one week until christmas!

we have a busy week this week filled with parties, activities, songs and stories.
We start the week going to watch the key stage 1 nativity play, the children have been very interested in the story of the nativity, so it will be nice for them to see the story on stage.

The children will also be making crowns this week, which they have chosen to do after talking about the three kings. The children have also enjoyed voting for their favourite picture from the garden centre and making it into a Christmas card, they have chosen the colours and decorations too.
We have lots more crafts to do with lots more glitter and sparkles!

Thank you to all those children who wore a Christmas jumper on Friday, we enjoyed a Christmas sing song, using the jumper pictures as our inspiration, the 2 favourite songs were 'Rudolph the red nose reindeer' and 'when santa got stuck up the chimney' which we will continue to sing next week. Do you know them? ask the children if they can teach one of them to you!

Parties Wednesday and Thursday and for those who attend Friday afternoon a lively Christmas sing song in the school hall to finish off the term.

Amanda

the breakfast

A big THANK YOU to all of you who attended our family breakfast, it was so well attended, I know the children enjoyed it and talked about it all morning.

We also enjoyed the Christmas lunch today we sat  with reception and year 4, all the children did well and ate well, food events are always popular!

The Dorchester library are running some activity sessions in the Christmas holidays, including a reading challenge.

Also don't forget the Christmas tree festival at St Georges church, do let us know (on a wow) if you manage to see it.

SOME IDEAS FOR WOWS.
Something your child has enjoyed at pre school
Something new they have discovered
A book you have enjoyed
A fantastic achievement at swimming, gym, ballet etc
riding a bike
baking a cake
counting
recognising sounds
going to the beach
enjoying an outing
has your child been talking about the nativity?
as you can see the list is endless, and I could go on and on, so why not fill out a wow circle to share at pre school.
    Amanda

Christmas activities!

I do hope all the children enjoyed the trip to the garden centre, we all did, and the children have been doing some lovely pictures with adults scribing for them about the decorations they liked best. These have been done on leaf shapes and are hanging on our learning tree, do have a look.
This coming week we have a picture board of the favourite decorations, which we will be using to help us choose the design of our Christmas card. (CEL, thinking critically)

We will also be looking and learning about the nativity story, you could ask your child if they can tell you about the story of baby Jesus. We will be cutting out pictures to make our own nativity pictures to bring home. (PD- using tools, CL recall of stories)
Some of the children enjoyed seeing the crowns at the garden centre, so we thought it would be fun to make crowns as well next week.

Last week we made a learning picture, when we asked the children how we could look after the birds in the winter, they came up with some lovely ideas, so in the afternoons we will be making some bird food and tying up apples for the birds to eat. (UW)

Looking forward to seeing you at our annual family breakfast on Tuesday.

Don't forget to sign up for the parent consultations.
If you have time do go and look at the Christmas tree festival at St Georges church, last week the children made some lovely decorations for a pre school tree and it looks super .Our theme is birds.

the Garden Centre

Last week the children had great fun exploring in  the sensory bus that we have had at pre school all week, there were so many sensory experiences to explore from lights, textures, moving patterns and sounds. The children had lots to say about what they explored with lots of lovely language.


This week we hope that all the children will be able to take part in our trips to the Poundbury Garden Centre to see the Christmas decorations, so if you have not returned your child's permission slip please do so as soon as possible, or ask for another slip to sign.

We will be looking at the decorations and displays, the children will take photographs of the decorations and displays they like and back at pre school we will decide which decorations we would like to make and how we can make them. (this will encourage the children to be involved in their planning and to create and think critically)

We also have a number activity, sorting Christmas socks and everyday socks into sizes and pegging them onto our washing line. (MD SSM)
Some of the children spent a lot of time with clipboards and pencils role playing and mark making 'being waiters' so we have a role play café this week (CL, L writing).

