Nursery News ~ 22nd October 2020

Hello Sporting Stars!

What a super group of runners you are!  How lovely it was to see you trying your best and getting around that field in your wellies – I think we could have easily done another lap like Reception did.  Thank you to Lyla’s mum who provided us with our reward for finishing the event AND completing our first half term – some delicious rainbow cupcakes.  Can you believe we have finished a whole seven weeks??  You have been an absolute delight to get to know, you really have and I cannot believe the difference in your confidence with talking to new peers/adults, independence in getting yourself ready to get in/out of Forest School and how quickly you have picked up the routines and expectations of Blackwell Nursery life.

I cannot believe I am typing this after only seven weeks but this week in Maths, we have been learning about the “ten frame” arrangement.  You have been laying out objects in the correct locations and showing how strong your counting skills are.  It is always great for me to have Joseph next to me as he can SEE number accurately in so many ways – such a whizz kid!  Yesterday and today you all had a turn at showing me the ten frame arrangement to match the dice roll or numicon piece shown - this is where those looking games have really paid off!  Our Maths song was “How Many Ways” and you had fun placing the beanbag in different locations.  You can find this song here if you fancy singing the song all week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgdmrSTM0Zo.  We have continued to work on our listening rules by playing the looking game of “Who is Hiding under the Blanket”.  One friend hid their eyes whilst one friend was hidden under the blanket – I cannot believe how good you were at spotting a friend by the slippers they were wearing and today, by listening to their initial sound/action.  Can you remember your initial sound/action?  Show you families this half term but make sure it is the pure sound.  We have been learning a new Write Dance song/dance with Tickle Tree and made our bodies tall and wide like a tree.  This, we discovered, was very unlike our teapot in the Nursery Rhyme this week as she was short and stout – she poured a good cup of tea though didn’t she Poppy?  Thank you Neve D for choosing Moana’s “How Far I’ll Go” as we practised pressing the dough using our fingers/thumb to create an island for Moana to live on with her family.  Benji has chosen the next disco song with a classic Lion King tune, I cannot wait.  Any more requests, send them my way!

Outdoors, the story has linked to our Autumn topic as Mrs Allen has been sharing “Pumpkin Soup” with you every day.  A story retell using a real pumpkin, bowl and spoon was fun to watch – it was funny to see your idea on how the pumpkin could be cooked to make the soup.  Lots of you enjoyed the role-play up in the Quiet Area, a calming space away from the noise of Forest School where you can escape to on those days you just need some time out.  In the afternoons you have had fun mark making in the Mud Kitchen with all the mud created from those rainy days.  You enjoyed experimenting with marks using your hands and fingers to begin (apologies for the dirty nails) and a long piece of paper attached to the fence.  As the week moved on, you enjoyed making different marks with sticks, string and your own wellington boot prints.

A message for the grownups for this coming half term week. Now that we are coming to the end of our Autumn topic we have noticed that many of the children are not aware of the seasons, the pattern of them and the changes that happen during them.  Over half term, please do help consolidate our learning by talking about and noticing all the changes in the outside world and in stories.  You could even sing our season song – I am sure the children would love to teach you.   “What’s the season, what’s the season, what’s the season like today?  Is it Autumn, is it Winter, is it Spring or Summer Time”.

Have a lovely half term week all – fingers crossed for some Autumn sunshine wherever you may be.

Mrs Mander and the Nursery Team X