Nursery news 2020-2021
Friday 23rd July
It was 'hot, hot, hot' in and out of the disco this week but we have managed to stay cool and have fun. The children joined in well with games and dancing in the hall and were friendly to the Apple class staff and children who were also there.
So.......... last day and WHAT A YEAR! I am so lucky to have had such a lovely bunch of children to share all the trials and tribulations with. Your children have shown resilience, adaptability and good understanding as we changed the rules of the setting, opened and closed and banished parents to outside. We said; 'Wash hands, no cuddling, no soft toys, wash hands, no dressing up, no sand tray, wash hands etc etc and they accepted it all and still had fun, shared well, made good friends and learnt lots!
Some of our friends are moving on to new schools and we will miss them lots but we hope to see them round and about. It is hard to say goodbye(mostly for me!!) but Nursery will soon be relegated to a distant memory of 'when they were little' as they start new adventures.
Some friends we will see 'over the fence' but that soon passes as they get busy with big school. Including Miss Scott who is moving to Reception.
Some of our friends are returning and we start all over again!
Thank you for all your wonderfully kind words and gifts, cards and pictures.
Have a great summer and thanks again! Take care,
Mrs Sudall and the Nursery team.
Friday 16th July
It has been a tricky week at times.
Lots of children have been feeling poorly, tired or just hot and bothered. We have still managed to have lots of fun though!
We made an area of the classroom into 'big school' and had some new, very bossy teachers working there! There was lots of role play, answering the register, making lists, reading stories and telling people off! I'm not sure who they are basing this role pay on!!!
We were very interested in what happened to some seaweed when we put it outside in the rain. It was hard and crispy inside and then absorbed the water outside.
We had a bit of a paddle, in the shade in one of our trays. Some were keen to bring costumes tomorrow!!!!
One week to go, some children have already had their last day as they are going on holiday. fingers crossed we manage to finish the year together.
Next week; sorting, tidying, disco dancing, reminiscing...............
Friday 9th July
Our lovely children faced some new challenges this week and managed brilliantly!
On Monday we had our first ever performance for an audience outside of Nursery, as part of 'The Big Sing'. We sang for Cedar class, in the hall and then listened to their song.
I hope you enjoy the video and apologies if you can hear my voice!
On Thursday we had our first Sports Day. We just do one race, with the emphasis on getting fit and having fun. Everyone did very well, joined in and enjoyed watching Reception class do their races.
We have really enjoyed playing in our ice-cream parlour role play. The children have taken turns to serve or be the customer and there have been some interesting flavour choices!
Just two weeks to go!
DISCO- Monday 19th July 2-3pm
All children are welcome even if it is not their usual session. Drop off and collect from Nursery. £2.50 per ticket. Please bring a drink! Wear party/dancing clothes.
Any questions please see Mrs Sudall
Friday 2nd July
Time is passing so quickly and school feels very busy at the moment. I can't believe we only have three weeks left together before the summer break. Children have been going to visit their new Reception class, here and at other schools. We follow their lead when chatting about the change. We have talked about moving on every year as you get older to a new class. I say that in the way that you grow out of clothes and toys, you also grow out of Nursery. Sad but true.
Our focus this week has been sea life and underwater creatures. We have named and described creatures and made our own.
The children have fully embraced the stage area and performed songs and dances with their friends.
Our hunt for minibeasts continues......
Next week; the seaside
Friday 25th June
We found different ways to explore the world of pirates this week.
We found out which pirate had the most loot by using balance scales to compare bags of treasure. We used the language heavier than, lighter than and the same. We used positional language to hide jewels and we explored repeating patterns with flags and and other pirate equipment. At the craft table we stuck jewels into into our own treasure chest and even painted jolly rogers!
We used tweezers to pick coins from a tray and challenged the children to 'walk the plank'.
We enjoyed more movement play with our stretchy cover- we pushed, pulled and shook to give a toy dog a very bouncy ride.
