Starfish

Welcome to the Starfish Class Page.

   Nursery and Reception - EYFS    Teacher -  Mrs Dalley

2020 - 2021

Home Learning

Our Reception and Nursery children have done a fantastic job with their home learning. They have been busy reading, writing, investigating, counting, baking, gardening the list is endless. The children have been amazing at keeping themselves busy. We are so proud of you all.

Early Writing

 

Children have been developing the hand skills needed to hold and control a pencil as they make everyday movements around the different areas. The children have really been enjoying the process of mark-making and writing. We are so excited to watch their writing skills develop!

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

The children created their own story map to help them retell the story. The children enjoyed joining in with the repetitive verse and changing the speed and pitch of their voice for effect. The children later enjoyed editing the story "We're Going on a Pig Hunt", "We're Going on a Dinosaur Hunt". 

Settling into School

We are so proud of how our new children have settled into school. The children have made new friends and have become confident to try new activities. As successful learners the children have been:  * playing and exploring * active in their learning * creating and thinking critically. Our stimulating indoor and outdoor classrooms are always changing in response to children's learning.

2019 - 2020

Making a Worry Doll

We read and discussed the story: How Big Are Your Worries Little Bear? The children confidently explained what types of things worried them "monsters under the bed", "the dark", "shadows", "If I get poorly", "loud noises" etc. We discussed that if you speak to someone about your worries then the worry will get smaller (just like little bear in the story).

The children created a worry doll each using a range of craft materials and tools. This is so they can share any worries they have with their worry doll which should help them feel better and may even help to make the worry disappear.

Returning to School

We are so proud of the children for adapting to the new routines in their new classroom. All pupils came in with a smile on their face and were absolutely delighted to see each other. Well done Starfish Class! You can see how pupils have been personalising their tables and settling back to school. 

Oh No George! 

 

Starfish class had a Learning café based on our Power of Reading text ‘Oh No, George!’ We performed the story for our grown ups then worked on our fine motor control, cutting out and assembling our own split pin dogs. It was lovely to have such a good turn out. The children enjoyed sharing their learning.

Chicken Clicking

In English, we are focusing on the book Chicken clicking. We are able to retell the story using role play and decided we’d like to make our own Chicken Clicking!

Children in Need

We had a fantastic day dressing up to raise money for Children in Need.

We learnt about why we raise money for children in need and even got to buy a cake and the money went straight to Children in Need.

Reading Pals

We have some new friends in Starfish class.

We have adopted these reading pals, each night a reading pal goes home with a different member of our class to listen to them reading.

 

Anti-Bullying Day

We wore odd socks today to show that we are all different.

In Starfish class, we spoke about being kind to each other and decided that we will be the 'I' in kind.

 

One more

We have been learning about adding in Maths.

We have our own car garage which we use to help us. 

PE

We have been developing our PE skills and working together with our friends.

We have been learning to balance and move without bumping into objects.

Superheroes

We have been learning about Superheroes!

Puddle Splashing

We have been making the most of the rainy weather by putting on our waterproof suits and wellies and splashing in the puddles!

 

Remembrance Day

We have been making our own poppies to remember all the people that have sadly died in the war. We have been learning that the red resembles the blood, the black resembles the death and the green resembles the new life.

Learning Journey Look

We have thoroughly enjoyed having our adults in to show them our amazing work in our Learning Journeys. They were so proud of us!

Walk to the Church

We have had a fantastic morning walking to the Church for Collective Worship this morning, we were so sensible.

 

It was great to look inside the church and see how different it was outside compared to what we see on the inside.

Textures

We have been experimenting with different textures on our car ramps. 

 

We have been looking at which texture makes our cars goes the fastest and slowest. We were amazed at how different it was when our cars went down the ramps.

Firework pictures

We really enjoyed making our own firework pictures using marbles.

We created some really detailed patterns that look so much like the fireworks we see in the sky at night time.

Phonics workshop

We enjoyed having our adults in class today to enjoy our Phonics Workshop with us. They were very impressed with how well we were able to sound out some of the phonemes we have learnt.

 

Phonics role play

The children organised their own phonics session this afternoon and took it in turns to be the teacher. We were really impressed with their sounds and handwriting.

 

Senses

We have been learning about our senses. We have been focusing on small today so we were exploring different herbs and scented plants. 

