Transition – P1 Visit (Week 6 Tuesday)

The bairns listened to Goldilocks and the Three Bears, followed by a colouring activity focusing on listening and adding the correct colour/design to their bear picture.  They also had time for free play and a little group time, practicing putting up their hand when asked a question.

Polycrub Visit (Week 6 & 7 Thursday)

The bairns made cuttings of geraniums and potted them.  They also created geranium pictures.  They planted tomatoes in hanging baskets and the raised beds.  There was discussion about how the tomatoes in the hanging baskets would grow down over the edge.  One of the bairns noticed “The tatties are growing now.” from a previous week’s planting.  Bev showed the bairns the inside a tomato and compared it to the chambers of our hearts.  The bairns agreed that tomatoes were good for your heart.  The bairns fed the caddy lambs, collected the hen’s eggs and fed the goats.

Outdoor Play ( Weeks 6 & 7)

The bairns have been tending to the polycrub, planting and watering.  They have also played Duck Duck Goose, chasing games and opened an ice cream shop.  The sand pit has been a very popular area, especially using the large loose parts and lots of water.  There has been woodwork out on the patio inspired by the TV show Gladiators.  The bairns used a long piece of wallpaper and attached it to the slide.  They experimented by pouring paint from the top and watching what happened.  They were also able to take prints using the paint that had pooled at the bottom of the slide.  One of the bairns thought it would be fun to see what kind of tracks a truck would make in the paint.  They tested vehicles with narrow and wide tyres.

Size, Weight and Symmetry (Week 6 Monday-Thursday)

We have been exploring size, weight and symmetry.  The bairns pressed the buzzer and Mrs Malcolmson’s voice wondered if they could sort the dolls from tallest to shortest.  Miss Irvine’s buzzer wondered if they could sort the tins (containing different amounts of shingle) from lightest to heaviest.  We also invited the bairns to discover the properties of symmetry using mirrors and counters.

We extended their interest in symmetry using paint and natural elements to create butterflies.

Lambs (Week 7 Wednesday)

We had a visit from two caddy lambs this week.  One of our bairns was very confident handling them and kept us right during their visit.  The bairns got a chance to feed the lambs their milk with a bottle.  We also had a discussion about keeping their feet clean and why they have a ring on their tail.

Transition Lunch (Week 7 Thursday)

Our preschoolers had their first transition lunch in the canteen this week.  They lined up at the hatch to get their tray, listened to the instructions for getting cutlery, visited the self-serve salad station and then chose a seat at the table.  They also cleared away their trays when they were finished.

Butterflies (Week 7 Wednesday)

We have been growing butterflies and this week was time to release them into the wild.  Over the long weekend, four out of five butterflies had emerged from their chrysalises.  The fifth butterfly waited until we were back on Tuesday morning.  We added some sugary water and slices of fruit inside the net so that the butterflies could build up their strength.  After a day or so, we took the net outside and opened the lid.  The butterflies seemed quite content to stay inside.  However, after a while the first two made a break for freedom.  Later that afternoon, all five butterflies had flown from the net.

Chicks (Monday-Tuesday)

We had a very exciting arrival on Monday morning.  It started out with a small crack in one of the eggshells, until eventually a beak popped out.  The bairns were checking to see how the chick managed to escape from the eggshell.  Then, after a while, the shell broke apart and a chick emerged.  “It was pecking all night.”  Later in the week, we had a visit from more chicks.  The bairns listened to the instructions about holding the chicks with one hand underneath and one hand on top.  Some of the bairns were a little unsure about holding them but were happy to feel their fluffy backs.  We put all the bairns’ name suggestions into a tub and pulled out three.  The chosen names are Latey, Koopa Troopa and Sports.  Certainly a variety!

Cardboard House (Monday-Friday)

Our cardboard house has been many different things over the week – a troll’s kitchen, a fairy house, Elsa’s castle and a fishing boat.

Buddies (Wednesday)

Our preschoolers were out again in the playground this week with their buddies.  Their confidence is growing each week and they are happy to play and chase the older bairns.

Outdoor Play and Bugs (Monday-Friday)

Our outdoor play this week has focused on loose parts play in the sand pit, painting and exploring the jungle (formerly known as the hen house).  The bairns are also getting more adventurous with the slide and many like crashing into the large padded seat that bottom.  Mrs Smith served snack from the Ice Cream shop.

