Wow moments

Our morning assembly is a great time for the children to come together just before lunch to sing songs and reflect on their learning that day. Throughout the morning, staff are on the lookout for ‘wow moments’ which are those instances where a child has done or said something significant which deserves recognition. This, for example, may be when a child has overcome a personal challenge such as trying out the rope swing for the first time or if they demonstrated kindness to others. These are written down and given to Mrs Federici to read out during assembly for everyone to celebrate. Only a few children get a ‘wow moment’ every day which led two creative children to inform their teacher that they had a wow moment which they wanted her to write down for assembly! It’s great that the preschool children are thinking about and reflecting on their learning as this helps them to build understanding and confidence ready for Primary School in September. We have had special stickers made for children when they have a wow moment, so please ask them what they did to receive it if they come home wearing one.

At the end of last week our beautiful butterflies emerged from their chrysalises, much to the excitement of the afternoon children who witnessed this first hand. We let the butterflies build their strength over the weekend then on Monday, took them into the garden to release them into the wild. The first three butterflies were eager to spread their wings and made a swift getaway, but the remaining two were more relaxed and were happy to rest on some of the children’s hands before flying away.

In our cooking session this week we made mini quiches. It was interesting to talk to some parents who said that their child would never touch a quiche at home but gobbled up the one they had made without any fuss.

Out on our country walks the children have been making nature boards using things they have found outside. They also took part in an environmental study armed with clipboards and worksheets for which they had to tick off the different flora and fauna they observed on their walk. Our time spent outdoors often leads to interesting discussion with the children and this week we had been talking about the detrimental impact of litter on the natural world. One child then went onto explain that he had learnt about the White Rhino. He said that there was only one left in the world but it died and now the White Rhino is extinct. Other children then began discussing other extinct animals including dodos and dinosaurs.

In the garden we built some teepees using some large boxes which a parent had brought in. The children liked helping construct them…but loved destroying them even more!

And for the news you’ve all been waiting for! Mrs Spooner is delighted to introduce Alba Maria Spooner, born 19/05/2018 at 21:01 and weighing 7lb 9oz. Mum and baby are both doing really well, especially after only getting to the hospital 20 mins before the birth!

Next week is half term which can only mean one thing – it’s holiday club time! The sunshine is here to stay and we have lots of exciting outdoor activities planned for the week.  There are a few places remaining so book early to avoid disappointment.

The sound of the week is ‘f’ for Federici.