Autumn Term: Week 13
As this week draws to a close, it is time to reflect on what has been an unusual autumn term. Despite all the challenges we have faced in recent times, the children have forged ahead without a second thought and with all the usual enthusiasm and eagerness. They have worked incredibly hard and shown how adaptable and resilient they all are. This week has been no exception. With Nativities a-plenty, Christmas in every room, the children in their colourful jumpers and Santa hats, it has been a truly jolly time.
The Year 2 children have thoroughly enjoyed the final week of term. The highlight was performing their Nativity in front of a very small and socially distanced audience. Many of the children performed beautifully in the violin and cello concerts, it was truly inspirational. Wednesday started with the fun run, where the children had to follow a circuit and negotiate many obstacles. Their day ended with the Christmas party, including games, party food and the visit from Santa.
Charity Fun Run fun
The Year 1 children had an exciting week with many festivities and the joy of wearing wonderful Christmas jumpers. They got ready keenly for their Christmas Nativity performance and performed it brilliantly, they sang with great gusto, lovely to hear. A highlight of the week was the Christmas party and a visit from a special you know who…….? The children have worked very hard this term, always showing great ambition and determination. They are now ready for the holiday and the festive season.
For this last week of term, the Reception class has continued to carry on celebrating the festive season. The children dazzled us with their performance of Humph the Camel, it gave Mrs Cracknell and Miss Maynard shivers, as they sang beautifully and remembered their lines so clearly. They closed the term by looking at how far they have come since September. They have well and truly done themselves proud, as they all wrote an account of their weekend independently, using the phonetics and letter formation they have been learning. They looked at how many phonemes they now know, as well as being able to apply their mathematics to number and shape, space and measure problems. They have formed a lovely team over the past term, and are well and truly part of the school; ready for their next journey in Reception with Mrs Tarrant in January.
What an exciting week it has been for the Chaffinch and Kingfisher classes. After two weeks away the children came back full of energy to a week of Christmas activities, including cards, using their hand-print to make a Christmas tree and then decorating it with lots of colourful baubles, not forgetting making Christmas cupcakes. The children showed fantastic focus and enthusiasm when practising their Nativity songs, leading up to the highlight: the actual performance of ‘Shine Star, Shine’. The children were fantastic! They sang loudly and remembered all the actions. Their teachers were very proud of them all and can’t wait for everyone to see the recording. Later that day there was the Christmas party with lots of fun activities. Musical statues proved to be a real success with everyone trying their hardest to win. The children had a visit from a very special guest. Their faces were a picture when they realised they could hear sleigh bells and it was Father Christmas! They thought the reindeer must have landed on the roof of the Casson building.
The Nightingale class have had a very Christmas filled week, from ‘snow falls’ with flour and icing sugar play. They took special care when decorating the Christmas trees and were thrilled to meet Father Christmas at their Christmas party.
In the Robin room, the children have been having many fun Christmas activities and exploring winter and the festive season through their senses. They played with scented playdough and cinnamon sticks, making tracks and marks in snow (flour) and exploring ice stars and watching them melt. They also practised their pouring and motor skills, whilst having lots of messy fun with Christmas coloured uncooked rice. They were very creative and had enormous fun decorating Christmas cards and making decorations.
The Sparrow class made beautiful Christmas ornaments for the classroom and a lovely mini Christmas tree to take home. They used theirs hands, sponges and glitter to create different shapes, as well as different colours.
It is quite clear that the children have worked hard right to the very end of term. Well done to all of them; they should feel proud of all their achievements.
The saying goes that every cloud has a silver lining. The silver lining behind not being able to come in to school to watch the Nativities, is the fact that you will be able to see them with you children and they will see how proud you are of them as you watch. I am certain you will find them as wonderful as we did.
I wish you all a merry Christmas and a good start to the New Year.
