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Pastures Way Christmas Performance Afternoon 2023

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Pastures Way Christmas Performance Afternoon 2023

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Inspired by the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, the children built their own castle. Each child managed the task to the best of their ability. Razvan took on the role of the building coordinator and delegated jobs with clear, concise instructions. The team listened to each others ideas and organised themselves independently. Once the job was ready to be signed off by building control [Amelia M] the team cheered and enjoyed a well deserved biscuit. The rest didn't last long though as 'soldier' interviews resumed that afternoon! No rest for the wicked [builders] as they say.......

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The children looked at a selection of different castles, they then used these images for inspiration to design their very own. It was clear that we have some budding architects in the class.

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We practiced our climbing skills when out in the jungle garden. Here Garvey demonstrates how Jack might have looked if he climbed up the beanstalk 'spidey-style'.

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The olive-ettes were set the challenge of going out into the garden in search of all things green that could be used to re-create our very own beanstalk. The children were successful in their search and brought back a huge selection of leaves [varying shapes and sizes]. Then working together as a team, they began placing them all onto some paper. In a blink of an eye; a beanstalk emerged!

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Arranging loose parts in play dough to create new shapes/designs.

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Helicopter Stories is an Early Years approach to communication and literacy skills based on storytelling and story acting. In its simplest form, Helicopter Stories lets children dictate their stories which are written down, exactly as they are told, by an adult. The children then gather around a taped out stage and the stories are acted out.

The Benefits:

An inclusive, whole-class approach which values every child’s contribution;

Facilitates high levels of engagement;

Creates confidence and self-assurance;

Supports the development of speaking skills as children express and share their ideas;

Helps to develop accurate, active listening skills and understanding;

Supports co-operative and collaborative and creative learning;

Develops positive relationships within a shared storytelling experience;

Allows children to explore early literacy and the power of words as they see their stories come to life, and develop their ability to use and adapt language to communicate;

Offers children a bridge into the world of creative writing as they begin to see the links between the oral stories they compose and the words on a page.

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Once upon a time, i woke up and my mummy took me to the shops. On the way we saw a kitty. I asked my mummy if I can keep the kitty. She said 'yes'. Then I called my daddy, he drived us all the way back home. The End.

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Once upon a time, there were three unicorns. Elisa was riding the unicorn. She went very far and got stuck in a bird house and she never came back. The End.

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Once upon a time, there was a little boy. He liked climbing trees, cos his brother likes climbing. He saw lots of leaves. His brother left him in the tree, so he got sad and wanted to go home. He jumped down and ran home crying. The End.

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An indoor obstacle course created lots of opportunities for some healthy competition amongst the children [and staff]. Fortunately, we had two very confident and fair Data Collectors [thank you Thaenmollie and Joshua]. They were on hand to record every child's completion time and ensure that our resident referee with the stopwatch [thank you Leanne] did not get carried away in the excitement of this grand event! Results will be published in due course, however please be mindful that Ayesher's time has been exaggerated for maximum effect!

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Planting cress seeds provided quick results in supporting the children to understand growth and changes over time.

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We continue to develop our co-ordination and safety skills by using a variety of woodwork tools and techniques. Our new beginners practice hammering golf tees into a watermelon before moving onto using nails and balsa wood [specially softened wood]. This allows for success at every stage and increases the children's confidence in their own abilities.

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Who needs Google Maps when you can have your very own Duggey!
This week Ayesher introduced 'Duggey' the robot digger to the children. He was greatly recieved by the class and everyone was keen to program him and send him off onto the map to complete errands on the high street.

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Just splashing around!

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The children had many opportunities to see and hold the ducklings up close. All the staff were so proud of how kind, gentle and caring the children were during these times. A few children were naturally apprehensive about stroking the ducklings. However their worries soon disappeared when their friends gave them words of encouragement and reassurance.

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Zaki was fascinated by our fluffy friends and wanted to document his experience. He took a particular interest in wanting to learn more about the life cycle of a duck. In his drawing, he has represented the different stages he witnessed himself and how the duck grew and changed in size.

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A small group of Olive children watching on as one of the eggs starts to crack and wobble. A truly amazing experience to have!

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Once the ducklings were a week old and much stronger, the children wanted them to experience life beyond their cage. The class thought long and hard about what special experience we could create for the ducks....... surely a trip to the Olive Gym was a must?! With carefully placed blocks [to ensure their safety] and a wide range of 'duck proof' equipment, we were ready to give them their first taste of freedom. The children loved observing the ducks exploring their new environment and giggled at all the unfortunate droppings/mess they created. Who would have thought that they enjoyed the swimming pool the best!

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Following on from a very successful Mothers Day Tea and having read the story of 'The tiger that came to tea', it was only natural that the children wanted to recreate a cafe atmosphere into the classroom. We successfully opened 'Thaenmollie's Cafe', providing a very ambitious menu [lemonade, sandwiches and pancakes], extortionate prices [everything over £100] and high quality service, definitely a 5-star establishment!

