School’s newsletter 24/25 – term 4, newsletter 25

Hi All

I hope you are well and you are enjoying the beginning of the Easter Break. We have had a busy few weeks leading up the half term so apologies for only sending an update now.

Our songs from the last few weeks of term were:

– Mary Mary Quite Contrary
– I’m a Little Bean
– Spring is Here

Our poems from the last few weeks were:

– Hungry Birdies

I have built a little nest,
look inside, look inside.
Hungry birdies with their beaks,
open wide, open wide.
And the little birdies grow,
day by day by day.
‘Till they spread their wings and fly,
far away, far away.

– Mrs Blackbird

Here’s a nest for Mrs Bluebird.
Here’s a hive for Mr Bee.
Here’s a hole for Bunny Rabbit,
And here’s a little house for me.

– Furry Furry Squirrel

Furry, furry squirrel,
Hurry, hurry, hop.
Scurry up the tree trunk,
To the very top.
When you reach the branches,
Hurry, turn around.
Furry, furry squirrel,
Scurry to the ground.

These songs and poems are linked with our planning around growth and Spring, we encourage all the children to join in with words and actions. By introducing children to new vocabulary and supporting them to explore the meaning of new words is key to their development.

Learning

Maths – We have been exploring numerals and encouraging the children to represent different quantities along with supporting the children to subitise (recognising the pattern of number) without having to count. Repetition is key, the more they see and do this the more it will be stored in their long term memory.

Phonics – We have been supporting the children’s awareness of rhythm and rhyme. We have done this by sharing songs, stories, playing musical instruments and having bespoke activities at group time and revisiting within provision.

Enhancements – By providing enhancements inside and outside in a rich environment supports the children’s learning in all areas of their development, these are often linked to the children’s interests, celebrations and our planning intentions. This term the children have particularly enjoyed large scale mark making, cafe role play, growing cress, planting flowers, representing and matching numbers, being creative with clay and nature, celebrating Holi, experimenting with and creating different textures, developing their fine and gross motor skills, making car washes, experimenting, going on bug hunts, making collages using a range of media, playing games, building stages, performing, acting out songs / stories, creating and completing obstacles.

NSPCC Pants (The Underwear Rule) – Now and again throughout the term we do talk ‘PANTS’ to help children understand that their body belongs to them, and they should tell a safe adult they trust if anything makes them feel upset or worried. By discussing such topics helps children to understand that they have a right to say no and if they need to speak out about something someone will listen. Here is the link to the NSPCC online page which gives you tips and advice to help keep your children safe. The children do enjoy joining in with the ‘Pantosaurus’ video / song which leads to discussions around ‘PANTS’ rules – https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/support-for-parents/pants-underwear-rule/ 

Reminders / Information

* We are aware we still have a few outstanding parental consultations from the end of last term, we will contact you to arrange these at the beginning of next term.

* In the children’s cloakroom we have a whiteboard and we would like to ask you to add any recent interests your child has, this will help us to tap into these and use in our planning and provision.

*Staffing update – We are delighted Lauren Hester who has been working in Childcare / Pre-School will be joining us for the Summer term. Lauren is on a placement year from university, where she is studying psychology.

*Yellow Group – Due to new children starting and therefore numbers increasing, we will be opening the outdoor classroom for yellow group to start their day. So, when you come in please find your child’s new peg which will be as you come through the gate and head up to the outdoor classroom where Marlena and another member of staff will welcome you. Once they have had group time and snack all doors will be open and they can choose where they would like to play. At the end of the day yellow group will be collected from the main classroom as they are now.

* If your child is due to start Primary School in September, we will be asking you to let us know which school they have been allocated as we work with all schools to support a successful transition to school. I believe you will get an email this week to confirm places, so please look out for this.

* Inset day – Tuesday 22nd of April
* Home visit day on the 23rd of April
* First day of term – Thursday the 24th of April.

I hope you all have a great Easter break and we look forward to seeing you all for term 5 😊

Kind regards

Zoe

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School’s newsletter 24/25 – term 4, newsletters 23 & 24

Hi All

I hope you are all well, how are we halfway through the term already?

