We’ve made it to half-term, in one piece! Seven weeks sounds like a long start to the year but it seems to have flown by.  It has been a half-term full of exploration and discovery and all of the children have come on so much since that first day of term.  It is great to see them so comfortable and confident now.

This week we have looked again at the very hungry caterpillar story.  This has helped with our counting skills and developed our vocabulary.  It has be an inspiration to some art work that we have done.  You can see some of the fantastic paintings produced in the photos below. The story has also inspired the children to put on a puppet show with their own handmade puppets.

Foundation have also had a new addition this week, with the introduction of a wormery.  The children have looked at how the worms burrow into the soil, going between the different layers.  We have also read the book Superworm, which the children have enjoyed.

I have sent home your child’s learning journal so that you ca have a look at some of the learning done. There is also a small half-term activity for you to try and complete.  Please see the instructions stuck inside the book.  

You will also find a sheet included with some basic Makaton signs that we have been learning here in Nursery. This is yours to keep at home and practise with your child, if you have time.

And a little reminder that upon their return, winter uniform should be worn by the children.

I was due to be saying goodbye to Little Heath (again) but those plans have changed and I will be back after the break for a couple more weeks.  I will see you all then and I hope you all have a great half-term week, whatever it is you end up doing.  .

Mr da Rocha

 

We’ve had another fantastic week here in Nursery.  It has been great catching up with you all to discuss how your children have been getting on.  It has been wonderful to see how much they have developed since their first day here and very comforting to see them all fully settled in. 

Autumn has now made its appearance and this has inspired this week’s learning.  We have looked at the changes in the environment, discussing the different colours that have started to appear.  We had a great learning walk around the school field and surroundings, collecting the Autumn leaves, conkers and acorns. We have created Autumn themed art, printing with paint and leaves.

At the end of next week, we will be sending your child’s learning journal home with them.  This will be a chance for you to see some of the things they have been doing over the term.  It would be great if you could create your own half-term entry for the journal.  A picture of something you have done together would be great and maybe an explanation of what it was.

Thank you for the return of spare school uniforms, our stocks have replenished nicely.

Another reminder about our family picture wall as it is still looking a little bare.  Please could you send in a photo of your family to be added to the wall.

Have a lovely weekend and I will see you all next week.

Mr da Rocha

Quite a changeable week in regards to the weather.  As ever though, this hasn’t stopped us and we have made the most of both in and outdoor exploration this week.  The excess amount of water has given the children the chance to work out ways to transport water from one place to another using all the resources available to them.  It was lovely to see the myriad of approaches and the tenacity shown to make things work!

This week has had a science theme.  The classic story Funnybones has sparked the children’s curiosity and we have been learning about the bones in our body.  Magnets have been a big part of play this week, the children have been using these and their imaginations to create structures and objects and we have looked at the science behind magnets.  We have also looked at the story of Little Red Riding Hood.

As you my know, parent consultations will be done via a phone call this year due to COVID19 related restrictions.  Nursery’s will take place on Wednesday 15^th October and you can book your preferred timeslot here.  A link to login was emailed to you earlier this week and I can see most of you have already reserved your slot.  If you are having problems using the system, please contact the office and they can add you in manually.

There are occasions where we have had to send your child home in spare school uniforms.  If this does happen, could we ask that you please wash and return those items of clothing as we do rely on having spares in the unit.

Unfortunately, our family picture wall is still looking a little bare.  Thank you to those that have sent pictures in and if you haven't done so, please could you send in a photo of your family to be added to the wall.

One final reminder, if you haven't sent them in already, please could you complete and return the settling in forms that were emailed out to you earlier in the term.

Enjoy your weekend and I'll see you all on Monday.

Mr da Rocha

A slightly damp end to the week but spirits are high.  It has been another wonderful week in Nursery full of exploration and play.  Wellies have been put to good use with the children getting more used to changing in and out of their shoes, and getting their coats on and off.  Hopefully, you might see your child becoming more independent with this, if they aren’t already.

This week, we have looked at the Gruffalo and the Gruffalo’s child by Julia Donaldson and lots of their play has been inspired by these stories.  We have been looking at reading and writing the numbers 1-5 and also recognising and drawing basic 2D shapes.

The kitchen has resumed the serving of hot lunches, so those children who have school dinners are now going across to the main building to eat.  They have all been fantastic at adapting to the new environment and actually set a great example to other children in the school.  If your child is having a school dinner, please see the school meals page for the options through the week (next week is week 3, I’m looking forward to Chicken Pie on Thursday!).  I will then take your child’s order at the gate each morning.  Payment of lunches is done through School Gateway

Our family picture wall has had a couple of new additions, thank you to those of you that have sent these in.  For those of you who have yet to, please could send in or email a family photograph to add to our wall.  It is a lovely resource that sparks curiosity and discussion in the children.

And finally, next week is Walk To School Week, celebrating ‘Clean Air Day’ on Thursday 8^th October.  We are encouraging as many of you as possible to walk, cycle or scoot to school throughout next week.  If your journey is too far to walk, then you could try to drive partway then walk the rest.

Have a lovely weekend and see you next week.

Mr da Rocha

The weather may have turned but it hasn’t stopped us form having another great week in Nursery.  I apologise for any mud your child may be bringing home with them but we want them to have exactly the same opportunity to be outside as much as they want despite the weather. Because of this please can you ensure that your child is sent in with coats and wellies that are named if you have not already done so.

