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Merlin – Reception & Year 1
Merlin – Reception & Year 1
Welcome to Merlin Class
The Adults in Merlin are:
Mrs Natalie McLeod – Class Teacher
Mrs Sharon Parker (Tuesdays and Fridays)
Mrs Georgie Elsworth (Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays)
Miss Jane Crocker (Mornings Only)
Jubilee Celebrations
Summer Term 1 Update
This first half of the Summer Term has whizzed by. Merlin class have been incredibly busy both consolidating prior knowledge and learning new things. We have been exploring nature this term through our topic called, ‘Roots, Shoots and Juicy Fruits’. All the children have planted either a sunflower seed or a runner bean. They have enjoyed watering and watching their plants grow. They have also learnt about different types of flowers and plants and what the different plants are called. We went on leaf hunts to find deciduous and evergreen trees.
This term Merlin classroom has been a little bit like a petting zoo. We have watched chicks hatch, grow and thanks to our brilliant helpers, we also observed the lifecycle of a butterfly first hand.
On Tuesday 24th May, the children enjoyed a fantastic trip to Axe Valley Wildlife Park, where they loved learning about the different animals and their habits. Some children were really really brave and held a snake!
In English this term we have been writing about: Jack and the Beanstalk, The Enormous Turnip and Katie and the Sunflowers. Reception children have continued to progress well in phase 4 phonics, continuing to learn how to read longer words by chunking them up. Year 1 children continue to work on phase 5 phonic sounds.
In Maths, the children have continued to develop a stronger sense of numbers and number patterns. Reception children can now complete simple and complex repeating patterns using two or three colours. Year 1 children are starting to be able to count to 100. All the children have excelled this term with their telling the time understanding. The whole class can now tell the time to o’clock!! With the year 1’s being able to tell the time to o’clock and half past.
Next term, we have two more swimming sessions left at Wincanton swimming pool on Monday afternoons, please could your children continue to come into school with their labelled swimming kits and coats. It has been a real delight to see your children develop in confidence and ability. They are all such keen swimmers already. PE with the sports coaches on Wednesday afternoons and Yoga with Paula Hall on Thursday mornings will also continue as normal
Spring Term 2 Update
Wow Merlins, what a lovely, busy term we have had again! It has been wonderful to be able to be involved and participate in so many incredible events like Science Week and Red Nose Day.
This term we have been learning about Space. We have learnt about our moon, moon cycles and planets. The children also experienced space through an interactive workshop led by Space Odyssey in their incredible science dome.
In English, we have been writing pancake recipes, space fact files and recounting stories. Reception children are now working well within phase 4 phonics, learning how to read longer words by chunking them. Year 1 children continue to work on phase 5 sounds.
In Maths, the children have continued to develop a stronger sense of numbers and number patterns. Reception children can now say one more, one less than numbers to 10, add and subtract and subitise to 5. Year 1 children have continued to learn about numbers to 50, looking at number bonds 10 and 20.
Merlin children have also enjoyed learning about different materials and testing their different usages, making rockets, petting and handling baby lambs, yoga with Paula Hall, PE and much more.
Next term we will be going to Wincanton swimming pool on Monday afternoons for swimming lesson. Please could children come into school with their labelled swimming kits and coats. We will be continuing to have PE with the sports coaches on Wednesday afternoons and Yoga with Paula Hall on Thursday mornings.
Thank you for all your support with our new Little Wandle reading books and homework. It is making a real difference to your child’s progress; you should be very proud of the children.
World Book Day 2022
This year we celebrated World Book Day in style. We joined Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharratt live to listen to their songs and stories. On Thursday, we had an super fun day! The children all dressed up as book characters and enjoyed book day activities.
Dental 🦷 Hygiene Workshop
SCARF Day - Children’s Mental Health Week 2022
African Drumming Workshop
Spring Term 1 Update
What a busy term it has been for Merlin Class. This term we have been learning about our World. We have visited different countries around the world, including: China, Kenya, Australia, and Norway. The children also learnt interesting facts about our own country and used paper and Google maps to locate and name the different countries.
In English, we have been writing stories about Norwegian puffins, writing about Handa's Surprise, and writing fact files about different countries. Reception children have now learnt all their phase 2 and phase 3 phonetic sounds - well done guys! Year 1 children continue to work on phase 5 phonic sounds.
In Maths, the children are all developing a stronger sense of number. Reception children can now read and write numbers to 10. Year 1 children are learning about numbers to 50, particularly looking at how they can partition numbers into tens and ones. Everyone has really enjoyed learning about different 2-D and 3-D shapes this term.
Merlin children have also enjoyed learning about the artist William Morris, going on lovely frosty welly walks, yoga with Paula Hall, learning about materials and much more.
Autumn Term 2 Update
This term in Merlin Class, you cannot fail to notice the effort we have put in for the Born in a Barn nativity! Each and everyday before the performances, we tried our hardest to get into character roles and sing our hearts out. We were so glad to be able to perform to a live audience, as we know the pride the children and parents feel.
