Welcome to Gnome Class

Helpful information for Gnome Class

Key dates:

Monday 6th June - First day of Half Term 6

Monday 20th June - Sports Week 

Tuesday 26th July - Last day of Half Term 6

Key times:

8.40am - Gates open

8.45am - Children line up and Miss Unwin and Miss Mills collect from playground

3.20pm - Pick up time from Gnome Class Outdoor Area 

Outdoor learning:

Our Gnomes will be learning outdoors every day, whatever the weather so please make sure clothing is suitable for the changeable weather. Named wellington boots and wet weather coats are essential items.  We have a small selection of extra wellington boots and some wet weather jumpsuits for really wet days.

PE:

Our Gnomes do not need a change of clothing for PE.  We will be involved in physical activity every day so comfy clothing is a must.  We will be focussing on developing strength, balance and coordination in gross motor movements.

Snack Time:

Please send healthy snacks in a named tub or bag.  Snacks are also availabe to order from the kitchen as follows:

Monday to Thursday - toast 30p, tea cake 40p, croissant 50p

Friday - pizza muffin 50p

Please send snack money in a named envelope or purse. (weekly or half termly is best for us to organise) 

Milk and fruit are also available at snack times.  The fruit is free of charge.  Milk is also free until the child’s 5^th birthday then there is a small charge, remember to sign up for milk at coolmilk.com

Contact:

If you need to contact us please email - cunwin@gateford.notts.sch.uk

If your message is urgent, then please either email or call Mrs Ellis in the school office.

Be Happy, Be Healthy 

This half term we will be taking part in a whole school topic. The theme of this topic is 'Be Happy, Be Healthy'. In Gnome Class we have covered a lot about Healthy Eating and Living in our previous learning. Because of this we thought that it would be a good idea to have a class discussion about the things that make us happy and what we would like to learn about in the last half term of the school year. We had lots of suggestions including, Dinosaurs, Minibeasts, Cars, Princesses and Superheros. Using all of these ideas we decided that it would be nice to do a Disney Themed Topic that link to all of the above. Each week of learning will be based on a Disney film following the National Curriculum and Early Years Learning Goals. The films will be as followed: 

Week 1 - The Good Dinosaur 

Week 2 - Bugs Life

Week 3 - The Incredibles 

Week 4 - Cars

Week 5 - Brave

Week 6 - Peter Pan

Week 7 - Alice in Wonderland 

Week 7

And we are down to our very last full week! This week has been hot, hot, hot! But we have still work incredibly hard as always! The story our learning was based around this week was Alice in Wonderland. We loved exploring different versions of the story using our comparative skills and looking at what was different and what was the same. Later on in the week we received a letter from Alice herself asking for our help to which we replied and received a visit from Alice herself! We were so excited to get the opportunity to talk to Alice and ask her lots of questions. We have also been working incredibly hard this week practising our showcase for you all which we cannot wait for you to see!

The Gnomes have worked so incredibly hard this year and Miss Mills and I are so very proud of each and everyone of them!

Week 6

This week in our learning we have been exploring ways in which we can 'find our brave' inspired by the Disney film 'Brave'. We have had some really lovely class discussions about what the word brave means and how we all have bravery inside of us and how we can encourage others to be brave too. We have also explored the world of Knights and Castles this week and looked at what life was like when Knights were around and how Castles were built to protect the Kings and the Queens inside. In our Maths learning this week we have continued to explore money and worked on identifying all of the different kind of money and completed different tasks with money up to 20p.

Week 5

This week Gnome Class received a visit from some very pesky pirates! We found out that they had been into our classroom, broken our cameras and stolen our treasure from the treasure chest. Lucky for us we received a letter from a kind pirate Captain Sparrow to tell us that as the pesky pirates were trying to escape the treasure had gone overboard and landed on the school grounds! This called for only one thing... a treasure hunt! The children had so much fun on their treasure hunt and loved exploring the topic of Pirates and finding out their very own Pirate names too! To fit nicely with the topic of Pirates in our Maths learning this week we started to look at money. We explored all of the different types of coins and bank notes that we have in this country and what each one is worth. We also looked at ways to keep our money safe whether that be in a piggy bank or a bank in a building. The children really blew us away with their ability to be able to count money up to 10p and use this knowledge to buy things from our own shop in Gnome Class.

Week 4

This week we have been exploring all things Transport. We have explored transport from the past all the way to the present day and the different types of transport used all around the world. The children were particularly fascinated by the three wheeled cars and really enjoyed talking about why cars have four wheels and why they are no longer made with three. This week in our Maths learning we have looked at Height and Length and what we would use if we wanted to measure these things. 

