At The Seaside

Welcome back! Hope you all had a good half term break.

As we commence the final half of Summer term we'll be concentrating on a Seaside theme, as we create a seaside display scene using different media and materials.Alongside this we'll be exporing textures and colours.

We would love it if you have any seaside recollections to write up on a wow slip, and would also welcome any shells etc you would like to bring in to show us.

We'll be reading The Bears Who Went To The Seaside and Grandma's Beach.

Sun safety is always paramount in our minds at this time of year so we'll also be talking about sunhats, suncreams etc. On that note can I remind parents to ensure their child has a named sunhat in their bag. We are still having confusion over unnamed school jumpers and who they belong to! Many thanks for your co-operation with this.

As this term progresses we'll be informing you about transfer days into year 2 pre-school, to familarise your child with this change in September.       
                                                       Helen.
                                                
                                                       

                                                       

People Who Help Us

During this last week of half term we'll be talking about people who help us eg doctors, nurses, firefighters, lifeboat crews, lollipop men or women etc.
There will be role play opportunities to dress up as some of them and small world related play, do feel free to have your child come in one of their own costumes if it reflects this topic too!
We'll be reading and looking at the book Emergency which depicts many of these occupations ( UW )

On a different subject, some of the children will also be practising their cutting skills, using scissors to make snips in paper ( PD ).

We will also be in the garden transferring our plants into grobags; you will have already seen how well they've grown in the classroom, and we've all been following their progress regularly.

Term will recommence on Monday 1st June. Enjoy the half term break.
                                                         Helen.
                                                  
                                                         

                                                         

Music

Thank you to all of you who brought in scooters etc for our Scootathon last week. The children did so well, especially those who took part on blustery days! You will all be receiving slips stating the number of laps completed. Thank you so much for your support and sponsorship.

This week we move onto music, always a popular topic!
We shall be focussing on instrumental sounds, in accordance with Letters and Sounds Phase 1.

There will be a variety of musical instruments for the children to help themselves to and try out.

In small groups, activities will include stopping and starting; guessing the instrument; repeating a rhythm; copying loud and quiet sounds, and playing for others.

Photos of these music groups will be put on display.
                                                                         Helen.


                                                          

Shark In The Park

We hope you all enjoyed the Bank Holiday weekend.

This week we'll be reading and exploring the book Shark In The Park. ( As a follow on from this we'll also read a Percy The Park Keeper book ).

This is a book the children always enjoy shouting out " There's a shark in the park " to !!

We will be using cardboard tubes as telescopes, and take turns using them to spot different coloured items. If any of you could bring in old kitchen roll tubes we'd be very grateful.

Some of the children will be using scissors to cut out zig zag shark teeth using folded paper plates.

There may also be a shark lurking about in the playmobile park!

Lastly, we will be emphasising rhyming words which occur throughout the book.

Just a reminder that it's Scootathon week , so please bring in your child's bike or scooter on the date given on slips. Please just ask if you haven't received one as yet.

A polite reminder also that if your child stays for lunch club, please can all food items be kept within the named lunchbox or bag.We've recently had yoghurts, bananas etc given in separately which can become very confusing working out who they belong to! Many Thanks, Helen.

                                                               

                           
                                                     

                                                                
                                                  

Board games etc

Last week the children made fluffy birds, please do look around the room and admire their work!
We will continue doing this activity with the remaining children this week.
Every day we're looking out of the window to see if we can spot any birds on the feeder we set up.
The seeds that we planted are coming on well, and we're hiding tiny dinosaurs in the grass we've grown!

This will be a busy week as we also plan , in small groups, to visit the kitchen to make cheese scones to take home.

In the meantime we're going to concentrate on the childrens's individual needs. Within small groups, we'll be playing board games etc which involve turn taking and concentration. We'll be practising copying letters, setting number problems etc, this is ongoing.

We will also be welcoming two new children to our setting.

As ever, please do approach one of us if you have any queries or concerns.
                                                                      
                                                                                                          Helen.
                                               

Birds

Firstly a big thank you to all of you who returned wow slips telling us about your Easter holidays, as well as updating us on what your child has been doing at home.These slips will be displayed and then be put in your child's respective learning journeys.
Due to the surprise hot spell last week, we were grateful for the speedy return of sun protection request forms. We still have some outstanding, and would appreciate if these can be returned asap, so that your child can safely enjoy outside play when temperatures rise again.On these days you will find a tick list by the entrance door so you can inform us if you've already applied suncream to your child.
Just a reminder, can all sunhats and  sun creams be clearly labelled to avoid confusion, thank you.
Last week the children all took part in planting grass,courgette,pea and squash seeds. Over the coming weeks we will be following their progress ( UW ).It was lovely to hear about the vegetables some children grew at home as well.
We also had a visit from Julia who brought in baby chicks, which the children all had an opportunity to individually hold ( of course we took photos! )
Appropriately then we're turning our attention to birds this week.
We'll be setting up a bird feeder tray with which we hope to glimpse the birds feeding .
We will also go outside and use binoculars to spot any birds in the vicinity, and discuss the noises they make, and the textures of feathers ( EAD ). We'll also mention flightless birds ( UW )
Every child will be making hand print wings for their own bird artwork.
Books which we'll be looking at are Goodnight Owl, I'm Not Cute and The Chuckling Ducklings. Song time will also take on a bird theme! Helen.

                                                     

Watch Them Grow

Welcome back to the first half of the Summer Term.We do hope you all had a lovely Easter break and enjoyed the weather and a few Easter eggs! Please do fill in the wow slips which were given out at the end of last term, to tell us what you did during this holiday period.As well as putting them on display and sticking them into your child's learning journeys, we also link them up to the Early Years Foundation Stage criteria.

This coming week we will be discussing the process of seed growing. All of the children will be planting grass seeds in a large tray. On a daily basis they will be looking after, and watching them grow, whilst we discuss what conditions seeds need to grow in (UW).When the grass has been grown we will use it to place toy animals in etc for the children to play with.Please do let us know on a wow slip, if you and your child grow anything at home.

For our craft activity we will be painting sunflowers and sticking real seeds in the centre of them to put on display (EAD).

At song time we will be singing One Little Daffodil, accompanied by a visual display on a Velcro board.This encourages counting as the children anticipate the next number, as we add another daffodil to the board (M).

At snack time we will be looking at the seeds within the fruit we enjoy eg oranges, apples and grapes ( UW).

During story time we'll be reading Ten Seeds, Watch Them Grow and The Enormous Turnip.

This term we will be joined by staff member, Carol, who will be working on a one to one basis, and our student , Iffy , will be with us on a Thursday and Friday .
                                                                                   Helen