Last week our song was: 1 2 3 4 5 Once I Caught a Fish Alive which links with our mathematical focus on number and cardinality this term.

This week our song has been: Busy in the Garden Song which links with our focus on growth and Spring this term.

Last week our weekly poem was: Pancakes

Mix a pancake,
Stir a pancake,
Pop it in the pan.
Fry a pancake,
Toss a pancake,
Catch it if you can

The children enjoyed saying this poem when making ‘Purple Prickle Pancakes’ from the ‘Gruffalo’ Cook book, here is the recipe – https://www.stgeorgesschool.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Purple-Prickle-Pancakes-min.pdf 

This week our poem has been: Stepping Stones

Stepping over stepping stones,
one, two, three.
Stepping over stepping stones,
come with me.
The river’s very fast,
And the river’s very wide,
And we’ll step across on stepping stones,
And reach the other side.

Key experiences:

Theatre Trip – Our older children got to go to the theatre last week and what a learning experience! It was pitched just right and the children had the chance to sit in the auditorium, learn about what and where the theatre is, learn new vocabulary and got to go on stage to listen to a book – this included special effects such as lighting and sound. The children also kept themselves (and their adults) safe when walking to and from the theatre. Thank you again to all of you who helped out with this trip, we hope you enjoyed it too.

World Book Day – This day is always a fantastic opportunity to celebrate reading, supporting children’s autonomy in book choice, and embedding a habit of reading that brings a wide range of benefits. Here are some activities / ideas from ‘Words for Life’ (National Literacy Trust) which will help your child improve their speaking, reading and communicating skills – https://wordsforlife.org.uk/activities/filter/?age=3-4&activity= 

Reminders / Information

Here is the link if you would like purchase any tickets for Pirates Love Underpants https://www.chippingnortontheatre.com/events/pirates-love-underpants?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMABhZGlkAAAGF_lxHssBHbx4omBqCsCPChs9QkYoJq7__GoM03-br9ndg0UQffphhbR-UlmX6qUnvA_aem__GdqkjNFRNyebAlCpDlhwQ 

We are continuing parental consultations and we will catch up with you all by the end of term. Thank you for completing the ‘All About Me’s’ they are very helpful.

I hope you all have a great weekend and we look forward to seeing you next week 😊

Kind regards

Zoe

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School’s newsletter 24/25 – term4, newsletter 22

Hi All

This is our weekly poem:

Poem – A Little Seed

A little seed for me to sow,
A little soil for it to grow.
A little hole, a little pat,
A little wish, and that is that.
A little sun, a little shower,
A little wait, and then a flower.

Theatre Trip – We have decided to just take the older children to the theatre this time as our younger ones will get the chance next year. I am sorry for any disappointment.

World Book Day – Your child is welcome to come in dressed up on Thursday as their favourite book character and bring in a book (please do name).

I hope you all have a nice weekend and those that have been feeling poorly are feeling better.

We look forward to seeing you next week 😊

Kind regards

Zoe

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School’s newsletter 24/25 – term3, newsletter 21

Hi All

Here is an overview of our last week of term at Nursery School:

Indoor focus – The children enjoyed experimenting with the ball drops that had been initiated using the large Numicon, guttering, tubes, and ramps. Many of the children have been engaged in mark-making, and it has been lovely to see so many masterpieces being created where the children are proud of their creations. One of our focuses this term has been around the children developing their fine motor skills and encouraging hand eye coordination. The children have been mastering how to use scissors, using tools, treading, using tweezers / pipettes / pegs within in their play. We also set up a small hospital following the children’s interests, this was a great chance for children to engage in role play, learn new vocabulary and discuss their own knowledge, understanding and experiences linked to hospitals / the human body.