We have also been very creative this half term with our makes, including poppies for Remembrance Day and Christingle oranges for the beginning of our advent celebrations. Once again, we were so impressed with the behaviour and responsibility of the children walking down to the church and then lighting their Christingle oranges. To round of our makes, we crafted Christmas decorations for our home trees and then baked a mince pie each, yummy!
Our writing theme has been castles and we have created some wonderful poetry and stories about heroes too, with the children making the link between people who help us everyday being the real heroes!
Christingle Making 🍊
Today the children made their christingle candles 🕯, ready for our service on Friday. They really enjoyed adding the sweets, ribbon and candle to their oranges.
Thank you to our lovely church helpers for helping us making them.
Children in Need 2021
The children have had a super day dressing up in spotty, dotty clothes and enjoying Pudsey activities in the morning. Around lunchtime we had a very big surprise. The real Pudsey bear came to visit us!
Anti-Bullying Week 2021
This week have been focusing on ‘One Kind Word’ a special theme week from The Anti-bullying Alliance. We have been learning about why it is important to be kind and show kindness.
We also explored unkind and bullying behaviours. The children are developing an awareness that unkind behaviour over a period of time to the same person/group of people is bullying. And then what to do and who to speak to if something happens.
Now Press Play - Feelings
In PSHE we used the Now Press Play headphones 🎧 to listen to a story about our feelings.
The children went on a journey with a little boy who had some disappointing news and learnt about how he reacted and why. In the end the little boy spoke to his teacher and mummy about his feelings and it made him feel a lot better.
Merlin children really enjoyed this amazing immersive experience and it helped them to understand and talk about different feelings in a real-life context.
Thank you Mr Gallagher for organising the Now Press Play experience.
Merlin's Odd Socks - Anti-Bullying Week 2021
Yoga - Star Pose
Lantern Parade
Autumn 🍂 Pictures
Today we went on a leaf 🍁 hunt to collect leaves for an Autumn tree collage. When we came back to school the children took great care to create beautiful autumnal tree pictures.
Police 👮👮Visit
Our local PCSO’s, Louise and Beata, popped in to see us today. Just to say hello to children and read a story. It was a lovely introduction and it will help the children to feel more confident to speak to the police when they are out and about.
Firework Pictures
The children worked amazingly well together to create amazing firework pictures. The children used a variety of different materials, thinking about the different shapes and colours of fireworks. We were all very impressed with the results.
A Giant Mushroom
Mrs Crocker showed the children a mushroom a colleague had found whilst out walking. The children were all amazed and also convinced it wasn’t real.
Yoga - Bee Breath
Our New Class Pets 🐠🐠🐠
Yoga - Yogi Squat
Welly Walks - 1.10.21
Today we went on our first Welly Walk of the year. The children were all so well behaved. I was so super proud of them.
We walked down to the troll bridge and had a look to see if we could see any trolls. Believe or not we momentarily saw one before it dashed off!
NSPCC PANTS Day
We supported the NSPCC in sharing their Talk PANTS campaign, which has been developed to help prevent abuse from happening to any child. Talk PANTS encourages parents to have simple conversations with their children to help keep them safe, teaching children five key messages:
• P - Privates are private.
• A - Always remember your body belongs to you.
• N - No means no.
• T - Talk about secrets that upset you.
• S - Speak up, someone can help.
We ended our session by watching the very catchy 'Pantosaurus' song by the NSPCC.
NSPCC PANTS Day
European Languages Day
The children had a great day on Monday 27th September celebrating ‘European Languages Day’. The children learnt how to say a few simple words in Italian, for example hello and goodbye. They also learnt about Italian food, landmarks, and climate. In the afternoon, we tasted some delicious Italian food.
The children had a lovely day, thank you Mrs Sherry for organising it.
Science - Our Senses
PE - Movement and Spatial Awareness
Yoga
Yoga - Downward Facing Dog
Yoga - Mountain Pose
Maths - Sorting Objects
Our First of Many Phonics Lessons for our Reception Children
Hello Yellow Day 2021
Yoga - Butterfly Pose
Pete the Poet
The year 1 children had a great time today with our visitor called 'Pete the Poet'. Pete took the children on a storytelling adventure, riding on magical carpets and dressing up as characters. The children had an inspiring and fun time.
Thank you, Pete the Poet.
Hobby Horse 🐴 Fridays
Yoga 🧘♀️
The children had a great time with Paula Hall today doing Yoga. They listened and paid attention amazingly well. Everyone understood the instructions and joined in. Well done 👏 Merlin Class.
Our focus yoga pose this week was: Child's Pose.
Yoga 🧘♀️
Yoga Pose of the Week - Child's Pose
First Week in Merlin Class
The children have had a great start to school life in Merlin Class. Every child has started and returned to school with an amazing, joyful attitude to learning. They have come into school every day with a big smile on their faces and are very well prepared for the new school year. They also look amazingly smart in their new school uniform. Thank you to all our wonderful parents for preparing the children for the new school year.
The first week has been very busy, we have shared lots of laughter, lots of fun and plenty of learning too. Here are a few pictures of us enjoying our learning this week. 
First Week in Merlin Class
Year 1 and Reception Children Busy Playing and Working.
