Dear Parents,
We are very grateful for your patience at collection times. In these uncertain times and circumstances we cannot afford every parent a lot of time for a detailed summary of their child’s day. In response to a parent’s concerns in this regard we have decided to introduce a daily diary so that nappy changes, feeds, sleep times can be recorded and presented in written form rather than on Babysdays (as this information may not always be available to you before you collect.) This will mean that any practitioner can bring your child to you with their diary, the exchange will be faster thus reducing the time others have to wait and time the practitioner is away from their group. As a small nursery the children are familiar with us all and will be comfortable being brought to you by any one of us. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to ask.
We have had a very busy week welcoming back some old faces, Elsie-Mae, Flynn and Rory and some new, Yannick and Hudson.
The Oaks have been investigating the effect of water absorption in sponges. The children watched and observed as the sponges grew in size and weight. Humphrey and Evie pointed out that when you squeeze the sponges, the water comes out and the sponge gets lighter, “then it sucks the water back up”. This led to further discussions about science and how reactions take place everyday between things we may not even be able to see. To extend this idea, the Oaks collected a number of apples and commented on how the apples were funny colours and how some of them had holes in. This then led to discussions surrounding decay and growth of the apples, what happens when they fall from the trees, how they break down and turn into nutrients for the soil and the bugs. We decided to create an experiment using the apples and salt. Salt is a cleaning agent and so we added salt to water and left the apples to soak. The children followed the progress over the course of the day and watched as a reaction took place. Yannick noticed that maggots and various other bugs were crawling out from the apples whilst the salt also helped lift the outer debris. They were fascinated that such a simple ingredient could be responsible for such activity.
This week, the Saplings have been busy making their own pots and pans orchestra. Following the lead of the practitioner, some of the children attempted to replicate the rhythm that was tapped out. James was particularly good at this and could tap out the pattern of “one two, one two” on two different pans. He was very proud of his achievement. The children have also been busy baking. Working together with the Oaks (who very kindly chopped and peeled the apples for us), we used our fine motor skills to make the crumble. Ottilie pointed out that the crumble felt ‘soft’ as she ran her fingers through the mixture. We then greased a tin, added the apples and sprinkled the crumble on top. The children then ate the crumble at teatime excited to try their own creation.
The Saplings have designed their own train tracks. Using blocks of differing shapes, the children have taken their tracks to varying levels, using bridges to elevate the trains and then send them whooshing down again. The children spent a long time pushing the trains ‘round and ‘round, Thomas and Danny in particular sat for a considerable time concentrating on attaching the trains together by means of magnets, precisely aligning them in order that they remained on target.
The Acorns and Seedlings this week, have been focusing on ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’. To extend their understanding of the book, the children took part in their very own ‘Tea’ in which they set up animals in a circle, sat down to join them, and used cups and saucers to feed each of them. Sophia spent a long time feeding her tiger some pretend quiche. To follow on from this, the children have been further investigating their senses, using different textures to match corresponding animals. For example, wool would represent a sheep. Hudson particularly enjoyed touching the wool and held it to his cheek whilst smiling at his keyworker.
The children have been practising using their gross motor skills. Whilst in the garden, they have been rolling hula-hoops, chasing them across the garden in an attempt to catch them. Some of the children felt brave enough to try to hula-hoop with Hassan and Sophia managing to spin it three times!
Stars of the week:
Bertie:
Well done for your efforts this week. You have really worked hard with Belle, Hugo and Evie playing together as a team; we particularly enjoyed the countless cakes you made for us fashioned from beautiful, soggy mud.
Thomas:
Well done Thomas for all your efforts this week. We are very proud at how well you are listening and following instructions.
Flynn:
Flynn is doing really well settling back into nursery and is already making new friends. He is beginning to become more confident and venturing further from his key workers. Well done Flynn!
Have a fantastic weekend and stay safe.
The Team at Broughton.