Outdoor focus – The children have had lots of opportunities to practice and develop their aiming skills by throwing and catching balls / beanbags, and playing / making up their own aiming games. They have also enjoyed developing the smaller mud kitchen where they have been imaginative and creative within their play. There are many mark making opportunities available to the children outdoors such as large chalks, clipboards, paper, white boards and mark making tools. The large blocks have been used to create dinosaur and animal enclosures, the children created many different scenarios in their small world play. It has been lovely to watch them become more and more independent in their play this term.

Forest School – Our older children enjoyed having a fire and cooking some popcorn, we discussed the 3 elements of the fire and all the children remembered how to keep themselves safe around the fire. We sang a poem called ‘Popcorn’ while we were waiting for the popcorn to cook which went like this:

Popcorn, Popcorn, sizzling in the pan.
Shake it up, shake it up,
Bam, Bam, Bam.
Popcorn, Popcorn, now it’s getting hot.
Shake it up, shake it up,
Pop, Pop, Pop.

We then all enjoyed sampling the popcorn along with a warm chocolate around the fire 😊

Maths focus: Shape & Measure – During group times the children identified a range of shapes by exploring them and explaining which shape was which by discussing each shapes unique properties using mathematical terms / language. The children also explored measure by ordering different length socks from longest to shortest / shortest to longest. There were also many opportunities within provision to recall their learning of shape and measure which has been our mathematic focus this term. Next term we will be focusing on ‘number’.

Phonic focus: Body Percussion – During group times the children played one game called ‘Follow the sound’ where the adult began by producing a body percussion sound which was then ‘passed’ to the child sitting next to them such as clap, clap, clap. The sound was then passed around the circle until it is returned to the adult. We asked the children if they thought the sound stayed the same all the way around, what changed, did it get faster or slower etc. Another game we played was called ‘Listen to the music’ where we Introduced one musical instrument at a time. We then asked the children to perform an action when each instrument was being played (e.g. Clap, wave, jump). The children then took it in turns to be the leader where they had to decide which instrument to play indicating which action the children had to do / remember.

Library Trip – On the last day of term we took the last 2 groups of children to the library, the children had a great time it was so nice to be out and about in the community. Thank you to those of you that were able to come and help on the trip, I hope you enjoyed our little adventure.

Core Song – Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Poem – A Little House

I’m going to build a little house,
With windows big and bright,
And chimneys tall with curling smoke,
Drifting out of sight.
In winter when the snowflakes fall,
Or when I hear a storm,
I’ll go and sit in my little house,
Where I’ll be snug and warm.

– See if your child can remember this poem and the accompanying actions.

Information / Reminders

* Library Books – If your child took a library book home that we took out on the nursery card if you could please return them after half term.

*Chipping Norton Theatre will be visiting on Monday the 24th of Feb in the morning and afternoon.

*Chipping Norton Theatre Trip – We are planning on taking the children to the theatre for a short visit on Monday the 3rd of March. The children will experience sitting in the auditorium, then will be invited to go on the stage where they will be read a book with lights and sound effects. To be able to do this we would need a considerable amount of parental helpers. We are planning two trips in the morning (if your child attends in the afternoon or does not attend nursery on a Monday you are welcome to join us for either trip). We are planning for the first group of children to leave at 9.45am (parents would need to arrive at 9.30 to go over risk assessment) and then the second group of children to leave at 10.45am (parent to arrive at 10.30 to go over risk assessment) once the first group is back. If we do not get enough helpers we may have to split the group and just take our older children this time (the ones leaving in the Summer) as our younger children will get to go next year. Please let me know if you are able to help and at which time, if you could help with both that would be amazing.

*Snack donations – Please continue to bring in your weekly snack contribution, any day of the week if fine. We welcome all fruit / salad and savoury snacks such as crackers, rice cakes and bread snacks.

*Termly voluntary £10 contributions are now due. You can make a cash donation at the office or pay directly into our bank account. I will confirm bank details next week. These donations go towards buying ingredients for cooking, playdough, sensory enhancements, woodwork essentials and extra snack if ever needed. Thank you in advance as these donations really do make a difference.

I hope you are all having a good half term and we look forward to seeing you all next week.

