Roundswell Community Primary Academy
Tel: 01271 445111
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Bumblebees News
W/B 24th February 2025
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This week, the language concept in Bumblebees has been ‘ Shape’ with a hook back to ‘Colour’
The language we will focus on was:
Shape:
Level 1: dot, line. Round, spot
Level 2: circle, flat, square
Level 3: triangle, cross
Level 4: curved, oval, shape, rectangle, straight
Colour: Blue, green, red, yellow, Orange, pink, purple, black, white, darker, lighter.
Our stories have included The Perfect Fit, What the Ladybird Heard and The Dot. We have sung lots of songs from our bag of nursery rhymes this week and have also sung The Rainbow Song. Our Phonics focus was to match rhyming pictures and to see if the children can think of their own rhyming words for example log, dog, frog. Bumblebees have enjoyed finding shapes and colours in and around our environment.
Thank you to those of you who joined us for Book and a Biscuit. The children really enjoyed spending some time with you in their classroom
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W/B 10th February 2025
This week, the language concept in Bumblebees has been 'Houses and Homes' with a hook back to ‘Food’.
The language we have focused on was:
Houses and Homes:
Level 1: Home,
Level 2: house, bedroom, garden
Level 3: kitchen, bathroom
Food: Milk, hungry, drink, cup, spoon, thank you, please, snack, breakfast, lunch, dinner, hot, cold, cook, sandwich, cereal, bowl, plate, knife, spoon, beaker, recipe, cutlery, tablecloth.
Bumblebees have enjoyed lots of stories this week, including This is Our House, The Biggest Bed in the World, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, The Three Little Pigs and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Our songs have There’s a Worm at the Bottom of the Garden and I’m a Little Teapot, with some favourites added in too. Our Phonics focus is to sing lots of our favourite nursery rhymes and to collect objects from around the classroom that remind us of those songs. Children will then get opportunities to pull out an object from a bag and we’ll sing that song related to it. Bumblebees really enjoyed collecting objects for our bag and using them to choose songs to sing. Our Maths focus has been counting up to five, making sure the children say the numbers in the correct order and know when to stop counting.
Bumblebees have been very busy in our classroom provision this week which has included construction/ building role play, small world ‘homes’ play, Duplo building, junk modelling, looking after our seeds in our ‘garden’, den building, messy play with oats/rice/flour/sand, toast making and creating food collages.
W/B 3rd February 2025
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This week, the language concept in Bumblebees has been 'Movement' with a hook back to ‘Feeling/Emotions’.
The language we focused on was:
Movement:
Level 1: Fast, slow (ly) walk, run, kick, push
Level 2: Roll, jump, kick, hop, climb, stand, throw, catch,
Level 3: Skip, pass, crawl, pat, cut, snip
Emotions: - Happy, sad, scared, upset, angry, hot, cold, calm, excited, surprised
Our stories this week have been Paper Dolls, Hop Little Bunnies and Everybody Feel Angry. Our songs have been Hop Little Bunnies and If You’re Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands. Our Phonics focus has been on rhyming words so we have shared lots of stories with rhyme in them such as The Gruffalo. Our Maths focus was prepositions within play. We also had Number Day on Friday so we read a number story, sang lots of number songs and had lots of number provision in the classroom.
Bumblebees have had lots of fun with the classroom provision which has included having a PE bench inside and outside to move along, we played parachute games in the hall, lots of games in the classroom, cutting and snipping practice with various resources. The children also made paper dolls and played with them outside.
It’s been a very busy and active week in Bumblebees!
W/B 27th January 2025
This week our concept in nursery has been size and weight.
The concept language for size and weight in term 2 was:
Level 1: heavy, little
Level 2: fat, long, empty, full, small, big
Level 3: large, light, bigger, short, thin, tall
Level 4: Heavier, lighter, longest
The stories we have enjoyed sharing this week are: Jack and the Beanstalk, The Tiny Seed and So Heavy, So Light. Bumblebees have got really good at singing our song which was There Was a Tiny Turtle.
Bumblebees have had great fun exploring this concept in the classroom with small world role play, beanstalk (tower) building, who can build the tallest?, stacking boxes, stilts, planting seeds/bulbs, long/short train tracks and much more.
We have also celebrated Chinese New Year this week in nursery and had a tuft tray full of noodles to play with!
Our Maths focus this week was all to do with comparing sizes and weights of objects. Our Phonics focus this week was playing The Pied Piper of Hamlin with instruments and movements. Bumblebees enjoyed taking it in turns being the leader and all following behind doing the movements the leader decided, such as hopping or jumping.
So much fun in Bumblebees this week!
W/B 13th January 2025
This week, the language concept in Bumblebees has been 'Food'.