Outside, the children did a bit of bike maintenance and cleaning. We set up a 'performance area ' and the children showed us their more flamboyant sides!
Next week: under the sea.
Friday 18th June
The children have made very convincing pirates this week!
There has been lots of super role play and use of new language as the children looked for treasure, followed maps and swam away from danger. They took turns with the pirate and mermaid costumes and practised being independent to get dressed. We have shared pirate stories and talked about pirates being from the past.
We counted gold coins to help a pirate with only one hand, found chests with glittery jewels and hoisted the jolly roger.
The children made predictions then tested objects to see which would sink.
I was extremely proud of the children this week when we had visits from our September new starters . They were polite and patient while staff were busy, spoke nicely and answered questions and invited children to play. Some of them even gave their own tours of the setting! Visitors commented on how sensible and 'grown up' they seemed which shows they are ready for the next step.
Next week: more pirates!
Friday 11th June
I had some great helpers this week as we tidied up the garden and outside area in the beautiful sunshine.
The children are always happy to help especially where water and bubbles are involved!
We talked about what we use water for in our lives and how important it is. The children all understood the need to drink plenty when it is hot and they are playing.
We sorted items by season and talked about keeping warm, keeping cool and how to protect ourselves depending on the weather. We have discussed how the length of the day varies by season. It is hard to understand that it is bedtime even though the sun is shining!
It will be a busy few weeks with visits to new classes, parents information meetings, stay and play sessions and report writing. Please will you help us by labelling all your child's belongings to help us keep track- clothes, bottles, hats, etc etc Many thanks!
Next week: PIRATES!!!!
Friday 28th May
We have had such a lovely week! We really enjoyed some small changes to our routine including a visitor!
The children enjoyed finding out why bees are so important and looking at some equipment that beekeepers use. We made our own bee, practising winding wool to make the stripes, shared bee stories and counted bees on flowers. We looked closely at bluebells and tried our own finger print pictures.
We went to the school field to look for minibeasts and found lots of slugs, beetles and spiders. The children were very excited to be out and about, something we haven't really done this year(C19!!) We made the most of it with a few laps of the field and games of chase. A highlight was a visit from Gary, a giant African Snail who is the pet of one of our Reception children. The children asked relevant questions and showed great care when observing Gary and gently touching his shell.
Morrisons kindly gave us planters, compost and seeds which we have planted up. We made a card to say thank you which I delivered. We are now waiting patiently(!) for our sunflowers to appear.
Our 'wriggle while you squiggle' programme is going very well. It's great fun, we love the dancing and our hands, fingers and arms are benefitting from all the 'wafting' of scarves.
Half term break next week: hopefully the coughs and colds will go and we can all enjoy some dry, warm days. Back with lots of energy for our last half term.
Take care, have a good break.
Friday 21st May
The children have enjoyed creating butterflies of all shapes and sizes this week.
We coloured, printed, dabbed, drew, painted and arranged shapes to make our butterflies. We named and described 2d shapes as we decorated our butterflies and noticed that butterflies are the same on each side. We looked at repeating colour patterns on caterpillars and tried to say which colour should come next. We ordered numbers on a caterpillar's body then counted forwards and back.
We used the story 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' to talk about healthy foods that we can eat every day and treats that are only for sometimes. The children were very good at selecting the healthy items from a selection and all assured me that they eat ALL their fruit and vegetables at home!!!
We talked about the lifecycle of a butterfly and used the words; egg, caterpillar, butterfly and cocoon.(Sometimes raccoon!)
Excavation work in the garden continues and Miss Sand's found time for a pamper session!
We have a 'kindness tree' in Nursery where we celebrate good deeds large and small. Names are written on for inviting someone to join a game, sharing, using lovely manners and being helpful or smiley etc. We are praising the children for being kind and they are keen to hang their name on the tree. Ask your child if they are on the kindness tree yet.
A lovely busy week! One more before half term.
Next week: bees.
Friday 14th May
We struggled to find many ladybirds in our garden this week in between the showers, but still enjoyed learning lots of ladybird facts and vocabulary.