Kind regards,

Zoe 😊

 

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School’s newsletter 24/25 – term3, newsletter 20

Hi All

Here is an overview of our week at Nursery School:

Indoor focus – We have been exploring weight by weighing different objects and asking the children to identify which objects are heavier, lighter, and the same in weight. The children have been completing and making their own mazes which they have enjoyed. We have provided many opportunities for children to develop their cutting skills where they have persevered and succeeded in what they have set out to do. Some of the children have completed electric circuits, the children were keen to do this independently and went on to add switches to their circuits. At the playdough table the children have been measuring length by making caterpillars and comparing which is the longest, shortest and recognising if any were the same in length.

Outdoor focus – The children have been busy washing some of the toys / resources this week and thinking about the best methods to clean them – lots of warm bubbly water, cloths, sponges and brushes seem to be the best solution for getting them nice and clean. We have continued to measure objects by drawing around them and asking the children to predict which will be the longest / shortest in length before comparing them. In additional to this we had fun building a range towers using the blocks / loose parts and comparing them height. The children have enjoyed having stories outside and playing games such as ‘duck, duck goose’. The top of the garden has been very muddy so we have been encouraging the children to put on their wellies independently. They have been busy on the climbing frame, wooden obstacle courses and in up in the mud kitchen where we have seen lots of imaginative role play / scenarios.

Wow activity – The children have continued to use hammers / nails and screwdrivers / screws in woodwork sessions. The children followed safety instructions and wore safety glasses and gloves to keep themselves safe while using the tools. The children have loved using real tools and have developed their skills over the term. we will continue with woodwork sessions next term.

Forest School – This week groups C & D had fun making a rope bridge at Forest School, most children were willing to have a go and mastered how best to travel along the rope bridge safely to the other end. Lots of team work was seen and the groups came together to support and encourage one another to succeed. It was evident the children felt a sense of accomplishment and were proud of themselves for having a go.

All being well we aim to have a campfire next week at Forest School. For some of our younger children we may suggest they need more awareness and to be able to show us they are ready to participate in the campfire this time. Every week we include aspects of fire safety at Forest School but for some children this takes time to master. So, if they do not do this time hopefully they will be ready by the end of next term. If you have not seen or signed the risk assessment for ‘Fires at Forest School’ I will get you to do this next week so we know you are happy for your child to participate.

Maths focus: Measure – During group times, the children were challenged to identify capacity by matching words to pictures and building their own towers and comparing them to others.

Phonic focus: Body Percussion – This week we recapped on action songs where we actively encouraged the children to join in with the words and actions.

Core Song – 2D Shape Song

Poem – 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.

– See if your child can remember this poem and the accompanying actions.

Information / Reminders

*If able would you take the time to look at the stars and moon with your child, we have been discussing light and dark and many children have said they have not seen the stars and the moon (I’m sure they have but just can’t remember). Our core book this week has been ‘Why is it Dark at Night?’ this book has generated many questions for some children which will continue to discuss and explore next week to help develop their understanding.

*Library Trip – The children who have not yet visited the library will be going on Friday the 14th either in the morning or afternoon. We ideally need one more parent helper in the morning and afternoon to ensure all the children can go this term. Please let me know if you can help and I will let you know the plan, timings etc. Thank you to everyone that came and helped with last weeks trip, we really do appreciate it and hoped you enjoyed it too. It really is great to get out in the community.

*Last day of term – Friday the 14th of February (normal time).

*Start of term 4 – Monday the 24th of February

Enjoy your weekend and we look forward to seeing you next week.

Kind regards,

Zoe 😊

 

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School’s Newsletter 24/25 – term 3, newsletter 19

Hi All,
Here is an overview of our week at Nursery School:

Indoor focus – We discussed how some people are celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year this week and shared these clips to help with the children’s understanding of this celebration – https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/chinese-new-year. We had lots of enhancements around the room to support the children’s interest in this celebration such as Chinese writing, pictures, a Chinese kitchen, and lantern making.

