Hello, 

Welcome to our Reception class page where we shall upload photos of our learning and activities.

At the bottom of the page there are useful resources to access and share with your children. 

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. 

Mrs. Payne, Mrs. Pacey and Mrs. Smith  

Spring Term 2025

Essential Question: What is your favourite endangered animal? 

Joey the tortoise 

We absolutely loved meeting Joey the tortoise 🐢 We learned lots about him and how to look after him. He eats lots of fruits and vegetables but some of his favourites are cucumber, dandelions but most of all strawberry tops. Joey is 71 years old and is a green gecko tortoise. He has just woken up from his long sleep, which we learned is called hibernation. This is because it is too cold for him in the winter so he goes to sleep. He hibernates outside under lots of hay and buries himself in the mud, and when it starts to warm up he wakes up! He lives in a special enclosure outside and when he wakes he is very muddy and so has to be cleaned with a toothbrush. Joey was very sociable and inquisitive about us as we were him. We could stroke his hard shell and we very gently touched his legs which were much softer. We talked about how some tortoises are endangered as they are wanted for their shells and the difference between a tortoise and a turtle. 

We thoroughly enjoyed making and tasting pancakes with different toppings. We also had a challenge to complete the obstacle course without dropping the pancake!

Tea Party

To complement our book this week, ‘The Tiger who came to tea’, we prepared our very own tea party. We talked about healthy foods that we could serve and also a balanced diet. We helped to prepare the fruits and vegetables ourselves for the tea party and made tiger crowns we could wear.

Forest Friday 

We had lots of fun during our Forest Friday. The children learnt about fire safety and practised making ‘ Dragons Breath’. Mrs Pacey then showed the children how to make a hot chocolate using a storm kettle. The children looked at the flower ice shapes, working out how they could get the flower out of the ice, we also went for a walk around the school ground to discuss the signs of winter and changes to our school since autumn. 

Woodside Zoo 

We had so much fun at the zoo exploring. We got to see lots of all different endangered animals and learn so much about them too! Our guide spoke to use about the Spider Monkeys, Red Panda’s, Crocodiles, Meerkats, Penguins and so many more. It was very exciting learning about what the animals are and enjoyed doing. We even got told that when the Spider Monkey lifted his chin to us it was his way of saying ‘hello’. 

This term our essential question is

'Who makes Britain great?' 

We are excited to have lots of visitors coming in to see us and shall be celebrating our learning with a tea party at the end of term. 

Christmas Party fun

The children have had a wonderful last day at school. We have played party games, had party snacks and listened to Christmas music. Thank you to everyone for their contributions of party food ☺️

Chef week 

We were very lucky to have Miss McDonald in this week to bake gingerbread with us. She showed us how to decorate the gingerbread she had made and then the children got to bake gingerbread for themselves. They listened beautifully and made sure all the ingredients were weighed properly.
 

Thank you so much for such a fun afternoon Miss McDonald. 👩‍🍳

Builder visit
We enjoyed a visit from Mr. Edwards who works as a builder and gardener. He showed us some of the equipment he uses and what each piece of equipment does. He told us how to use them safely and we each had a turn holding the hedge trimmer and using the leaf blower.

Tuesday 18th November

Please see Tapestry for Phonics sound lessons and blending lessons to practise at home today.

Please access your reading materials.

Our theme this week is builders. Find some blocks or bricks in your house and see what you can create. Send a picture of your creation to us on Tapestry.

In Maths we are looking at the numbers 4 and 5. Have a 4 and 5 hunt around your house.

RAF Soldier visit 

Today we had Mr Coupland visit to talk all about his time in the Army. The day that he turned 17 he joined the army. He explained all about his role and how the King was his ‘boss’. Mr Coupland showed the children a range of photos from his time in the army until 10 years ago when he transferred to the RAF. The children got to see some of his medals, special hats and uniforms. What a wonderful visit it was. 

Firefighter visit

The children loved the firefighters visiting with their fire engine. They spoke to the children about their roles in the community and how they help a lot of people and animals, in many different situations. The children got to see lots of special equipment that the firefighters use and even watch how quickly they have to get dressed in an emergency! Every child got to use the hose and shoot lots of water out onto our grass. As the firefighters left the put the siren and lights on, even beeping their very loud horn. 