Amanda

sensory bus

We have a very exciting week ahead of us this coming week. We have booked a sensory bus for the week, which will stay at pre school, so that we can do lots of exploring and discovering, taking  part in lots of sensory activities.
This will be from Tuesday until 3rd December so all the children will be able to have lots of exploration time.
 We will be planning our activities for the week from how we see the children using the bus, giving them more opportunities to be involved in their planning. (CL, UW, EAD)

On Monday we are going to spend some time in our nature area thinking about how we can look after birds and wildlife this winter, we will put lots of pictures, drawings and work in our nature diary.(UW)

We continue to explore sounds this week by singing songs with actions, and sounds, do ask your child if they can remember the words to 'a slinky snake' (CL, L)

We will also be discovering lots of different ways of counting for example by clapping, jumping, tapping, can you think of a different way to count? (MD) Amanda

ssssssssssssssssss

This week the children have lots of different activities using the sound s.

We have a S sound bingo game, a scissors activity, making sandwiches, creating a shop, a collage to make and more.(CL, L)

Outside we will be planting bulbs in the nature area, beds and pots. (UW )

We also have some number challenges this week. For example, what can you make with ten cubes?

 

why not fill in a WOW this week telling us of a WOW moment that your child has done at home,

 or look around the house or outside and tell us of all the things you can see that start with S (remember when sounding you say sssssssssssss(like a snake! not sssssrrrrr!)

 

Cooking with the children was great fun last week, we all enjoyed ourselves, there is still another group to cook which will be Wednesday.

 

     Amanda

 

fundraising news!

We have some lovely new toys and activities in Pre school thanks to the hard work of the fundraising committee and all our families who support them.
We have some new role play toys
number games
construction activities
a small world table
small world hospital
small world caravan
and lots more.
SO if you would like to get involved there is a meeting on Tuesday 19th November at 9.15 at the pre school all welcome.

Also don't forget the bingo evening   Friday 15th November the main school hall
                                                            doors open 5.30pm
                                                           eyes down 6pm
                                                           £2 per book -15 games
                                         COFFEE, TEA, SQUASH AND CAKE!
                                         ALL WELCOME

Hedgehogs

This week we are going to play, learn and explore through the topic of hedgehogs and hibernation.
The children will have the opportunity to make hedgehog pictures using different textured resources such as  pasta, twigs, coloured papers and paint, and stretchy dough (UW, EAD PD)

We have a lovely hedgehog number game that I hope all the children will have the chance to enjoy.(MD, numbers, counting up to 10 or past 10 to 20)

Our books this week will be the stories of Percy the Park keeper, by Nick Butterworth, one of which is called the hedgehogs balloon. these are lovely stories with lots of woodland animals in which we will be thinking about when exploring hibernation. Some of the stories are a little long, however the stories are funny and there is lots to see and talk about in the illustrations. (CL, L)

Some of the  children have asked to do cooking this week, so we will be making something nice!
( as there are so many of us if your child does not cook this week they will be cooking next week)
(PSED, PD, MD)



                Amanda

Fireworks

Welcome back, I hope everybody enjoyed their half term week.

This coming week we will be celebrating firework night. we will be talking about how we have been celebrating the event, by visiting a display, or at home in the garden (UW)

We will be enjoying experimenting with colour and lots of different paint effects to create firework pictures (EAD) the children will be creating their art work on different shapes of card and paper (MD-ssm) and using shapes in the number area this week.

Our food focus this week will be based around firework parties, so TUESDAY children please tell us if your child does not eat sausages!

We will also be exploring a computer program to tell our firework stories, dressing up in the role play area, making firework biscuits and exploring in the sensory room, where we will be listening to music and enjoying firework 'lights' (EAD, CL)

The children will be  using cellophane and dark paper to make pictures on the light box. We will be using scissors to create the shapes and make a picture ( PD, EAD)

Our books will be 'I see Fall' and 'Skip through the Seasons'

I hope everyone is enjoying the sharing book, don't forget to pass it on!

 stay and play Tuesday 5th November 8.30 - 9.05    Amanda

half term

We all hope that you all have a lovely half term holiday.
I hope you enjoy the owl puppets that the children have brought  home, so they can tell their family the story of the owl babies.