We started with the story 'What the ladybird heard' and then counted ladybird spots, made play dough versions with loose parts, made our own maps of the garden and recreated pictures of minibeasts with parts of the body. The pond which the children are working on is great for teamwork and negotiation(and mud!)
Inside we have tried to ease pressure on local services by having our own hair salon and barbers. I'd like to say its relaxing but I wont!!
The children who were here for the class photo did very well. It took some time to get us all looking in the same direction but everyone was patient and hopefully the results will be ok. Lots of children weren't in, either it wasn't their session, they were ill or celebrating Eid, so we will endeavour to take our own class photos towards the end of the year!
Next week; Caterpillars(the very hungry type!)
Friday 7th May
We enjoyed finding out all about spiders this week and hopefully all now agree that they are clever, useful creatures that we shouldn't squish!
We counted eyes, legs and learnt that it takes three hours to spin a web! We loved the book 'Aaaaargh spider' and made our own sparkly webs and spiders. We added pegs as legs to a spider and counted to check we had enough. Incy Wincy was in our water tray and we practised counting by adding spiders to a web.
Morrisons very kindly gave us planters, compost and seeds, so we worked in groups to plant them up. We are monitoring the sunflowers minute by minute!!
Outside there were some lovely games involving large groups working together. There was a lot of moving tyres and crates which involved talking, negotiating and getting mucky! The children were very happy with the 'pyramid' they created!
Next week: ladybirds.
Friday 30th April
It was lovely to speak to (and see!) so many of you this week.
Despite some technical issues, it was great to be able to tell you individually how well you child is doing and what a lovely bunch they are. We are full almost every session and very busy but because the children are engaged, enthusiastic and understanding the routines, we are enjoying the topics and having fun!
We have done an extensive search of our garden for worms and snails and made them a lovely home in a tank while we looked closely and learnt facts about them. We used tweezers to pick up spaghetti worms and string to make worm track paintings. We practised using scissors, which is a difficult skill to master and all the children showed great determination in completing the task.
In maths we have done some shape matching and made worms of different sizes. We used positional language to hide worms.
We have really enjoyed reading 'Superworm'. The children joined in with repeated language and were able to guess the rhyme.
A super week!
Next week; SPIDERS! Also May Day so no Nursery on Monday!
Friday 23rd April
The children came back full of energy and ideas for play this week and have really enjoyed outside play.
Water play was very popular; in buckets and trays, with scoops or brushes, with bubbles and without and so much nicer in the sun.
Inside we have talked about caring for plants and planted our own cress seeds. We found some large trousers, a big mug and a bag of magic beans in our home corner. We then listened to 'Jack and the Beanstalk' and are trying to grow our own. One of the children brought seed tubs and planted them up with their friends. The children are checking for growth every day and have amazed us with their self restraint - they are looking and talking but so far haven't touched!!!
In maths we have ordered numbers on leaves, counted seeds and talked about the days of the week after reading 'Jasper's beanstalk.'
We looked at selection of objects and decided whether they were natural, found objects or had been made by somebody. The children really enjoyed examining an animal jaw bone and trying to identify which animal it might be from. We also looked closely at the teeth and decided it was probably a meat eater!!!
Quite a few children wanted to talk about school places and moving on. We talked about children changing class once they are over four and getting too old for Nursery. We explained that there were still a lot of sleeps to go before anyone went anywhere! It is a topic we go back to frequently this term as part of transition and I'm sure if your child has a place elsewhere then the other schools will be in touch about their transition plans.
Change can be unsettling but children are very resilient, as we have seen over the last crazy year, and as long as they are able to talk and understand what is going to happen they usually cope well.
Next week - worms and snails!
Thursday 1st April
It seems like a very, very long time since we were open/closed/open and staying at home in January!!
We have really enjoyed the last four weeks of 'normal' with all the children in Nursery. We have practised phonics, counting, done lots of sticking, painting, finding out, role play, running, balancing, sharing, talking, singing, listening and of course washing hands!
