We have had a summer full of interesting and exciting experiences – here are just some of them that we shared on Twitter.
The children learned about our local community and services – with visits from the police and fire service and trips to the synagogue, library, park and shops.
They enjoyed harvesting and preparing fruit and vegetables from our garden…
Here is a snapshot of some of the other experiences on offer!
It is important that we teach our children how to stay safe online.
Jessie and Friends is a new online resource from CEOP for children aged 4-7 years to use with their parents and educators to help them develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to stay safe online.
Find the parent information here : Jessie and Friends parent guide
Find the videos and games here: Jessie and Friends
The children have been learning about making life and the impact rubbish can have on animals living in the water! Let’s dive in and take a closer look at what they learned..
“700 is like the whole sea! We need to save them before they get extinct like the dinosaurs”
“If we save one fish from every type then we can save them all next year and all the years after that”
“If a fish or a birdie gets stuck in a net then it can’t move and be safe”
“Nets stop swimming”
“Babies and children like me can suffocate with plastic bags and so can fish and birds!”
“If they eat it and don’t mean to they get sick and sad”
“Some fish accidentally eat plastic bottle tops and straws because they think they are food”
We asked our nursery friends some questions about what rubbish they see on their way into nursery. After seeing the results we used recyclable materials to create a ‘3D’ poster of ways rubbish affects the sea life.
“We made a rainbow fish with masking tape, bottle tops and wooden sticks to show all the rubbish pollution”
“The nets are making the fish sad because they get trapped in them all of the time and they can’t get out”
“Nets get fish trapped”
“Plastic bottle tops make the fish sick because they think that they are food to eat”
What can we do to help? Here are the children’s ideas…
“We can make paper straws by rolling up paper and then we can recycle them”
“We can keep the grounds clear by not littering”
“We can go on a litter pick with our mums and dads and we can do them in nursery too”
“We need to work together with team work to help the oceans get free from plastic”
“We can have a plastic bottle bag to collect the, all at the door and use them for junk modelling”
#source2sea #KeepScotlandBeautiful #LfS
We have been learning about the Muslim month of Ramadan and the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr.
A special thanks to Idrees’ mum for visiting to read us a story and tell us about their family’s celebrations.
We also had a special snack of chapati, dates and raita.
The staff would also like to say a special ‘thank you’ to the families who gifted us a yummy cake.
The children in the Orchard bubble have been exploring magnets and how they work. They used horseshoe magnets to find out what was magnetic in the nursery garden.
A basket of items made from different materials was sorted into magnetic and non-magnetic items. The children were very interested to find out that not all metals are magnetic and a magnet will only attract certain metals such as iron or steel.
The children investigated if a magnet would still attract a metal paper clip if it was covered over by different materials.
The children used their senses to help understand that when two magnets are near each other they either repel or attract each other.
We looked at an information book about magnets to learn that a magnet is strongest at its two ends and found out that they are called the north pole and the south pole.
The children were also interested to learn from the information book that earth is a giant magnet and we can use a compass to find where the magnetic north is.
We celebrated World Book Day by coming to nursery in our pyjamas and bringing in our favourite stories (and teddies!).
We had a special snack of Gruffalo Tusks…
We shared lots of stories through the day and a special ‘thank you’ goes to our visitors who read stories outdoors.
There is a World Book Day Token for everyone – we hope you enjoy reading the special £1 books that you can use it to buy.
We have been learning about money and exploring coins in lots of our play experiences.
We marked the start of the Chinese New Year and the year of the Tiger with some wonderful celebrations.
It was fantastic to engage with some of our families to help us learn all about the Chinese New Year celebrations; A huge thank you to Gerald’s mum for sharing how this is celebrated in their home using Google Meet and also to Mrs Wilson’s daughter who shared her experiences having lived in Hong Kong for some time.
The children have been learning about some of the ways families may celebrate Chinese New Year and taking part in art experiences, Chinese mark making, dragon dancing and tasting Chinese food to name a few opportunities on offer.
When we returned after the Christmas break, we noticed some of the containers left outdoors were full of ice. We thought of how the ice had formed and how to get the ice out.
Indoors, we decided to explore ice in different ways. We froze some water and used pipettes and coloured water to investigate the melting ice.
