Sunday 14 December 2014

christmas week

a very busy week that usually flies by!
Last week we were very busy baking christmas cakes, making decorations and exploring new activities on the finger gym table.
 The finger gym table combines Physical development, mathematics and motivation from the characteristics of effective learning. We encourage the children to finish one of the tasks, and they have all done very well.
This week many of the children will be enjoying a trip to the garden centre to look at the decorations.
We will be using the trip to observe the children's next steps in physical development 'adapting to changes in routine'. Also Understanding the world,( technology, ) which will be using the camera to take a picture of their favourite decoration or display.

Letters and sound this week will be using musical instruments to accompany singing (christmas songs), and listening games.
The children will continue to decorate their cakes, finish off their decorations and explore and enjoy some new finger gym activities.

DON'T FORGET, christmas party on Friday.

From us all a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year.




Sunday 7 December 2014

we continue our preparations for christmas

Last week the children made some beautiful crowns to decorate a Christmas tree, which is on display at the Christmas tree festival at St George's church Fordington. If you didn't manage to go to the festival, we took some pictures, which we will put up soon. The children were also busy making christmas cards and bird food to decorate a tree outside for the birds.
We were also learning about the nativity and the story of Christmas, do fill in a WOW if your child tells you about the Christmas story at home.

This coming week we continue to learn about shapes and our next steps will be in ICT making Christmas trees and photographing them, then then using the computer to turn the photo's into labels for our Christmas cakes which ALL the children will have the opportunity to make.

Our Letters and sounds will be Aspect 2 Instrumental sounds. We will be listening to Christmas songs and music and talking about the instruments we can hear. We will also be continuing on with listening games, using the poem 'what's inside?' by Celia Warren to play a sounds game.

At home if you listen to music why not try and recognise the instruments!

AG

Sunday 30 November 2014

All things Christmas,!

Last week the children enjoyed discovering textures, sights and sounds on the sensory bus that we hired from Treats toy library. We incorporated our shapes topic into the week, so look around at the displays for art work and photographs.

This week we start our Christmas theme as we do every year by taking part in the St George's church Christmas tree festival. All the children make lots of tree decorations which we use to decorate the pre school tree with, and then it is displayed at the church as part of the festival. The theme is celebrations and we are making crowns as tree decorations.
The festival is at St George's Fordington, Friday 5th December 7-9pm, Saturday 6th 11am-7pm, Sunday 7th 12-4pm, and Monday 8th 12-4pm. Its a lovely start to the Christmas celebrations so do try to go along.

Our next steps this week is Mathematical Development, 'shapes'
Physical Development, using a pencil and writing cards. Using scissors to make a Christmas picture.
Letters and sounds will be more listening games, rhymes, and Christmas poems and songs.
JIGSAW is the same as last week.
Our stories will all be nativity stories thinking and talking about the Christmas story.
We are also going to make some bird food to hang outside for the birds as the weather is getting colder.
AG.

Sunday 23 November 2014

sensory bus

Last week some of the children had a very exciting start to the week when the school had a visit from Prince Charles. The children have been drawing pictures and painting pictures using red white and blue paints.
The children have also started a shape topic, using paint effects to decorate shapes.

This week we are having the 'sensory bus' from Treats toy library for the week. It is a super big bus full of amazing sensory experiences, colours and textures. Look out for photos and pictures and art work.

Our NEXT STEPS with the children this week will be talking about what they have observed and looking closely at similarities, differences and patterns.
Also shape and space (MD)

JIGSAW, we continue to think and talk about how we are all different and special.

LETTERS AND SOUNDS. The children will continue to play listening games, using different sounds, and listening games using rhyming words.

On the 26th November the children from year 1 will be having a bring and buy sale to raise some more money for children in need. in the main school hall.  It starts at 3.00pm and finishes after 4.00pm. Do drop in if you can.
    AG.

Sunday 16 November 2014

Lots to learn and do!

Last week we continued our spider topic, making spider models, cakes, counting and singing.

Our plan was to make some poppies on the 11th November, however the children enjoyed this activity, and continued on to do some lovely paintings, and made some poppy pictures using a computer programme. Do look at the display board in the classroom.

NEXT STEPS; this week our next steps will be continuing on our letters and sounds phase 1 with listening games to differentiate sounds, and play letter and sound bingo. Also we will be continuing on with numbers for counting, and starting our shape space and measure topic in mathematical development.