If you enjoy a Halloween or firework event over the holiday we would love to hear about it when we return.

Thank you to those who came to the stay and play sessions, there is another on 5th November, then some more before the end of this coming half term.

Don't forget the planned fun sessions at the library next week on Monday and Wednesday (see past blog for details)
Amanda
 

Pumpkin soup

Parents,
Last week the children really enjoyed the owl babies story, it was so nice to see so many of the children acting out the story with the owl puppets.

So this week we have decided to use another Autumn style book, it is called Pumpkin soup and continues on with our focus on feelings, and how things sometimes make us sad, worried, frightened, happy, pleased etc. some of the children have made a lovely display and have been writing the words, do find time to have a look.  It also reminds us of how important it is to be nice and kind to our friends.(PSED, PD).

Within our focus of the pumpkin soup book as many children as can will be making pumpkin soup this week, using our pumpkins, onions and carrots from our garden, that the children planted in the summer. (UW, PD)

The children will also be making an Autumn collage using the colours in the book and another book called Autumn by Gerda Miller.

We also hope for a windy day to make some kites (UW, EAD)

We will be continuing with our counting and recognising written numerals with games and puzzles (MD)

Last week I sent out some books to share at home with the family, please pass the book on when you have finished with it so everyone can have a go, each book has to pass around 6 or 7 families so don't worry one will be coming your way, do write a comment about the story, if you enjoyed it etc, all comments are valuable to us.

Don't forget our stay and play on 23rd, and 24th October 8.30 - 9.05 and 5th Nov 8.30 - 9.05.
Do sign your name for one of the sessions on the yellow sheets in the corridor.

22nd October Christmas photographs.
22nd October fundraising committee meeting, 7.30, Poet Laureate.

WE BREAK UP FOR HALF TERM 24TH OCTOBER

books and the LIBRARY

PLEASE don't forget we have a lovely selection of pre school books in the hall until Monday evening, do try and find a minute to have a look, a large amount of the sale is given back to pre school.

There are two lovely activities taking place at the Dorchester library in half term.
Jurassic Jamboree wed. 30th Oct  9.45-12.45,is  a drop in session that includes stories, painting, a fossil dig, fossil painting workshop and underwater monster colouring all FREE
Mon 28th Oct 2.00-4.00pm Autumn Fun, another drop in session of fun stories, and crafts FREE.

Or just pop along to the children's section anytime and see if you can find any books about hedgehogs or fireworks, two themes we are covering when we return.
Remember you can take out up to 12 BOOKS, all FREE.



don't forget the Autumn Fest Friday, 18th, main school 5pm          AMANDA

owl babies

This week we will be reading the story of the Owl Babies. this is such a nice story for children to start thinking about their feelings and about how others might be feeling. (PSED)

We will be making story puppets, which the children will be bringing home to share the story with their family. (CL, PSED)

The children will also have the opportunity to act out the story with small world toys, and sequence the story with story cards. (CL, L)

We will also be painting pictures, collaging, and using clay to make owls. (PD, EAD).

On Wednesday and Thursday this week our healthy food focus will be savoury crackers, these will include slices of hard boiled egg, so if your child has an egg allergy you haven't told us about, do let a staff member know.

Other activities this coming week will include threading activities, using sand trays to write our names, cutting out, board games, and IT activities on the whiteboard and computers in pre school and school. We have also borrowed a lovely water park activity and balancing game from TREATS, for outside play.

On Friday 18th it is the school Autumn fest (letters in pigeon holes) so the children will be making cornflake cakes and popcorn cups for the refreshment stall. The children really enjoy making things for school events so if you are able to come along Friday evening we will look forward to seeing you there.

We are all looking forward to a busy week!!                         Amanda

Dont forget !