We have really enjoyed playing in the glorious sunshine of the last few days. Fingers crossed it continues for the holidays.
We ended the week with an egg hunt and some goodies!
Enjoy the Easter break, hopefully all the coughs and colds will have gone by the time we come back!
Friday 26th
Our vet practice was very busy this week and the children showed their caring natures.
Everyone could understand and relate to the idea of helping sick animals. We had a wide range of conditions and some unusual pets but all received excellent care, mainly in the form of injections! We were impressed with how well the children shared the resources and their understanding of appointments and queuing! There were opportunities for writing; prescriptions, appointments and records and good language skills on the telephone.
We are really enjoying dough disco for our fine motor skills and this week introduced 'squiggle when you wiggle.' This is just once a week, morning and afternoon and uses larger arm movements and the use of scarves. I call them 'wafters' if the children try to describe the activity and we all had great fun! We follow the movements with mark making following a set pattern on large pieces of paper and card.
In maths we compared the size of animals.
Please note we close on Thursday next week for the Easter holiday-no Nursery on Friday.
Next week; more vets and Easter.
Friday 19th
We have really enjoyed the brighter days and dry weather this week.
Most children have chosen to play outside for a large portion of their session and thought of new games and different ways to use the equipment.
Inside we looked at patterns and colours on animal skin and thought about hiding from prey and predators. We have enjoyed lots of animals stories, sang number rhymes about elephants on webs and monkeys on beds. We looked at snake skin then made our own patterns. We used the animals to develop our language and vocabulary by naming and describing some more unusual creatures and thinking about how they move.
Next week; vets and pets.
March 12th
Welcome back!
This week has been all about re-establishing friendships, meeting new people and reminding ourselves of Nursery routines.
It was so nice to see the children's excitement when they saw friends they had last seen in December. It took some children a little while to settle on the first session but the majority came in and carried on from where they left off. Everyone was excited, happy, full of energy and chatter-just as a Nursery should be. It felt normal!!!
We also discussed Mother's day and what our mums do for us. We hope you like the children's surprise. We talked about saving them until Sunday but I'm not sure who will be able to wait!
Next week: wild animals and jungles!
March 5th
We have enjoyed learning frog facts this week!
We talked about the life cycle of frogs and the changes that take place, then thought about the changes that happen to people as we are born and grow. We have read frog stories, including 'The Frog Prince' and 'Oi frog'. We sang the 'speckled frogs' song with props to practise counting to 5 and taking 1 away. We even made our own jumping frog!
Lots of children bought their favourite book to Nursery and dressed up to celebrate World Book Day. Thank you to our home learners who also sent us a picture with their favourite book. We will hand out book vouchers next week.
We are looking forward to seeing everyone and having a full Nursery next week! Have a super weekend.
Next week; flowers, seeds and Mother's Day.
February 26th
The children(and staff) came back refreshed and raring to go this week!
We have really enjoyed finding out about Spring and are looking forward to longer, brighter days. We have looked at bulbs, buds on trees and spring flowers. We have looked carefully at then painted daffodils. The weather has been good and we have enjoyed building obstacle courses as well as riding bikes and scooters.
We have talked about farms, which animals you can see there and why they are kept and the different animal homes.. We matched parent and young and learnt their names.
In maths we counted groups of animals and sang some farm counting rhymes. We also counted flowers then found the correct Numicon tile to match.
The most exciting activity this week was the start of Dough Disco!!
We do hand exercises daily, using a small amount of playdough to a background of a disco beat. This is great fun and really helps with coordination, hand strength, rhythm, following instructions, and listening and attention. You can see the look of concentration on the children's faces in the pictures.
Thank you to those who have sent in a sealable pot. If you haven't sent one yet or you have spares we would really appreciate them. It means the playdough is only handled by one person and is easily accessible.
Exciting news-I can't wait to welcome our home learners back to Nursery from 8th March. It seems such a long time since we were together at Christmas. I am really looking forward to a very busy but 'normalish' Summer term!
if you have any questions or concerns about returning to Nursery please contact me via Tapestry.