The language we will focus on was:
Level 1:
Milk, hungry, drink, cup, spoon, thank you, please
Level 2: Snack, breakfast, lunch, dinner, hot, cold, cook
Level 3: Sandwich, cereal, bowl, plate, knife, spoon, beaker
Level 4: recipe, cutlery, tablecloth
Our stories this week have been The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Goldilocks and the 3 Bears and Spider Sandwiches. Our songs are Pat-a-Cake and I'm a Little Tea Pot. We will also be singing number songs in Maths for our counting focus. Phonics will be clapping rhythms to instruments.
Our classroom provision will include oat play, Goldilocks and the 3 Bears role play, baking with recipes, cutlery sort, sandwich/toast making, water play and spoons in the sand pit.
Bumblebees have had lots of fun following a recipe this week to make rice crispy cakes which they then enjoyed tasting for snack! They have also been making sandwiches whilst talking about meal times and the cutlery we use.
W/B 6th January 2025
We've had an amazing start to the new year in Bumblebees and have loved welcoming in the new starters. They have all settled in fantastically and have had a really good week at school!
This week our concept has been feelings/emotions.
The language for this concept was:
Level 1: happy, sad, hot, cold
Level 2: Upset, cross, scared, angry, poorly, tired
Level 3:Worried, excited, calm, surprised
The stories we have share this week are: The Colour Monster and The Hospital Dog.
Our songs this week have been Miss Polly had a Dolly, If You're Happy and You Know It.
Our classroom provision has included exploring colour through paint linked to The Colour Monster, exploring hot and cold using water and hot water bottles, vet role play, facial expressions, Cosmic Yoga, bubbles, music and much more.
Our maths focus this week has been counting sequences in play inside and outside. Forwards and backwards (rocket launch, hide and seek) and singing the songs 5 Little Ducks and 5 Little Monkeys.
Our phonics focus was to add actions to songs and to practise body percussion.
W/B 9th December 2024
This week has been all about Christmas this week!
Bumblebees were superstars in both our Christmas performances. They blew us away with their singing and their confidence to perform in front of all the parents.
They have had lots of fun making Stick Men after reading the story and have enjoyed lots of other Christmas activities within the classroom provision. We’ve shared lots of other Christmas stories and concept programmes throughout the week and have started to learn some Christmas songs such as Jingle Bells.
A lovely, festive week in Nursery!
W/B 2nd December 2024
This week our concept in nursery was quality with a hook back to clothes.
The concept language for each concept was:
Quality:
Level 1: Like
Level 2: Same as
Level 3: Different
Clothes:
Level 1: Coat, shoes, hat
Level 2 : Jumper, tshirt, dress, socks, cardigan, skirt, trousers, pants
Level 3: Knickers
The stories we have shared this week are: Simon Sock, Aliens Love Underpants and Monkey Puzzle
Our classroom provision has included dressing up, pop up clothes shop role play, sock sort, patterns in play, lots of discussions about what’s the same and what is different using objects in the classroom or outside and looking at the seasons and creating hot/cold art. Bumblebees have had so much fun exploring these concepts this week.
Our Maths focus this week was to throw 5 beanbags in a hoop and then count how many went inside. Phonics this week was to hunt instruments around the room and then play them together, thinking about which instruments sound the same and different.
W/B 25th November 2024
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This week our concept in nursery has been quantity with a hook back to shape.
The concept language for each concept was:
Quantity:
Level 1: a bit, all, a lot, some
Level 2: first, next, another, any, many, no more, as much as
Level 3: second, third, last
Shape:
Level 1: dot, line, round, spot
Level 2: circle, flat, square
Level 3: triangle
The stories we have shared this week were: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Three Billy Goats Gruff and The Tiger Who Came to Tea. Our songs this week will be 5 Little Ducks, 5 Speckled Frogs and 5 Little Monkeys.
Our classroom provision has included role playing our songs in the tuft tray and acting out Three Billy Goats Gruff, printing with blocks, races inside and outside eg feather races on the tables to think about the language of first, second and third, potion making in the water tray and containers in the mud kitchen, shape hunts, magnetic shapes and much more.
Our Maths focus this week was thinking about who has more or less objects up to 5 within the children’s play. Our Phonics focus this week was to use instruments to represent characters in our stories EG what sound might represent each of the goats as they cross the bridge?
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W/B 18th November 2024
This week our concept in the nursery has been family with a hook back to houses and homes.