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We played a new game called 'pass the egg'. Everybody was able to join in with this game, we passed the giant egg around the circle and when the music stopped, the child holding the egg could unwrap one layer. Fortunately each child was lucky enough to find a chocolate egg hidden inside, unfortunately the eggs did not make it home and were gobbled up before the music finished.

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Although the weather outside was wet and miserable, this did not dampen Olive's spirit in making an egg hunt inside totally awesome! We invited our Maple friends over to join us and it is true what they say...'the more, the merrier'.

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The class had great fun squeezing all the juice from the lemons. Many different techniques were tried and tested, however we all agreed that the double fist clench worked best!

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After adding some sparkling water and giving the mixture a good stir, the lemonade was ready to be served. Fortunately, we have a high standard of fully trained waiters and waitresses that are on hand to meet the needs of every customer.

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To celebrate Science week with the children, we carried out an experiment everyday. Alongside this we created opportunities for children to further explore a range of activities that reflected a STEM theme- science, technology, engineering and maths. This has had a real positive impact on the children's learning from extending their vocabulary with new and exciting words to being able to articulate their observations and share their new found knowledge with others.

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To celebrate Science week with the children, we carried out an experiment everyday. Alongside this we created opportunities for children to further explore a range of activities that reflected a STEM theme- science, technology, engineering and maths. This has had a real positive impact on the children's learning from extending their vocabulary with new and exciting words to being able to articulate their observations and share their new found knowledge with others.

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federation mid term planning 3-4 spring 2  2022 x

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We have been focusing on the importance of looking after the environment around us. Upon looking out onto our jungle garden we noticed it was looking a little untidy after the recent bad weather. We decided as a class that we should tidy it up. The children soon got to work with bin bags and litter pickers; collecting rubbish from all around. Maryam was particularly keen to get everything tidied and soon she earned the award for Top tidier-upper! Well done Maryam; your determination for picking up every item of rubbish was commendable!

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Today we made rain in a tub. The children learnt about water droplets/moisture in the air and how this travels up and into the clouds. When the clouds get too heavy from all the water droplets, they begin to fall back down as rain. We learnt that a force called gravity is what pulls the rain down to the ground. The class were very responsive to this science lesson and this naturally led onto further explorations in class about what floats and what sinks?

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Todays experiment was how to create giant bubbles and what objects are the best for making them? We researched the internet for the best bubble mixture and then got straight to work. We added water to liquid soap and added some glycerin to make the bubbles super sticky. We then tried various pieces of equipment/loose parts to see which item made the best giant bubbles. We tried a piece of guttering, a bamboo tube, curtain rings and hula hoop. Ayesher also introduced a glass jar as a red herring [knowing that the closed bottom would not allow the air to pass through and make a bubble]. However she could not trick some of the children in the class, who instantly knew that the bubble "would get trapped" [Amelia M]. The children were fascinated by the bubbles we did create, so Ayesher set them the challenge of searching the classroom to find equipment that would allow air through and therefore create bubbles. Great investigation Olive class.

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We explored colours and reaction times during our investigation with skittles and a selection of liquids. The children helped Ayesher create some simple ABAB coloured patterns on each plate. We then looked at the different liquids we were going to pour over the skittles and predict which liquid would make the best rainbow in the quickest time. We tested warm water, cold water, baby oil and vinegar. Ask your child about which liquid created the best rainbow in the quickest time? [SPOILER ALERT- cold water] Additionally, try this simple experiment at home with your child, we would love to see pictures!

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Leanne felt extremely ambitious and optimistic when attempting a rocket launch outside with the children. Using only a bottle of coke and some mento's, the plan was to create a chemical reaction that would be strong enough to lift the bottle off the tray. Unfortunately this was not the result that occurred, however what a great learning opportunity it created: Why did we not see the results we expected? Did we use enough mento's? Should we have tried a different brand of coke? The children continued to explore these questions throughout the session. Maybe ask your child about their thoughts on this experiment?

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After Ayesher provided a whole class demonstration of how to create a volcano, the children set to work on creating their own. This gave the children the opportunity to make their own discoveries [or hypothesis] about the materials they were using and whether they could create a chemical reaction. This was a particularly exciting activity for all the children to participate in and certainly promoted lots of language opportunities. Children were able to describe what they saw and the sounds they could hear. Joshua reported back that "the volcano fizzed a lot" and Jethi declared "I made the lava go over the top and down the side!" What great Little Einsteins we have in Olive Class.

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federation mid term planning 3-4 autumn 1 2022 x

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federation mid term planning 3-4 autumn 2 2022 x

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federation mid term planning 3-4 spring 1  2022 x

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After a recent parliament time discussion the children had shown an interest in going out to the local shop. Prior to going we set to work on creating a list of all the shopping bits we required and estimated how much money we will need? £100 seemed to be the average guess....I hope Jo says yes?!

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After an eventful Parliament time discussion around using our new garden spades for digging; some of the children began making the connection of digging for treasure. This prompted lots of excitement and discussion points around What do pirates do? What type of treasures do they find? How do they locate this treasure? There was only one way the children were going to find the answers to such questions.....Pirate Play Day 2023!