Week 3

This week our learning was based on our Disney film of the week 'The Incredibles we have been looking at Superheroes. We shared the story 'Supertato' and completed our very own writing task and Wanted Poster based on this story. We have explored what it means to be a hero and the qualities we admire in those people that we call a hero. We have looked at heroes in films and book as well as real life heroes such as: police, doctors, nurses, parents, chefs, and many more. We now know that you don't just have to wear a cape or a suit to be a hero and that heroes come in many forms. In our Maths we have started learning about measures, specifically measuring weight. We have explored the different vocabulary used when talking about weight and have used this to inform our maths challenge on Wednesday. The Gnomes have been incredible this week and have worked super hard, we are very proud of them!

Week 2

This week in our learning we used our researching skills to explore the world of Minibeasts and all things creepy crawly. We learnt about the different types of Minibeasts that there are and the Microhabitats that they live in. We had so much fun learning about this and even went on our own Minibeast Hunt. In our Maths learning this week we have been finalising our learning on Addition and Subtraction and completing lots of Maths related challenges. 

Week 1

This week we have been learning all about Dinosaurs, with inspiration from the film 'The Good Dinosaur'. We have found out all about the different types of Dinosaurs and how they lived and what they ate and how Scientists today know so much about them. In our Maths learning we have been looking more in depth at subtraction and different methods that we can use to solve number sentences that involve the use of subtraction. We have also explore the different language that we can use such as 'minus' and 'take away' and how these all mean the same thing. We have also really enjoyed the different Dinosaur crafts this week such as making our own paper dinosaurs and dinosaur printing. 

Into the Animal Kingdom 

This half term we will be exploring the Animal Kingdom. We will learn about different habitats such as: Rainforests, Savannahs and Deserts and find out what makes them special places. We will research a wide range of animals, some less familiar to us than others. Get your jungle boots on because we're in for a wild ride. 

Week 6

This week in our learning we have been looking at the Hot and Cold Deserts of the world and the amazing animals that live there. We have learnt lots of amazing facts. Did you know that a Tortoise can survive temperatures up to 60*C and they can even survive without water for a year? In our Maths learning we have continued looking at adding numbers together and all of the different ways that we can do this. We have also been celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubuilee this week and have taken part in lots of fun Jubilee related activities, including: biscuit baking and decorating with Chef Lou, The Great Platinum Jubilee Bake Off, Crown making, a Jubilee Concert and even a 'Street Party' picnic lunch. The Gnomes have been working super hard this term and we are very proud of them!

Week 5

This week in our learning together we shared the story 'The Zoo Vet'. We have learnt lots about the profession and the difference between a Vet as we know them and what a Zoo Vet does. Alongside this we have had the amazing opportunity to participate in a Drum Workshop which we had lots of fun doing. In our maths learning we have started to look at Addition and have been working exceptionally hard at this. 

Week 4

This week in our learning we have been exploring the African Savannah. Using our new found knowledge about this habitat we used our comparative skills to identify what was the same and what was different to our previous learning on the Amazon Rainforest. In our Maths learning we have been exploring the world of shapes and repeating pattern. Finally, in our Phonics learning this week we have been focusing on sentence writing, specifically making sure that we remember to use capital letters, finger spaces and full stops. 

Week 3

This week in our learning we have started to learn all about the Savannah and all the different animals that live there. We even went on our own virtual Safari! In our maths learning this week we learnt about the names and properties of 3D Shapes. We are very good identifying 3D shapes and applying our knowledge of these to everyday objects. We are also super excited about going on our very first trip to the Tropical Butterfly House tomorrow and can't wait to tell you all about it!

Week 2 

This week in our learning we have shared the story 'Lola the Plant Hunter' and learnt about the plants that grow in the rainforest, we also made our very own Leaf Rubbings which we had lots of fun doing. We have also learnt all about the Animals of the Rainforest from those that live on the Forest Floor Layer to those right at the top of the Emergent Layer of the Rainforest. In our maths learning this week we have learnt all about 2D Shapes and their properties. As part of this learning we went on a shape hunt around the outdoor area and playground and worked hard on developing our teamwork skills to find all the shapes. We have discussed together as a class what went well and what we could do to improve our teamwork skills and will put this into place next week when we do a similar activity involving teamwork.