We have also been exploring and naming our emotions which links to our core book this week ‘The Colour Monster’. The children have also been busy comparing and measuring quantities in many different ways. They have been recognising and recalling 2D and 3D shapes within their play. We also added some loose parts to the home corner for the children to use in their play. Sally from the library came to see the children on Friday, they enjoyed listening to a story and joining in with some action songs with her. This links to our visit next week where the children will go in groups to the library as part of our big experience programme.

Outdoor focus – The children have been filling up and comparing measures in the water tray, threading pasta onto pipe cleaners and making bracelets, some children went on to paint their bracelets thinking about what they could differently. We enjoyed playing traditional games such as ‘hide & seek’ and ‘what’s the time Mr Wolf’. We also constructed shelters, obstacle courses, car ramps and mazes.

Wow activity – The children enjoyed tinkering with hammers and nails this week in woodwork. The children followed safety instructions and wore safety glasses and gloves on their non-hammering hand to keep themselves safe.

Forest School – Groups A & B had fun making a rope bridge at Forest School this week, most children were willing to have a go and mastered how best to travel along the rope bridge safely to the other end.

Maths focus: Measure – During group times the children used scales, where they measured and compared a range of items recognising which item was heavier, lighter or the same. We also measured the children using masking tape and compared, discussed who was the tallest, shortest or the same in height. Some of the children went on to measure the tape with objects to see how many blocks / gems tall they were.

Phonic focus: Body Percussion – This week we discussed and made opposite sounds we can make with our bodies such as loud & quiet, long & short, slow & fast sounds. Then we went on to explore the types of sound we can make we can make with our bodies such as clicking, stamping. Then finally we experimented with different types of movements we can do such as rocking, marching and skipping. This generated lots of lovely discussions about they different types of sounds they hear and can produce themselves.

Core Song – Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Poem – Carrot Nose
A cute little snowman with a
long carrot nose.
Along came a rabbit and
what do you suppose?
That cute little rabbit,
looking for his lunch.
Ate the snowman’s carrot nose,
nibble, nibble, munch
– See if your child can remember this poem and the accompanying actions.

Information / Reminders
*Library Trip – We still need to 2 more additional parent helpers for Tuesday & Friday (pm) from 1.15 – 2.30 (approx.). If you can help please do let me know. Thank you to all of you who have already offered.
I hope you are having a lovely weekend and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Kind regards,
Zoe

 

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School’s newsletter 24/25 – Term 3, newsletter 18

Hi All

Here is an overview of our week at Nursery School:

Indoor focus – We have continued with our term’s theme of Winter and Investigation, the children enjoyed doing another science experiment (Walking Water) with Marlena where some children helped to prepare the experiment, then watched in awe as the red water ‘walked’ up the paper towel and into the empty jars and stopped when it was level with the remaining red water in the middle jar. The children continued to be interested in shapes in the environment and were challenged to name shapes and to prove how they knew the shape name by giving explanations about the shapes properties. The children continued with creating cold pictures and collages. Some of the children enjoyed relaxing with cushions and blankets while listening to calming music, especially when coming in from the cold. This led on to having great discussions about the weather, season and how we feel if we get too cold. Some of the children are not independently choosing books and sharing them with one another. The home area is still popular where more and more independent role play is being seen. The children continue to be imaginative in their play and act out many scenarios throughout the day. The dinosaurs have also been a hit this week where the children have asked questions and shared their knowledge with others.

Outdoor focus – The children have been busy up in the mud kitchen, this week it was turned a ‘Pancake Cafe’ for the dinosaurs. The children used clay and natural ingredients to make some tasty treats for the dinosaurs. The windy weather created excitement and sensory experiences for the children. The children enjoyed playing ‘hide and seek’, creating with the large blocks, making a range of new obstacle courses, throwing and catching games and discovering new ways to make ball runs using loose parts available to them.

Wow activity – This week we started woodwork, we began by using nuts, bolts and tinkering blocks. By the end of the week some of the children were confidently using the nuts and bolts to attach the tinkering blocks to make their own creations. This activity was so good to develop the children’s hand, eye coordination and strengthen their fine motor skills. Their concentration, perseverance and determination was incredible.