A couple of dates for the diary......

22 October, Christmas photos, everyone has had a letter.

school book fair. This will be held in school, however we will have the nursery books in pre school,  starting Tuesday 22 October, there will be details next week.

On the 23rd and 24th October and 5th November we will be holding the first of our stay and play sessions.
These start at 8.30 and finish at 9.05. You are welcome to arrive in that time and have a play, read a book, draw a picture or take part in an activity, this is a time for you to stay and discover some of the toys and resources we have at pre school, ask any questions about them or look at the children's learning journeys.
 you will NOT be able to drop off early as there will not be enough staff supervision.

As the group is large we are putting up a list on Monday (14TH)  to add your name if you would like to come. There are about 18 places per morning.

If your child only attends in the afternoon, your stay and play session will be after half term, watch out for the date.
Amanda

it must be Autumn

This week we will be reading a poem to the children called it must be Autumn,
I have chosen this poem because there are some lovely sounds and rhymes in it, which I am sure the children will enjoy saying and playing with. We will be sending a copy of the poem home for you to enjoy with the family. (CL speaking)

We will also take some of the lines in the poem to create some art work, and enjoy some number activities.

This week the children will also be harvesting the carrots we planted last term, and using them to make something tasty and to eat for snack. (UW, PD)

We have lots of number activities planned counting into groups and recognising numerals, if your child recognises numerals in the home or when you are out and about, why not let us know on a wow.
( MD numbers)
The children will also be continuing to explore sizes with activities in  water play and with pulses and different sizes of spoons.

We are collecting conkers for a number activity, if you find some when you are out and about why not bring them in.


Amanda

Harvest

Apologies to you all as I have had internet difficulties at home AND school. However all sorted so.....

This week we have been learning and exploring Harvest (UW)

We have been doing some lovely art work using the colours red, orange, yellow, brown and green. The children have been marble printing to create pictures of leaves and vegetables which we are using to decorate 2 wreaths for the harvest festival in the school hall (EAD PD)

the children will also be picking the sunflowers from our garden to use in the harvest display.

Each class has been asked to make a model of a season for the display, the pre school were asked to do the beach, so as we have been looking at the Lighthouse Keepers stories some of the children have made a model of a scene from the story, which was all their own ideas and work. (CL and thinking critically).

The children will also be making flapjacks and bags of popcorn to sell by year 4 at the harvest café on Friday afternoon. (MD, PD, UW)

If you would like to see all the schools art work and have a cuppa the café is open Friday 2.30-3.30.

Friday afternoon children will be having their afternoon snack at the café.

Thank you to all the parents who have been filling in WOWs about the wonderful achievements, however big or small of your children, these are so important to show good home school learning.
We have enjoyed hearing that some of the children are talking about sizes at home, brilliant.
Amanda

Harvest Festiv

On the 4th October we will be taking part in the schools harvest festival, so this week we will start preparing our art work for the harvest display that you will be able to see in the school hall on 4th Oct.

So this  week we will start learning and exploring about the Harvest and harvest festivals (UW)

Also this week we are starting to explore size, and the language of size, so at home why not ask the questions which is the biggest? which is the smallest? and introduce medium if you see more than 2 objects. the children will have lots of opportunities to explore size by playing board games, threading, sorting and singing songs. (MD shape, space and measure)

We will also continue with our counting activities playing outside number games and enjoying a water activity, (MD numbers)

Our art activities and number activities will also be about increasing control with tools and equipment(PD moving and handling).

We have two lovely books for the children to enjoy in the next two weeks, 'step into Fall' and 'skip through the seasons' these books are both rhyming books which the children enjoy. (L reading)
Amanda

sunflowers

Dear Parents,
If you have time this week do stop and look at the wonderful sunflower paintings the children have been doing, we have lots of budding artists I think!!

Library books will start to come home this week and next, don't forget your child may bring the book back as often as they like to change it.
They may choose the same book several times, that's fine.
You will be shown where to hang the book bag.