Week 1

This week in our learning we put on our walking  boots and packed our rucksacks for a virtual adventure in the Amazon Rainforest. We enjoyed  looking at all of the amazing work that we completed over the holidays and found out lots of interesting facts from this. We learnt all about the layers of the Rainforest and why it is such an important habitat in our wonderful world. Did you know that the Amazon Rainforest is in Brazil and that 10% of the world's known species live in the forest? In our Maths learning this week we are starting to explore all of the different of 2D Shapes and all of the shapes properties. 

Into Wonderland

This half term, we will be venturing into the world of traditional tales' and the magic and adventure these stories have to offer. Each week we will look at a different traditional tale, explore the world and characters, and centre our learning around these stories. 

Week 6

This week in our learning we have shared the story 'The Three Little Pigs' the Gnomes loved sharing this story and joining in with the repeated parts. In our maths learning this week we have started to look at repeating patterns this will link in with our Shape and Patterns topic next half term. We have had so much fun this half term reading all of the different traditional tales and experiencing all of the magic that is in our classroom. The Gnomes have worked incredibly hard this half term and we can't wait for next half term to see what amazing learning lies in store. 

Week 5

This week in our learning we have shared the story Rapunzel. We really enjoyed acting out this story together and looking at all of the different versions of this story.  We also received a letter from Rapunzel asking for our help which we worked together to write a letter back. We have also learnt about Mothers Day this week and why we celebrate this day and have used our creative skills to make some lovely cards. In our Maths Learning we have been looking at Numbers to 20 and practising ordering numbers as well as practising number formation. We can't wait to see what is in store for our last week of learning before half term next week!

Week 4

This week in our learning we shared the story 'The Snow Queen'. We have enjoyed reading this story and discovered that the film Frozen is based off of this traditional tale. We had lots of fun trying to work out the similarities and the differences between the two. We have also become Scientists this week in our learning as it is British Science Week. This years theme was Growth and we've spoken about the different types of growth that there is, this includes; plants, vegetables, fruit, animals and humans too. We looked out all areas of growth and we also found out that growth isn't just about growing in height, but also growing by expanding our knowledge through our learning and achievements and developing a 'can do' attitude. In our maths we have been looking at sharing amounts equally and working as a team to do this in our maths challenges.

Week 3

This week in our learning we have shared the story 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'. We loved taking part in activities centring around this story. We even went on a bear hunt around school to see if we could spot the three bears that went missing from our classroom. In our maths learning this week we have been looking at odd and even numbers and we blew Miss Mills away with our knowledge.  We love a challenge in Gnome Class. So we took our learning even further and challenged ourselves to see if we could recognise if a number was odd or even with four and five digit numbers!

Week 2

This week in our learning we shared the traditional tale 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. For some of us this was the first time hearing the story and we loved sharing it together. Later on in the week we even received a letter from Jack himself asking for our help which we were very excited about and worked together as a class to write a letter back. We are still awaiting his response. In our Maths learning this week we have been looking at doubles to 10. The Gnomes blew Miss Mills and I away with how quickly they learnt all of their doubles to 10 so we decided to challenge the Gnomes and learn doubles beyond 10  and some of the Gnomes went above and beyond 20! We are double superstars!

Week 1

This week in our learning we have shared the story 'The Gingerbread Man'. We have done lots of fun activities based around the story including: story sequencing, listening and memory games and sentence writing. We have also looked at different versions of the story and used our comparing skills to look at what is the same and what is different. In our maths learning this week we have revisited the number bonds to 10 and we are now feeling a lot more confident when using this knowledge in other parts of our maths learning. In PSE we have been looking at Healthy Eating and Living and talking about what this means. 

Into the Unknown

This half term we will be exploring space, visiting the Moon and the planets in our solar system.  Then our unknown element will be more related to creatures.

Week 6

This week in our learning we have been exploring the the eighth and final planet Neptune. Of course we couldn't forget about Pluto though! Although Pluto isn't considered one of the eight planets in our Solar System, Pluto is the largest dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt and has five moons! We have really enjoyed the space topic this half term and learning lots of interesting and fun facts. Meanwhile in our maths learning this week we have looked at numbers 17 to 20 and consider ourselves to be number experts on these numbers, we can even write them too. In phonics we have been working really hard and even had a go at writing our own sentences without any help! We can't believe how fast this half term has gone and can't wait to see what learning awaits us in the next half term. Miss Mills and I are very proud of the learning the Gnomes have done this half term and can't wait to see all of them continue to shine in the next half term. 

