Starfish Class News
Starfish Class Term 5- 2021-2022
This term we have had great fun exploring our topic “ At the bottom of the garden “
We have enjoyed learning the song “there’s a worm at the bottom of the garden “ and reading the story “the very hungry caterpillar”
We had great fun designing and building bug houses with various materials and in cooking we made a variety of edible insects by being creative with different types of food to taste and explore. We had apple ladybirds and banana bumble bees, the children were really good at tasting new foods and are starting to express if they like or dislike the new flavours. During this time we also focussed on practicing using a knife safely and washing our hands effectively.
We have also been working hard on our independence and social skills and have some wonderful friendships blossoming within the class which has been a highlight. We have learnt to share and take turns with resources and play individually as well as in small groups/pairs.
At the end of the term we were very lucky to have a whole school celebration to celebrate the queens jubilee, we made decorations, hats and got to go outside to have a whole school tea party where we was able to choose our own snack and drink and the tables were covered in big sheets of paper for us to sit and colour.
Well done Stafish, Thank you for another fantastic term of hard work.
Starfish Term 4 2021-2022
People that Help us
Starfish Class started this term celebrating World Book Week we shared stories in different ways. We particularly enjoyed the ‘Tip, Tip, Dig, Dig’ story and song which we shared with some parents that visited school. We have had lots of Role play opportunities during our Topic ‘People that Help us’ which has been so lovely to see, we have dressed up and pretend to be different people from lots of different jobs in our play.
We have had a very busy term in English, we have been developing our listening and attention skills with our sensory stories, as well as exploring what different people do for their jobs. Some of the children have been starting to develop how they form a sentence in writing. We have been continuing to develop our writing and communication skills by making a story map for one of our topic books ‘Zog and the flying Doctors’ and writing through our play. In reading some children are looking at letters and sounds and others are looking at characters and using them in play.
In Maths, we have been developing skills in understanding number quantities and adding and subtraction, the children have enjoyed doing this through the topic and play, addition with plasters and play teeth. We have been continuing to develop their understanding of size, using fingerprints and toothbrushes as well as continuing to understand properties of shape, through shape hunts outside and around the school.
In Jigsaw we have been learning about being healthy, we have talked about a healthy body and what are classed as healthy and not healthy food through stories and play. The children have been staying active, keeping clean, and learning how it is important to rest.
In cooking the children have been learning to make a healthy snack, learning to be more independence to choosing a topping and spread their topping. We have also been talking about what we like and do not like when tasting new foods.
We have had lots of fun this term with Red Nose day and practicing silly dances and songs.
We have celebrated Autism Acceptance week where we made edible cookies with rainbow colours. We also talked about what we liked doing, favourite toys and are starting to see we all liked different things and that we are all Unique.
We made an infinity banner with all our Unique fingerprints on which the children enjoyed doing.
Starfish Class all enjoyed the Colour Run, it was very messy and fun! We ended this term with Easter week which included an Easter Egg hunt.
What a fantastic term Starfish class, well done!!
Starfish Term 3 2021-2022
It’s been a very busy term in Starfish class, we have been learning about the topic 'On the farm’ as well as celebrating Chinese New Year. We have been enjoying our topic and learning about the different animals on the farm and sounds they made and machinery that's on a farm.
During the week of Chinese New Year, we explored Chinese dances, Chinese foods, learning about the year of the Tiger and having a Chinese New Year scavenger hunt in the playground. The children all enjoyed finding and learning about the Chinese animals and the race through their play.
We have also learned about internet safety, during internet safety week. The children have engaged in activities learning about being safe in the internet and what to do if not safe. We explored the gadgets on the tuff tray, which included console remotes, old phones, remote controls. They matched them on the screen, some identified what symbols, logos or gadgets they recognised, and we talked about always asking for help if they are unsure if something on the internet.
The children were very focused, and we explored the iPad and interactive white board afterwards while we talked about being safe.
The children have also been learning to become more independent this term, we have seen massive development in this term with some changing for PE independently! During snack and cooking we have been trying new foods including fruits and finding out what we like and don’t like. As well as using utensils to chop and make their own snack. In PSHE we have been exploring hall and sad and using mirrors to help identify emotions, we have also been taking pictures of children and adults around the school to match them to the emotion, this activity some of the children said made them happy.
In English, we have explored lots of farm stories and rhymes. Our favourite story this term has been Rosie’s Walk, some the children enjoyed role playing the story, even developing their skills during colourful semantics sessions identifying what was happening in parts of the story. Some children have been further developing their love of stories as well their skills by creating story maps and sequencing stories. Starfish class also explore the stories in sensory way, we have been enjoying our sensory story Mrs Wishy Washy’s Farm and the children had lots of fun exploring the story through their senses and they all enjoying washing the muddy animals at the end of the story.
The children are also having fantastic achievements with their communication, including some of the children practicing signing to communicate their needs or joining in familiar signs from songs.
In maths, we have been developing our number skills through play. The children have enjoyed the rhymes and actions to solve the number questions this term. We have also been exploring size and shape this term too, we have been on a shape hunt and some children have learning about the properties of shapes.
Starfish Term2 2021-2022
This term in Starfish class we have been learning about ‘Special Times’. We enjoyed learning about Fireworks night and created some beautiful pictures, with a range of resources. The children listened to stories about Diwali and explored the festival through music, play and art.
In Maths, the children have enjoyed using songs and rhymes to support counting and number order. The children have enjoyed the sensory play to investigate maths, they especially loved counting the marshmallows in their hot chocolate cloud dough.
In English the children in Starfish Class have had lots of fun using different senses to enjoy the sensory stories and embed their love of reading. We have been discovering different ways of mark making through sensory experiences and practicing letter formation and captions. The children have really enjoyed our weekly visit to the school library, and they are enjoying sharing stories with the adults and choosing their own books to take home.
The children are developing new skills and enjoying their time in the garden, they have been practicing throwing leaves in the air to represent fireworks. Some of the children did some sawing and drilling in the garden this term too.
It was also lovely to see so many parents come to class last term and take part in some Christmas crafts and celebrate how amazing the children are.
The children worked hard at decorating the biscuits in cooking and made some Christmas decorations which they all enjoyed doing. It’s been lovely to see all the children start to develop their skills in sharing resources and engaging in play this term. All the children are starting to engage for longer in the activities and learning lots through their play. It has been a busy and fun term, Well done Starfish Class
Starfish Term 1 2021-2022
This term in Starfish Class we have been exploring the topic ‘I am Special’. We have been learning lots about play skills and discovering new and different things that we like to play with. We have been developing our skills in sharing toys and resources. We have loved Bucket Group and are now really good at sitting to watch the exciting item in the bucket and waiting for our turn. We have been learning through play and in lots of practical ways; counting our bounces on the trampette, writing our names, tasty different flavours at snack time and using the whiteboard to play interactive games. Our favourite is the Minibeast Path on Twinkl!
We have settled well into the new class routine and we are now really good at following the schedule, particularly when it is time for playtime, lunchtime or Busy time. We have also been learning to be a little more independent by putting away our coats and bags in the morning and collecting them again at the end of the day. We are fab at communicating our needs and are using our PECS books really well. We have had a happy and fun term playing with our friends and we look forward to more fun next term.
