The certificates this week were awarded to two children who have made super progress with their writing. Both of them have shown great concentration and hard work in the writing area and it has certainly paid off. Well done to you both – we are impressed with your learning.
The Loch Ness Monster has been part of our discussions when learning about Scotland and the children seem to have mixed opinions on whether it exists or not. For those who believe in it, we have had some wonderful ideas about what the monster might be like.
Hollie: he is like a sizzly snake.
Callum: it’s a monster and it’s like a dinosaur and it’s called ‘Nessie’.
Ava: he is like a stretchasaurus.
Daryl: he’s like a dinosaur.
Sophie S.: I think it’s green and scary in the water.
Cian: it’s green and it has sharp teeth. You see it in films and books.
Torrin: it looks like a snake and it swims in the water.
Max A.: he lives under the water.
Darcy: he’s got smelly teeth and spikes.
Joe H.: I’ve got a jumper with the Loch Ness Monster on. I think it’s a real monster – it’s like a giant.
Theo: it’s real. It looks like a green puddle.
Jade S.: I don’t think there’s a real monster ’cause I’ve never seen one down the river and it doesn’t exist.
Conan: I think it’s a teddy but it looks real.
Sophie M.: I’m sure there is a Nessie ’cause on my jigsaw it told me the deepest monster in the sea lives in Loch Ness and it’s in Scotland.
Ben: when I was going fishing I saw a big, big fish and it was the Loch Ness Monster what lived in Scotland.
During our discussions about the changing seasons, we enjoyed a book which had Jack Frost as a character. We then shared our ideas about what he might look like and where he lives. As always, the children had some wonderful ideas which we thought you’d like us to share with you.
Eden: he looks cold and frosty. He’s blue.
Max L: Jack Frost looks in the window to watch you. He lives in snow.
Ayda: he’s got snow all over him and a hat and clothes and boots ’cause he doesn’t want snow in his socks.
Mollie: he’s all snow but his face is probably brown. His house is made of brown paint or maybe white to get him warm.
Lucas: he makes ice. He lives up on the tree.
Sophie M: Jack Frost is actually a teenage boy and he has a sister. The ice cracked and he fell in the water.
Zander: he lives at the North Pole and he runs fast to get there. He’s got a jumper.
Ben: he’s like the wind. He eats cabbage. I think he lives in a snow house.
Conan: he’s got white hair. He wears blue clothes and has lots of snow.
Ellie: Jack frost looks like a monster. He’s white.
Jade S: he can fly.
Kacey: he looks like snow. He lives outside in lots of snow.
Keira M: he’s covered in snow and he’s got a big kind of nose.
Our learning at the start of this term has been about winter and how it affects our lives. Our initial discussions focussed on what we know about this time of year and we would like to share some of the ideas that the children gave us.
Theo: when I was on the motorway I saw a flood. I saw signs that said Hexham and Newcastle and it was a flood with lots of water.
Zander: there’s no leaves on the trees. They grow in Spring.
Sophie M: Jack Frost comes out. He frosties everything. He flies with a stick.
Jade S.: there’s snow in Winter and in Poland there’s lots and lots of snow.
Ben: you need a coat and wellie boots and gloves.
Keira M: when it snows it’s fluffy on the grass.
Suzie: everything goes white like glass.
Kacey: you need hats, scarves and gloves.
Max L.: you sometimes see the moon at daytime.
Mikey: the sun shines but it’s cold.
Lucas: you’ve got to have a coat on.
Isaac: you can build a snowman.
Lexie: you get snow days.
Effy: socks make your feet warm. It’s like night time when you have your tea.
Armana: the animals go away to hide.
Ewan: if you wear shorts you’ll freeze.
Lewis: the frost makes everything white.
The children recently met Stan the Star (Rainbow Room) and Steve the Star (Sunshine Room), a little bear and a monkey who go home with the children for a visit. This activity supports listening and talking skills, as they talk to the other children about what they have done at home with their visitor, while it also provides an opportunity for the children to learn to ask questions.
Stan the Star’s first visit was to Joe’s family who have certainly given him a wonderful holiday. He also brought a lovely surprise back with him as Joe’s Dad had made fantastic key-rings for the children to keep as a memento of their time with Stan or Steve. 
We cannot thank him enough for taking considerable time and effort to make these cute little key-rings and we are sure that everyone will treasure them so thank you Joe’s Dad – we think that you are a star too, thinking of everyone.
Those children who have English as an additional language have been working on a programme in Nursery to support their communication in English. We have now added the first three books with sound to our blog to help your child with their learning at home.
Look down the right hand side of this page under “Support Information” and click on “Learning English”. There you will see instructions to help you use this material.
We hope that this is helpful in supporting the children in their learning, as you can use this tool at home and can hear the correct pronunciation. We plan to put more books on in the future.
A witch left her rhyming bag in Nursery last week and the boys and girls had to sort everything out for her so that they went into her cauldron in rhyming pairs to make the best spell. This was tricky and required very good listening ears but, as you can see, the children were becoming good at learning to find things that rhymed.
There’s been a distinct aroma of pumpkin in the air this week in Nursery as we prepare for Hallowe’en. It was quite a challenge to produce the design that the children wanted for their pumpkin, particularly the one eye that had to be a moon, but the finished result seemed to pass the test. It’s hard to see the little person behind the pumpkin face but he was determined to hold our finished design for the photo.
As you can see, the greatest fun was probably had in the investigation of the insides of the pumpkin. Some of the vocabulary that the children used to describe how it felt and smelled was super and they were amazed by the number of seeds inside.
We hope that you will bring lanterns from home tomorrow for the competition organised by the HFA. Remember to bring them in during the day for judging and winners will be announced at the Hallowe’en disco tomorrow night.
As you have no doubt noticed, we now have a great collection of leaves, chestnuts, pinecones etc. that the children have brought from home to help us learn about Autumn. Thank you to everyone who went walks in the woods or searched their gardens for signs of Autumn – it’s been lovely to talk to you about what you have gathered. Some have even been creative with their finds and turned them into pictures. Here is a selection of photos of the children with their Autumn treasure as some have called it.
After reading and discussing the book “Bear Feels Ill”, we talked about who looks after us when we are ill.
Zander: my Dad gives me a bandage
Niamh P.: my Mummy – she gives me an apple.
Jade S.: my Dad. He lets me snuggle on the couch with the cuddly blanket and watch tele’.
Keira M.: my Daddy gives me Calpol.
Callum: I get a drink of Summer Fruits off my Mummy when I’m not well.
Ava: Grandma and Mummy look after me.
Cian: Mummy, Daddy, Granny and Grandpa look after me when I’m ill. They phone the doctor in the night.
Julia L.: I stay inside and keep in my bed.
Effy: my Granny gives me hot milk.
Torrin: everyone looks after me. I get medicine so I don’t cough.
Ayda: Mummy cuddles me and kisses me. She gives me chewy sweets.
Charlie: my Mummy gives me apples. I give Mummy biscuits when she’s got a cold.
Max L.: Paige makes medicine to make me feel better.
Isaac: Mummy tells me to have a wee sleep then she gets me a drink.