Look out for WOW circles, we would love to know what the children have been enjoying and achieving.

If you did not attend the parent info session at the end of term, please give your name and mornings you cannot do to Caroline as I am arranging another one.

If you have sunflowers at home can you measure how tall they are? Would you like to donate any sunflowers for our harvest festival on the 4th October?

Amanda

Fundraising Meeting

Fundraising Committee Meeting
Tuesday 24th September 7:30pm at the Poet Laureate, Poundbury.

It was great to see so many new faces at the AGM last week. The
pressure is off now as all the officer posts are filled so why not join
us for a quick drink (alcohol optional), good company and a chance to
contribute to the fantastic education of our children at the Pre-school?

The meetings are relaxed and informal with a chance to make good
friends. All support and ideas are appreciated. If you are unsure then
please call me for a chat.

Hope to see you there.

Julie Lane

Telephone 261057 or 07754380293

sunflowers

Dear Parents,
The children have been looking at the sunflowers in our play area and telling us about the sunflowers they have grown at home. So this week we have decided to base some of our activities around sunflowers.
We will look at some sunflower paintings and then give the children opportunities to paint sunflower pictures, collage, and for those that did not do a threading last week we will be making sunflowers as a threading activity, all of these activities cover many of our stages of development, particularly physical development (handling tools).

We will be continuing on with games and activities to continue learning and exploring counting and recognising numerals ( mathematical development).

We are also going to use the sunflowers outside to talk about height and measuring.

The children will also have the opportunity to try sunflower seeds at snack time, let us know if your child cannot eat them.


Amanda

changing bags

dear Parents your child will be bringing home an empty changing bag. please put a change of clothes in it to be kept at pre school. when we change your child because of wet play, accidents etc we will send the bag home and then you can return it with dry clothes in.

magic moment books and library books will be coming home next week.

We are continuing to have a lovely time at pre school, all the children have been enjoying the light house keepers stories and taking part in a variety of learning and exploring activities.

thank you for being so patient about the coat pegs, the new ones have arrived so we hope to have them fitted next week.

Amanda

lighthouses

We have had an amazing start to the new term, all the children have settled in so well and are enjoying themselves.

This week we are going to read the Light housekeeper stories. We will be using elements of the stories to cover different parts of the childrens stages of development.

The children will be threading lighthouse shapes (PD)
Making lighthouses with construction materials and counting how many bricks they needed (MD)

There will be role play activities and sandwich making, painting and lots more, watch out for more blogs this week to see what else we have been enjoying.

Have you visited a lighthouse or can you find a picture of a lighthouse to bring in?

If you have not returned your suncream permission slip could you do so just in case we have some more sunny days!

Amanda

 

Dear Parents,
welcome back to the new school year!
we do hope your child enjoys this year with us, we have lots of exciting activities and opportunities planned for the children in this coming school year.

we are going to start the first three days with games and activities that the children are familiar with to help them settle back into pre school, and become familiar with any new faces and routines.

we will be talking about what the children did in the summer holidays, recording their story in their learning journeys and illustrating them.

we will be choosing  favourite  books to read, doing some lovely paint activities, and a delicious fruit and ice cream activity which will include physical and mathematical areas of development.

As you have seen we have had some major alterations to the building in the holidays, if you can bear with us new coat hooks will be up as soon as possible.

Amanda

WE HAD A LOVELY TRIP TO THE LIBRARY TODAY.

Please if you can over the holidays visit the new Dorchester Library (situated at the bottom of the new council offices). it is  fantastic ! They have some great events on in the summer for the children, and a book challenge which lots of children really enjoy taking part in. Rememer children can take out 12 books and its all free!

The last 2 days we hope to pack with lots of fun things to do, picnic, water play, swimming, theatre, fish and chips and lots more.

