to seeing them all again in the New Year.
(School re-opens on Monday 6th January 2025)
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and peaceful Happy New Year!
Apple Class Team
13.12.24
Hello!
This week has felt very festive in school as we have enjoyed a variety of Christmassy activities. This included our walk to St John’s Church for a service led by Reverend Richards who told the Christmas story. We enjoyed joining in with songs and actions and watching the older children act out part of the story. Thank you so much to parents who accompanied us or supported this visit, we really do appreciate your help.
Today we were all excited to receive a visit from Santa who brought gifts for all the children. We also wore our Christmas jumpers and ate our Christmas lunch – yum!
Of course, our highlight of the week has to be our performance of Baarmy Bethlehem. The children sang and spoke so confidently and above all really enjoyed their performance. It is safe to say that we were incredibly proud of all the children, and we do hope you enjoyed the show too.
Amidst this we have continued to work on phonics, Drawing Club and maths activities. The children have been recapping all the sounds and words we have learnt this term and are working hard on blending them and writing them. During Drawing Club, we continued to work on The Magic Porridge Pot and in Maths we have been comparing and describing squares and rectangles. It has been an action-packed week!
We are looking forward to our final week of the Autumn term where we will hold our party and have other festive activities for the children to enjoy before a well earned rest.
Have a super weekend.
Best wishes,
Apple Class Team.
5.12.24
Hello!
This week, we have been finishing off our work on hibernation and cracking on with Nativity rehearsals. We are performing "Baarmy Bethlehem" on Tuesday 10th December at 9:30am. Tickets are being sent home this week in bookbags.
In Maths we have been working on different ways of making 5 such as 5 ones, 3 and 2 and 4 and 1. We have practised forming 5 and working on our subitising skills.
In phonics we have continued to embed our knowledge of all the sounds and words we have learnt this term. We are so impressed by how well the children are recognising the sounds and words as well as how well they are blending them for reading. Thank you for all your support with homework and reading books especially in the busy run up to Christmas! The final sound book homework for the term will go out on Friday 8th December, these are checklists of the sounds and words as well as a letter formation sheet. Please return for marking and checking on Thursday 14th December we will then keep the books until the New Year when we begin learning our next set of sounds in phonics.
In other areas we enjoyed the story A Little Bit Worried . This reminded us how the seasons are changing and about the cosiness of Winter months too. We learnt about weasels and their habitats.
Christmas Announcements for your Attention
Ison Harrison Solicitors Colouring Competition- Local solicitors Ison Harrison are running a colouring competition that closes on Monday 16th December. Entry forms are being sent home tonight if you wish to take part. The winner will receive a £50 Amazon voucher and will be announced on 22nd December via Instagram @IsonHarrisonSolicitors. Please return your entries to the firm directly using their contact details or to school where they can be passed on to Mrs Sudall.
As you can see from the gallery below, we have had lots of fun decorating our classroom and getting into the festive spirit! Next week we continue our countdown to Christmas. We have our visit to the Church and a special Christmas service to look forward to on Thursday morning. Friday is Christmas Dinner and Christmas jumper day!
We look forward to seeing you at our Christmas Performance!
Best wishes
Apple Class Team
29.11.24
Hello!
This week we continued to find out about seasonal changes and had first-hand experience of autumn weather as Storm Bert raged. We had a very wet Monday but were treated to a beautiful rainbow to cheer us later in the day.
We have also been finding out about which animals hibernate and how some take a long winter sleep. The children have enjoyed craft projects on this theme modelling hedgehogs out of playdough and printing spikes on hedgehog templates at the painting easel.
In Maths we have been exploring ways to make five through the rhyme ‘5 little speckled frogs.’ We have also been building up our subitising skills.
We have now finished learning the Level 2 set of sounds in Phonics and will spend the next two weeks recapping and consolidating them. This week we have learnt the digraphs ff/ll/ss and /s/ as a /z/ as in words such as pigs.
We are beginning to feel festive as Saturday is our Christmas Fayre. Thank you for all the kind donations we hope to see you there!
Enjoy the weekend!
Apple Class Team.
21.11.24
Hello!
This week we have been learning more about seasonal changes and the world around us. We have been identifying the leaves and seeds of common trees such as oak, sycamore and horse chestnut as well as learning about the life cycle of an oak tree. The snow on Tuesday made our week and we had such fun playing with it.
You may have noticed the children singing some new and festive songs at home as we have now begun practising for our performance of ‘Baarmy Behlehem’ in a few weeks, all very exciting!