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Today we sat down with the children to discuss how to be safe when online. Using terms that the children could understand we gently spoke about what devices some of the children are using at home and the importance our families play in keeping us safe. If you would like some more useful tips on how to keep children safe online, please visit the following website:
Keeping children safe online | NSPCC

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7 Benefits of Reading to Children

Whether you’re reading a classic novel or fairy tales before bed, reading aloud to children can significantly benefit your child’s life. Some benefits of reading with your child include:

Supporting their cognitive development [understanding].

Improve their language skills.

Preparing them for academic success.

Develops a special bond with your child.

Increases their concentration and listening skills.

Improving their imagination and creativity.

Encouraging a lifelong love of reading!

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Once inside the shop, the children searched for all the items. Luckily they had the bread we needed but no lollipops! We enquired a little as to where the lollipops were? The shop assistant informed us that they were waiting on a delivery and we should visit after the delivery has arrived. This prompted us to have a group discussion on whether we really needed lollipops and if they were a healthy choice for our teeth? We agreed that cheese is a much healthier choice; we even found some in the reduced section, what a bargain!

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Once back at nursery, the children wanted to show Launa all the items that they purchased from the shop. Launa found two wispa chocolate bars at the bottom of the bag.....ssshhhh don't tell anybody!!!

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Captain Marley working hard on his map writing skills....

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Children took part in designing their own maps. We used teabags to 'make them look old' [great thinking and reasoning Thaenmollie]. We agreed that the best symbol to put on our treasure maps was the letter X.

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We created our very own wormery with the children. The recent wet weather has enticed lots of wriggly worms to venture out of the mud and into the garden area. We used the new class Ipad to search the internet for tips on how to best care for worms and it seemed that wormery's were the best option. The children were able to use their mathematical knowledge around pattern to create a sand, mud, sand, mud pattern [ABAB pattern] inside a plastic bottle. Using a funnel, we gently poured some water into the mixture to create a nice warm and moist environment for our new guests. Each child then gently placed their worm inside. We then watched and waited as our new friends buried themselves away by creating their own tunnels. Wow! To support the children's interests we have been reading the book Superworm.

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With a team of treasure hunters at the ready, we followed the symbols on the treasure map to key locations in the garden. Each location was numbered so this was a great opportunity to further embed our counting knowledge and brush up on our subitising skills.

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We found number 4 on the fence! What number comes next?.......

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Captain Jethi was quick to get her hands on the loot!

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The treasure was soon revealed to be a big collection of shiny silver coins, with a delicious chocolate centre! A well deserved treat for Olive's Treasure Team!

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Soon we came to the end of our treasure hunt, the pirates had found the location with X marking the spot. The children quickly got to work, taking it in turns to dig deep. Soon they discovered something hidden inside a black bag.............

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Today we held our annual 'Great Pancake Race' in Olive Class. The event was thoroughly enjoyed by all; it prompted many laughing points in addition to a very sticky carpet and ceiling! [apologies to the cleaning staff]. However, with all jokes aside, it was a great opportunity for children to practice their pancake balancing and flipping skills. The class also demonstrated a 'can-do' attitude and were proud to support and cheer on their friends.

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Wow Wednesday planned activities for Spring 2

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Learning dances from different cultures!

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Delicious foods prepared by our families...thank you!

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Olive Class were happy to contribute to the Valentines Cake sale and provided some beautifully decorated cakes. We even used smarties to help further develop our subitising skills at the same time!!

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The children had a fantastic time having their faces painted by Leanne and Anisha. Who knew both ladies had such hidden talents? The children were excited to share their own ideas as to who they wanted to transform into. Following on from this it was decided by the children at Parliament time that next time, the children would paint the adults faces! Watch this space............

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Young children are naturally inquisitive, full of questions about the world around them and the drive to investigate how things work. We should take advantage of this innate curiosity and start channeling their enthusiasm for scientific discovery as early on as possible.

Benefits of Early Years Science Education:

It can foster a lifelong life for science

It gives a basic grounding in scientific concepts and thinking

Supports the development of other skills and attributes such as: working with others as part of a team, communication skills, problem-solving skills, perseverance and resilience building.

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Bubbles, bubbles everywhere!
The children have been enjoying the mild weather by creating bubble mixtures outside. Children used a range of tools/equipment and strategies to create more bubbles in the tray. Some children used spoons to stir the mixture really fast, whilst other children found simply pouring the mixture from one jug to another was enough to multiply the mixture.

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Sarah - SEN Worker

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There are so many things that can help your child learn. From simply observing you to enjoying daily tasks, your child can learn new skills, develop skills they already have, and continue to grow. One activity that can help them learn and develop new skills is baking and cooking. Every week Ellie plans new and exciting recipes to introduce to the children in Olive Class. Additionally these sessions support children to:
* Follow instructions
*Supports Maths skills
*Improves Reading skills
*Boosts language development
*Improves motor skills
*Encourages a healthier lifestyle