Myself and the pre school team would like to wish you all a lovely summer holidays.
Thank you very much for all your lovely gifts,
and to wish all the children well for September and an exciting new year with Mr Gibson in Reception.
Amanda

picnic time

Thank you to everyone who attended the 'brothers and sisters picnic' this afternoon. we were lucky to have fine, sunny weather. I hope every one enjoyed themselves, it's so nice to have the opportunity to sit outside and catch up with each others news.

We are enjoying the last few days of pre school, playing outside with favourite toys and activities.
Always remembering sun hats and cream.

Our favourite book this week has been 'sharing a shell' by Julia Donaldson, some of the children have enjoyed using shells to make pictures and patterns.

Don't forget to return your permission slip if you are on the Library trip on Friday, and reply slip if you are attending the theatre and fish and chip lunch on Tuesday.

THANK YOU so much to all of you who gave myself and the staff such generous gifts today, it is much appreciated.      Amanda

fun in the sun

This coming week we hope to continue to enjoy the sunshine remembering hats, sun cream and drinks.
the children have asked for picnic snacks, so we hope to enjoy lots of picnics too.

We have a lovely action rhyme to sing called the sun cream dance by Linda Crowther.
Also we will be continuing with our fruity treats, including lollies and fuit cocktails!

Dont forget to return permission slips and acceptance slips for our various events and

return library bagsAmanda

Following on...

Thank you to all the parents that were able to attend today's session regarding reading and how it all starts off! I hope it was informative and you don't feel too overloaded with information! If you weren’t able to attend then I am happy to print off the presentation that I gave and answer any questions that you might have.

Following on from the session, I have posted two websites below. One that shows the pre-cursive and cursive letter formations. We will be starting to add lead-ins (or slopes) to the pre-cursive writing from September. 

The other website is where you may purchase a whiteboard with the cursive letters on - they are a fabulous resource that we use in the school and will help children come to grips with the skills required for cursive writing. 

http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/english/contents_handwriting.htm - great website where you can see pre-cursive and cursive letter with lead-ins, easily printed off too! The only one to watch out for is the 'z' - we do not do ours like it is on this website, we do ours - 'z' - like the picture at the top of this post.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flash-Back-Cursive-Script-Board/dp/B000UUQ306/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1373629211&sr=8-2&keywords=cursive+writing+whiteboard - Again, the 'z' is not how we will be teaching the children to do it, annoyingly.

Thank you again and I look forward to working with you in September.

Mr. Gibson

Thursday !

Another sunny hot day today. We have all been remembering to wear a hat, put on our sun cream and have lots of drinks.

We made delicious fruit jellies this morning with strawberries and raspberries, and have continued with our design a sun hat competition for the school sun safety competition.

This afternoon we took a healthy picnic up to the school field with lots of cold drinks, and settled down to watch the staff versus children football match, which the staff won about 6-1! We all had a lovely time and agreed to have lots of picnics next week.

Don't forget our parents session tomorrow at 9.00am about reading and writing in reception, we are very lucky that Mr Gibson will be leading the session.






Amanda

 We ran a smoothie bar at snack time today, the children enjoyed themselves and the smoothies were delicious, just strawberries, bananas and milk.

Tomorrow we will be making fruit jellies and Friday fruit salad, yum!
All healthy treats made with fruit.

We have also been thinking about sun safety. POWSA are offering some great prizes for a sun safety poster. We have been designing sunhats this week so we will enter those, however if you would like to make a poster at home, entries in by 19th July.

 Amanda

Monday!

We had a super morning this morning, the sun shone, we enjoyed watching the skipathon, and then we had a fabulous time with the performers from the story of Surya.

The music, costumes, instruments and puppets were so good, and we all enjoyed learning some new dance steps. such a good way to keep fit!

our fruity treat for snack today was apple sandwiches, lots of the children enjoyed making their own.
Tomorrow we are making orange juice, fruit ice cubes and lollies, and watching some of sports day.

