Hello from Lilac and Willow, what a colourful week we’ve had in Reception!
This week:
Why has our week been colourful you might ask? Well… the children have been introduced to the Zones of Regulation (or ‘Zones’ for short) as part of a new whole school curriculum of study to support pupil wellbeing. There are 4 coloured ‘Zones’ that the children will use to describe how their brain and body feels and to help them with self-regulation and emotional control.
Being able to recognise and manage our feelings can come more naturally for some, but for others it is a skill that needs to be taught and practised. The children have spent this week learning about:
- Identifying and describing their feelings,
- Identifying and describing how others feel,
- How other people feel when we make good or not good choices,
- How our feelings can change at different times of the day,
- Identify things that make us anxious and try to avoid them, and
- Using tools and techniques to help us feel calm.
The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness and intense emotions. A person may be elated or experiencing anger when in the Red Zone. The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions, however a person has more control when they are in the Yellow Zone. A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, the wiggles, or nervousness when in the Yellow Zone. The Green Zone is used to describe a calm state of alertness. A person may be described as happy, focused, content, or ready to learn when in the Green Zone. This is the zone where optimal learning occurs. The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness and down feelings such as when one feels sad, tired, sick, or bored.
The children can tell us how they are feeling throughout the day by ‘checking-in’ and putting their name up on our classroom display to show which of the ‘Zones’ they are in.
In Phonics this week, we have been focussing on rhythm and rhyme. The children have listened to a variety of percussion instruments and have been encouraged to try and move in time to the beat. They have really enjoyed marching, hopping, skipping and even trying to gallop to the beat. Through lots of nursery rhymes and stories, the children have been learning to sing or chant the rhyming string along with an adult and then tried to recognise the words that rhyme.
In Maths this week, we have been using the language of comparison to help recognise similarities and differences in our learning environment. The children have been using lots of real life objects and maths equipment to support them with this learning. They have been using words such as big and small, long and short and more and less.
In Music this week, the children were very excited to meet Mrs Footer our specialist music teacher. She helped the children discover the different types of voices we might use such as speaking voice, whispering voice, loud voice, squeaky voice and low voice. She also helped the children with their listening and attention by singing a ‘call and response’ song in which the pitch would change and children would try to follow.
Next week:
- Please note the change to the timetable regarding PE. PE will now take place on Tuesdays for Willow Class and Wednesdays for Lilac Class. Please can you make sure your child comes to school dressed in their PE kit.
- Music – Tuesday (Willow and Lilac).
- In Phonics, we will be introducing the children to alliteration.
- In Maths, we will be classifying (sorting) objects using given criteria.
Supporting your child at home:
- Talk to your child about the ‘Zones’. Encourage them to think of ways they can ‘calm down’ in order to get themselves back to the green zone.
- As the colder weather draws near, practise with your child taking a coat on and off and trying to do the zip independently themselves first before seeking help.
- As part of your child’s physical development, practise catching and throwing balls of different sizes.
- To prepare the children for writing, ask them to “show you what they know about letters” and encourage them to ascribe meaning to the marks they have made e.g. “What are you going to write?”, “Can you tell me about…?”, “Can you write a list/card/story?”
Any other information:
- PARENT INFORMATION MEETINGS – Due to the current restrictions, this meeting would usually take place at school. Instead, we have uploaded a virtual meeting to the school website – Parent Information Meetings 2020
Please watch the short introduction from the Headteacher Mrs Thomas first. - COATS & WATER BOTTLES – Please ensure that your child has a coat and water bottle in school every day.
- PHONICS, READING, WRITING & MATHS – An information presentation will be available on the school website to explain how these subjects are taught at Samuel Lucas. More detail to follow shortly.
- VIRTUAL PARENTS EVENING – Parents Evening will take place virtually this year. It is an important opportunity for us to share with you how your child has settled in during their first half term. These will take place during the week beginning Monday 19th Information about booking will be sent through Parentmail.
Have a great week,
Mrs Fisher and Mr French
Willow and Lilac Class Teachers.