We have been growing chrysalis in a small tub.  This week it was time to transfer to their larger net enclosure so that they can turn into butterflies and emerge.  Trevor removed one of our wooden cable drums and the bairns were keen to find out what was lurking underneath.  They brought out magnifying glasses and binoculars to get a better look.  They spoke about the different bugs they found, their texture and where they might like to live now that the cable drum had been removed.

Play and Learning

Here is a snippet of the reminder of our play and learning from the week.  The bairns have been busy mixing their own colours for painting, testing if apples float or sink and finding shapes inside kaleidoscopes.

P1 Transition Visit (Tuesday)

As part of transition this week Mrs Johnson took the group of pupils who will be moving up to P1 through to the Primary 1/2 classroom for a visit. While we were there, Mrs Johnson gathered the group to sit on the mat for a peerie chat to share some news. She asked the boys and girls what they thought she would like them to do if they wanted to ask a question or answer. ‘I pit up my hand.’ Mrs Johnson then read the story of Rumpelstiltskin before asking everyone to join her at the table to write their names on their piece of paper, before drawing a character from the story. The bairns then had time to explore the classroom and resources.

Pattern (Monday-Friday)

The bairns have been exploring patterns and sequencing this week.  They have created their own patterns using loose parts, completed sequences on the smart board and used fruit to relate to everyday experiences.  Being able to identify, repeat, create and extend patterns supports numeracy, literacy and logical thinking development.

Batty! (Thursday)

To say thanks to Mrs Smith for inviting the bairns to collaborate with her and her student colleagues at the UHI on their bat project, we presented her with a bat necklace. The necklace was made by a talented school pupil who has been selling their cast items at craft fairs around Shetland. Mrs Smith got her necklace on straight away to show it off to everyone and popped out to the playground to show the creator.

Salvation Army Polycrub Visit (Thursday)

On our trip to the Salvation Army polycrub this week, the bairns decorated polystyrene cups with faces so that their cress seeds could grow to become hair.  They planted the seeds into cotton wool and made sure they had plenty of moisture using a spray bottle filled with water.  Then, the bairns planted a variety of flowers including poppies.  Before we left, there was just time to feed the goats and the hens.

Happy Birthday Sir David Attenborough (Friday)

We celebrated Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday today by watching an animated documentary showcasing his life’s work.  The bairns learned that he is a real life superhero (although he doesn’t have wings!) protecting the Earth through conservation of natural habitats, plants and wildlife.  Afterwards, the bairns created a collaborative drawing featuring the animals they had seen in the documentary, along with a Sir David Attenborough portrait.

Play, Talk, Read Pathways (Monday)

We were delighted to welcome the Play Talk Read initiative back to Cunningsburgh.  The bairns listened to a story called Balloon’s Big Adventure and then engaged in balloon activities and more.  Thank you to all the families that were able to make it along.  The bairns love sharing experiences with their favourite people.

Library Van (Tuesday)

The bairns visited the library van and chose 11 books, one more than last time.  They had an interesting discussion with Johnny about being the library van driver and what he does if nobody visits his van.

Transition (Tuesday and Wednesday)

Mrs Johnson (2026-27 P1 teacher) began her bi-weekly visits for the pre-schoolers.  The bairns listened to a story, Shark in the Park, joined in for a movement break and then had another story.

Salvation Army Polycrub Visit (Thursday)

We have started a session of visits to the Salvation Army polycrub.  This week the bairns decorated sunflower pots to plant their own seeds.  The dug trenches and planted peas and radishes.  To plant tatties, the bairns broke up the soil, dug trenches, planted seeds, covered them and made ridges.  The bairns also fed the hens and took some eggs back to nursery for the Honesty Cupboard.

Lerwick Play Park Trip (Friday)

The bairns confidently explored the apparatus in the big play park in Lerwick.  They also made sure Mr Bain had some exercise with a big chasing game and then settled into a quick snack before moving to the other end of play park.  They engaged in risky play, assessing their own level of comfort on the high bars.  “I did it!”

Folk Festival Concert (Friday)

After a short walk through Lerwick, we made it to Mareel and meet up with some more nursery friends.  We found a good spot near the stage and waited for the band.  It wasn’t long before Canadian band Jake Vaadeland and the Sturgeon River Boys took to the stage.  They were very lively and played folk festival versions of Old Macdonald and The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.  The bairns were up dancing from the first song.  The adults taking the photos were dancing too so they might be a little blurry!  “It was so fun.  My legs are tired.”

After the concert, we headed to the Viking Bus Station to catch the Number 6 back to nursery.  There were some sleepyheads on the bus!