The children in the Orchard room have been learning about the human body. The children had been talking about their bodies and taking turns to share their knowledge on the different parts of their bodies. We began by getting one of our peers to lie down on paper so we could draw around them. This would be the shape for our body. We then took turns to say what we had on our faces and draw it into our paper body.
“Eyes.”
“Nose.”
“ Ears.”
“ We wear clothes on our bodies.”
From this activity we moved on to have a look at what was inside our bodies. We used a doll to explore this area.
“We have a heart.”
“What helps us to think?”
“Our brain.”
The children decided they would like to build a skeleton using our body jigsaw puzzle.
“We need a head.”
“The body is next.”
“ The hips go onto the body.”
We can’t wait to expand on this topic and do more activities about our body.
We have been busy practising for our outdoor nativity performances next week – we hope that the weather is kind and that you can join us!
If you would like to help your child practise at home, here is a copy of the words to our songs.
Recently, the children had the opportunity to learn about and celebrate Diwali. The children were able to choose from different experiences throughout the nursery.
The children in the Orchard room got to create their own fireworks in the shaving foam and there was lots of discussion . 
“Oh look red, that is my favourite colour.”
“ I like how the colour is splashed all over.”
“I love fireworks.”
In the Orchard room the children also go to try and make Chapatis. The children did very well following the recipe and listening to what we needed to do. The children were very patient in waiting for their turn.
“We need to pour until it says 100.”
“ I love baking.”
“These taste good ….. I love them.”
The children in the Willow room, participated in a variety of Diwali experiences as they learned about The Festival Of Light. They listened to the story of Rama and Sita with great interest. The children were keen to ask and answer questions about the story. We discussed ways that we can be kind to each other and how our behaviour can affect others. The children were given time to discuss and share their own experiences.
“I can be kind by helping to tidy the playroom.”
“I can share with my friends.”
Some of the children designed Divas made from clay. The children demonstrated good concentration and followed the instructions well.
They also had the opportunity to design Rangoli Patterns.
“Wow look what I made!”
“ Can I take this home to show my mummy.”
Patterns are all around us, and there are lots of great fun ways to develop children’s awareness of patterns to help them build important early maths skills and apply rules.
You can notice patterns:
On clothing, wellington boots and the soles of your shoes
On animals – “Tigers have stripes and leopards have spots.”
Go on a pattern hunt in your own and the wider environment
“I can see a pattern on the tyres.”
You can hear them:
Make a sound pattern with instruments e.g. BANG, tap, tap, BANG, tap, tap.
Sing songs where the lines are repeated where there is a number pattern going up or down.
You can make them:
Provide opportunities for children to copy patterns and create their own as they play.
“I’ve drawn lots of stripy dogs and cats.”
Using loose parts!
Moving your body to make an action pattern e.g. hop, hop, clap!
The children had been interested in books. Mrs Rodger had come back from her Honeymoon with lots of information on Beatrix Potter and her beautifully illustrated books. The children were very interested in learning about what an author is and meeting the different characters that Beatrix Potter created. The children loved watching the traditional story of Peter Rabbit as they were familiar with the more up to date version which is on our televisions at the moment.
“I love Peter Rabbit, I watch it at home.”
The children got to see a video of where Beatrix Potter lived on Hill top Farm.
“Where is that?” “I want to go there.”
The children created a frame for the picture of Beatrix Potter so that we could display it in our writing area. They also got to make rabbit ear hats which they had to cut out of paper plates. Cutting out shapes helps the children’s fine motor skills which in turn help them with their writing skills.
“This makes her look nice.”
“I can cut it look.”
“Is this the right way.”
This learning experience went on for a matter of weeks. The children still talk about it today and we still revisit the stories of the Mischievous characters that Beatrix Potter created. This was a lovely learning experience to share with the children.
The children have been busy enjoying exploring different ways of mark making inside the nursery and outside in the gardens. Mark making gives children the opportunity to express themselves and explore using a variety of tools and materials, while also supporting development of fine motor skills and hand eye coordination. Furthermore, mark making allows children to develop their creativity and imagination, and communicate their feelings.
Here are a few photos to show you what the children have been doing:
Paper and Pens
“My butterflies are flying away in the sky.”
Paint and brush
“Do you like my stripes?”
Chalk
“I like drawing outside with the chalk”
Large floor drawing
“I’m using lots of crayons to draw lots and lots of circles.”
