“On the night you were born, the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you and the night wind whispered, ‘Life will never be the same.’” – On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

Wishing all our families a very Happy Easter. Have a wonderful time with family and friends.

Seedlings:

We said farewell to Amelie as she left to start her Maternity Leave. We wish her well and look forward to news of a safe delivery in a few weeks.

It’s been a very busy and fun-filled week for the Seedlings at Broughton Cottage.

Continuing to embrace the new season and Easter, the children made some lovely cards to gift to their loved ones.

An activity involving spring flowers saw the Seedlings tasked with transporting petals into bowls using different sized spoons which tested their abilities.

The children also showed off their culinary skills while making chocolate nests. The Seedlings certainly enjoyed tucking into these!

The Seedlings were also surprised with an Easter egg hunt. We loved watching them discover eggs while finding the bunny’s footprints too.

Star Of the Week:

Edward – For really settling into our room and its routines.

Saplings:

This week in Saplings, we have continued with our Easter activities.

The children enjoyed using fine motor skills to tear pieces of tissue paper before dipping them into PVA glue ready to be stuck onto their rabbits. George and Jessica excitedly told their friends that the glue felt cold on their hands and found it all rather sticky.

Of course, we’ve spent plenty more time soaking up the glorious spring sunshine too. Outside, the children have had a blast exploring Tuff Trays filled with water, gutters and tubes.

Back inside the classroom, the Saplings created artwork by carefully dipping cardboard tubes into paint before stamping them up and down onto paper and seeing where their creativity took them. Jessica was very engaged with the activity and made a truly beautiful piece of art.

Star Of the Week:

Jessica – For really getting stuck into all our messy activities so enthusiastically!

Acorns:

This week, Acorns focussed on activities linked to Easter.

The youngsters carefully crafted tissue paper Easter eggs, and also made cards for their mummies and daddies. The Easter egg hunt we treated the children to was a huge hit. The children loved scouring Broughton Cottage for the hidden eggs.

We spent a great deal of time in the garden playing with Tuff Trays trays filled with water, ducks, sponges, funnels and water toys. We also had lots of fun exploring the mud kitchen and zipping around on the bikes.

Star Of the Week:

All of the Acorns – For participating in all of our Easter activities so enthusiastically.

Upper Oaks:

Easter joy was in full bloom as the children celebrated with a party full of laughter and plenty of chocolate!

The day was a wonderful success, packed with exciting activities and heartwarming moments. One of the highlights was the Easter Bonnet Parade. The children adored having the chance to show off their handmade hats – the creativity on display was outstanding. We’d like to congratulate Poppy, Willow and Jessica for their prize-winning efforts.

After the parade, the fun continued with a thrilling egg hunt. Upper Oaks excitedly searched high and low for the sweet treats that had been secreted around the garden.

Amelie, Heer, Emma and Peggy did a fantastic job of putting together the Pass the Parcel game for our celebration.

Star Of the Week:

Amelie D – For her proving to be such an excellent friend. She treated her peers with such care and kindness.

Announcement:

We’d like to wish all of our families a wonderful Easter. A huge, good luck to our preschoolers who are finding out their school places too. An exciting new chapter awaits!

Lower Oaks:

This week, we have seen new life emerge in our vegetable patch.

Lower Oaks were delighted to see pea plants popping up. They got to work planting potatoes, carrots and runner beans too. All the children are doing such a wonderful job of helping to tend to our patch. As a class, we’ve enjoyed discussions about nurturing, covering the importance of being gentle with new seedlings.

To expand on this, we sent home a little treat bag home with each child. Inside is everything needed to grow a sunflower at home. Please do keep us informed of your progress – we’d love to see some photos too!

We’ve also been progressing well with our new Talk Boost learning initiative. Tizzy the tiger has been looking out for good listening and the children have all been doing brilliantly. They have really engaged with the stories and their focus has improved hugely. We will be playing more Talk Boost games and will learn new songs to expand the initiative in the coming weeks.

Sophia is coming to the end of her first term as a practitioner with us and is delighted with the class. She says, “I am feeling very positive about all our Lower Oaks’ progress. I have gotten to know all of the children very well and have made a strong connection with each child. Do come and find me if you would like to chat about anything.”

Star Of the Week:

James – for gaining more confidence and joining in, using his voice and being brave.

Yours sincerely

The Broughton team