Headteacher: Anna Moss

0121 445 1622

Nursery

16th December 2022

Many thanks for your cards, gifts and most importantly, kind words.  It has been a hugely successful first term for all the children – some are unrecognisable to those that arrived back in September. 

Maths

Counting Back

Our Gingerbread Men duplicated as we found 20 of them! We had fun splitting onto 4 trays and role-playing the song.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCZ3dzFK6BI

Art

Rudolph Hats

For our Christmas dinner day on Wednesday, we had fun making our own reindeer hats.  You remembered how to collage his nose with tissue paper and your hands made the best antler shapes!  We hope they have all made it home.

Communication and Language

Christmas

We finally made it to the end of our small world Nativity story in the cabin!  Mrs Allen has also enjoyed sharing her new story – Countdown to Christmas.  We will be sad to pack these Christmas books away tonight.

Dough Disco

Merry Christmas Everybody, Slade

Another Christmas disco this week as we have sausaged and sang to this classic Slade track.  Enjoy.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpfHSqLXePI

Write Dance

Santa Shark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0aAMvvw_co

Please play and see if the children can teach you all the actions!

Forest School

Sleighs and Tinsel

With the mud and sand continuing to be frozen, the patio has been popular this week.  You have made some excellent sleighs with the crates and tinsel.

Outdoor Game

Elf Hide and Seek

Jolly, our Nursery elf, has been playing hide and seek with you outdoors and teaching you how hiding behind something whilst Staying Quiet made him tricky to find.

A message for parents – over the Christmas break, please can you continue work of independence with the children?  Own shoes/boots on, coat arms in, teach them how to zip works, gloves onto hands.  We have a feeling this Winter weather will still be with us in the New Year!

In the words of Slade, Merry Christmas Everybody!

Mrs Mander, Mrs Allen and Mrs Franklin X

Nursery News 02.12.22

02.12.22

Hello Nursery Families,

It’s been another busy week in the Nursery with lots of singing, storytelling and play in the great outdoors! The children have been working hard on their Christmas show with lots of trips to the school hall to sing and dance on the stage. We class ‘bobbing up and down’ as dancing in Nursery and we do it well!

Mrs Allen shared the story of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ using her story spoons and we listened to a retell of ‘The Gingerbread Man’ by Red Class. The Nursery children copied the story actions beautifully and joined in with the repeated parts of the story.

‘Boogie Hedgehog’ was our Dough Disco tune. Thank you, James, for choosing our song. Every press, pat and pull of the dough will help to strengthen our little fingers ready for mark making.

Thank you to our Nursery families for supporting Story Night. Under the twinkle of Mrs Allen’s fairy lights, we listened to stories, enjoyed some tasty treats and met some very special Christmas visitors! There were lots of happy faces.

On Monday, we’re filming, ‘The Nativity’. Please pop a plain top under your Christmas jumper (it’s Christmas Jumper Day on Monday too). We have all the costumes in school for our performance, but a plain top will keep us nice and warm in the hall.

Well done, Nursery!

Best wishes,

Mrs Webb and Team Nursery xxx

18th November 2022

Happy Friday All!

A newly revamped Nursery weekly update which we are hoping is much easier for you to access on the parentapp.

Music

Voice Sounds

We have been singing the call and respond song “Have you brought your singing voices?”  Which was your favourite voice?

Listening Game

Staying Quiet

We had to all stay quiet whilst a friend found the sound hiding under one of three buckets using only their ears.

Phonics

Environmental Sounds

We have continued to listen and find more objects that make a sound in the cabin – what sounds can you hear in your house?

Maths

The Number 3

Recognising numicon 3, collecting 3, making a cuddle/circle/row of three with our friends and starting to see three in a five frame ready for next week.

Communication and Language

Traditional Tales

Three Billy Goats Gruff - you have enjoyed role playing the story with story spoons and small world blocks with Mrs Allen.  Who was hiding under the bridge?

Dough Disco

5 6 7 8, Steps

Thank you Billie!  We have been passing and spinning the dough to the music

Write Dance

Coming round the mountain

We have travelled around the mountain in a train, plane and automobile – can you remember the arm actions?  When the rain came, we made rainbow arches

Forest School

Crates and Ramps

On the patio, you have been building your own bridge to travel across with the crates and planks.  Was your friend a troll?

Outdoor Game

Follow the sand

We placed a blindfolded friend in the middle of a circle and chose another friend to take the tambourine for a walk around and stop.  Did they find it?

A message for parents – many thanks for your orders for packs of the children’s Christmas cards.  These will be prepared and come out to you next week ready for you to send to family and friends. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Mrs Mander, Mrs Allen and Mrs Franklin X

11th November 2022

Happy Autumn Term 2!

We hope you had a lovely half term.  The Autumn season will quickly turn into that Winter season before we know it so please ensure you look at the details on the Nursery Newsletter with regards to the clothing the children need now. 

