We’re Going On A Wolf Hunt
After reading Little Red Riding Hood,it became clear that everyone was interested in the wolf-his teeth,his claws and his tongue with dripping spit. we have watched videos and looked closely at his teeth. A skull caught the interest of many. Last week the children went to the forest to look for any clues or signs that there may be wolves in our grounds. Shadows were seen. There may have been footprints. Some even said to have seen the wolf pass the window. We have painted,drawn and written about wolves. We have found out about tracking animals by following signs left behind-poo,fur caught on branches and footprints, There may be an odd carcass too.
We went out to look a second time and found a letter left for us. The letter asked us to make some snacks,build a den and write a book and make some warning signs. All of these jobs are in hand,
Visit the classroom for more detail. Take a closer look at our clues and be amazed by the most wonderful work.
Exciting Learning
A Building Fascination-Humpty Dumpty’s Wall
Over the weeks the Pioneers have had a passion for building large,extravagant structures. These have grown in size and detail. Along with Archie’s egg,they were the inspiration for our writing and investigations based on Humpty’s fall. I took advantage of their interest and suggested that they may like to try drawing some plans,using the ipad to take photographs and then make some measurements in centimetres. This was tip-top learning and I have been delighted with the process and the outcomes.
Go Pioneers!
Eggs-Inside and Out
At the end of last term Archie brought in a large goose egg. This caused a great deal of interest. Mrs McGill then brought in a selection of her eggs to compare the sizes and the colours. To start this term we have read Humpty Dumpty and taken a closer look at more eggs,who lays eggs and what an egg contains. The work has been fascinating. The children have handled the eggs with great care and only one dropped on the floor. The children made their own Humpty Dumpties from a selection of materials. An inusual egg made its way into our collection and they could tell that it was a bit different to the others. Everyone had their own ideas of what was inside ranging form dinosaurs and dirt bikes to puppies and possibly a unicorn. That egg has not yet hatched but it will very soon. Their writing and comments should be on the wall next week so do pop in to take a look. It’s cracking stuff.
Getting Out In The Sunshine
The Pioneers have enjoyed the fresh air this week and have taken the opportunity to inhabit new areas to play. Often they restrict themselves and get stuck in to play in the same place each day. They are creatures of habit but the sunshine and new growth has sparked their curiosity to go and dig somewhere else. The corner near the fence has become popular for perfume makers and capturing worms. The area and the front of the classroom has some hidden areas to explore,under the cover of big trees. This was exciting this week. Kicking a football against the gate is always popular. We have also seen a lot of interest in planting sticks,some of which may actually root.
Some children like bugs. Some children do not like bugs. It has been beautiful to see how they care for each other and understand their different needs,likes and dislikes.
Mre Idle said that they could have some water to add to the blossom and cutgrass mixture. This was very popular-almost as popular as digging holes.
Such happy learning.
Painting with our Pals
Our Pals came to visit us this time and it was very lovely. The sun was shining and that made everything even better. A table was set with watercolour paints and some flowers. We had had a bit of a play around with the paints beforehand so we had an idea of how the colour transferred. Some of the Pioneers were inspired by the detailed work of their pals and tried to replicate this using small brushes and careful strokes. Others were happy to experiment and paint hearts and rainbows. There may even have been the odd tractor.
It was a very beautiful morning and we look forward to our next visit.
A visit from the Islamic Diversity Centre
On Tuesday 9th April, we were really excited to be able to welcome Miriam and Amar from the Islamic Diversity Centre in Newcastle. During the day, the children enjoyed a workshop, in their classes, with Miriam and Amar to learn about the Five Pillars of Islam.
The children asked lots of really thoughtful questions and were incredibly interested and respectful of the Muslim faith. We were also pleased to be able to welcome family members to the workshops, who also shared lots of positive feedback.
Thank you to the Islamic Diversity Centre for helping our children understand and compare about faith different to our own.
Click here to see a copy of the family feedback about the workshop: Islamic Diversity Centre Workshop Evaluation (April 2019)
Clean and Shining
This week, we are learning about keeping clean. Last week, we did some writing about hand washing and this week we are looking at teeth. The tuff tray was full of soap and we got stuck in with toothbrushes to clean the crocodiles teeth. Some fantastic descriptions were overheard when the children had their hands in the soap.
Making Butter
This week, we made butter with Mrs McGill. Everyone had a go at whipping the cream until it split into buttermilk and butter. The children shaped the butter into pats before we got a chance to spread it onto bread and have a tasty snack.
The discussion developed about the change in the cream from liquid to a solid and a liquid. The children discussed the other liquids they knew about. We will use the rest of the butter to make flapjack and the buttermilk to make bread.
Wow in the Forest
It was the most beautiful day to explore Spring changes in the forest. The Pioneers were tasked with finding things to make them say “WOW”. Once they had found something they were seen writing labels and “WOWs” all over the place. I heard one little voice say,”I’ve found 5 WOWs .” A reply was heard,”And I’ve found 7″. The WOWs ranged from flowers to worms. We also checked out the pond, where we are due to release our tadpoles into the wild.
Very beautiful learning.
Painting Flowers,Hearts and the Odd Tractor
I set a table with a selection of paint, pallets and brushes. In the centre, I placed a few jugs of flowers. They were not the usual jugs-usually I use a red rubber vase for our classroom flowers. The children painted. Some painted flowers. Some painted hearts. Some painted tractors. Some painted the flowers in the red vase that is usually there, but wasn’t there this week. Some enjoyed moving the paint to create patterns and mix the colours.
The resulting works are now displayed in a classroom near you.
Beautiful Learning