Police visit

This week we had two lovely police officers from Grantham Police station come to visit. They showed the children their uniforms and all the equipment that was attached to their vests. Mrs Forest felt how heavy the safety vest and over vest were, when Police Officer Mark let her hold it. The officers spoke about their jobs and roles within the community, from helping children who were lost to taking people into custody for questioning . The children asked lots of questions and even got to see the police car with the lights on. Officer Mark and Officer Georgina said if the children were really good they will come back with a large car and van to show the children before Christmas. 

Forest School 

The first seven weeks of Forest School sessions have been filled with lots of exploring, investigating and even some tool work. The children have loved our Friday afternoons outside of the classroom, throwing themselves into everything. A big highlight was watching the apples grow from the start of term until they were ready to eat at the end. Yum! 

Harvest Festival  

Please enjoy our video performance of the harvest festival song. We loved using instruments and pictures alongside our beautiful voices. 

https://harlaxton-c-of-e-primary-school.primarysite.media/media/harvest-festival-song 

The Little Red Hen 

Please click on the link below to watch our class video of The Little Red Hen. 
 

https://harlaxton-c-of-e-primary-school.primarysite.media/media/the-little-red-hen  

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit from the vet on Monday. She told us all about the animals that she looks after and some of the equipment that she uses. We looked at some of the syringes she uses, a butterfly catheter, a stethoscope and some of the bandages that she uses. The vet showed us some X-rays of animals that have eaten unusual objects and a photo of her dog on his trip to the vet because he had eaten a barbecue skewer! We then all really enjoyed having the chance to listen to Bear’s heartbeat with the stethoscope and giving him a stroke and pat. 🦮 The vet left us some special bandage so we could bandage our soft toys in our role play vets. 🐴🐰🐱🐶

This term in PE we have been learning about how to change for our PE lesson independently, by looking after all our own belongings and trying to undo our own buttons and zips!  

In our PE lessons we have been introduced to our school PE hall and are practising how to move around this space safely in a range of different ways. We have been hopping, jumping, skipping and running in and out of spaces being careful not to bump into our friends! We have also enjoyed moving like mythical creatures, superhero’s, wizards and witches!!  

Farmer Donya came in this week to talk all about life as a farmer. She spoke about the crops she grows, the equipment used, what the machinery is used for and the bees she keeps. Donya also told the children about her chickens, pony and many helpful and unhelpful animals. The children loved looking at the photos of ‘Farm life’. 

Dentist Alex came to visit our class this week. The children loved meeting the monkey Charlie and everybody got involved in brushing his teeth. We looked at different toothbrushes, how to look after our teeth and what sort of foods are better for our teeth. The class discussed how they brush their teeth, how much toothpaste to use and for how long. 

Nurse Jade came to visit. The children were very excited and loved seeing all the things she had in her bag. Nurse Jade told the children all, about her role as a nurse and showed the children how to use some of the equipment. She even bandaged up some teddies and children. 

Mrs Edward came to visit the class and tell us all about her exciting role within our school. She told the children about her main jobs:  Meetings, teaching, how to spend school money and lots of typing in her office! 

Resources 

Oxford Owl has a range of reading books available, some books similar to those we have at school as well as some newer titles. Use the school login details to access;  

Useraname: harlaxton1 password: harlaxton

https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/

Leader in Me

On a daily basis, the children try to demonstrate our core values within school. As we aim to practise them so often, they become good habits that we can use not only in school but also at home too. 

• Habit 1: Be Proactive (You’re in Charge)
• Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind (Have a Plan)
• Habit 3: Put First Things First (Work First, Then Play)
• Habit 4: Think Win-Win (Everyone Can Win)
• Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood(Listen Before You Talk)
• Habit 6: Synergise (Together Is Better)
• Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw (Balance Feels Best)

Growth Mindset

This year we will be helping the children to develop a Growth Mindset. This aims to increase their resilience, perseverance and independence in their learning. Further information can be found by following the link below.

Links - please click to open