Playdough stampers
“They look like little flowers.”
Car ramp tyre print
“My car is going down really fast. I can see the paint.”
Gloop
“It feels all sticky on my fingers.”
Rollerball painting
“The balls are mixing all the paint together.”
Salt
“I’m drawing an aeroplane.”
Feather writing
“This is quite tricky to hold the feather.”
Large painting
“Can you reach up to the top like me?”
Shaving Foam
“My hands are so messy.”
There are many more mark making ideas that you could try at home such as ice writing, mud painting, shadow drawing or crayon rubbings on different textures.
Please remember to share your learning on Twitter @Glenwood FC #Glenwoodlearningathome
We are always in need of resources for our junk modelling area and would be grateful for any donations of:
Many thanks for your donations.
Junk modelling or recycled art is being creative with materials that would otherwise be discarded. Junk modelling construction gives children the freedom to build what they want with the addition of resources like tape and glue.
Modelling with recycled resources encourages higher order thinking. Children can work on their own or co-operate with others, learning to explore and share ideas. When they create something new it can build self confidence and boost self-esteem. Junk modelling is all about the learning process rather than the end product.
Here are some examples of what we have made so far this term:
Up-cycling!
Donated cable drums have also been up-cycled to make tables for our indoor role play areas and outdoor areas. We measured offcuts of cloth, cut them to size and stapled them to the cable drum surface.
Story stones are great resources for developing children’s communication skills, promoting their language skills and encouraging their imagination and creativity.
Here are some ideas you can use story stones for at home..
When using the story stones use language such as:
These phrases help develop your child’s ability to predict and retell stories they are both familiar and unfamiliar with.
All you need to make your own story stones are:
If you try this at home, why not share your photographs with us on Twitter @GlenwoodFC
In all our rooms we love exploring our favourite books. We use puppets and props to help us retell traditional tales.
“The troll is scary! He tries to eat the goats. I like the bit when the goat hits him with its horns.”
Taking part in regular Bookbug sessions, we have enjoyed listening to familiar stories and we have been learning some new songs, as well as reciting our favourite nursery rhymes.
Look out for links to our Google meet Bookbug sessions next week for Math Week Scotland and you can join in from home too!
We are excited to be beginning our Woodland Adventures in Eastwood Park again soon!
We have made changes to how we will be running these this session to better accommodate the varying patterns of attendance of our children. Each room will have a block of four weeks, with sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, and also a Wednesday afternoon.
Our first visits this session will begin during the week beginning 13th September:
Our Woodland Adventures Handbook will tell you all about them:
All children will need a completed permission form to participate, including children who were at Glenwood before the summer. Please return forms as soon as possible to enable your child to access Woodland Adventures fully.
Information on additional safety measures that have been put in place due to the current Covid19 situation can be found here:
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we will be happy to answer them.
As of Wednesday 11th August, Glenwood began providing a lunchtime meal to ALL children regardless of their provision.
This means children attending in the mornings will have a lunch before the end of their session, children attending in the afternoon will have a lunch when they arrive in the afternoon and children attending full days will be provided with a lunch instead of bringing a their own packed lunch.
We will continue to provide a small snack mid morning and mid afternoon in addition to this. All meals and snacks are developed in line with guidance to ensure they are well balanced and nutritious and the menus are available in advance. Note: After any holiday the 1st day back will always be the Monday menu and then the normal days will follow.
NURSERY SCHOOL LUNCH MENU – Aug 21- Oct 21
Our experience of providing snacks for children shows that children will often be encouraged by the social aspect of our meal/ snack times to try new foods in nursery which they may be reluctant to try at home so we hope the introduction of a lunch will be similarly successful.
For pupils wishing to access our vegetarian menu the lifestyles form must be completed.
If your child has food allergies/ intolerances, a medically prescribed meal request form must be completed.
Please contact the nursery for further advice regarding the required forms if you are unsure about anything.
If you do choose to provide a packed lunch for your child this should be a healthy lunch with an ice pack to keep the food cool. Sugary and salty snacks are not permitted.
Please note- we are a nut free zone so NO NUTS. We also have a person with significant allergies and so kiwi, grapefruit, pineapple and avocado are not permitted. (Please check the content of drinks etc for hidden ingredients)
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