Nursery School Newsletter 19

10.02.2023

Dear Parents

This week’s Nursery School highlights:

• Snack/Cooking – At the beginning of this week the children had the chance to make their own toast. They were encouraged/supported to spread the butter onto the toast. They then had an option of toppings to choose from – honey, marmite, beans, cheese or jam. They then cut their toast in half or into quarters. As the children munched their toast Marlena read the story “Beans on toast”. The children had lots of opportunity to discuss process and recall key vocabulary.
• Outside – Our focus this week has remained on developing spatial awareness and gross motor and fine motor skills. The children have enjoyed completing the wooden obstacles, making giant ball runs, climbing the rope ladder and developing confidence on the monkey bars. The sandpit has also been popular this week with lots of digging, raking and imaginative play happening.
• Inside – The children have helped Jenny to create a pirate ship; they have had fun dressing up and creating their own role play scenarios. The children have been interested in maps and pirate vocabulary, have made props, been searching for treasure and learnt pirate songs.
• Safer Internet Day – On Tuesday it was safer internet day. During group times, we discussed screen time with the children and asked what they enjoyed watching, doing and learning about on the TV, tablet, phone and computer. We explained how it is important that they feel safe with what they are watching, doing and learning and to talk to their grown up if they are feeling upset or worried as some things are not made for children.

Our core book – The Very Hungry Caterpillar – We shared this story with the children and encouraged them to join in with repeated phrases. The children enjoyed discussing the story, pictures and vocabulary as it was being read. The book offered lots of opportunity for counting and comparing along with recognising the life cycle of a butterfly.

Phonics – The sound we have revisited this week is ‘s’. Here is a link to the song. Please be aware of online safety if sharing with your child. We have also recapped on other sounds we have learnt so far. Along with exploring body percussion where we have focused on sounds and rhythms, we have been describing sounds, joining in with words and actions to familiar songs and have given time and space to practise large scale movements.

● Maths – Our maths focus for this week has been shape and space, where the children have been exploring 2D and 3D shapes and using informal mathematical language: ‘sides’, ‘corners’, ‘straight’, ‘flat’, ‘round’. We have also been exploring and using prepositional language and encouraging children to describe familiar routes and locations.

Our poem this week has been:

Spring Wind

When the spring wind blows,

In her gruff and growly way,

She’s saying keep your mittens on,

I’m blowing cold today.

But when the spring wind blows,

In her soft and gentle way,

She’s saying take your jumpers off,

I’m blowing warm today.

Our song this week has been:

One Elephant Went Out to Play

One elephant went out to play, Upon a spider’s web one day. He had such enormous fun, that he called for another elephant to come!

Two elephants went out to play, Upon a spider’s web one day. They had such enormous fun, that they called for another elephant to come!

Three elephants went out to play, Upon a spider’s web one day. They had such enormous fun, that they called for another elephant to come!

Four elephants went out to play, Upon a spider’s web one day. They had such enormous fun, that they called for another elephant to come!

Five elephants went out to play, Upon a spider’s web one day. The web went creak, the web went crack, and all of a sudden, they all ran back!

To help with clear communication here are a few reminders (helpful information):

• We are very pleased to welcome Laura Mclaughlin. Laura is an associate teacher who is doing her teacher training and will be on placement with us four days a week until June.

• Just a reminder that it is half term next week, the children are due back on Monday the 20th of February.

• Tapestry online journals – We are very pleased to be introducing this learning platform where we can share observations of your child with you. We will continue to have focus children of the week where you will receive more observations that week (via tapestry) and have a follow up parental conversation the following week, but we will endeavour to send more group observations and snapshots of your children’s learning journey. We can also send quick memos and the weekly newsletter, hopefully making communication quicker and more efficient. Please ensure you have read the letter, signed the permission slips (at school) and look out for an activation email over the next week. We cannot send out activation codes until we have your permission. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

• Focus Observation parental consultations – If you have received your child’s focus observations this week, we will schedule times for parental/key person phone calls for Friday afternoon on the 24th of February. Any outstanding focus observations will be given out at the beginning of next term.

I hope you all have a lovely half term.

Best wishes,

Zoe Wakefield.