Week 5

This week we have been exploring the planets of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. We have loved learning about all of these planets and finding out all of the different facts. Fun Fact: Did you know that Saturn has seven rings made of small chunks of ice and rocks? We have also loved singing along to 'The Planets of the Solar System Song' and we now nearly know all of the words. In our maths learning this week we have been exploring the numbers 12- 15 and completing different maths challenges to make these numbers. Finally, in our phonics learning we have been working hard at writing sentences and remembering that all sentences must start with a capital letter, end with a full stop, have finger spaces between each of the words and that it must make sense. We've had a busy week for sure and only one more week to go before the holidays! 

Week 4

This week in our learning, we've had a lot of fun sharing books about space that some of the Gnomes brought in from home. In Maths, we have been comparing quantities and determining which amount has'more' and which has 'less.' We have been concentrating on the language we use when comparing quantities, such as 'fewer' and 'greater,' and working on incorporating these words into sentences. This week in Phonics, we finished all of the sounds in Phase 3 and were introduced to the new tricky word 'You.' We've also been working our way through the planets this week, learning interesting facts about Mercury, Venus, and Earth and Mars. We can't wait to find out about the other four remaining planets next week. 

Week 3

This week in our learning we shared the story 'How to Catch a Star' by Oliver Jeffers and discussed whether or not we'd like to have our own star. In our maths learning we have been hard at work recalling all of the number bonds to 10 and looking at comparing quantities of an amount and deciding which amount is 'Greater'. We have also been looking at the Solar System this week and the 8 Planets in the Solar System. Did you know that The Milky Way is our home galaxy. It contains over 200 billion stars, including our Sun. We can't wait to see what more fun facts we can find out next week. 

Week 2

This week in our learning we have been exploring facts all about the Moon and Astronauts. We shared the book 'The Man on the Moon and Aliens?' and found out lots of interesting facts, from the first man on the moon to different phases of the moon. In our maths learning we have been exploring all of the number bonds to 10. In phonics we have learnt some new sounds and have been working super hard on improving our writing and talking about the structure of a sentence. We now know that all sentences must start with a capital letter and end with a full stop.

Week 1

This week we have settled back into school really well and are hard at work. In our learning we have focused a lot on our writing and our new morning task is to write our names and practise writing our tricky words and writing sentences independently. We shared the book 'Whatever Next' and was introduced to our new topic 'Into the Unknown' where we discussed what we would take in a rocket up to space. We also had our very first Yoga session in the hall which we loved taking part in. We can't wait to see what other learning is in store next week. 

Into the Woods

Our topic this Half Term 2 is called 'Into the Woods' and we will be learning all about the British Woodland. We will find out about the animals and plants which live in a woodland habitat.

Week 7

We got up to lots of Christmas fun this week. From our Santa Dash where we met the lovely Mrs Clause to our very first Nativity Performance where we were absolute superstars! We also had our Christmas Party Day this week where we played lots of fun games, including pass the parcel and musical statues which we are very good at. Check out the pictures below to look at all the fun and exciting things we got up too. 

Week 6

This week we have had a very busy week. We have been learning all about Spiders in our Topic and we shared the book 'The Very Busy Spider' together. We took part in our very first vote on whether or not we liked Spiders. The results showed us that seventeen of us liked spiders whilst eleven of us didn't and the Gnomes gave some very good explanations as to why they made their vote. We have also learnt about Christmas Around the World and how different countries celebrate Christmas time which we found very interesting. We have also done lots and lots of practising for our Nativity Performance this week and we can't wait to share it with you all. 

Week 5

This week we have been learning all about owls and we shared the book 'Owl Babies' together. Owls are amazing birds and we of course learnt some amazing facts about them. Did you know that a group of owls are called a parliament and their feathers are coloured to provide camouflage? In our maths learning we have been focusing on the number 8 and number 9 and how we can show these numbers in many different ways. 

Week 4

This week we have been learning all about the four seasons. We have learnt the sequence of the seasons and the types of weather and events that we experience in each one. We especially can't wait for Winter and we are hoping for lots of snow this year! In maths we have been learning all about the numbers six and seven and have been working hard on our number formation. It's safe to say that we've become experts on these numbers. In our phonics learning we have been focusing on our sounds and reading words that start with these sounds. All of the Gnomes are working so incredibly hard and making Miss Mills and I so very proud. 