In Phonics, we have learned some new sounds: h, b, f and l. We have sent these sounds home to learn and practise in Sound Books as usual - thank you for your continued support with this work.
In Drawing Club this week, we have been watching Trap Door. We have watched Berk make breakfast for The Master and drawing our ideas of what The Master might eat!
In Maths, we have been identifying one more and one less to five. We have used nursery rhymes such as ‘One Man Went to Mow’ and ‘5 Little Men in a Flying Saucer’ to develop concepts of one more and one less.
Housekeeping
On Friday 22nd November school is closed to pupils due to staff training. Enjoy the long weekend and we will see you on Monday 25th November.
Saturday 30th November is the Rufford Park Primary Christmas Fayre (12-2). There will be a tombola, games, a raffle and lots of other surprises! Please come along and help FORP raise funds for our school.
Nursery and Reception's Christmas Nativity ‘Baarmy Bethlehem’ will be held on Tuesday 10th December 9:30-10:00. Two tickets will be allocated per family and will be given out nearer the time. Please let your child's teacher know if your child will not be able to be involved in the Nativity.
Best Wishes
Apple Class Team
15.11.24
Hello!
This week, we have continued our work on Autumn and have been learning to recognise oak, sycamore, cherry and horse chestnut trees so if you spot any out and about on walks, please do point them out to the children. We have matched leaves and seeds to the trees and completed crafty activities. Leafy stories we have read include We're going on a leaf hunt , Leaf Man and The Leaf Thief.
In Phonics, we have learned some new sounds: ck, e, u and r. We have sent these sounds home to learn and practise in Sound Books. We enjoyed making watches to practise tricky words ‘the’ and ‘to’.
For Maths, we have looked at numbers 4 and 5. We have also been practising our counting skills and sorting objects into groups of 4 and 5. We are still working on subitising sets of 4 and 5 to help us find amounts quickly!
In Drawing Club this week, we have been learning the story of Hansel and Gretel and drawing our ideas for what the house made of sweets might look like! We have come up with interesting codes to match too such as drawing spiders with different numbers of legs and using our tricky words ‘the’ and ‘to’ to make different things happen in our drawings.
We ended the week with our Children in Need fundraiser. The children came dressed up in non-uniform and dotty clothes and gave their donations to Pudsey Bear. They were very sensible and made us very proud.
Housekeeping
On Friday 22nd November school is closed to pupils due to staff training. Enjoy the long weekend and we will see you on Monday 25th November.
Nursery and Reception's Christmas Nativity will be held on Tuesday 10th December 9:30-10:00. Two tickets will be allocated per family. Please let your child's teacher know if your child will not be able to be involved in the Nativity or you do not need tickets.
Best Wishes
Apple Tree Class
08.11.24
Hello!
We have had a fun filled first week back at school after the holiday with the children all coming back refreshed and ready to go!
We have learnt about the festival of Diwali, listened to the story of Rama and Sita and made rangoli patterns in the loose parts area. We shared our experiences of Bonfire night and made firework pictures in the creative area. We have also had a bit of a spooky theme going on reading lots of stories about witches and spells. We have really enjoyed our potion making station in the water!
In Maths we have worked on identifying circles and triangles and using positional language such as: in front, behind, next to, beside and between. We have been spotting shapes in the classroom and hiding teddy in different places so that we can describe where he is.
Towards the end the week, we had a little pretend bonfire! The children gathered logs and put them into a pile before it was 'lit'. We sang a song and had a lovely time eating marshmallows as an extra special treat.
Housekeeping
On Monday, we will be going on an Autumn Walk and leaf hunt as part of our topic work. Please can your child bring in their wellies in a named bag (weather permitting) in addition to their school shoes.
Friday 22nd November is a Teacher Training Day and so school is closed to the children on that day.
Have a lovely weekend and we will see you all on Monday!
Best wishes
Apple Class Team
24.10.24
Hello everyone!
This week we have continued work on the Gingerbread Man. The children have enjoyed making puppets and acting out the story; they have been very good at using the language from the story in their play.
We have also continued working hard on our phonics, embedding our first set of sounds. We have been recapping i,n,m,d and learning how to write them. In Maths, we have explored the composition of 1, 2, and 3 and learning to use the terms one more and one less.
We ended the week decorating biscuits to enjoy eating at our mini teddy bear’s picnic. It was a lovely end to the half term.
