Meadow’s topic this term is ‘Tell Me A Story’ where we will be reading some new and exciting books in class. The children in Meadow Class really love having a topic book, so I know that they are going to love this topic! In the first week, we will be focusing on the winter weather, our new Jigsaw topic of “Dreams and Goals” as well as the New Year and resolutions and taking part in some New Years-themed sensory activities. Then in the second week, we will be thinking about our new topic as well as reading our first topic story ‘The Story Machine’ by Tom McLaughlin and we will be using this book to refer back to in topic sessions. The class will also borrow a typewriter to imitate some of the writing in the story. In the third week, we will be continuing to extend our learning about stories by thinking about some famous writers and the types of stories they have written. Additionally, in the fourth week we will move onto our next story, ‘The Bridges’ by Tom Persival and think of the themes and characters of the story.

As we move into the fifth week the class will be looking at the last story for our topic of ‘Tell Me A Story’ which is ‘The Pencil’ by Allan Ahlberg; an amazing author. As we move into the last few weeks of the half term, Meadow Class will be doing some writing and drawing about different stories they love and really delving into why books are so important. The last few lessons will be based on what we have learnt about in this topic and will ultimately conclude ‘Tell Me A Story’. The class will also be carrying out some Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year-themed lessons at the end of the term, concluding with a class party to celebrate these!

This half term, we will be aiming to visit Jubilee Woods, ASDA supermarket, Priory Park, Banstead Library as well as Chessington Garden Centre on our community visits. Meadow Class will also have the exciting opportunity to visit Epsom RDA this term on Thursday mornings, and the children will also be going to tennis on Monday mornings with Teresa and Monarch Class.

In our maths lessons, the class will continue following their White Rose Maths where some of them will be looking at pattern and shape, space and measure, whereas others will be focusing on more and less as well as bonds to 10 and doubles to 10. In their English sessions, some children are continuing to match short words as well as continue to hold pencils correctly, some using a grip, and trace over letter formation words or write independently. Additionally, other children will be focusing on communicating with peers and choosing from two options. We will also be  carrying out our exciting phonics sessions each week using the Twinkl scheme of work which I know the class enjoy very much as well as taking part in daily phonics catch-up sessions. A big thank you to all parents/family members who continue reading with their children at home, it has been lovely to see this recorded in their reading records and we will continue to send new books home every Thursday with their reading records.

The class will continue to carry out the Jigsaw PSHE sessions in class on Wednesday afternoons and our topic for PSHE this half term is ‘Dreams and Goals’. For science sessions, Meadow class will be starting some physics and biology-based sessions and our topics for these sessions this half term will be ‘Let if flow’ and ‘From Desert to Jungle’. Additionally, the class will be looking at similarities and differences between themselves and their family members using photographs. Please could you send in any family photos for us to use in these sessions by emailing myself or Teresa. The class will be cooking different foods with Teresa on a Monday based on our topic  which will include cheese twists, book-themed cupcakes and a Chinese New Year selection of tasting foods. 

Alex and the Meadow Class Team