Week 3

This week our book was 'Squirrel's Busy Day' we were introduced to lots of different woodland animals in the story. We have learnt about all of the animals and insects which inhabit our woodland. We have also filled out vocabulary with big and exciting words such as nocturnal, carnivore, herbivore, omnivore and camouflage. In our maths learning this week we have been looking at one less than an amount all the way to ten and even beyond. We also had lots of fun taking part in the wheelathon see some pictures below. 

Week 2

This week has been all about hedgehogs. We shared the story 'The Very Helpful Hedgehog' together and thought about what it means to be hepul and all of the people that help us. We have also been looking at animals that hibernate and even found out what the word nocturnal means. We also know that animals do one of three things during the winter period: Hibernate, Survive or Migrate. We've had so much fun learning all of these new and incredible facts. We even went on our very own Hedgehog Hunt and had lots of fun playing in the Autumn leaves. In our maths learning this week we have been focusing on the number zero as well starting to find out One More Than an amount. We have learnt so much this week and can't wait to see where next week will take us. 

Week 1

This week we shared the book 'We're Going on a Leaf Hunt'. We learnt about all of the different types of trees and why they are so important to us. We loved exploring and learning about all of the different parts of a tree and we discovered some fun and interesting facts too! In our maths and phonics learning this week we have been recapping our number bonds to 5 as well as all of our sounds and tricky words and practised writing sentences too. 

Into the Deep

This half term we will be learning all about the sea and all things related.  Keep checking our class page for photographs of what we have been doing.

Week 7

The last week of Half Term 1. How did that go so quickly? We've had lots of Spooky Fun this week, from dressing up to spooky jelly slime! In our topic we have been learning all about the five oceans of the world and how they are all joined together. Fun Fact: Did you know that Mount Everest isn't the tallest mountain on Earth? It is in fact Mauna Kea which is in the Ocean! We also explored the different layers of the oceans and were amazed at some of the strange creatures living in the deepest layer of the Abyss. In our maths learning we have been revising and consolidating all of the number bonds to five, with the help of Jack Hartman of course. We are ready for our half term break, but very excited about what awaits us in Half Term 2.

Week 6

This week we have been learning all about coral and the Great Barrier Reef. We did lots of research about octopuses and sea horses and couldn't believe the amazing facts we found out about them. In our maths learning we have been exploring all of the number bonds to five with a little help from our friend Jack Hartman. We also had lots of fun this week taking part in a lot of messy play, take a look at the pictures below! 

Week 5

This week has been all about snails and whales. We shared 'The Snail and the Whale' and learnt all about whales and sharks and how different they are. We also discovered lots of fun and interesting facts. Did you know that the Blue Whale is the largest animal in the world and that their tongues can weigh as much as an elephant! Why don't you ask your Gnome what other interesting facts they can remember? Later on in the week we talked about pollution and recycling and the different ways that we can help. In maths we have been learning all about the number five and partitioning whole numbers into parts.

Week 4

This week we have been learning about lighthouses, herring gulls and puffins. We shared 'The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch' and just like Mrs Grinling we had a go at making our own sandwiches (we even got to eat them too). Later on in the week we searched the internet for facts about sea birds. Did you know that a herring gull can drink both salt-water and fresh water? In our maths learning this week we have been learning all about the number four and during our indoor and outdoor learning we found out that there are number fours everywhere! 

Week 3

This week we have been learning about all of the different types of creatures that live in rock pools. We read 'Rock Pool Secrets' together and talked about how important it is that when we search for things in nature, that we put everything back. We learnt the phrase 'Take nothing but memories and leave nothing but footprints'. We also learnt some amazing facts about the creatures that live in rock pools and even had a go at drawing our very own crabs. Did you know that a starfish isn't actually a type of fish? It should be called a Sea Star! Why not ask your Gnome what other amazing facts they can remember? 

Week 2

This week we have been learning about the seaside.  We shared the book 'Lucy and Tom at the Seaside' and talked about our own visits to the coast.  Barnaby the Bear told us all how to stay safe at the beach by staying with our grown-ups and what to do if we saw someone in trouble in the water.  In maths we are investigating numbers 1, 2 and 3.  You could ask your Gnome to practice writing these numbers, do they remember the rhymes?  We have also started to focus on phase 2 sounds in phonics and have brought home our sound cards, tricky word cards and Pocket Rocket book 1 to share.  Here are some photos of the week...

Week 1

This week has been all about settling into our new class and learning all the new rules and routines.  We have had a lot of fun too.  Check out our photos to see what kinds of things we have been doing this week.

Gnome Class is almost ready for all our new Gnomes to begin making lots of memories in September.

Our outdoor area is also ready and waiting for all our new Gnomes.