JIGSAW. We have been talking about how we are special as individuals, now we are going to talk about how in our families and our groups of friends we are all different, we don't look the same, we look different, why?
with the children we are going to look at some family stories and pictures and talk about what they can see, and what is different from their family.  AG

Sunday 9 November 2014

poppies, spiders and children in need !

This week we continue our counting and physical development 'next steps' by finishing our spider cakes, making collage spider pictures, and small spiders to go on our spider web picture frame we started last week.

On Tuesday the children will have an opportunity to make a poppy, and talk about someone special who has helped them. This ties in with our Jigsaw home theme which this week is talking   about being special. Why not make a family picture about what they are good at home which shows why they are special.

From the middle of the week we will be making pictures and a banner to take part in 'children in need' another way of thinking about special people and how we are all different, unique and special.

All the children who swam last week had a great time, however please remember you must remember your child's swimming kit, or else they will not be able to swim.

Monday 3 November 2014

fireworks!!!!!

Welcome back to the 2nd half of the Autumn term, with lots of fun learning planned.
We start with 'fireworks' and a lovely opportunity to explore colours and mixing colours. Also a great opportunity to explore describing words, such as words we may use to talk about fireworks, such as 'whizz, fizz, bang etc.
We plan to enjoy a firework party at snack time with sausages and hot chocolate (no real fireworks!) and enjoy role play parties and building bonfires.

The children will be making firework decorations in the shape of their name, so we can look at the sounds and letters in their name.

This week we will be continuing with our counting and number topic using spiders and their 8 legs to make and decorate cakes, count groups, small world play and make pictures using collage.

JIGSAW our theme this half term is 'dreams and goals' thinking about what am I good at and having a go at a challenge.

Our next steps as a group this week is Physical development (PD) moving and handling, this will be using tools safely and with control, such as scissors, threading, decorating cakes and preparing snacks by spreading butter on bread or crackers.

does any one have any buttons we can have for art and craft topics, any amount gratefully received.

                                                 

Sunday 19 October 2014

'lots to do!'

Hello Everyone,
We were so lucky last week, we managed to avoid the weather, and nearly all the children enjoyed our Autumn picnic. All the children took teddies, which they were responsible for, we took lots of opportunities to talk about responsibility this past week, the children have been doing lots of thinking about that.
We also continued on with our Autumn crafts, and have been really enjoying a music and movement song '5 little owls', some of the children have been loving the dancing we have been doing, and everyone has enjoyed the number challenges they have been doing.

This coming week is a busy one!
We have some little topics within the week, a celebration of Diwali on 23rd October, on 24 October is the RSPB feed the birds day and as a whole school we will be celebrating UNICEF's each child has a right to an identity. Also we have to finish our class charter (JIGSAW)

So... our crafts will be sparkly, we will be outside tidying up a bird feeding area, our cooking this week will be bird food, we will be making posters, doing handprinting, and talking about how we all think we should behave in the classroom.

The number tasks will continue on with numbers for counting and our poems will be about Diwali, birds and owls.

Don't forget half term next week, we break up Friday and return Tuesday 4th November.





Sunday 12 October 2014

Autumn and UNICEF rights of the child

We had a great week at pre school last week enjoying our harvest topic, I think all the children contributed to the week, cooking, making art and craft displays, packing our harvest vegetable 'pots' for the celebration and enjoying our songs and poems.

This week we are going to continue with the Autumn theme, incorporating our JIGSAW topic within the week.

Weather permitting we hope to go on an Autumn picnic , (we will try to include everyone on different days) The children will be able to take their teddy from home or one of ours, and they will have to be responsible for it, and make sure they have what they need to go on the picnic. The children will also be able to collect Autumn leaves, twigs and other bits and pieces to make an Autumn picture.

Over the next 2 weeks we will be taking part in a whole school topic, making a banner to be displayed in the school foyer, celebrating the UNICEF rights of the child. The pre school will be thinking about the right to healthy food.

We are also going to make a pre school charter, about our class rules, these will be the children's ideas as well as ours including how we think we should behave at pre school, and towards each other.

This week we have activities planned within MD, numbers for counting, UW, technology, using cameras and computers. and creative thinking, all with the Autumn theme.

Next week is the school book fayre, we will be taking the children to have a look at the books, however you are welcome to go and choose some books (early Christmas shopping!). We will publish the opening times in pre school.

JIGSAW. how about a WOW telling everyone what you child is responsible for at home? If not why not a WOW about any of your child's achievements, successes, or something they are enjoying, or a book you are reading, in fact anything at all!