The concept language for each concept was:
Family:
Level 1: mummy, daddy
Level 2: grandma, grandad etc
Level 3: family
Houses and Homes:
Level 1: home
Level 2: house, bedroom
Level 3: kitchen
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The stories we have enjoyed sharing this week are: The Three Little Pigs, Monkey Puzzle and Great Big Book of Families.​​​​
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Bumblebees have been busy in the classroom engaging with small world story telling in our tuft tray and on table tops and creating lovely artwork using family photos. We’ve also talked about animal families by playing matching animals to their babies. Bumblebees have been getting creative with the big bricks outside and have been building houses for the Big Bad Wolf to blow down too!
Our Maths focus this week was on fast recognition of objects (subitising). Bumblebees have played some online games to support this and have also played games with dice outside to practise recognising the patterns of the dots on the dice. Our Phonics focus continues to be listening to instruments and copying sounds/rhythms which has been very noisy but lots of fun!
W/B 11th November 2024
This week our concept in the nursery was space and prepositions with a hook back to movement.
The concept language for each concept was:
Prepositions:
Level 1: by, off, over, to, inside, out, under
Level 2: round, away, next, through
Movement
Level 1: fast, slow, walk, run, kick, push
Level 2: roll, jump, kick, hop, climb, throw, stand, throw, catch
Level 3: skip, pass
The stories we have shared this week are: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Gingerbread Man and Billy Goats Gruff and the children have enjoyed roleplaying these stories using the small world set ups in our tuft tray all week.
Bumblebees have also been singing the songs Hockey Cockey and Ring of Roses alongside some of their other favourites.
The children have been busy in our classroom provision that has included small world story telling, tunnels, rivers outside, board games, scarf/ball play, skipping ropes and obstacle courses. We’ve also played lots of games like Simon Says to include prepositions and movements in their play.
Another great week had by all in Bumblebees!
W/B 4th November 2024
This week our concept in the nursery was clothes with a hook back to size and weight.
The concept language for each concept was:
Clothes:
Level 1: coat, shoes, hat
Level 2: Jumper, tshirt, dress, socks, cardigan, skirt, trousers, pants
Level 3: knickers
Size and Weight:
Level 1: heavy, little
Level 2: full, empty, small, big
Level 3: large, light, bigger
The stories we have shared this week are: The Smartest Giant in Town, Simon Sock and Pete the Cat- 4 Groovy Buttons
Bumblebees have been learning the songs Wind the Bobbin Up and Here we Go Round the Mulberry Bush.
The children have been enjoying our classroom provision that has included pop up role play in the home corner- shoe/clothes shop, washing dolls clothes in the water tray outside and pegging them out, crown making, dressing up, sock matching and much more.
We’ve also focussed on the children becoming more independent when putting on their coats using a little trick we’ve been teaching them. They have loved learning how to do this by themselves!
W/B 21st October 2024
This week our concept in the nursery has been shape with a hook back to colour.
The concept language for each concept was:
Shape:
Level 1: dot, line, round, spot
Level 2: circle, flat, square
Level 3: triangle
Colour:
Level 1: blue, green, red
Level 2: yellow
Level 3: orange, pink, purple
The stories we shared this week are: The Dot, The Perfect Fit, Shapes by Roald Dahl and Pete the Cat’s Groovy Buttons.
We have sung I can Sing a Rainbow and playing I Spy with shapes and colours in and around the classroom.
Bumblebees have enjoyed printing in various colours using potatoes and objects to create shapes, played with playdough using round or square cutters, painted with wheeled toys, played with instruments and have made shapes using lolly sticks.
A great last week of half term in Bumblebees
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W/B 14th October 2024
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This week our concept in the nursery has been houses and homes with a hook back to food.
The concept language for each concept was:
Houses and Homes:
Level 1: home
Level 2: house, bedroom
Level 3: kitchen
Food
Level 1: milk, hungry, drink, cup, spoon, thank you, please
Level 2: snack, breakfast, lunch, dinner, hot, cold, cook
Level 3: sandwich, cereal, bowl, plate, knife, beaker
The stories we shared this week were: This is Our House by Micheal Rosen, Three Little Pigs, The Biggest Bed in the World, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Spider Sandwiches. We have sung This is the House that Jack Built and There is a Little House.
Bumblebees have had so much fun exploring the language of Houses and Homes and Food within the classroom provision. They have built houses in our outside area using big foam bricks and have role- played being in the kitchen in the mud kitchen and the sandpit. They have used the water trays to potion mix and had tea parties for the tiger from our story in our tuft tray. Their favourite story has been The Three Little Pigs and they have enjoyed role playing this outside and also making houses using straw, sticks and bricks in the tuft tray.
A fabulously fun week in nursery!
W/B 7th October 2024
This week our concept in the nursery has been movement with a hook back to emotions/feelings.