Amanda

healthly living week

This week the whole school will be enjoying  healthy living week.
This will include sports days, a whole school skipathon to launch the week, and a long run to end the week.
We at pre school will be focusing on sun safety, sports and healthy treats.
Last Friday the children made a list of fruity treats we could make at pre school, these included fruit salad, lollies, juice and smoothies, and frozen yoghurt and ice cream! as many children as possible will have the opportunity to make some of these treats!

After the skipathon we have a lovely treat which is a performance in the school hall of the Story of Surya, involving music and dancing, watch out for photographs.

Don't forget to try to walk, cycle or scoot to school this week!

Don't forget sunhats and inform us about suncream.

REMEMBER, leavers disco on Tuesday and there are reply slips to return about our various activities before the end of term.


Amanda

Summer Reading Challenge

Librarians from Dorset County library have challenged all the children to join in the Creepy House Summer Reading journey. Check out Dorchester County library or www.creepy-house.org.uk  for more details.

It would be great if every single child at The Prince of Wales School spent some of their summer holidays enjoying some great books. i look forward to giving out lots of badges and certificates in September!

A Quick Note...

Just a quick note to highlight some miscommunication! 

Parents are more than welcome to come into the reception classroom (from September) when they are dropping their children off between 8.45am- 9.00am. Please feel free to chat to any of us and share in your child's learning.

I apologise for the confusion following the parent information session this afternoon!

Mr. Gibson

sharing a shell and other books by Julia Donaldson

This week,
We will be reading some of the books by Julia Donaldson, one of her most famous books is one of the children's favourites, 'The Gruffalo', but we will be enjoying some of her other stories including 'superworm' and 'sharing a shell'

The children will have some superhero challenges to go with the superworm story and we will be making a display of the seaside to go with the 'sharing a shell' story.

Do have a look at the sharing a shell story if you are not familiar with it, it is a delightful story about friendship with lots of rhyming, beautiful illustrations, colours and glitter.

This week we will be exploring rhyme, thinking about words that rhyme and playing rhyming games.  Amanda

CAKE SALE TODAY....

CAKE SALE TODAY.....

We are having a cake sale today after school in aid of Cancer Research, please come and enjoy our homemade selection of cakes.

This is in memory of our lovely colleague Katrina Green.

Reception transition

Hello all! 

All the Pre-school children have had their second transition session to reception now. We went on a tour around the school, during which some children recognised some familiar faces! The children then had some more time to explore the reception classroom as well as have a go at writing their names!

Next Thursday, 4th July, all the children will be together for the final transition session and we would invite all parents to stay for an introduction to reception by Mr. Farrington and myself (Mr. Gibson). It will be an opportunity to ask any questions that you have and hand in the paperwork we handed out during the first transition session. 

We look forward to meeting all of you! 

Reception team

Wednesday of reading week!

We continue to enjoy the stories of John Burningham, including our Trubloff story. We read the story this morning and gave Trubloffs sister a name' Trubla' and enjoyed some drama, with the children being mice, hiding from the big fat cat.

Many of the children have enjoyed listening to a different John Burningham story every day and
are beginning to decide on their favourite, we will let you know which one it is.
Thank you for returning the book journal, the children are going to add some more pages before we send them home again.

Tomorrow we are making badges to celebrate how much we love books!

the pool is open so swimming starts again tomorrow.
                  .Amanda

Monday.

We spent the morning with reception class today making mouse ears,  drawing family portraits, playing sound games and making mouse models.
we finished the morning singing 5 mice all wearing our mouse ears.

Tomorrow the children will be binging home a book journal, please fill in with your child and bring back each day so we can add to it.

lots more activities tomorrow.

do you know the story of Trubloff yet?                     Amanda.

reading week

This week we are taking part in the school reading week.
We have started to look at the book 'Trubloff' ' by John Burningham. my blog last week tells you what the story is about.

we join reception for a morning of 'mouse' activities, including the story, mouse ears, words and silly sentences and making models.

