This week was a short week after the holiday Monday and in-service day on the Tuesday for staff.

Today we explored Valentines Day by creating cards and experimenting with pens and love heart shapes in the water tray showing the love.

Indoors

Children have continued to explore buildings and deepen their learning through use of construction resources.
They used different forms of media to research buildings and further develop their understanding of architecture and how to construct buildings.

Some children explored rockets and this lead to children using junk modelling to create their own helmets. These are currently being used for imaginative play.

CfE expressive arts, technology, social, numeracy, literacy

Outdoors

Children have been experimenting with new spray bottles which has enhanced fine motor skills. This encouraged them to run about and learn the importance of how to keep warm due to cold weather. Some children have shown an interest in planting and a exploration planting area has been created near the mud kitchen until spring time when we can plant seeds and plants.

CfE science, health and well-being, social

We would like to welcome back Jordan who is with us till June as our support practitioner. Jordan works every day from 9.30-1.30.

Have a good weekend

Lynnette x

What a busy week we have had in Mauchline ECC. We welcomed parents/carers in for play and stay all week at different time slots through each day which excited the children involved. We hope everyone who managed along had a fun time and discovered a bit more about what experiences and learning happens for their child.

Staff supported CHILD MENTAL HEALTH  week with a variety of activities from stories leading to painting emotion stones, yoga then deciding on affirmations that are important to us. These will be displayed to allow children to visit whenever they want. Further stories and conversations encouraging talk about feelings and how we are all different making each one of us unique. We are further developing our COLOUR MONSTER check in station to deepen our emotional learning support by PATHS strategy which is a whole school approach.

INDOORS

Children have been continuing to explore the literacy area looking at letters familiar to them and using them to create words. Investigating promethean board using Google maps to source houses and places familiar to themselves. Continuing to explore numbers that represent meaning to themselves, age, house number to name a few. This supports our FRESH AIR Friday walks in the community exploring numbers on doors, cars etc.

CfE literacy, health and well-being, numeracy, ICT

OUTDOORS

Continuing from last week construction was popular where a group repeated the design they had built previous and strengthened the building to allow more children to enjoy it. Due to dry weather the bikes were out encouraging sharing, taking turns and to allow them to explore the chance to do the right thing without too much adult intervention. Lots of opportunities were available for cause and effect activities from skittles, tubes and balls to wobble boards  and hoppers.
CfE  literacy, health and well-being, social.

Remember MONDAY 10th is a school holiday and TUESDAY 11th is inservice for staff.

Children return on WEDNESDAY 12th.

Have a fun, mindful holiday weekend.

We have been creating our own houses, inspired by Robert Burns cottage, the children explored their problem solving skills and their team working skills. We’ve also been working on our name recognition and forming recognisable letters. We explored some spontaneous play through interest in transport and directions.

In the creative area we have been exploring pattern. We used marbles to create our own kilts. We also created our own Scottish flags, exploring our fine motor and perseverance skills when the tape was a little tricky.

Curricular areas: numeracy, expressive arts, technology, HWB

Outdoors this week we have been creating patterns, using natural resources found within our learning environment: including pine cones, leaves, sticks. We have also been creating pattern through threading as part of exploring our interest in scotttish traditions. We discussed tartan, patterns and created our own using a variety of colours.

We have been creating recognisable letters and exploring our name. We enjoyed our stage this week, exploring various musical instruments and sounds and developed our confidence in performance.

The children have been exploring the construction materials and have been working together as a team to problem solve, share and turn take. Children have been demonstrating creativity and imaginative skills through constructing and designing their own models.

Curricular Areas: Technology, expressive arts, health and well-being, literacy and numeracy and social studies.

Woodland Wednesday will resume next week.

Have a lovely weekend everyone

Beth☺️

Indoors 

This week the children have been exploring traditions in Scotland, focussing on upcoming Robert Burns birthday. We began exploring Scottish dance and music, as well as a focus on Scottish dress. We had a look at tartan in our dress up area and creative area.

We also began exploring positional and directional language through children’s interest in transport.

In our new literacy area, we have been developing our mark making skills and sound recognition. We used the promethean board to take this further.

Curricular areas: Social Studies, RME, Expressive Arts, Numeracy

Outdoors

Outdoors, our new children have been developing confidence and perseverance whilst exploring their new space. We are developing our understanding of how to keep safe whilst taking part in risky play. The children took an interest in change of weather and linked this to our indoor learning through creating patterns in the ice.

Some children were able to show positive team working skills through construction and loose part play. They created a house using the various materials available.  Showing problem solving skills.

Curricular areas: Numeracy, HWB, Technologies

Communication Top Tip

We hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Beth☺️

Our last week of the year and term has been very festive.

All children have had the opportunity to make Xmas crafts and  were very proud to take them home.

Our pre school children joined in with the school for the pantomime performance of PETER PAN arranged by our parent council, massive thanks to them (if anyone wishes to join the parent council please ask for details volunteers are always made welcome).

All children were very excited to join in with party celebrations, playing games, dancing, eating a very special snack and we even had a very special visitor……………

Our learning indoors, this week has continued to be exploring Christmas through crafts, role play, stories and their own experiences that they have shared about places they have visited for the festive season.
We have wrapped presents in our toy shop and explored using money to buy (not tapping a card or phone). Shared gingerbread tea in our role play cafe again exploring money to purchase items.

Outdoors due to the festive weather children have took part in physical games, sharing, taking turns and practising aiming skills.

Staff would like to thank everyone for their kind wishes for the festive season and wish all our children and their families a very merry Xmas and happy new year.

We return on Monday 6th January 2025 where we welcome new children into the ECC.

Lynnette x

Christmas has well and truly hit Mauchline ECC.

We have had another busy week learning about what Christmas means to us and the world around us. All children were invited to the dress rehearsal of the nativity “whoops a Daisy”  by the school children and WOW what a show the parents are in for a big treat. It was lovely to see how much previous children have gained in confidence and a good chance for our preschool children to see what is to come.

Afterwards we took the opportunity to explore the school and stopped for a visit to the music room where we took part in a few ring games in preparation for our party next week (THURSDAY 19th DECEMBER).

This week we invited parents/carers from the GREEN, RED & BLUE groups to stay for a xmas themed play and stay. Staff took the opportunity to update PLP’s and prepare new targets for term 2. Children were encouraged to make a xmas craft with their person to take home and share with the family.

In the rest of the playroom we are continuing to prepare for Xmas with a wrapping station, Xmas shop and role playing with the costumes from our concert.

We listened to the Xmas story from a book, on the promethean board and used props to role play.

CfE – RME, SOC, LIT, HWB, TCH

Outdoors children experimented with craft materials to create masterpieces. Shaving foam allowed fine motor skills and writing practise. Puffy dough allowed painting and experimenting with change of texture. Children also explored SNOBALL which creates snow and using shapes to decorate the Xmas trees helps with hand eye coordination.

CfE – RME, SCN, LIT, HWB, SOC

DATES FOR NEXT WEEK

Tuesday- YELLOW play and stay

Thursday – Xmas party

Have a festive weekend and only 12 sleeps till SANTA 🎅.

Lynnette x