The concept language for movement and feelings is:
Movement:
Level 1: fast, slow (ly), walk, run, kick, push
Level 2: roll, jump, stand, hop, skip, climb, throw, catch
Level 3: skip, pass
Feelings/emotions:
Level 1: happy, sad, hot, cold
Level 2: upset, cross, scared, angry, poorly, tired
Level 3: worried
The stories we have shared this week are Paper Dolls, Hop Little Bunny, The Colour Monster and Hospital Dog. Bumblebees have enjoyed singing and dancing the songs Hop Little Bunny and If You’re Happy and You Know It.
Bumblebees have had a very active week and have enjoyed lots of opportunities to kick, throw, catch, dance, roll and jump within our movement provision alongside our hook back provision of emotions and feelings where the children have thought about feeling happy and sad and have also enjoyed role playing vets and doctors.
W/B 30th September 2024
This week our concept in the nursery has been size and weight. The concept language we have covered for this was:
Level 1: heavy, little
Level 2: empty, full, small, big
Level 3: large, light, bigger
Level 4: heavier, lighter
The stories we shared are The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Too Heavy, Too Light and Have You Filled Your Bucket Today?. Bumblebees have also been learning the songs I Have a Tiny Turtle and Roly Poly Big and Small.
This week in the nursery some of our provision has included:
Small world role play of our stories, bridge making using junk, Duplo and wooden blocks, playing with different sized balls, exploring sizes and weights of natural objects, mud play and water play. Bumblebees have also made some salt dough and created some pinch pots with it!
Also in the nursery this week:
Maths has been linked to exploring size and weight using scales to investigate weights of various objects and Phonics has been ‘Hide the Teddy’- a listening game in which the teddy gets hidden and the children sing to give the child looking clues as to where it is in the room by singing louder if they are close or quietly of they are far away.
What a fun week we’ve had exploring sizes and weights in Bumblebees!​
​W/B 23rd September 2024
This week, our concept in nursery has been ‘colour’. The concept language that Bumblebees have been focussing on within the classroom provision is: red, yellow, blue, green, white, orange, pink and purple.
We have shared Pete the Cat and his White Shoes, Mixed and Mix it Up, which the children have really enjoyed. Within the classroom provision, Bumblebees have been colour detectives in their play, they have also played with colourful balloons and scarves and have looked at some fantastic autumnal objects through magnifying glasses whilst talking about the colours they could see. The children have observed some huge sunflowers and worked really hard to paint them, thinking about the colours they’d use.
As always, we have sung lots of songs this week; our colour song was I Can See a Rainbow.
We’ve had so much fun learning the language around colours in Bumblebees!
W/B 16th September 2024
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This week, our concept in nursery has been ‘food’. The concept language that Bumblebees have been focussing on within the classroom provision was: milk, hungry, drink, cup, spoon, thank you, please,
snack, breakfast, lunch, dinner, hot, cold, cook, sandwich, cereal, bowl, plate, knife, spoon, beaker
We have shared Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Tiger that Came to Tea and Spider Sandwiches, which the children have really enjoyed. They have mixed porridge oats and made breakfast for the 3 bears in the outdoor area using spoons and bowls of different sizes and have enjoyed making various drinks for the tiger in the water tray outside. Bumblebees have also made toast and have made some pinch pots using salt dough.
We have sung lots of songs this week, including I’m a Little Teapot and Pat-a-Cake amongst other favourites with a number focus, such as 5 Little Ducks and 5 Speckled Frogs.
We’ve had so much fun learning the language around food in Bumblebees.
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W/B 9th September 2024
This week our concept in the nursery has been ‘emotions’ with a focus on the language:
happy, sad, scared, upset, angry, hot and cold.
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We have shared the stories The Colour Monster, Hospital Dog and Feelings along with lots of other books related to feelings and emotions. Our songs related to this have been Miss Polly had a Dolly and If You’re Happy and You Know It which the children have been really enjoying learning and singing.
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Some of our provision has included using mirrors to look at their faces, explore colours related to how they feel using paints etc, create chalk faces in hoops, bubble play, vet role play, ice play and warm water play. The children have loved joining in with the activities throughout the week, especially playing with bubbles and role-playing being a doctor/nurse with the dolls in the home corner.
We have been thinking about numbers to 5 in Maths and have been singing lots of counting songs such as 5 Speckled Frogs, 5 Little Ducks and 5 Monkeys on the Bed. The children are getting really good at joining in with the actions for these. In Phonics, we have been thinking about the importance of listening and being quiet in our environment to listen out for noises.
If you would like to support your child to develop their understanding and use of the above vocabulary, here are some suggestions for you to try:
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role playing doctors/nurses with dolls or teddies or vets with toy animals
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freeze small toys in ice
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go for a walk and talk about the weather and talk about whether it feels warm or cold outside