Forest School – Groups C & D did Forest School this week. We had fun deciding how to build a shelter as a group and what materials to use. We modelled and encouraged the children to learn and use key vocabulary such as shelter, frame, rope, pegs, strong, tarpaulin & waterproof. For the next two weeks we continue to use ropes and make a rope bridge for the children to use. Then we hope to have a camp fire for the last session where we will cook popcorn.

Maths focus: Shape – This week the children used lolly sticks to create shapes and enjoyed playing shape bingo. The children were encouraged to talk about and explore the 2D shapes and mathematical vocabulary such as sides, corners, straight, flat etc.

Phonic focus: Body Percussion – We played a game called ‘Listen to the music’ where the children were Introduced to several musical instruments. They were then asked to think of an action to be assigned to each instrument (e.g. Clap, wave, jump). The children then took turns at being the leader and selected one of instruments to play and all the other children had to remember and do the correct action for the chosen instrument. Another game we played was called
‘Follow the sound’ where the adult produces a body percussion sound which is then ‘passed’ to the child sitting next to them such as clap, clap, clap. The sound was then passed around the circle until it is returned to the adult. The adult then asked the children some questions such as do you think the sound stayed the same all the way around? What changed? Did it get faster or slower?

Core Song – I Can Sing A Rainbow

Poem – I Can Build A Snowman

I can build a snowman,
I can build it high.
I can build a snowman,
Up into the sky.

– See if your child can remember this poem and the accompanying actions.

Information / Reminders

* Library visits – Sally from the library will be coming in this Friday (31st of Jan) to visit the children at nursery to talk about her job and our trip to the library, she will then read a book to them. Sally will come in the morning and afternoon. Then the following week we will go down to the library on Tues am, Tues pm and Fri pm, thank you to all of you who have offered to help with the trip and sorry to those of you who have offered to help on different days that we are unable to go, this is to do with the library not being able to accommodate us on those days and the days we have limited staff. To make these trips happen on a 1:2 ratio we need 3 more parents for Tuesday am (4th of Feb), 4 more parents for Tuesday pm (4th of Feb) and 2 more parents on Fri pm (7th of Feb). if we cannot get enough parent helpers we may have to extend the visits into the following week. . If you do not wish for your child to come on the trip or have any questions the please do let us know. Timings for the trips in the morning will be 9.45am – 11am (approx). and in the afternoon will be 1.15pm – 2.30pm (approx). I will send a separate memo to those of you who have offered to help to confirm your availability and details.

* Packed lunches – We are a nut-free school, please do not send any nut products in your child’s lunchbox. We also would like to encourage healthy eating and would ask you to not to include any sweets, chocolate and to limit crisps. We suggest a healthy lunchbox would contain the following items:
– Starchy foods like bread, rice, potatoes or pasta
– Protein foods like meat, fish, eggs or beans
– A dairy item, like cheese or yogurt
– Vegetables or salad and a portion of fruit

* Illness – We have had quite a few children off this week with coughs, colds and temperatures. Please do keep your child at home if they have a temperature (over 37.5). For general coughs and colds if your child is generally okay in themselves then they are fine to come into Nursery. We have also had a couple of cases of conjunctivitis, please see the NHS guidelines for signs and symptoms and how to treat – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/conjunctivitis/ 

* Lending Library – Please don’t forget we have a lending library at school. Your child can choose a book, we just ask that you to sign the book out and then back in once you return it. You can keep the book for as long as you wish.

I hope you have a nice weekend and we will see you next week.

Kind regards

Zoe

 

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School’s newsletter 24/25 – Term 3, newsletter 17

Hi All

Here is an overview of our week at Nursery School:

Indoor focus – The children have been busy creating cold pictures and linking this to the current weather and season. They have enjoyed discussing temperatures and sorting out hot and cold pictures to show their understanding. The children have been role-playing in the Chinese Kitchen, and identifying different foods and talking about their own preferences. The investigation station has gone down well where the children have spent time exploring and experimenting with the materials and resources available to them. Some children have been curious about the shapes in provision and have named shapes, asked questions and created pictures using the shapes. In the water tray the children have been investigating coloured ice cubes, where they have discussed the texture, asked questions, and observed what happens over time to the ice cubes.