A big THANK YOU for all the produce you all donated for the harvest celebrations, I will let you know how much money was raised for two very worthy causes.

Tuesday 7 October 2014

Farm to fork, harvest festival

The children have been busy this week thinking about Harvest festival.
We have been making bread, fruit kebabs and collecting together our produce to make our 'vegetable pots' for the festival on Friday.

Harvest festival takes place on Friday in the school hall, we always take part and next year if your child is in Reception class you will be able to attend.

We always like to talk about harvest festival on Thursday and prepare our donations with the children so that the children who do not attend Friday will have taken part in the celebration.

The school hall will be full of lovely art work as well so do find time to look on Friday afternoon.
Tomorrow we will be joining Reception to create some art for the display.

We have lots of joint Reception activities coming up so all the children will be able to take part. we do aim to be as fair as possible.

Please don't forget a donation of produce for the display, it will all be sold in aid of the two chosen charities,  Epilepsy Action UK and The Kings College Hospital West Africa Ebola appeal.

Sunday 5 October 2014

Harvest

Last week whilst we were picking more of our lovely tomatoes and preparing 2 beds to plant our 'grass free ' lawn seed trays,  the children were looking at the sunflowers we planted earlier in the year.
 So some of the children took some photographs of them and made a number line, and many of the children  painted beautiful sunflower pictures. Because the weather was so nice we were able to sit outside to paint so the children were able to look at what they were painting. We found a book called 10 seeds about sunflowers, and together we made a seed number poster.( MD numbers and counting)

This coming week we are taking part in a whole school project 'Harvest', already with the children we have been reading the poem 'a Harvest Prayer' by Cynthia Rider.
From that poem we have made a list of the fruits mentioned and on Monday the children will be making fruit kebabs.
During the week some children will be making bread, fruit loaf for the harvest café at school Friday and also making our vegetable baskets for harvest festival assembly on Friday (PD Health).

We will be joining Reception class Wednesday morning to for art activities to display in school for Harvest.
 The children will also have the opportunity to collage and decorate a fruit garland for the display. (EAD media and materials)
Don't worry if your child doesn't attend on Wednesday or Friday we have more activities planned with Reception at other times during the term so everyone will be included.

JIGSAW. This week we will be talking about healthy food and drink to make us grow, and starting to thing about our pre school charter (more about that next week) so at home why not talk about fruit and why it is good for you? what's  everyone's favourite fruit at home?

Pre School team







Sunday 28 September 2014

Harvest

Our theme for the next two weeks is Harvest and farm to fork.
We will be thinking about 2 different kinds of farms, comparing Philippa's farm (Maiden Castle) with a farm in our story called 'one child, one seed'.
The children will have opportunities to small world role play with farms and tractors and build models with junk modelling (EAD, CL)

We will also be sponge printing and potato printing, and starting a group art activity with collage to make a garland of vegetables and fruit to display at school at harvest festival.

The children still have to make their apple crisps from the apples we collected last week, and to finish off the apples, we will be making some stewed apple to eat at snack. In both these tasks the children will be able to comment on the differences between raw and stewed apple cooked in 2 different ways (UW).

JIGSAW.
This coming week we will be talking about kind hands, and asking the children  to think about some of the kind things they can do with their hands eg playing, helping etc.
At some of our activities such as messy play, threading, using tweezers, adults will be talking to the children about kind hands and asking them what they think.
Can you think of something at home that needs kind hands?   Pre school team

Sunday 14 September 2014

The Park

Last week the children enjoyed some stories by Shirley Hughes about Alfie, particularly 'Alfie gets in First' and An Evening at Alfies.' We have been reading the stories and retelling them in our own words the next day. The children have also been looking at the pictures and choosing toys that Alfie has in the story to play with  at pre school, for example Noah's ark in the evening with Alfie story. Also from Alfie gets in first we got out the dolls house and made ladders for 'people' to climb up.
This helps children with their recall and extends their thinking.

Next week we are going to read Alfie's Feet and a Walk in the Park, thinking about parks going into Autumn.
Alfie's feet is about wellington boots and puddles, so we will be doing some boot printing, puddle splashing and role playing a shoe shop.

At circle time we are going to think about what makes us happy and sad, we will be sorting pictures according to how the children think the person in the picture is feeling. And using mirrors to make faces in! The children will also be painting pictures of themselves.

I do hope you will be able to attend our get together on Thursday morning, it will only be about 30 minutes and I hope there will be some interesting information.

Pre school Team