We have had a wonderfully busy and creative week in Pebble Class!

Black History Month

This week, we began our Black History Month learning by exploring the work of local artist Thulani Shuku. The whole school will be creating self-portraits inspired by his artwork, and we started by carefully looking at examples of his portraits and discussing what we noticed. The children had lots of thoughtful observations and were excited to share their ideas.

To begin creating our own artwork, we spent time closely observing flowers, which will form the backgrounds of our portraits. We practised sketching what we could see, focusing on careful looking and noticing details. We were so impressed by the children's focus, concentration and perseverance as they worked.

Across the school, each class will also be creating a collaborative artwork for their classroom door. These pieces will celebrate an important local Black figure and be inspired by the work of a Black British artist. In Reception, we have started looking at the artwork of Jadé Fadojutimi. We were excited to learn that she has her studio in South East London! The children shared some wonderfully creative and perceptive ideas about her colourful and expressive artwork.

Maths

In maths, we have continued to develop our counting and subitising skills. Subitising is the ability to recognise how many objects there are in a small group without needing to count them one by one. For example, when we see three dots on a dice, we can often know there are three immediately.

We have had a particular focus on the number 4 and on one-to-one correspondence. This means touching or moving each object as we count it, making sure that each object is counted once and only once. You may have noticed that we brought home counting wands this week. These are a great way to encourage children to point to or touch each object as they count, helping them to develop accurate counting habits.

A Reminder About Coats

As the weather becomes increasingly unpredictable, please ensure that your child brings a waterproof raincoat with a hood to school every day. Whatever the weather, we enjoy spending time outdoors and learning through play. Fleeces and warm jackets are excellent for colder days, but they do not keep children dry during wet playtimes or when exploring with water. A waterproof coat helps us make the most of our outdoor learning in all weathers.

Thank you for your continued support. We hope you have a lovely weekend! ☺️

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