Although we have been having great fun with our own circus area in Nursery, the morning children had a real life experience of the circus this week when we were invited to visit the big top which was in the field next to us. Several of the circus acts welcomed us and kindly took lots of time and patience to teach us a few basic skills. Peppa Pig even made an appearance and joined in a dance with everyone as they waited their turn to try out the juggling clubs and hoops. The acrobat’s trampoline was also a great attraction as the children all tried to bounce as high as the circus girl. It was a fantastic experience for the children to meet real circus performers and we thank them for spending so much time with us. The children are continuing to practise their skills in Hecklegirth Circus.
Last week the children about to move to Primary 1 at Hecklegirth had their first taste of a school lunch and very delicious it was too. Everyone was excited that the ladies in the kitchen had invited them to the dinner hall and they all came away very enthusiastic about school lunches, with the ice-cream and pear a particular favourite.
As promised, Stan the Star took the afternoon children to Maryport for a visit last week. Unfortunately the weather was not so kind to us this time so we didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy the adventure park. Poor Stan the Star had to poke his little nose out of the bag to see what was happening as he might have been blown away by the wind and rain if he had ventured out.
However, we were very lucky to arrive just as a fishing boat was landing its catch and everyone had close-up view of a variety of fish before they were sent off to be sold. Poor Miss Kerr had smelly hands after holding the different types of fish so that we could get a closer look. She didn’t even mind the big wriggly prawns that some of us found a little scary so thank you Miss Kerr for being so brave. We were also amazed how closely the seagulls came to us as they tried to clear the nets of little bits of star fish left behind and the fishermen waving to us, as they left the harbour to go out on the choppy sea, made our day.
The aquarium, as previously, was a fantastic experience and the children were particularly excited to touch and hold the rays, star fish and crabs. Again, Stan the Star had some nervous moments as he was dangled over the ray pool but he survived the ordeal, despite one or two of the baby sharks coming to have a close look at him.
We would like to thank all the parents who helped us on our trips: without your support they would not have been possible. We also feel very proud of our children who behaved so well on both occasions. Stan the Star is resting and hopes to have quiet week in Nursery but he just never knows what’s round the corner.
Stan the Star gets a bit of help climbing the nets.
Don’t look down, Stan!
On top of the pirate ship admiring the view.
Zzzzzzz! What a great day!
All this fun can be very tiring.
This week the morning children took Stan the Star to visit The Lake District Coast Aquarium at Maryport for an end of term treat. The journey seemed to pass surprisingly quickly and everyone was excited when we arrived at the harbour. Stan the Star had a great time in the aquarium although he was a little worried when he was dangled over the ray pool for a better look. To touch star fish, anemones and rays was quite an experience for everyone although watching the octopus devour his lunch of live crab was perhaps the most memorable event.
During a walk round the harbour to see the boats and the lighthouse, some children met the coastguard who showed them his van and boat and our visit to the adventure playground completed Stan the Star’s day out. As you can see from the photos, Stan was certainly given a real adventure by everyone: he seemed to try out all the equipment as he was passed from child to child. He had no chance to sleep on the way home as he tried to spend time with as many children as possible but there were a few who did succumb to the Land of Nod after a hectic day.
A big ‘thank you’ must go to all the Mums and Dads who came with us to make our outing a safe and happy day. We are delighted to say that the lady in the café commented that we were very well behaved which made us feel very proud of everyone. Unfortunately our photos in the aquarium are too dark to show here but we have a taster of our day above. Stan the Star is resting up and hopes to go back to Maryport next week with the afternoon boys and girls.
Thank you to all those parents who worked with their children to make beautiful pictures as a home activity. It’s wonderful to see all the different ideas that can be used to transform a bare tree in to a Spring picture. The discussions that these pictures generated in Nursery are as valuable as the creative use of materials so thanks go to the children and their families for contributing to such a valuable learning activity. We hope you enjoy a selection of the pictures below.
Please click on a photo for a closer look at the detail that the children have put into these wonderful pictures.
We all love visitors in Nursery and this week we had two visitors who talked to us about looking after ourselves. The school nurse and the oral health officer were very impressed with the children’s knowledge and we had great fun trying to clean a monkey’s teeth. It can be tricky getting in to the corners with that big brush but the monkey seemed quite pleased with our efforts.
The last day before our long Easter week-end brought a surprise visit to Primary 5 who had invited us to hear their fairy tales. It’s a long walk up the stairs to Primary 5 but it was well worth it as their stories were brilliant. Nursery children sat beautifully and showed what very good listeners they are and Primary 5 were wonderful story tellers. Huge thanks go to Miss Dennis and Primary 5 for their kind invitation. We had a great time.
We talked about Easter celebrations this week and got excited talking about our favourite Easter eggs. We all shared ideas to work out which Easter eggs were the smallest and the biggest in the magic bag. The children holding the eggs were nearly dizzy moving about to get our Easter egg line in the right order. In the end, everyone agreed that we had managed to get them in order from the smallest to the biggest. Good teamwork Nursery children!
It’s been lovely to see everyone back in Nursery this week after our holidays and what a great week we’ve had. With the gorgeous weather, we have been spending lots of time outdoors. We had some new bubble makers to try out and we were learning how to do good throwing.
As we have been learning about our community and the people who work in it, we recently paid visits to our local sorting office and police station.
On Red Nose Day local fire officers visited Nursery and we had great fun trying out the hose on the fire appliance, as well as learning how to stay safe. The firefighters joined in the fun, borrowing silly hats for Red Nose Day.
The children enjoyed this taster of the world of work and several hope to be postal workers, firefighters or police officers in the future although our discussions have revealed that many also have dreams of becoming a princess or a pirate.