Today we break up for half term holiday. We are very proud of how well the children have settled in and wish you all a restful week’s holiday.
See you on Monday 4th November
Best wishes,
Apple Class Team.
17.10.24
Hello!
We have been reading the story of The Gingerbread Man this week and have been completing lots of activities related to the story. These include making Loose Parts Gingerbread Men and cutting out gingerbread men in the playdough. We’ve thought about ways we can get the Gingerbread Man across the river in Drawing Club and asked ourselves what would happen to the Gingerbread Man if he got wet. We’ve used big science words such as: disintegrate, melt and dissolve.
In Maths, we have introduced 1,2 and 3. We’ve played a variety of games where children have to subitise these small numbers (know how many there are without having to count them) and sort them into whether they show a 1,2 or a 3. Any opportunities to recognise these numbers at home, count up to 3 and play dice/board games using 1,2 and 3 would really help consolidate these concepts!
In Phonics we have recapped s,a,t,p and are practising writing words such as tap, pat and sat.
It was lovely to see all of you at Parents' Evening and share how well the children have settled and we hope you found it useful. They’re settling in really well and we are nearly at the end of our first half term!
Housekeeping
Friday 25th October- We are ending our first half term with decorating biscuits and having a mini teddy bear’s picnic. On this day, your child can bring in one soft toy of their choice to share their snack with!
There is also a FORP Bake Sale after school on Friday 25th October. Please bring in any donations of muffins and buns into Reception class on Friday Morning!
Have a super weekend!
Apple Class Team
10.10.24
This week we have been further exploring our clothing theme. We read the story Simon Sock and the children have made simple sock puppets in the creative area , they have really enjoyed playing with them! We have been comparing clothes from times past with those from today. In Maths we have been creating simple patterns using 2 colours or objects.
Our new phonics sounds for the week are g/o/c/k. The children are picking them up well and are getting better at using their robot arms to sound out words. We have really enjoyed exploring ‘o’ with oranges in particular! Next week, we will be re-capping all the sounds we have learnt to date: s/a/t/p/i/n/m/d/g/o/c/k. We have also been learning the songs to match the songs. You can sing along with them here.
Next week we are looking forward to seeing you at Parents' Evening. These are to be held on Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th Oct and you can book up via the online booking system. If you have any problems in doing so, please contact the office who will make an appointment for you.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Apple Class Team.
04.10.24
Hello!
This week we have learning more about our families and how they can be in all different forms. We have read and listened to lots of different family stories and made pebble people and families in our loose parts area.
In maths, we have made comparisons for size, weight and capacity using vocabulary such as more and less. We have particularly enjoyed weighing things in different areas and pouring water into different sized containers to see which holds more.
Throughout school each class learns a poem to perform. This half term our poem is called ‘All of Me’ which we are learning and practicing. A video for the poem can be found here.
We are now well under way with our phonics sessions and the children are doing well with letter recognition, saying the sounds and blending. Thank you for bringing in the books this week, it was lovely to see what you get up to at home and how the children have reinforced their sound knowledge. This week, our sounds are i,n,m and d and they will be in sound books for the weekend. Please make sure that your child practises their letter formation by writing in the traceable ‘bubble’ letters. Any additional letters or notes from parents are always welcome too! We also ask that parents do not keep or carry water bottles in bookbags with homework – we’ve had to rescue and dry out a few soggy and damp books!
Have a lovely weekend!
Apple Class Team
27.09.24
Hello!
Another week has flown by and the children continue to do well and are now really finding their feet.
We have been doing some work on Old and New Toys. We have been comparing old and new toys – thank you to the grownups who allowed us to borrow their old toys.The children have been fascinated by them and the Staff have enjoyed revisiting their childhoods! We have also been reading Dogger by Shirley Hughes and Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson. We have been cutting and sticking toy rooms and have been making our own paper dolls. We have been very impressed with the children’s scissor skills.
This week we began our Drawing club sessions and the children have enjoyed making up their own stories through drawings and talk.
Level 2 Phonics sessions have begun. Our sounds this week are s, a, t and p. Sound Book Homework will start this Friday. In the books is a copy of each sound to write over, learn and practise at home. There is an action (mnemonic) and song to go with each one too. It is important that the children learn to hear the sounds in words and pronounce them correctly (ssss not “suh”).
Sound books will go home in bookbags each Friday and are collected in on the following Thursday for checking and adding new sound sheets.
