Darkness

 What an exciting week we have had in Foundation. On Wednesday the unit was in darkness and the children had the opportunity to experience play using their senses. Their eyes adapted quickly and we observed the children working out how to utilise their torches to enable them to continue with activities of their choosing. 

I have included a selection of photos that hopefully demonstrate just how dark the environment was.

                                            The children made shadow patterns on the sensory light.

                                           I positioned my torch so that I could cut the paper.

                                       We had glitter in the play dough and our torches made it sparkle.

                            We played with the sensory lights. We thought it looked like an octopus.

                                                           We made a fire with the wood.

                        We put the torches near the fruit bowl so that we could choose our snack.

                                                               We enjoyed reading books.

                                                           We made patterns in the sand.

What an amazing day.

Next week is Chinese New Year and we will be learning about this celebration. We will be eating noodles with chopsticks.

Have a great weekend.

Mrs Robinson

Billy Goat Gruff

 This week in Foundation we have been enjoying and learning to retell the story of  The Three Billy Goat Gruff . The children used puppets to retell the story and have acted out and used prediction for what happens next. We have made a puppet theatre for the children to enjoy using characters from many of our favorite stories.

On Tuesday we had a visiting drama workshop all about the jungle. The children were really engaged in the activities and it was a great success.

Next week we will be  learning about day and night and about nocturnal animals.

On Wednesday we are going to be having a sensory day. We will be making the nursery dark and we will be using our senses to explore and experience familiar activities in different ways. For this day we would like the children to come to school in the pyjamas and dressing gowns. ( Onesies are not recommended as the children will struggle with the toilet). Please make sure your child is warm enough as we will be going outside as usual. On previous years parents have put clothes on underneath their Pj's so that they are warm. We would like each child to bring a torch clearly labelled to use on that day. Please speak to me if you do not have one.

If you have concerns about this day please speak to me or email me, I will be happy to alleviate any concerns.

crobinson@littleheath.herts.sch.uk

 We have had a great week with lots of scientists in the setting. The children have observed the ice outside and have found different ways to help it melt. We put some containers in the freezer containing animals, we discussed different ways of getting the animals out of the ice. The children's suggestions were excellent and they decided that we could put them in the sun outside to see what happened. We left some in the unit and we put some in warm water. We then discussed which had melted the quickest.

On Thursday Mrs Howe launched a rocket outside which I have included in this weeks photographs.

Our new children have settled well this week and they have been supported in many ways by our existing children. They have been very caring and have shown the new children what we do and how we play and learn.

Next week we are going to be looking at the story of the 'Three Billy Goats Gruff'', which is one of my favourites.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Mrs Robinson:)

 Happy New Year

Welcome back, it is so lovely to see the children and they all seem very happy to be back with their friends. The weather has even brightened up for us all. I hope you all had a good break and kept well throughout the festive week.

This term we are going to be working with the children to support their ability to access a few more focused activities led by the teacher. This is something that we never take for granted as it involves many skills including the ability to be able to sit next to other children, communicate with children and adults, share their space, listen and respond with two way conversation. These sessions will only last for 5 minutes but we will be building them up over the term.

Next week we are going to be experimenting using our science knowledge.

Here are a few reminders for this term.

Please make sure all clothes are labelled with your child's name.

Hats and gloves are advisable as we will be outside. Mittens are preferable as children find gloves very hard to put on.

Warm coats.

Water bottles clearly labelled

Please speak to me if you have any concerns.

Have a great weekend

Mrs Robinson:)

Business as usual in our Foundation unit.

Christmas

  Hello all,

Although not everything went according to the original plan, the children enjoyed performing in the front of cameras and looked very festive. We will be sending the link for you to view the performance in the nest few days to watch in he comfort of your home.

We are all ready for a break and spending time with our families. We hope that you all stay safe and have a wonderful Christmas. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday the 6th of January.

Thank you for the wonderful gifts.

Best wishes from the Foundation team.

Hot Dogs

 Hello all,

We could feel the festive atmosphere in  foundation  this week. The children have been practising the songs for their Christmas concert and are ready to perform. We are looking forward to see you next week, all being well.

On Wednesday we enjoyed our Christmas dinner. The children had lots of fun when popping the Christmas crackers, wearing crowns and singing 'We wish you a Merry Christmas' for our dinner ladies to thank them for preparing their delicious food.

Unfortunately we could not light the fire outside due to the weather so Mrs Robinson, with the help of the children and some magic spells created a camp fire in our classroom.

We  enjoyed having a hot dog and a drink of milk around the fire.

Next week we will be performing our songs on the stage. Please can you send your child to school in Christmas clothes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Some children find this quite hard when they see their families. Please be reassured that we will be watching and supporting any child who is upset. 

We will update you if there are any changes to the performance due to Covid.

Have a great weekend.

Mrs Robinson

 This week we have decorated the unit and it is looking very festive. The children have enjoyed helping arrange the room, with lots of snowy areas and Christmas trees. We have continued to practice our songs so there is definitely a Christmas buzz in the air.  We cant believe how well the children are  established with the Foundation environment and routines, it is always a good time to reflect on learning and what progress the children have made since September which is quite evident from observing their interactions and learning on a daily basis. It is a pleasure to see.

 We will be having a busy couple of weeks and some of their normal routines will change due to Christmas activities. Sometimes this unsettles them a bit as it becomes overwhelming. Please be reassured that we  will support the children if this happens as it a normal emotion for them to have. Please speak to me if you have any concerns about it.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

Regards

Mrs Robinson:)