Next week: frogs and World Book Day
February 12th
We found even more ways to explore and investigate the snow and ice this week.
The children are still excited to play out in the snow but even they are starting to talk about summer and warmer weather!
Inside we have talked about some festivals and the special ways in which they are celebrated. We heard the story of the animals race in Chinese New Year and how families clean and decorate their homes before eating a special meal. The children related their own stories of Christmas and Eid dinners and birthday teas. We talked about Pancake day and tried to flip play dough pancakes.
We talked about St Valentines day and the people we love, some we haven't seen for a while.
The princess castle turned into a dragon's cave, we shared lots of stories about dragons and made our own fire breathing dragons.
Thanks to all our home learners for sharing your news, we miss you!
It is the break for half term next week, see you week beginning 22nd February. Fingers crossed the weather is kind so that we can all find more paths in our local area!
After half term; farms and Spring!
February 5th
We have really enjoyed listening to traditional tales and fairy stories this week.
Many of the stories featured princesses and knights , which then prompted lots of talking and imaginative role play. It was reassuring to see the games still featured dogs and babies though! Miss Scott has been very busy making tunics for knights and princess hats, which the children really enjoyed.
After reading 'Rapunzel', we compared the length of plaits and wands and put them in size order. We read 'The Princess and the pea' and then stacked mattresses in our sensory tray of dried peas.
Outside we made snow people and built snow castles. Have we had our quota of snow for this year?
Friendships are continuing to develop and the children are enjoying playing as a group. Some even broke the 'lockdown rules' by going on 'holiday' together in our pirate ship!!!
Thanks to the children at home for sharing all your lovely photos and sharing your news.
Next week: DRAGONS......
January 29th
The end of January brings us a little closer to spring and hopefully a step closer to all being back together in Nursery.
We are missing the children and really enjoy hearing your news. Thank you to the those parents who have uploaded photos.
In school we have enjoyed playing with the wooden castle and made our own using 2D shapes. We found out who might have lived in a castle, named different parts of the building and read lots of stories. When talking about shapes we used the language; curved and straight. We counted sides and tried to say where we could find the shapes in our environment.
We talked about the shortage of food for birds in winter and made some simple pine cone bird feeders. We hung them in the garden and have noticed two very hungry looking pigeons eyeing them up!! Not the visitors we hoped for!
In phonics we are looking at rhyme. We are encouraging the children to give the missing word in stories and rhymes such as - Humpty Dumpty had a great ......and also to think of their own rhyming word to continue a string; hat, mat,........
Take care,
Next week: knights and princesses
January 22nd
The weather threw everything at us this week but we have enjoyed talking about the weather and testing our wellies!
We often have to change wet clothes after playing outside and we use this to practise being independent. It is hard to manipulate shoes and trousers and the children do struggle at first. They persevere with lots of encouragement and are so proud of themselves when they manage.
Inside we used loose parts to make playdough snowmen and then marshmallows to create gooey snowmen biscuits.
In the water tray the children explored pipes and tubes and whether ice melted more quickly in warm water.
To develop fine motor skills, we threaded beads onto icicles. We exercised our hands and wrists then made large and small marks on paper to encourage writing.
We have counted snowflakes and buttons on snowmen.
Hope everyone at home is well. We are enjoying seeing what you are doing and hearing your news on Tapestry. Well done to all those who have completed their challenges!
Next week; castles.
January 15th 2021
Another strange and short week!
In school we used our senses to explore ice, talked about how it is made and where it goes and how it changes.
We have heard penguin stories, used penguins for counting and making patterns and created our own from the outline of our hands.
Thank you to the children at home for your snow photos-we have displayed them alongside our snowmen.
We hope you are all safe and well and keeping busy!
Next week; more snowmen.
January 8th 2021
Happy New Year!
Well this has been a very strange week, in and out of school and then we go and get the best snow to play in for a long time!
