Hedgehog Pumpkins!

This week we have been using our gross and fine motor skills to make our hedgehog pumpkins.

The children did a fab job of collecting sticks and then using the hammer or their strong hands to push the sticks into the pumpkins to make the hedgehog's spikes.

Can you think of a name for them?

Scooter Challenge Week June 2019

To coincide with Cleaner Air Day, Early Years and KS1 took part in the Inter-School Scooter Challenge to see how many children could scoot to school during the week beginning 17th June. We managed to do a fantastic 201 scoots. Congratulations to 2S who had the most scoots to school! Well done everyone involved.

Scooting is good fun and great exercise and it helps to improve the air quality around our school. Before the challenge we all had a reminder of scooter safety skills. Don't forget we have our scooter pod if you choose to continue to scoot to school, please remember your lock and helmet!

Here are some of the posters we made on Cleaner Air day.

Science Week in Reception

Last week was Science week!  In Reception we did lots of exploring and discovering.

We looked at what happened to water when we put it in the freezer and then once it was frozen, we thought about how to get the objects out.  We then discovered that when the ice warmed up, it turned back into water!

We also made bubbles and used different shaped objects to blow them - but the bubbles were still round!

Finally, we made a balloon rocket!  We used the materials pictured and we talked about what makes the balloon move.  Try it yourself!

Reception loved being scientists! Well done!

RG Planting Potatoes!

This week we planted our potatoes. We talked about what the potatoes need to grow. These were... the soil, light and water. 

We are looking forward to watching them grow and especially eating them once they are ready. Yum!

Early Years Sing Up Day!

Today was Sing Up day.  We started our day with a fantastic assembly lead by Mrs Bullas and we did lots of singing! 

Ask your child to sing you one of the songs.

Road Safety in Reception

On Tuesday, we had a visit from 'Bike- it Jen' from Sustrans, who talked to us about the benefits of walking, cycling or scooting to school and how to keep safe.

Some of the many benefits of walking to school include:

• good exercise
• fresh air
• lots to see and talk about

Here are some 'Green Cross Code' top tips on how to stay safe when walking near the road:

• Think - find a safe space to cross (zebra crossing, pelican crossing, lollipop person etc)  - never between parked cars
• Stop - keep a safe distance from the road
• Use your eyes and ears - never cross when listening to music or using a mobile phone
• Wait until it is clear or the cars have stopped - both ways
• Look and listen
• Walk, never run
• Wear bright/reflective clothing when it's dark

If you are unable to walk to school, Jenny also talked about how to stay safe in the car. Her tips included:

• Always wear your seatbelt
• Don't play with the car doors
• Remind the driver never to use their phone while driving

For more information, please visit www.sustrans.org.uk 

Rights Respecting and Global Learning in Reception

Today in Reception we thought about how we can make the World a better place. 

Children thought really hard about what we could do to make our environment a happier place for everyone; these are the ideas they came up with...

• Put rubbish in the bin and recycle
• Save water and remember to turn off taps
• Be kind to each other
• Keep rooms clean and tidy
• Always try our best
• Look after toys, equipment etc.
• Be nice and share with others
• Help each other

Didn't they do well!!? We are all going to remember to do these things in Reception from now on.

Special Visitor

We had a very special visitor in School this week!

Father Christmas came and gave us some amazing superhero capes and masks to play with in Nursery.

We sang Jingle Bells as a thank you!

Merry Christmas everyone!

A special visitor in Reception

This morning the children found out that we are expecting a visitor today. Could it be a dentist to check our teeth? Or the police to talk to us about how to keep safe? No, it was Santa and Mrs Claus! We sang a song and chatted to Santa who thanked us and gave us some presents in return.

Road Safety

To mark Road Safety Week, Nursery have been talking about staying safe near roads by holding an adult's hand, finding somewhere safe to cross and remembering to Stop, Look and Listen. 

Here is our handprint poster we made to remind us 'We all hold hands!'

SPOTACULAR!

Children in Nursery made an outstanding effort with the Children in Need theme 'Spotacular' today!

Thank you to everybody who made, bought and found something spotty to wear.  

The school raised a total of £260.93 for Children in Need!

Well done everyone!

Zoolab Visit

We had a visit from Anna and some very strange creatures from Zoolab this week!

Anna showed us how to hold the animals without hurting them and reminded us to wash our hands after touching them.

Can you remember what the creatures were called and any of the interesting facts?

Nursery Sing-a-long

On Wednesday 18th October, Mrs Mead came to Nursery for a very special music session to show parents what we have been singing over the past half term.

A huge thank you to parents and carers who could make it - we hope you enjoyed it as much as us!

Every Child a Talker Parent Workshop

Today we had a parent workshop for helping to develop communication and language in Early Years.  Jan Stevens is a speech and language therapist who now delivers training to parents and educators across Southampton. 

Together we looked at 'top tips' for helping children develop their communication and language, how singing nursery rhymes aid children with their reading skills and how developing children's muscles in their mouth can help speech sounds and being active by doing large arm movements can develop writing skills.  

Parents who attended were given a free resource pack including games and listening ears to play with their children at home.

Please feel free to come and checkout our ECaT (Every Child a Talker) display in Nursery for top tips or speak to a member of staff!

Visit from a Dentist

Today, as part of our 'People Who Help Us' topic, we had a visit from a lady called Mrs Neal who was a dentist.

She brought a bag with lots of different objects which dentists use to help keep our teeth clean and healthy.  

She also showed us how to brush our teeth properly for 2 minutes, twice a day and not eat too many sweets as they are bad for our teeth!

Chinese New Year

This week in Nursery we have been learning how Chinese people celebrate their New Year.  We have been cooking yummy stir fry and noodles, making dragons using red and yellow beads, writing Chinese numbers, using chopsticks and doing a dragon dance! This year is the year of the Rooster. 

Kung Hei Fat Choi! 

Father Christmas at SWPNS

Father Christmas at Shirley Warren

Yesterday, we had a visit from Father Christmas!
He asked us if we'd been good boys and girls (of course we said yes!).

We got a Paw Patrol Present for us to play with in Nursery. Thanks FC!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Gingerbread Men

This week we have been making Gingerbread Men. 

Children helped to add the ingredients then roll out the dough and use the cutter to make a perfect Gingerbread Man before staff baked them in the oven. 

The Nursery smelt delicious!

Fortunately the Gingerbread Men did not run out of Nursery and children were able to eat them all up (just like the fox)!

Blocks!

This week, Nursery children have been busy outside exploring and building with our new wooden blocks.  They are great for making large models to sit on such as horses or rockets but also for developing our balance by making paths with them.

What would you make with the blocks?

Nursery's Visit From Zoolab

Visit from Zoolab

We had some very interesting visitors in Nursery last week! Heather from Zoolab came in with Tilly the tarantula, Alan the gerbil and a very long snake! 

Ask your child to tell you about the creatures and - if they were brave enough to touch one - how it felt!