Dear Parents,
We’d like to begin by wishing a very fond farewell to Alba and her family. Thursday marked her last day with us. Alba and her sister Maddie were among the very first children to join Broughton Cottage.
Staffing news – Zoe (and Roman) will be leaving us at the end of next week as their family move to Warwickshire; we wish them all the very best for the future.
Oaks 1:
We would like to thank Theo’s family for sending in a delicious cake for everyone to share on his birthday; they also kept the children busy by kindly giving us cupcake kits for the children to bake. This activity was wonderful for seeing just how well Oaks 1 follow instructions and take turns. One of the group exclaimed quite rightly that ‘teamwork is dream work’; a phrase the children are increasingly acknowledging as they work together. Fine motor skills were also enhanced as the cake batter was combined using different tools. And when measuring everything out, we used mental maths. The staff also spoke about the importance of hygiene, health and safety when cooking.
Oaks 1 have been preparing for our leavers’ party this weekend by crafting graduation hats. They all look so sweet and grown-up when wearing them! We’ve been encouraging the group to open up about any feelings they have about going off to big school too. A few stated they were ‘a little bit nervous’, while others said they were ‘excited’. The practitioners explained that it’s very normal to experience a range of emotions when making a life transition. Conversations like this support the children’s personal, social and emotional development.
The class have been extending their understanding of the world this week by asking our gardener questions about flowers and plants. Oaks 1 watched with great interest as she pulled out weeds, with some offering to help by handing over tools. Oaks 1 were thrilled to spot a number of worms, with a few classmates likening the limbless creatures to skipping ropes.
Star of The Week:
Our leavers – For all of their fantastic learning throughout the year. You really are all shining stars!
Oaks 2:
Enhancing the children’s physical development has been our core aim this week.
Oaks 2 loved participating in our Sporty Stars task which involved actions such kicking, catching and doing a header. They were required to follow instructions too, as they had to listen out for which move the adult called out.
While outside, the group also set up a soft play assault course. As they explored the different equipment, they made a variety of movements including jumping, sliding, hopping and taking big steps. This engaging activity also helped strengthen the personal, social and emotional development of Oaks 2 as the children had to learn to take turns and wait until it was safe to proceed.
The children have spent time playing with our bowling set too. Oaks 2 all demonstrated patience when carefully balancing and lining up the pins before seeing how many they could knock down with the ball. Bowling offers the chance to boost throwing skills and maths development, with counting required after each throw.
With lots of our children due to transition up to Oaks 1 soon, we set aside a few days to explore the older Oaks’ room. A change of environment went down so well with everyone and it was amazing to see the youngsters looking up to their elder peers as role models.
Star of The Week:
Hassan – For engaging more in Sporty Stars and listening to instructions very well.
Saplings:
We decided to expand our seaside theme by looking at different creatures that live in the ocean.
The Saplings’ week started off with engaging sorting and matching games. In one, the children were asked to decide whether the toy animal they were given lived in the sea or on the land. The toy was then placed on to a corresponding blue or green mat. Emi and Sophia were seriously speedy at putting the animals in their correct habitat, while Felix suggested elephants might be water dwellers because they’re able to blow it out of their trunks.
In a second game of a similar nature, the Saplings had to find pairs of matching fish. To do so, they had to carefully consider different patterns and colours. The group took turns so well.
During a creative activity, the children made their own paper plate beach balls. Using gross motor skills to grasp paintbrushes, they enthusiastically mixed different shades together to make unique colours. As the Saplings worked on their creations, we discussed what shapes and patterns might be found on a real beach ball.
Our jam-packed week ended with an ice cream tasting session. Demonstrating excellent spoon control, the Saplings attempted to scoop the frozen treat into a cone. The children volunteered words such as ‘cold’, ‘yummy’ and ‘tasty’ as they sampled it.
Star of The Week
William – For his growing confidence as he plays with his peers.
Seedlings:
Our focus has been transport this week and the children have taken part in activities that promote the development of hand/eye co-ordination.
These included playing with pipe cleaners and egg cartons, plus attempting to fit the furry sticks through the holes of a colander. The Seedlings remained very engaged throughout.
We’ve also enjoyed small world play too, with the group having lots of fun with our car garage, farm and fire station. The children happily babbled away to their peers and made some impressive vehicle sounds.
Out in the garden, the Seedlings proved to be rather adventurous while riding trikes. The older members of the room quickly worked out that they’d need to use their feet in order to move around the track.
Our car wash play station was loved by everyone. This activity saw the children using sponges as they cleaned different vehicles in soapy and bubbly water. Finally, we made our very own road from masking tape and it was a joy to see the Seedlings racing their cars around the makeshift highway.
Star of The Week:
Maila – For starting potty training and doing so well with it.
Acorns:
The Acorns got involved in a selection of sensory activities this week.
Alfie was ever so fascinated by our sensory board and soon discovered that scratching different textures creates an array of sounds. Sebastian found this very amusing! Kinetic sand play was very popular among the group and the Acorns loved finding out just how easy it is to manipulate. They scrunched the sand with their hands before shaping it into various forms.
We also had a lot of fun with our new sensory robot. The Acorns all retained focus as they pressed the sound buttons, touched the texture patches and caught a glimpse of their own reflections in its mirror.
A fantastic time was had by the Acorns in our courtyard this week, where we built a train track around the space. Thomas showed a lot of resilience as he carefully constructed the track, while Raul and Archie happily played outside with trains for a long period of time. In the main garden, the Acorns enjoyed our outdoor soft play equipment. They climbed up three big steps before sliding down into a ball pit.
It’s fair to say that water play went down well with the Acorns this week. Parker adored filling and emptying containers and couldn’t resist splashing the water with his hands. Oscar was so excited to see the set up that he ran straight through the Tuff Tray on the floor. He loved seeing the water dance as he stomped his feet. We apologise for any wet clothes!
Our role play kitchen area became the setting for a teddy bears’ tea party, and all of the children helped to brew their make-believe tea using our new toy appliances.
Over the next few weeks, the Acorns will spend time settling into what will become their classroom when they move up to Seedlings. If you have any questions about this process, please do not hesitate to ask.
Star of The Week:
Oscar H – For dazzling everyone with his beautiful smile. He’s settled into nursery life so well and we absolutely love having him as part of the Broughton family.
Yours sincerely
The team at Broughton