We really missed seeing the children and catching up with their news.
Some children were in and we talked about winter and the different types of weather we might see. We sorted clothes into winter and summer piles and did lots of snowy pictures.
Please read the school newsletter for an update on Nursery opening and let me know your thoughts.
Stay safe!
Week 7 18-12-20
We all enjoyed our party this morning. The children behaved beautifully, they were excited but not overly, were 'out' with good grace , all joined in everything and they did some fantastic dancing. They also had lovely manners when we had our party food. Well done to everyone!
So this very strange term has come to an end. You should be very proud of how independent the children have become, when arriving at school, washing hands, observing the no touch rule and looking after their own things. I'm sure they are just as independent at home!!
Everyone is tired and the children deserve a good rest and will hopefully get rid of the latest round of colds.
We have new starters in January and I am sure the children will help them to settle and to learn the ropes!'
THANK YOU for all your kind wishes, cards and thoughtful presents. We will enjoy opening them with feet up and a 'special' cup of tea!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
from the Nursery team!
Week 6 11-12-20
Most photos this week are from our snow day last Friday! The children made the very most of the little snow we had. They were so excited - I really hope its not the only snow we get! We used tools for scraping, digging and of course made snow(slush)balls! Luckily the children's aim is not great yet.
Inside we have continued with cutting, sticking and decorating. The presents some children brought home were a maths activity. Is this paper big enough for this box? Is it the right shape? I hope you were not too disappointed when you looked inside.
There has been some lovely role play around the Christmas story and Father Christmas. It is such a shame that we are not able to do our Nativity this year. Staff have really missed the songs and costumes. Lets hope we are back to normal next year.
The children looked splendid in their Christmas jumpers. Thank you for your donations; the proceeds go to Save the Children.
Next week: our Christmas party is on Friday and the online panto will be on Wednesday.
Week 5 4-12-20
We have had a lovely week in spite of the weather.
Rainy afternoons always seem to allow for great games and the best ideas. Cardboard boxes became boats and a very long line of chairs started off as a bus but then became different games depending on where you were in the line. A pack of puppies roamed the carpet and there were lots of teachers reading stories and doing the register. The children play well together and there are plenty of friends to choose from each day.
We got our tree out and enjoyed decorating it. We remove the baubles each day for the children to put on again the next. Good exercise for small fingers! I have explained that they are only allowed to strip the Nursery tree-not the one at home!!
We have had lots of Christmas crafts materials on offer. Some activities are guided and some the children are left to their own devices and to develop their own ideas.
We read the Nativity story and and talked about Christmas traditions. In maths we have counted baubles, played shape games and noticed shapes around us. Outside we have been on the bikes and playing chasing to keep warm.
We do get the children wrapped up before we go outside. Please could you make sure coats, hats, gloves, cardigans and wellies are named to help us help them. Gloves on a string through sleeves is an old idea but works very well. Thanks!
Next week: Christmas!
Week 4 27-11-20
The children took their role as law enforcers very seriously this week.
People were stopped for speeding and bad guys were put in jail for taking things and 'jumping over the carpet!' Very strict!!
We have had lots of super speaking and listening about emergencies, following the rules and helping people. We worked out why we use lights as warnings in certain places such as lighthouses and level crossings and made our own emergency vehicle.
In maths we talked about repeating patterns like on police cars and compared objects by weight using balance scales. We used the language; heavy, light, heavier than, lighter than and the same.
We went into the hall on a wet day to play some games. The children enjoyed the space and listened really well to instructions.
We enjoyed drumming inside and out, to find different sounds and tried to make them loud and quiet.
A lovely busy week despite the latest round of runny noses!
Next week; Other people who help us and Christmas!!!!
Week 3 20/11/20
We have had great fun exploring our 'dark den' with torches this week. Some children were happy to go in with a friend and some looked from the outside.