Since our return last week, we have introduced the chime bars in Music as we begin to move our voice sounds from low to high.  This is helping us as we have now begun to practise our Nativity songs for the show.  We have completed two Write Dances – Up into the Sky and the Grand Old Duke of York.  When role playing soldiers, we had fun listening and responding to Reveille and The Last Post.  Our Listening Game has been all about the STOP/GO paddle and using this to climb through the tunnel.  We have officially begun the start of our reading journey with Indoor Sounds in Phonics.  Listening to and walking towards the sounds we heard was fun – the kettle appeared to be the most commonly heard!  Have a go this weekend at looking for and then listening to those sounds in your home.  In Maths we have been playing “2 or not 2” with objects and pictures, I hear lots are playing this at home now as well!  We have been learning about patterns with the same objects to begin and then combining with two different ones – this was a challenge for lots of you!  In your C&L session, Mrs Allen has been sharing stories about bonfires and poppies and you have had the chance to create your own bonfire pictures and poppies using collage in our afternoon Art session.  In Forest School you have had fun creating bonfires with sticks and leaves and this week, you built your very own poppy shop.  Our playground game last week was the Hokey Cokey and Tisket Tasket this week – both fun circle time games that we can play together before you head off to Play and Explore on your own.  Hattie chose Mr Blue Sky for Dough Disco last week, enjoy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQUlA8Hcv4s.  Bani chose a classic Kylie number this week, Loco-motion.  Takes us back to our school days -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POWsFzSFLCE

A message for parents – please check the bags this weekend as lots of letters and tickets have been put in there in the run up to Christmas.  We will be filming part of the show on Monday 5th December and so if your little one does not attend on a Monday, please send them in for the morning (collection 11.30am). 

Enjoy the sun this weekend after all that rain!

Mrs Mander, Mrs Allen and Mrs Franklin X

21st October 2022

Happy Half Term Everyone!

Thank you for all your support in getting the children settled into new school life.  Dropping them in the mornings with an unknown adult is tricky for them and for you but it worked, they are all sailing in now.  That is the hardest term done.

In Music this week, we have continued to feel the pulse and rhythm with the use of a tambourine.  A tap on the tambourine = clap, a shake of the tambourine = roly poly and a silent tambourine = freeze.  In Write Dance we have been riding on horses to Horsey Horsey, stretching our arms forwards and backwards with our bodies.  As we increase our circle time expectation, we have played two Listening games to practise two of our listening skills.  Our good sitting game has been the trickiest yet as you had to keep hands in your lap when the bubbles were flying around you.  Our staying quiet game has been the game of Chinese Whispers where we had to work as team to whisper the name on the face that Mrs Mander and Mrs Allen had chosen.  Our Maths has had us hunting circles, creating small and large circles altogether and playing a “sand is lava” game in the sandpit and stepping across on the circles we had marked ourselves.  Outdoors, in your C&L session, Mrs Allen has been sharing the story The Very Helpful Hedgehog and you have continued to show your Autumn finds – we have such a collection now so thank you!  In Forest School you had fun collecting and creating your own mark making tool using “wrapping” and mud – an interesting way to make those marks!  Our playground game has been “Ring a Ring o’ Roses” as we moved the circle both ways and crouched down to splash!  In Art on the balcony you have been printing with those magic hands as you mixed red and yellow together to make a new colour – can you remember what it was?  These three colours together have made your bonfire art ready to continue when we return after the holiday.  Lottie chose our Dough Disco song, Brown-Eyed Girl sang by Van Morrison as we combined the pat, pinch and roly poly to dance with our dough.  Enjoy this holiday - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOXaSFkZzMQ

A message for parents – over half term, continue to keep your hands in your pockets and give them time to sort those coats and those shoes for themselves.  You could begin to push them now as well (if you haven’t already) by teaching them how to put on their own clothes as well.  All of this is getting them “school ready” and creating resilient, independent people.

Enjoy your family time everyone, we know we will!

Mrs Mander, Mrs Allen and Mrs Franklin X

14th October 2022

Happy Friday All!

It was lovely to see you at Parent Consultations this week and have a chance to catch up to discuss how your little one is getting on.  Following requests from a few parents, the class list will be coming home in bags today (next week for non-Friday friends) so you are able to talk about friendships that are developing. 

We have met a new friend in our Music circle time as we have sung our name to our bee Hickety Tickety and, in the afternoon, we took a popular song outside and found some hammers to hammer in the outdoor area!  This leads us beautifully onto a new circle time session that will begin after half term – Phonics, the start of our reading journey!  Rowing the Boat as part of our Write Dance was fun and we even added a prop today, an oar.  We have introduced two Listening games this week as we have practised two listening rules – sitting still and staying quiet.  Musical bumps and chairs are always a popular way to show off how good we are at sitting still – we just need a little practise at applying this now during snack/lunch times.  Autumn Bingo was fun - can you remember any of the signs of Autumn on our boards?  I wonder if you will be able to spot any this weekend….?  In Maths we have been putting together our learning of Number 1 and Number 2 as we had to make our own groups of 1 and 2 and then, with the use of a blanket, put our soft toy friends into groups of 1 and 2.  I wonder whether your toys at home can make these two groups at the weekend?  Outdoors, Mrs Allen has been having fun with you sharing a special scarecrow story and you have had the chance to make a special Harry O’Hay scarecrow ready for the festival tomorrow.  I do hope you come and give him a wave tomorrow!  We chose him as our hero as he is all the things we are trying to be – kind and always looking after his friends.  Your story session has been Pumpkin Soup and you have had the chance to role play the story in the Quiet area thanks to Mrs Allen and her favourite toys!  Dough Disco this week was chosen by Harriet – Mamma Mia, Abba.  If you have dough at home, get moving it and show your family your first disco routine by remembering when to squash it with a pat!   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unfzfe8f9NI

