On 4th June, I will return to F1 after my foot operation. It's been six weeks of foot elevation and no weight-bearing. I am now in phase 2 of the recovery and physio is helping me walk on it again properly. I've been instructed to ease into work gradually so have to be mostly desk-based for the first 3 weeks back. However, I am very much looking forward to seeing you all again and excited for the fun activities we have planned during our final, busiest and hopefully sunniest term together.
I will be bringing in my adjustable crutches for the children to explore. We will have a special delivery this week (look out for the Tapestry observations for more info). It's also the term for Fathers Day, sports day (Mon 8th July or rain-date: Wed 10th July), school trip (Tues 11th June), International day (Wed 17th July), Tempest photos (Thur 13th June), transition arrangements and school reports..... oh, and a drama workshop (Friday 7th June).
We will have an EY 'stay and play' for the Dad's, Grand-Dad's and any family member - male or female - for children who attend on the morning of Friday14th in F1 and F2. It will be from 9-10.15am.
We welcome Matej to our class on the 4th, and prepare to say good-bye to a few of our children who are moving to other schools for next academic year.
Enjoy the rest of half term and see you on Tuesday. YEY!
Wednesday 29 May 2019
Tuesday 19 March 2019
Science week
Science week was awesome!!!!!
We had so much fun doing scientific experiments - inside and outside. The children really enjoyed exploring, experimenting, observing changes, investigating and predicting. So much learning took place whilst developing their scientific minds.
We focused on colour change and added water to a plate of skittles - admiring how the dye from the skittles changed the water into a rainbow. Then we examined the underneath of the skittles and they had turned white. After an hour or so, we went back to the plate and found the skittles had disappeared - they had dissolved.
We made a volcano out of playdough (wrapped around a bottle). We explored the white powder (bicarbonate of soda) and the clear liquid (white vinegar which smelt disgusting!). When the two ingredients mixed, we observed the lava (orange foam) pouring out of the top of our volcano. We predicted and explored what happened when we added more.
We all discovered how stamping hard on the foot pump of a foam rocket launcher made the rocket zoom high in the sky, and why/how that happened. The windy day made the rocket fly on all directions. We made our own rockets and used them in the playground to fly to different laminated planets.
Outside, we planted, observed different vegetables and made perfume using herbs, coloured water, petals and old flower heads. We were exploring using pipettes and test-tubes.
A fun week of learning.
We had so much fun doing scientific experiments - inside and outside. The children really enjoyed exploring, experimenting, observing changes, investigating and predicting. So much learning took place whilst developing their scientific minds.
We focused on colour change and added water to a plate of skittles - admiring how the dye from the skittles changed the water into a rainbow. Then we examined the underneath of the skittles and they had turned white. After an hour or so, we went back to the plate and found the skittles had disappeared - they had dissolved.
We made a volcano out of playdough (wrapped around a bottle). We explored the white powder (bicarbonate of soda) and the clear liquid (white vinegar which smelt disgusting!). When the two ingredients mixed, we observed the lava (orange foam) pouring out of the top of our volcano. We predicted and explored what happened when we added more.
We all discovered how stamping hard on the foot pump of a foam rocket launcher made the rocket zoom high in the sky, and why/how that happened. The windy day made the rocket fly on all directions. We made our own rockets and used them in the playground to fly to different laminated planets.
Outside, we planted, observed different vegetables and made perfume using herbs, coloured water, petals and old flower heads. We were exploring using pipettes and test-tubes.
A fun week of learning.
Friday 15 February 2019
Half Term
Dear Parents / carers,
Happy sunny Friday. We wish you all a lovely half term.
On our return, we will be changing some topics in worship, movement in music and PE. This to ensure we cover a wide range of curriculum activities and expose our children to lots of different skills in an age-appropriate and interactive way.
WORSHIP: We finished our 'helpfulness' topic this week and will start a new topic - "Easter". The unit overview is the Truth: Salvation, through Jesus' death and resurrection, is God's Best Gift.
MOVEMENT IN MUSIC: We finished our "Instruments - sounds, beat and rhythm" topic and will start a new topic - "Different scales, pitch awareness and voice sounds". However, the first week is a settling back week and the second week will not happen due to Tempest Photography being set up in the hall and taking individual photos of your children. Movement in music will therefore start on 12.3.19.
PE : We will be extending our 'moving in different ways topic. F1 and F2 will be splitting up for PE due to the increased number of children. We will be using the wooden wall climbing equipment to extend the children's climbing skills and following our safety rules. We will move around obstacle courses and also do some Spring and growth dances.
I have sent home a sheet entitled 'Half Term Snaps'. Please could you attach some printed photos to this sheet with an explanation on what your child did. We look forward to sharing these sheets and hearing more about what your children have been up to.
We will be planting seeds on our return - learning more about growth and change. We will continue to take many walks around the beautiful Newbold college grounds too.