The children took turns in the den to look at objects that glow in the dark and some reflectors. We talked about different types of light and what makes them work. We found out that some people work at night when we are in bed and had a good chat about how the dark makes us feel. Some of the children expressed worries about scary things, funny noises and monsters in the dark. We read lots of stories about night time and the dark that talked about these issues and hopefully may have helped.
To encourage mark making and writing this week we removed the table. Laying and sitting on the floor uses different muscles and is more comfortable for some children. It also encourages gymnastics!!
Outside we definitely noticed the cold. Moving tyres from A to B keeps us warm though!
Next week: warning lights and people who help us.
Week 2 13/11/20
This week our focus has been nocturnal animals.
We have talked about British animals that only come out at night, how they move, how they get their food and what they do during the day. We discussed whether people are nocturnal and our own bedtimes. Waking up in the night and going into other beds seems to be very common at the moment.
We learnt a new song about bats and used small bats for counting. Ask the children if they can teach you our song, they are very good with the words and actions!
Outside the children used the tyres and long tubes for building. Moving large heavy things is great for developing spatial awareness and gross motor skills. The children worked as a team with the tyres which was lovely to see.(Apologies for the slimy coats!)
Thank you for your Children In Need donations. The children were very excited about dressing up and seeing what others were wearing. It was good to get our dressing up clothes out again. They are not allowed out every day at the moment as part of our Covid19 risk assessment so it was a treat to have them and have princesses swirling around Nursery again.(They will be packed away and washed this weekend.) We talked about why we are dressing up and some children were able to explain about helping others. Fab!
Next week: night and day and different types of light.
Autumn 2
Week 1 6/11/20
The children were fresh and raring to go this week and we have had lots of fun talking about fireworks.
We used instruments to recreate firework noises and sparkly paint to make pictures. Outside we had a safe bonfire (no fire!) and even toasted marshmallows.
We discussed fire safety, looking after our pets and how fireworks make us feel. In maths we used shapes to make rockets and put numbered rockets in order.
The children are working hard to write their names, showing great concentration.
We had photos taken in the hall and the children were fab! All followed instructions and coped with a very situation well!
Next week; Light and dark.
Autumn 1
Week 7 23/10/20
We have enjoyed lots of Autumn activities this week and really noticed the changing weather.
We used natural materials to make pictures and mixed paint to make autumn colours . We found out about hedgehogs then used play dough to make our own. In Maths we added pegs as spikes on numbered hedgehogs. We compared the size and shape of squash and pumpkins then tried to order them by size. We followed instructions using positional language to place conkers then used the language ourselves to describe where they were.
Outside the children were very helpful in sweeping up leaves- a long job on a windy day! The search for mini beasts continues!
The children are developing their listening and attention skills, especially at carpet time. The children really enjoy story time and love to join in with familiar stories.
It has been a very busy half term, the children are gelling well as a group, making friends and have settled really well. They deserve a well earned rest!!
After half term- light and dark!
Week 6 16/10/20
We had another exciting walk this week when we went around school grounds on our Autumn walk.
We learnt how to find a partner, stand in a line and stay behind the person in front. The children listened really carefully and added these new important skills to their repertoire! We enjoyed finding Autumn treasure and talking about the changes we could see around us.
Inside we rolled conkers in paint, made Autumn trees with finger painted leaves and mixed Autumn colours.
We were excited to have the play dough out and the children did lots of cooking. We have to play a group at a time to allow for hand washing, rather than free play as it used to be, so it has become a very sought after activity.
Our fruit and vegetable role play shop was busy. There was lots of super talking and listening, maths and imaginative play as well as negotiation over turn taking. We also used the fruit to practise counting with an adult. Practical activities at home such as counting cutlery and glasses at the table really help to consolidate understanding.
The weeks are flying and the children are surprising and impressing us every day.
Next week: more Autumn changes, harvest and break up for half term on Friday.
Week 5 9/10/20
We've had a very busy senses week.
