Hello and welcome to Belmont Reception!

Teachers this year:

Apples: Miss Dunk and Ms Wright
Oranges: Miss Masters and Mrs Pullen

Please could both Apples and Oranges all bring in book bags on a Wednesday.

Children should come dressed ready in their PE kit on the day that their class has PE.

Autumn Walk:

We would love if you could go on a seasonal walk and collect a selection of natural items, such as acorns, leaves, conkers, etc.  Please be selective and just bring in a small selection!

These items will be used to support our learning next week. 

Anti-Bullying Week

Next week is Anti-bullying week and the theme is ‘Power for Good.’  We will be thinking about what makes a good friend and things that we can do to show kindness and care for others.

Monday 10th November is  Odd Sock Day.  We encourage the children to do this is to promote the idea that we are all different, and that being individual and unlike anyone else is what makes each of us unique.

EYFS Reminders

As we reach the half-term break, we want to thank you for your support. This term, our focus has been on developing children’s independence, listening skills, and understanding of our school values — Be Respectful, Be Safe, Be a Learner.

Here are some ways you can support your child over the half-term:

🌟 Be Respectful

• Encourage polite speech and listening to others.
• Remind children to take care of classmates, teachers, and belongings.
• Support children in following instructions promptly, even if it’s not what they want to do.

👂 Listening and Following Instructions

• Ask your child to repeat instructions back — this helps tune their ears and ensures understanding.
• Praise children when they follow instructions the first time.
• Play listening games such as Simon Says, Follow the Leader, or What’s the Time, Mr Wolf?
• You can also model good listening by being ready to greet your child at the gate without being on your phone or wearing ear buds — showing them that listening and connection matter.

👐 Independence and Personal Responsibility

Encourage children to:

• Dress and undress independently (shoes, socks, jumpers).
• Use the toilet confidently and manage intimate needs.
• Use cutlery correctly during meals.
• Tidy away belongings and carry their own coats and bags.

🧸 Looking After Our Environment

• Remind children to treat toys, books, and school property with care.
• School budgets are limited, so using items carefully helps everyone enjoy them.

🥗 Healthy Living and Wellbeing

• Sleep: 10–12 hours per night.
• Screen time: No more than 1 hour per day.
• Diet: Encourage healthy, balanced meals and snacks.
• Exercise: Activities that build muscle strength, core, arm/hand strength, and stamina.
• Hydration: Ensure children drink enough water throughout the day.

Working together helps children develop the skills they need to thrive at school. Thank you for supporting them to Be Respectful, Be Safe, and Be Learners.

Have a lovely, restful half-term!

The Early Years Team

Google Classroom:

This week, your child received their login sheet, which includes the details needed to access the various online learning platforms we use in school. On Google Classroom, we have already uploaded helpful information and resources to further support your child in Phonics, Maths, fine and gross motor skills, and speech and language.

Show and Tell

The children are encouraged to bring in something for Show and Tell during the week that they are on the rota.  This will then be shared at some point during that week.  It could be a memento of a trip, a photograph of a special outing or a favourite object or toy.  Please see the rota’s below.

Apples show and tell rota – Autumn term 25

Oranges show and tell rota – Autumn term 25 

Notices for week beginning 10th November 2025

Songs we have been singing this week:

Apples:

Five Little Men in a Flying Saucer and Five Little Rockets

Oranges: Five Little Men in a Flying Saucer and Five Current Buns

Book of the Week – Leaf Man   

Our learning challenges for the week beginning 10/11/25

1. To find the missing amount – we will be playing the bus stop game and using our understanding of number composition to work out how many people are on the bus/bus stop.

2. To blend the sounds for reading.

3. To make an autumn picture: We are going to be making a Leaf Man picture using natural materials.

The sounds we are learning next week are : v, w, x, y

Reading for pleasure books

As part of our focus on reading in school, we would like to develop the lending library of books within each class. This will enable the children to foster a passion and love of reading at Belmont and ensure that they have access to high quality texts.
Please find links to two book lists that have a variety of books that we would love to have in class.  Once a book has been donated to the class we will add a tick to show we now have it.  Please check the list to ensure that the book that you would like to donate is one that we don’t already have.
These books will be stamped to show who has generously donated them and shared with all the class.
The books come from the Recommended Books for Reception List which can be found here

2025-checklist Apples

2025-Checklist Oranges

Think Equal

Think Equal is a global initiative that seeks to end the discriminatory mindset across our world and ensure positive life outcomes for our children. Together with world experts Think Equal has designed a programme to teach social and emotional learning to early years (3-6-year-olds). Think Equal’s vision is a safe, free, equal, cohesive and sustainable world. Through the power of narrative we provide young children with a profound grounding in social and emotional skills and competencies including: equality, empathy, and peaceful conflict resolution. We provide the concrete tools with which to build a strong foundation for individual and societal progress, making communities safer, healthier, more equal and just.

This complimentary resource has been put together to help you to support your child’s social and emotional development in the home in fun and engaging ways. It  is to be used alongside the Think Equal programme and stories being used in school.

The Home Kit serves as a platform to reinforce topics covered in the classroom, fostering meaningful conversations at home. Through a variety of resources, games, and exercises, you can nurture your child’s growth and help them become empathetic, compassionate, and resilient individuals.

This week’s learning:

This week the children have been learning about how to understand and manage big emotions.

Our Think Equal book of the week:

Home Learning:

Home Kit – Ted the Tiger Tamer