Outdoor focus – The children created a stage to dance and perform on using the large wooden blocks, and requested to listen to a range of music where they experimented with their movements depending on the tempo of the music. The children were keen to draw shapes and include them in their play, such as when creating an obstacle course they had to identify and jump in different chalked shapes. Also, when riding the bikes / scooters they followed a chalked line where they had to manoeuvre between different shapes that had been drawn. Up at the top of the garden they have been enjoying using the wooden obstacle course, practising on the monkey bars and using the climbing frame safely. The large sandpit has also been very popular this week where many of the children have engaged in imaginative play. The children have also liked apprenticeship type work such as helping to clean the mud kitchen and resources.

Forest School – Groups A & B did Forest School this week. We encouraged them to be independent in getting into / out of their waterproof clothing and to put on / take off their own wellies. This term we will be building shelters / dens and using ropes and for our last session we hope to have a campfire where we will cook some popcorn. All the children were keen to build a shelter using roles, tarpaulins, a large stick and some pegs, they enjoyed standing under the shelter and listening to the rain as it made ‘pitter patter’ sounds on the tarpaulin. As always we came together at the end of the session to share a warm drink and a biscuit where we discussed the session. Group B decided as it was raining it would be good idea to have their snack under the shelter and helped to roll the wooden logs to the shelter to sit on.

Maths focus: Shape – On Tuesday we played a game at group time where each child had the chance to put their hand in to a bag and choose one of the shapes inside. We encouraged them to explore the shape with their hand while it was still in the bag, and then asked them what shape they thought it was and why. We went on to identify each shape and discuss its properties. On Thursday the children recalled the shape names and then went on to create their own shape picture using a range of shapes. The children were encouraged to talk about their picture and were asked questions to support their mathematical thinking and reasoning.

Phonic focus: Body Percussion – For both group times we did action songs where we supported the children to develop their awareness of sounds and rhythms, distinguish between sounds, remember patterns of sounds and talk about the sounds they can make with their body.

Core Song – On a Cold and Frosty Morning

Poem – Let’s Put On Our Mittens

Let’s put on our mittens,
and button up our coats.
Wrap our scarves snuggly around our throats.
Pull on our shoes and fasten the straps.
And tie on tightly our warm woollen hats.
Open the door, and out we go.
Out, into the soft and feathery snow.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.

– See if your child can remember this poem and the accompanying actions. I have also attached the Poetry Basket ‘Autumn’ and ‘Spring’ poem booklet for you to recall poems with your child.

Information / Reminders

– It has been lovely to welcome Lynn back this week, she has enjoyed seeing you all and spending time in session reconnecting and getting to know all the children.

– Parent helpers needed – We are planning on going to the library this term in small groups (we have swapped the theatre to next term). To do this we will need parent helpers. If you are available to help throughout the week commencing February the 3rd please do let me know your availability and I will sort out the best sessions / times to go and let you know.

– Thank you for all your snack donations, this has been greatly appreciated.

– If you have any large carboard boxes hanging around please do bring them in and we will use them in provision.

– We still have a position for a parent Governor on our Governing board. If this is something you are interested or would like to know more about please do let me know.

I hope you have a great weekend and we look forward to seeing you next week.

Kind regards

Zoe

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School’s newsletter 24/25 – Term 3, newsletter 16

Hi All

Happy New Year and welcome back. I hope you all had a lovely break and are ready for the year ahead 😊

Our returning children have come back and it is like they have never been away, which is a really positive sign. This term we are welcoming eight new children to Nursery School, some of whom have had their first settling-in visits, these have gone well and will continue to happen this week. Our older children have been great at helping to settle the new children by showing them around and helping them with the routines in place.