We had a 'listening walk' around school, including the hall which was the first visit for some children. They did listen beautifully and enjoyed seeing older children in the distance and visiting the office. We talked about eye tests and what we can see from our Nursery and the children had great fun trying on frames(no lenses). Some even decided to keep them on all day- apparently when you're playing teachers you need glasses! We tested 'smelly pots', most children recognised a mint plant as toothpaste and we took turns to guess the object in a feely box. We talked about our favourite foods and you might be surprised to hear that fruit was very popular!
Outside we practised road safety and used bubbles in a tray to wash some vehicles. Squeezing sponges is a good way of developing muscle strength in small hands-ready for mark making. Inside we have an elastic snake which we pull, stretch and shake for hand and arm strength. Children need a firm grip to hold a pencil and apply pressure when writing.
We were also very excited about using our water butt. The children now have the independence to fill their own bucket when playing with water. They are also learning concepts such as heavy, full, empty and OVERFLOWING! An extra benefit is that the children are becoming more independent at changing their wet clothes!
Next week; Autumn
Week 4- 2/10/20
This week we have talked about some of the ways we can look after ourselves and who can help us when we feel poorly.
Our doctor's surgery was very popular. The children arrived with lots of symptoms, but surprisingly, not the ones all the adults are talking about! We discussed keeping clean, looking after our teeth and getting rid of germs.
We have talked about keeping safe near roads and the importance of holding hands and staying with our grown-ups. We practised stopping at the crossing and what the Green man tells us. The children all assured me that they would NEVER run off!!
In Maths we used the language of size; big, small, tall, short and compared our friends.
We took advantage of the sunshine to get our playhouse ship shape. The children were very effective with cleaning and getting themselves wet!
We used sand in the tray to mark make. Firstly with brushes and then making tracks with the cars and trucks.
It is lovely to see friendships developing between peers and relationships developing with staff. The children have done so well at coping with new Nursery routines. Who would have expected 2 and 3 year olds to be so independent, coming into school without parents, hand washing automatically and being in charge of their own belongings. Well done everyone!
Next week- our Senses.
Week 3-25/9/20
We have had a lovely busy, week. Most children were back in following their colds, but there are still lots of runny and green noses!
We continued to make dolls and to talk about ourselves. We painted self-portraits, named features and described what we look like. The children really enjoyed looking at pictures of faces and saying how the person was feeling by looking at their expression. We tried to copy expressions such as angry and sad and then talked about what makes us feel like that.
In maths we used jelly figures to talk about size and name the parts of our family.
We have had every type of weather this week but have enjoyed the bikes, some parachute games, water and puddle play. We will play outside throughout Autumn, so please send your child in wellies or waterproof shoes.
I hope your child has shown you the 'magic way' of putting on a coat and you enjoyed the videos. We are encouraging the children to be independent and they are really proud that they can be 'big boys and girls!'
Thank you for the family photos, we will keep the display up for a few weeks so there is still time to send one in.
Next week; keeping healthy!
Week 2-18/9/20
This week the children have become more familiar with our routines and are learning each others names.
There are some lovely friendships developing and a sense of the group coming together. I am very impressed with how the children come into school, a few tears are common so we are doing very well and they all enjoy themselves once we get busy.
We have started to talk about ourselves and our bodies and most have made a doll of themselves. Thank you if you have sent a photo of your family. The children get very excited when they tell us who's who.
You might have heard about the 'scream'. We use the 'SCREEN' for games, songs and the occasional Peter Rabbit. Very useful while staff are doing end of session cleaning.
Story time is going very well. We have talked about 'good sitting' and the children are trying hard to remember- eyes looking, ears listening, lips closed , hands still.
Next week; families
Week 1- 11/9/20
Welcome to all our children and families old and new. We have had a fantastic (if tiring) start to the school year.
Twelve children returned to Nursery and sixteen brand new starters arrived, all of whom came into school without the reassurance of their parents. They all managed beautifully, taking hand washing, new routines and unfamiliar surroundings in their stride.
I am so impressed with them all and glad to say everyone seems happy, settled and keen to come back next week!
Here are a few pictures of the children settling in and making friends. What a lovely bunch they are!