Next week we are going to be asking you to drop your children off at the main gates instead of bringing them directly to the classroom. This will bring us in line with the rest of the school, which is continuing to ensure safety by limiting parents onto the site. I will be at the gate to meet them in exactly the same way as I do every morning. They will only have to walk down the ramp to another teacher, who will be stood at the door to the unit. This system was used before the summer holidays and we feel it worked really well.  As your children are now nicely settled in I am confident they are more than capable of doing this and I encourage you to not prep them too much as sometimes this makes it a far bigger issue than necessary. Please email me if you have any concerns regarding this matter.

You made have noticed some changes at the front of the unit, we have made some alterations to the layout to allow us to continue to use the outdoor space whatever the weather.  As you can see from the photos, the children have all enjoyed the new opportunities provided.  This week we have also focused on the story of the Gingerbread man, exploring it through story telling and song.

In the classroom, we have a special board where we can display pictures of ourselves and our families.  As you can see, it is a bit bare at the moment and we would like to get this filled up with family photos.  Could you please provide, either a physical photograph or email an image that we can print to be displayed.

One final reminder, please only send water in your child’s water bottle, if you want your child to have juice at lunch, then this will need to be in a separate bottle or carton to be kept with their packed lunch.  Can you also ensure that no sweets or chocolates are supplied in their packed lunches.  Please refer to the school’s policy for further details.

I must apologise, there has been a technical issue with my email and some of you may have not been able to contact me.  Hopefully this will be fixed before next week but if you wish to contact me in the meantime, please use crobinson@littleheath.herts.sch.uk and the message will be passed onto me.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and I will see you next week.

Mr da Rocha

What a wonderful week it has been in Nursery.  The children are all getting settled and comfortable and they are now expressing themselves in a myriad of ways.  It is lovely seeing their characters come out and learning so much more about them.

You should have received the settling in forms for you to feedback about what you have noticed in your child over the last two weeks.  I look forward to reading these and responding with the observations I have made of them here.

This week we have continued to explore and learn through play and guided activities.  The story of The Three 3 Little Pigs and The Very Hungry Caterpillar have provided great stimulus and the children have used this in their play.  We have continued to make the most of the September sun with our outdoor play, which the children are revelling in.

I have been very impressed at how well all the children can line up.  There are a few more pictures to let you see a little bit of what we have been doing this week.

Have a lovely weekend, I will see you all on Monday.

Mr da Rocha

 

What a fantastic start we have had in nursery this week, it seems to have flown by in a flash. 

The children have settled well and have enjoyed their start to Nursery. I hope it has not been too stressful for you, as I too have been leaving my child for the first time this week. Please be reassured that if your child is upset we will endeavour to sort it and comfort them. We will also contact you if they do not settle as we are happy for you to adjust their hours until they are comfortable here.

As part of our new way of working we are asking if you could complete a settling in form for your child online. This information sharing will help you see what we have observed about your child during the first couple of weeks in the setting. Could you please complete the parent’s comments section at the end and return the forms to adarocha@littleheath.herts.sch.uk.  These will be sent out next week.

This week your children have enjoyed all the new experiences on offer in the setting, with the weather allowing us to take advantage of plenty of outdoor play.  I have put some photographs on the blog to show you what we have been doing this week.

We have all enjoyed spending this week with your little ones and look forward to seeing you all next week.

Mr da Rocha

Well we have finally arrived at the end of the school year,  I have to say it has been a very strange and emotional journey for us all. We would like to thank you  so much for the gifts, vouchers and support you have showed us throughout this difficult time. We look forward to seeing you all again in September.
Have a great and safe Summer.
Mrs Robinson:

The weather has certainly let us down this week and we are beginning to count down the days.
Although we are looking forward to a break we are looking forward to having all our children back in school in September. We have been asked on many occasions how things have been in school over the past few weeks. Myself and The Foundation team have been so impressed with the resilience of our children and their ability to accept change without question.  They have kept us going and we have all adapted well to our new norm. One thing that I believe has come out of this is the children's independence. They have learnt to do all the things that we as teachers and you as parents so easily do for them, like fastening coats, turning sleeves inside out, peeling an orange and many more. One thing they are amazing at is washing their hands and this is what we need right now so this needs to continue so that it becomes second nature. I do think we need to change the song that they sing to though!!!!!!!
For all the children who have not returned we have missed you but we look forward to welcoming you back in September.
Mrs Sheehan and myself are now ready for a break and a pamper, maybe this facial will help.
Have a great weekend.
Mrs Robinson:)

We are coming to the end of term and it is a very strange feeling as we are normally very busy organising end of year activities. The children in school have enjoyed the weather and the opportunity to play with their friends. For all our families who are still at home we hope that you have all been ok and we are looking forward to welcoming you back in September. Thank you to those who have responded to the reports, if you have not returned the form can you please try and email your thoughts before the end of term. We have 2 videos to show you this week, one is of the teachers doing a dance and the other is of the children dancing. Even though they have not being able to have physical contact they have been enjoying social dancing together everyday, this has been lovely to watch as they have worked out what to do and have created their own routines.

Could you please check to see if your child has brought home the correct coat as we have a blue thin jacket missing and also a pink Tottenham hat.


Have a great weekend.
Mrs Robinson:)