Spring 1 - THE BOG BABY
The Bog Baby by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Gwen Millward
This is a magical story with a serious message about what it means to really love something. When two small sisters decide to go fishing in the magic pond, they find something unexpected and much better than a frog or a newt: they find a bog baby. Small and blue with wings like a dragon, the girls love him with a passion and make a pact to make him their secret. But the bog baby is a wild thing, and when he becomes poorly, one of the girls breaks silence and tells their mum. And she teaches them the greatest lesson, if you really love something, you have to do the best for it and let it go….
Overall learning aims of this teaching sequence: • To engage children with a story with which they will empathise; • To explore, develop and sustain ideas through talk; • To explore and interpret stories through creative activity including play, art, drama and drawing; • To write for meaning and purpose
We will:
- create our own bog babies from blue playdough to take home
- make homes for our bog babies with natural resources we find outside and write a list of what we have used
- make healthy food hoops for the bog babies and hang them outside
- use decriptive writing to describe what the bog babies look like
- write a letter to Mrs Hoyle to explain how to look after the bog baby
- discuss if the girls in the story were right to keep the bog baby in the shed and that it is the right choice for them to release the wild creature back into the woods
Hello and welcome to reception !
Reception 2018 – 2019
Welcome to reception!
Our reception teacher is Miss Farrell.
Our reception teaching assistants are Mrs Walton, Mrs Andreucetti, and Mrs Q.
Our Classroom
Our classroom is a hive of activity where children are encouraged to explore our learning areas, make links, and learn through play whilst communicating with peers and adults. Within our reception classroom, we have a range of continuous provision areas including sand, water, reading and a creative area as well as many more.
In reception, we are learning through play, building up all of the skills that we need to be successful lifelong learners. Our day consists of a balance of child initiated play and adult led activities. We focus on the main areas of:
- Communication and language
- Physical development
- Personal, Social and emotional development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the world
- Expressive arts and design
As a Catholic school, RE is also one of our core areas of learning and the Catholic ethos runs through everything that we do in school.
Our outside area
Outdoor play is very important to us here in reception and is where lots of our learning takes place, so please ensure your child has a coat with a hood everyday so that we are ready for all weathers!
Our school day
Our school day begins at 8.50 and finishes at 3.00.
At 8.50 the gates to the reception playground will be opened by a member of staff. The children are encouraged to enter the reception classroom independently. At home time a member of staff will open the reception gates and we will supervise the safe collection of the children. Please be on time to collect your child. If, for any reason, you are going to be late it is essential that you phone school so that we can reassure your child.
Things to remember:
- My book bag to be brought every day for books and letters
- My PE kit on Fridays – black shorts, yellow t-shirts and pumps. This can be left in school
- Wellington boots – which can be left in school
- A coat with a hood everyday
Your child will grow and learn so much this year, through topics based around children’s interests and the world around them. We aim to have lots of fun on our learning journey!