Thank you to all who were able to attend our Reading and Phonics meeting on Wednesday, it was lovely to see so many of you there. We really do appreciate your support. If you weren’t able to attend do not worry, we have sent all the information on a Tapestry memo.
Have a great weekend!
Apple Class Team
20.09.24
Hello!
This week the children have continued to do a brilliant job of exploring our classroom, making friends and understanding the many new routines and expectations that go along with starting school!
The children are now coming into school by themselves and following the morning routine well. They are becoming much more independent carrying their trays, eating their lunches and going outside with our Year 6 helpers. Well done Apple classes as these are all big steps when you’re 4!
This week we began our phonics sessions and played some fun games to hear sounds in words and to begin using our blending skills. More information about Phonics will be given at our meeting on Wednesday 25th September 14:40-15:10. Please let us know if you can make it!
We have also begun our ‘Squiggle whilst you wiggle’ sessions. These develop the children’s gross motor skills as a prerequisite to writing. We have had lots of fun learning dance moves and using our flipper flappers! Our first P.E session in the Hall involved exploring the space as well as some freezing and movement games! The children were very well behaved and tried hard to follow different instructions in such a big space.
We have also been thinking about matching and making sets in Maths. We have matched objects and created sets for pencil cases, tea parties and lunchboxes. Some of our puppets and toys kept trying to catch us out by having the incorrect number of items!
Our toy topic has continued with looking at bears. We have been making our own collage bears to show and develop our fine motor schools. We have also used our cutting and sticking skills to make our own dress-up bear! We've enjoyed different combinations of clothes and adding features such as eyes and earrings to our bears.
Thank you for the photos of toys on Tapestry. It has been lovely to share the photos of the children’s favourite toys.
Next week more toys and more settling in!
Have a lovely weekend
Apple Class Team
13.09.24
Hello!
We have had a super full week in Reception. The children have been finding their way around school and learning lots of new routines. The children are playing nicely with friends old and new. They are doing so well in the dining hall choosing and eating their lunches and are getting used to the playground with the older children. So many firsts, a huge well done to Apple Class!
Next week we are starting a new topic on toys. Thank you for all the lovely photographs of the children with their favourite toys that you have sent in, these help us as we get to know each other. We have a made a class book of them to share and chat about with the children. We will also be comparing toys from the past with toys today. If you have any ‘old’ or interesting toys it would be lovely to share them with the children. They won’t be put out for general play and will be returned by the end of the topic.
Housekeeping - please can we ask that ALL items of clothing that come into school, including water bottles, PE Hoodies and jumpers are clearly labelled. Thank you for your support with this, it is essential for staff to match up clothing with the right child.
Next Friday 20th September is our first PE session and PE will be every Friday thereafter. The children should come to school in their P.E kit which consists of blue/black joggers or shorts, a plain white t-shirt, trainers and a blue hoodie or jumper. Please remove earrings on PE days and tie long hair up. Thank you!
Have a lovely weekend and we look forward to seeing you all on Monday.
Apple Class Team
06.09.24
Hello!
A warm welcome to Reception Apple classes and to Rufford Park Primary if you are new to our school. On this weekly blog we will aim to update you with news, information and photos of the children.
Now you have activated your child's Tapestry account you can see all the things that your child is doing whilst at school. Please keep checking regularly on our blog as well as on Tapestry for the latest updates and housekeeping notifications. Over the next week, we will send you a Tapestry memo with information regarding P.E and other routines.
We have had a lovely first few days and the children have settled in very well. They have all been busy exploring their new classroom and meeting new friends. On Friday the children stayed for lunch, and all did brilliantly making their choices at the hatch, carrying their own trays and managing their cutlery. There were lots of clean plates!
Next week the children start attending school for full days as from Monday. The school day is 8:50am to 3:20pm. Please go around to the KS1 yard as access via Nursery will no longer be permitted. We’d like Red and Green Apple pupils to wait in the KS1 yard until 8:45 when doors open. Our outdoor learning area is an extension of the classroom and is unmanned by staff before and after school. As a result, we politely ask parents to keep pupils and siblings away from the climbing frame and other outdoor equipment during pick-up and drop-off.
We’d also like to remind parents that water only should be in water bottles.
Also, we’d like to let parents know that staff cannot give out birthday sweets/cake as part of our healthy school policy- rest assured we will sing Happy Birthday, make a fuss and blow out special candles in school to celebrate turning 5!
Thank you for your support this week. We hope you have a super weekend and we will see you all next week!
Best wishes
Apple Class Team