We welcome Rosie to our class too.
Enjoy the sunshine and the break
Kind regards,
Mrs Jennings
BA (Hons) 1st
Early Years Manager
Monday 28 January 2019
January 2019
WELCOME TO THE FIRST MONTH OF 2019.
We welcome a new starter: Josie, and will welcome another new starter after half term: Rosie.
This half term starts with a new worship topic: 'Helpfulness'. We are learning that helpful hands are kind hands. We ask ourselves: How can we be a gift? We can use our kind hands to help.
We also start a new focus in 'movement in music' : Instruments - sounds, beat and rhythms.
In PE, we will be developing our ball skills (rolling, throwing, passing, catching, bouncing and kicking), as well as performing ring games and circle dances - following instructions. Each PE lesson will start with a coordinated aerobic warm-up.
Other adult-led activities include the 3 ability-based phonic groups each day, which are short, interactive and fun. I have just introduced a daily small group activity for the children who have attended F1 since before the start of this academic year. This sessions focus on extending literacy (reading and writing) skills and maths (numbers and shape, space, measure) skills. These children are all enjoying these activities and progressing very well.
The children are enjoying learning through play and this is child-led and quite often leads to in-the-moment learning. A classic example of this was last week, when a number hunt in the woods turned into the realisation that number 11 was missing. The children had convinced themselves that a cheeky fox had taken it, and maybe ate it. At lunchtime, a letter was left for us from the fox, saying he had thought that the number 11 was for him as it was his birthday and he was 11 today. We voted on what to do (let him keep it or ask for it back) and it was agreed that the fox shouldn't have taken it as it wasn't his to take. The children had a great idea: make him a birthday card - lots of imaginative drawing and writing came next, and another trip to the woods was in hand. We left our card, an orange and a sock (as the video footage we watched as part of our research into what foxes like, included fruit and socks).
The next day, we went back to the woods and to our surprise, the number 11 had been returned as well as a thank you note. The birthday card had gone, and so had the sock. During our walk to the woods, we saw orange peel on the ground. This in-the-moment activity lasted 2 days, ignited such interest, developed skills in the 7 areas of learning and developed a positive mindset.
The children love 'Toast Tuesday' - where they develop their skills in using tools, noticing changes, using their senses. The UK wide "big garden birdwatch' of 2019 was fun and educational last week. The bread the children threw resulted in us seeing lots of pigeons, magpies, crows and even a robin. Thank you to those children who carried on this activity with their parents at the weekend.
We look forward to the rest of this half term and want to thank you - the parents - for your continued support.
From The F1 team.
We welcome a new starter: Josie, and will welcome another new starter after half term: Rosie.
This half term starts with a new worship topic: 'Helpfulness'. We are learning that helpful hands are kind hands. We ask ourselves: How can we be a gift? We can use our kind hands to help.
We also start a new focus in 'movement in music' : Instruments - sounds, beat and rhythms.
In PE, we will be developing our ball skills (rolling, throwing, passing, catching, bouncing and kicking), as well as performing ring games and circle dances - following instructions. Each PE lesson will start with a coordinated aerobic warm-up.
Other adult-led activities include the 3 ability-based phonic groups each day, which are short, interactive and fun. I have just introduced a daily small group activity for the children who have attended F1 since before the start of this academic year. This sessions focus on extending literacy (reading and writing) skills and maths (numbers and shape, space, measure) skills. These children are all enjoying these activities and progressing very well.
The children are enjoying learning through play and this is child-led and quite often leads to in-the-moment learning. A classic example of this was last week, when a number hunt in the woods turned into the realisation that number 11 was missing. The children had convinced themselves that a cheeky fox had taken it, and maybe ate it. At lunchtime, a letter was left for us from the fox, saying he had thought that the number 11 was for him as it was his birthday and he was 11 today. We voted on what to do (let him keep it or ask for it back) and it was agreed that the fox shouldn't have taken it as it wasn't his to take. The children had a great idea: make him a birthday card - lots of imaginative drawing and writing came next, and another trip to the woods was in hand. We left our card, an orange and a sock (as the video footage we watched as part of our research into what foxes like, included fruit and socks).
The next day, we went back to the woods and to our surprise, the number 11 had been returned as well as a thank you note. The birthday card had gone, and so had the sock. During our walk to the woods, we saw orange peel on the ground. This in-the-moment activity lasted 2 days, ignited such interest, developed skills in the 7 areas of learning and developed a positive mindset.
The children love 'Toast Tuesday' - where they develop their skills in using tools, noticing changes, using their senses. The UK wide "big garden birdwatch' of 2019 was fun and educational last week. The bread the children threw resulted in us seeing lots of pigeons, magpies, crows and even a robin. Thank you to those children who carried on this activity with their parents at the weekend.
We look forward to the rest of this half term and want to thank you - the parents - for your continued support.
From The F1 team.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)