 

We then moved on to make our own scented collages.

 

Trying new fruit

This week, we have been preparing and trying pineapple, figs, blueberries, raspberries and mango.

 

Bring a pet afternoon

We were amazed to see our adults with our pets in school this afternoon. We had an amazing time telling our friends about our pets and asking each other questions. We had dogs, 2 tortoises and rabbits!

 

Bug house!

We came into school this morning to find a bug house in our outside area!

We have spent lots of time looking for bugs and watching them make our bug house their home today J We look forward to seeing what changes happen over time with new visitors in our bug house. 

Face art

We made our own faces today using paper plates. We had to cut and stick to make our paper plates look just like us. We were using mirrors to make sure we were using the correct colours.

 

Tea party

We had a lovely time using our tea party role play area today, the children had to be very careful while pouring the water and were really good at sharing.

Ice

We came in from lunch to find that our cars and trays had been frozen!

We had to use our tools to try and free them. 

2018 - 2019

 

Dinosaur Mystery

 Being Active

 Physical Development is a prime area of learning in the EYFS and opportunities to develop fine and large scale movements and skills are planned for. Children have weekly access to the hall and/or astro turf. We are so pleased with the progression of skills pupils have demonstrated throughout the year.

Exploring what cress needs to grow

Pupils planted cress seeds in petri dishes with cotton wool. Pupils decided where they wanted their dish to live in the school grounds. Children chose a range of different places, such as: inside the freezer, outside, in the classroom, inside the fridge. Pupils watered the cress daily. Can you guess where the cress seeds have grown the best?

Parent Lunch

We welcomed our family members into school for school dinner. The adults enjoyed sitting with their children and eating a roast dinner - delicious!

Tadpoles

Reception pupils have been carefully observing the class tadpoles and recording the changes they've seen in their tadpole diaries. Pupils have invented their own questions such as:

* How long does it take for a tadpole to grow into a frog?
* What do tadpoles eat?
* How long does it take for tadpole eggs to hatch? 
* Do they need lots of space to swim?

Whatever Next

In Reception we use the 'Talk for Writing' approach to enhance our English lessons. The children learnt the story 'Whatever Next' by Jill Murphy.  Pupils revisited the text regularly which helped them to internalise the story structure, for e.g: setting, characters, plot etc. Pupils have been applying this vocabulary in their own play and conversations "at last, we made it" and "as a matter of fact". Pupils retold the story with such expression and actions for parents/carers in an English Learning Cafe.

Space

                                      Making astronaut helmets and junk model rockets.

Pupils have learnt about how astronauts get into space, why things float in space and what the astronauts need to live on the Space Station. We also looked at the different planets in the solar system and found out if they were made of rock or gas. 

Chinese New Year

What an exciting time Starfish Class had celebrating the Chinese New Year. Pupils looked at  how Chinese  people celebrate Chinese New Year around the world. The children made Chinese lanterns, created a  dragon dance and even learnt to say some greetings in Chinese.

Animals

Pupils have learnt about animals as pets, wild animals and farm animals. They also researched creatures that live under the sea. The children enjoyed creating a veterinary surgery in class and taking care of the different animals. 

Art

Several pupils said they would like to get better at drawing. Pupils decided they wanted to create their very own zoo. The children had been learning about animals and have been  busy researching their favourite animals. Using a step by step guide and with some adult modelling the pupils produced some amazing drawings! Take a look........

Share a Book

We encourage all our children to develop a love for books. We believe that providing children with plenty of enriching texts, shared with a range of adults, utilises all the senses and helps to develop a good understanding of speaking, reading and writing. Thank you to our parents for supporting us with reading at home and events.

Supertato!

Pupils learning has been themed around the story ‘Supertato’ by Sue Hendra. We received a surprise visit from the Evil pea, he kidnapped the carrots and drew on the broccoli's face! Starfish class helped Supertato to catch the Evil pea. The children excitedly threw him into the freezer. Pupils created some fantastic writing linked to their experiences.

A walk to the woods

 Reception pupils experienced Corton Woods for the first time. Pupils enjoyed being woodland detectives - looking for different types of leaves and discussing the different colours found. Pupils were hoping to find a bear in the woods, instead found squirrels! It was a real feast for the pupils senses and they're already looking forward to their next visit.