A message for parents – next week is a week learning and talking about circles and ovals.  If the children have any clothing with circles or ovals on, please wear them as they always make the best talking points.

Enjoy the festival all!

Mrs Mander, Mrs Allen and Mrs Franklin X

7th October 2022

Happy October Everyone!

This month soon crept upon us and we officially have our first month complete.  Parent consultations are being held next Wednesday and Thursday evening – thank you for the return of the slips so quickly – times will be coming out to you today in bags.  Take time to find them somewhere in there.

Our daily circle times are in full swing.  In Music we are learning about pulse through song and actions as we added our “Cookie” song, the first song with a call and respond element.  In Write Dance we have been bus drivers and have travelled to some wonderful places – Hollywood for Lottie, London for Harriet and the airport for Henry.  Our listening game has been Kim’s game where we split into two teams and following being blindfolded, we had to name the item that was missing.  Quite a challenge for some – a game we will need to replay.  In Maths we have been learning all about the number two by finding two the same, making a team of two in Musical Twos and finding Numicon Two in a game of Hide and Seek!  Finding two on our body was a little trickier – a weekend challenge for you.  After lunch Mrs Allen has been giving you time to share all those Autumn objects you have brought in for our topic followed by sharing the story The Nutty Nut Chase.  Next week she has some scarecrow fun planned with an excellent story and plans to build a Nursery scarecrow for the festival.  The highlight of the outdoors this week was our Autumn walk to the big forest school over the road on Tuesday – so many signs of Autumn.  With the Autumn collection, Mrs Allen has been showing you how you create some art with them.  Leaf printing and conker rolling with the paint have been our art activity up on the balcony.  Gosh what a week!

A message for parents – our Dough Disco circle time is in full swing now when we return to the cabin from Forest School in the afternoons.  This is a session to strengthen our hands, wrists and fingers ready for writing.  The children have the opportunity to choose their favourite disco song and a routine is made for us all to follow.  Please do let me know which song they would like to choose – classics are always the best!

 

Mrs Mander, Mrs Allen and Mrs Franklin X

30th September 2022

­­­­Happy End of Topic Day!! 

Many thanks for all the pet and family photos that were brought and emailed in.  These have helped support us with our Show and Tell session after lunch as they have given you a boost to stand up and talk in front of your friends as part of our Communication and Language (C&L) session.  Next week, we move in to our Autumn topic and so Show and Tell becomes all about Autumn objects.  When you are out and about on your Autumn walks this weekend, see what you “notice” and if you can, collect and bring it in for our Autumn table. 

This week our morning Music sessions are in full swing as we now have three songs learnt – Everybody Do This, Johnny hammers and Buster Buster.  Feeling the pulse through songs and games is our objective this half term and Mrs Moss would be impressed to see some of you are already there!  Our daily Write Dance to exercise our arms, shoulders has been fun as we have been jumping, swinging, stretching and shaking them to “We can do anything”.  Our Listening game has been matching pairs as we have taken turns to find two faces the same.  Using our eyes is key when practising the RED listening rule – Good listening is looking at the person talking.  In Maths we have been learning about the number 1.  We can now name numicon 1 (including the colour it is) and have been on an outdoor and indoor number 1 hunt.  Why not go for one this weekend and show your family all the ways you can show 1 on your hands.  Mrs Allen has been sharing her favourite All About Me books over the past few weeks – What Makes Me Me, Little Home Bird, A Secret Worth Sharing and When We’re Together – she loves a topic story!  Outdoors, the sand and mud have continued to be popular.  Delivering four letters to our friends has been fun with the blocks and the song “Early in the Morning” (our afternoon circle time song).  Mrs Allen finally opened the gully and talked about keeping yourself safe.  Apologies in advance for the wet bottoms and socks – somehow the water will always find a way!

A message for parents – please help support us by allowing time for them to find and put arms in coats; find, open (for those Velcro shoes!) and put on their shoes (using hands) and put on their own warm hat now the cold weather is beginning to kick in.  Independence and Resilience are two of our Key Competencies at Blackwell and three year olds are more than capable.

 

Have a lovely weekend everyone – don’t forget to bring in those Autumn objects.

Mrs Mander, Mrs Allen and Mrs Franklin X