Inside focus

This week some of the children enjoyed doing an experiment with Marlena where they placed yellow roses in different coloured pots of water to see what would happen. They were amazed when the roses changed colour, this allowed for children to be curious and ask questions to help deepen their understanding.

We introduced a ‘reading rocket tent’ in our book area which has gone down well with the children. The wrapping station has been transformed into a Chinese Kitchen where the children have engaged in role play and have been busy cooking and pretending to eat a range of foods.

Outside focus

Outside the children have building with the large blocks, concocting potions with ice, powder paint and other natural resources. We have some new bikes and helmets which the children have been keen to test out amongst many other learning opportunities.

This term

Our overarching theme will be ‘Winter & Investigation’. We will be introducing woodwork as our ‘Wow’ activity, our maths focus will be ‘Shape’ and phonics will be ‘Body Percussion’.

Please see our website to see the Medium term plans – https://www.ace-chipping-norton.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Medium-Term-Planning-2024-25-Term-3.pdf  and for our key curricular experiences and cultural capital – https://www.ace-chipping-norton.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Medium-Term-Planning-Term-34-2024-25-Key-Experiences-Cultural-Capital.pdf 

Information / Reminders

– Please do bring in your weekly snack donations if you can, any day of the week is fine to bring in your donation.

– Please name all items of clothing, if you have lost any items of clothing please do look on the table in the reception area (by back door), any items of clothing remaining at the end of the week will be placed in our spare clothes or donated.

– Focus Children: Please do look out for memos for when it is your child’s focus week, it is really helpful to get your viewpoints before the week and then your child’s key person will arrange a parental call for the following week to discuss how your child’s progress, this is also a good chance for you to ask any questions or discuss any worries you may have around your child’s development.

– Forest School groups will commence this week, please find updated lists. Your child will partake in Forest School once a fortnight, please ensure you child has sufficient layers on and a pair of wellies in school for forest school days. We have waterproof’s but you are welcome to bring in your own for your child to use.

– Applications for Primary School: If your child is due to start primary school in September 2025 you have until this Wednesday (January the 15th 2025) to apply. Please do ask if you need any help. Here is the link to the application page – https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/schools/apply-school-place/reception-applications/make-application 

We all look forward to seeing you next week for a another busy and fun week.

Kind regards

Zoe

 

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School’s newsletter 24/25 – Term 2, newsletter 15

Hi All,

What a busy last week we have had here at Nursery School!

On our trip to visit the local shop, we learnt a new song:

Stop, look, and listen before you cross the road.
Stop, look, and listen before you cross the road.
Use your eyes and your ears before you use your toes.
Stop, look, and listen before you cross the road.
Stop, look, and listen before you cross the road.

Thank you to all of you that came and helped out with the trip, as I said last week we would not be able to do these trips without your support.

Christmas Performance – All the children did incredibly well during the performance, we were so impressed and proud of them all, as I am sure you were.

Information / Reminders

– Thank you for all the kind words, Christmas wishes, cards and gifts.

– First Day of Term: Wednesday the 8th of January.

– New starters: We will be welcoming 9 new children in January. The first day back will be for just our existing children and then we will be gradually settling in the new children in.

– Jenny – Is making good progress in her recovery from pre-planned surgery and is hoping to be back with us after Christmas.

Our theme next term will be ‘Winter’ and ‘Investigation’

Please see our ‘Medium Term Planning’ for term 3 – https://www.ace-chipping-norton.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Medium-Term-Planning-2024-25-Term-3.pdf  and our ‘Medium Term Planning for ‘Key Curricular Experiences’ and ‘Cultural Capital’ for terms 3 & 4 – https://www.ace-chipping-norton.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Medium-Term-Planning-Term-34-2024-25-Key-Experiences-Cultural-Capital.pdf 

Our ‘Wow’ activity will be woodwork next term. We will be doing this weekly with the children.

We would all like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. We hope you have chance to reset and enjoy all of the festivities. We look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.

Kind Regards

Zoe

 

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