This week we will be making a list of all the words that start with the sound m, and using the words to make up silly sentences.

AmandaThe children will be asking their families what their favourite books are,  so get thinking and help the children to write your choices in the 'reading passports' they will be bringing home.

POWSA Social

POWSA Social

Hi there guys,
Just to let you know that the next POWSA meeting is being held on the 9th July at 19:45 at the new Wagamama restaurant in Brewery square. New faces are always welcome.  We are a small group of committed parents and teachers who enjoy raising money for our school and children, and without all your help and support this just wouldn't happen.  However, our core group is getting smaller and smaller and as a consequence recent events have been much harder to organise and run.  Therefore we would ask you to seriously consider coming along to the next meeting, ask your questions, find out what its all about and see if becoming a POWSA member is something you would like to do.  There is no expectation on your time, we won't sign you up to do anything, we just ask you come along, meet us and enjoy a nice meal.  If you do fancy coming would you be kind enough to let a POWSA member know, or leave your name with the school office, just so we can ensure a big enough table.
Hope to see you there!

Trubloff

Today we read the story of Trubloff  by John Burningham as our introduction to school reading week that starts on Monday.

Trubloff the mouse lives with his family in the village inn but dreams of becoming the greatest balalaika player in the whole country and one night he runs away with a band of gypsies who promise to teach him to play. Trubloff's poor family are overcome with worry but in the end it is Trubloff's gift for music which saves them from an awful fate.

All the school will be reading, exploring and learning from this book next week, we look forward to spending the morning with reception on monday and welcoming some suprise story readers in during the week.

Watch out for questions about favourite family books and requests for photographs of unusual places you and the children have been found reading a book.
Amanda

a good start to the week!!

Parents,
we have had a great day today, I think everyone enjoyed the zoo lab visit. We had a chance to see a tarantula, snake, land snail and other creatures, look at the display to see more and have a go with the recordable pegs to hear what the children have to say.

Can anyone remember which insect has 250 legs??

We hope to have our picnic tomorrow.

Have you read Mr Gibson's blog? its on our pre school page.

Amanda

Parents,
This week we start the week with a visit from Zoo Lab who will be bringing lots of insects and mini beasts for us to look at and learn about.The theme will be a book called ' Creepy House'.

After the visit (weather permitting) we will be taking a picnic up to the field and then we will be having a bug hunt.
 We will repeat this activity later in the week so as many children can take part as possible.
The children will then be looking at the bugs they have found through the microscope onto the computer screen.
The  children will also be going to the school library to look for non fiction books about insects and bugs.
Some of the other activities this week will include making insects from salt dough, pond dipping, drawing and painting pictures, rhyming words and sounds.

Next week the 24th June is a school themed reading week, we have lots of fabulous activities planned so watch this space!



Amanda

Transition to Reception...

Hello all! 

I have finally had the chance to meet most of the children that will be starting in reception this September and I am becoming extremely impatient! All the children had the chance to explore their new classroom and are certainly enthusiastic about their learning. There will be another session for each group of children before a final session where the whole class will be together. We hope to do a tour of the school during the next session so we are all hoping for sunny weather!

If any children missed, or were unable to attend, the previous two Thursday's sessions then please let the school know and we will make sure that they have the chance to attend.

I look forward to seeing all of you again!

Mr. Gibson

Dear Parents,
This week we will be creating our Fathers Day card and talking about super heros, discussing real super heros and asking the children who is their superhero!

We will also be continuing with our words that begin with f, and exploring words that rhyme with the words we have already found that begin with f.!

Do have a look at our very long list of our words that begin with f, the children thought of every one themselves.

The children are trying very hard to only use kind and polite words to each other, so everyone will get a caterpillar badge at the end of the day if they are able to achieve this, when everyone on the class list has achieved this the children have chosen to go on a picnic as a treat, as we will be revisiting this issue a lot with the children we hope the issue of kind and polite words will resolve itself.
Amanda