Learning Cafe

Thank you to the parents that joined us for our first Learning Cafe. Pupils and adults shared a funny rhyming book called 'Pants' by Giles Andreae. Once the story was finished the children then got creative and made their own pair of pants.

Senses

In Reception we have been learning about our five senses. We have put our sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste to the test in a variety of exciting activities.

Maths fun! 

The reception children have been engaging with Maths in both the indoor and outdoor classroom. Adults are always encouraging the children to ‘have a go’ and to develop their confidence and skills. As a result we have seen some fantastic repeating patterns, children recognising and creating shapes - amazing!

All About Me

 

 The children have had the opportunity to settle into their first half term at school by sharing information about themselves, their families and their friends. Our topic 'All About Me' is allowing the children to cover several areas of the EYFS, paying particular attention to the prime areas, which include: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Communication and Language.

2017 - 2018

A step back in time!

Pupils have loved learning about Castles, Princesses and Knights. Our children love to play in the Castle they made and act out different roles - from stable boy to King and Queen of the castle!

Easter Nests

Reception children enjoyed making a chocolatey treat to celebrate Easter. Pupils followed a recipe and enjoyed breaking up the shredded wheat, mixing in the chocolate, filling the cases and of course decorating with eggs.

Dental Learning Cafe

Starfish Class had a visit from an oral health educator and enjoyed learning a bit more about how to care for their teeth. Our visitor brought along Colin the Crocodile with lovely teeth. The children enjoyed brushing Colin's teeth and talking about healthy and unhealthy foods. We look forward to seeing lots of sparkly smiles in the coming weeks from our reception children. 

Jackson Pollock 

Pupils have been looking at some of Jackson Pollock's art work. Pupils also looked at photos of the artist in action and discussed his different techniques. The children created their own Jackson Pollock art. Pupils did this in our art area so they could really create the art in a way which Pollock would have.They dripped paint from plastic sheets and they shook/flicked paint off their brushes. They really enjoyed the mess! Take a look at some of the final pieces.

Learning Cafe 

In Reception we use the 'Talk for Writing' approach to enhance our English lessons. The children learn to tell a story off by heart. Pupils retold Jack and the Beanstalk with such expression and actions for parents/carers. Pupils also made use of their story map to support their retelling. Various activities followed the story including building castles, writing and problem solving. We are so proud of our hardworking story tellers! 

Art

 Mrs Dalley modelled sketching a portrait paying close attention to facial features and talking about those features in detail with the children. All the children in Reception then sketched their partners portrait while listening to some music. We have displayed some of their wonderful artwork in the classroom and they look very impressive.

SNOW!

Pupils had so much fun exploring the snow and cold weather. The children made great observations: "When snow melts it turns into water" "When water disappears it goes up to the sky" "If you rub your hands together really fast then it helps warm them up quickly"

Children in Need

The children had a fantastic day for Children in Need. Pupils dressed up in spots and bright colours instead of their normal uniform. The children enjoyed spending their money on the delicious cakes throughout the day. Pupils also had a go at doing a 'Pudsey Bear' dance. Most importantly pupils talked about how the money raised by Children in Need help children all over the country.

A visit from Mrs Cook and baby Isabelle

Mrs Cook and baby Isabelle came to visit pupils. The children have been looking at photographs of themselves as babies and discussing changes in physical features and abilities. The children had excitedly prepared questions for Mrs Cook. Isabelle was a delight to have in class and we would like to say a big thank you to Mrs Cook for visiting us.

Share a Book

At Corton Primary we believe that parents/carers are the most important partner in a child's education. It is important that pupils see parents in their school environment and involving themselves in their child's learning. 

Reading with an adult gives children a chance to relax and share a special moment together.

Police Visit

Reception had a visit from Norman (Suffolk Police). Norman came to talk about how the police can help us and how the children can keep safe.

Norman showed the children some of their equipment and the children were able to pass them around and try some of the uniform on. At Corton Primary we understand the importance of developing links with our local community.

Getting to know each other

 

Our new Reception pupils are settling well into school life; we plan lots of fun learning experiences so that the children can build friendships and get to know staff well. The children have been confidently exploring the school "What is your name?" "What one is Shark Class?".

A warm welcome to our new Reception class pupils!