Again, Autumn is one of the main interests being supported in Nursery this week.  We have a large collection of different leaves and seeds from plants and trees.  The children have been noticing how much colder the season is getting and we have spoken about the leaves falling from some trees at this time of year.

Of course the children are looking to transfer this in to other areas of discovery, creativity and learning as they used leaves and plants to decorate and make patterns with the playdough.

Another area of interest has been the fish and chip shop this week.  Children have been really interested in all things fish related, speaking about where the fish comes from and different types of fish.  This led to a role play fish and chip shop being set up in the nursery, with cones of chips, illustrations of the different species, a till and money, and opportunity to discuss how much each supper would cost.  Turn taking and sharing experiences within the roles has also been enjoyed for extended periods of time.

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The children have been looking at their own learning stories a lot this week and commenting about the experiences they remember taking part in.  They have also been noticing how they are growing and changing too.

We celebrated a birthday this week in Nursery and have been practicing spreading with cutlery at snack times.

There are lots of different activities that the children engage in daily at nursery, games, stories, story-telling, rhyming, singing, building, dancing, learning, developing skills and having fun.  We have had a lot of fun this week again.

We hope those of you who attended our information evening on Wednesday found it helpful, we were certainly glad to be able to see parents back into nursery.  Please remember the October holidays begin at the end of the day on Friday.  Have a lovely weekend!

 

Learning in Nursery is not just something that you put in a designated area or table for children to explore in a particular timeslot, when it is provided by adults.  It is very much experienced throughout the day, inside and outside and transitions with the learning experience, across different times and spaces.  These opportunities are supported by skilled adults who notice the interests of the children, are knowledgeable on child development and the curriculum,  and understand the possibilities of where learning could go next.

This week we have taken a lot of opportunities to support learning in the moment as interests present themselves.  (This is also balanced with planned adult initiated learning experiences.)

In the dark tent, one of our pupils noticed the red light and green light working like the port and starboard of a boat, this provided much discussion with other children and was a lovely learning experience.  We spoke about direction, left and right and all things boats.

Outside while investigating signs of autumn, children were using the seeds and leaves they noticed to then made a “rosehip seed soup”.  A great amount of engagement followed with children working collaboratively together to collect the ingredients, take turns mixing and discussing the recipe.  Afterwards a cafe was created to sell the soup.

Again exploring signs of autum, the children enjoyed a long walk in the community with Lisa’s dog Willow.  Willow was very well behaved and allowed different children to hold her lead while experiencing the changing weather, and noticing all the seasonal changes that are going on.  We even heard a skylark.

Children were exploring the different texture and mark making properties of “gloop” through the week.  We needed to wear our aprons, but it was great fun with lots of shapes, marks, pictures and letters made or created.

We were delighted to celebrate a birthday this week and welcomed another pupils in to our nursery.  It is a real privilege to see how kind and helpful the children and adults were in showing a new friend around.

One of our pupils had a WOW moment this week, as she learned to cycle her bike without stabilisers.  We were delighted and celebrated together in the multicourt, where she showed us how well she could cycle and we gave her a really big clap.

Most of all, we have had fun exploring and playing together as we learn.

A continuous provision, or environment that is familiar to children is an important feature or a high quality nursery setting.  It allows children to explore their surroundings with greater depth and skill development.  However, it is important for nursery staff to observe and reflect on the provision and enhance, develop or take away resources to support progress in learning at a time that is right, or when interest or curiosity presents.

There have been a couple of new additions to the nursery environment this week.  We have introduced a smaller darker tent, so children can explore light and dark.  We have also introduced some textured mark making resources in a tuff tray with shaving foam and writing implements.  The shaving foam has an interesting texture which allows children to be interested in the sensory aspects of touching and playing with it.  It also is easily manipulated allow marks to be make with a brush or finger.

We have welcomed our student into our setting this week, she will be joining us on Fridays and Mondays.

A pop up ambulance has been added to our environment too.  This is supplementing the doctor’s role play area.  Children have been speaking about being a paramedic and also caring for others as they are brought to the doctor’s in the ambulance.

After the sad news of the Queen passing this week, we have also introduced some red, white and blue playdough to our playdough area.  This has sparked conversation about colours, the Union Jack flag, the Queen and the new King.

We have made dairy free scones this week in baking with Emma.  They were delicious and of course everyone could have a try of the same recipe.

We have noticed how much colder the weather has been.  This has led us to speak about changes in the seasons and we have been looking for signs of changes in the natural environment on our community walks.

We have also been spotting shapes and numbers in the signs around our community.  We have linked this learning to shape and pattern, noticing the shapes inside and outside whilst in the setting and on the website “Topmarks” .  There are lots of super interactive games to discover for Early Years there.  Early Years – Topmarks Search

All of our usual activities in our discovery, creative, social and outdoor zones have been engaged with this week by all of our children as we play and learn together.  We solve problems, speak, sing, rhyme and communicate.  We notice things and speak bout what we notice and experience.  We work together and we have fun!

Please be reminded that we are closed on Monday 19th September.  Have a lovely weekend everyone!

As we draw closer to the end of term, we are reflecting on another busy week.

The children have been exploring magnetic construction, as well as dens and block building.

There has been a real interest in exploring water play with the new outdoor taps in the school.

The sensory playdough has been really well used and enjoyed as the smell of the rose petals has added another aspect to explore.

Lots of reading books, singing songs learning and playing together. We have celebrated special days and had some very special visitors.

We have found creatures that live in the nursery garden and tried to count how many legs!  We have also learned about Road Safety from our Junior Road Safety Officers.

Next week is our last week all together. We hope you have a wonderful weekend everyone!

We were delighted to be able to get beyond the nursery setting and explore parts of Aith this week.  We went to Michaelswood first and ate our snack in their lovely pollytunnel. The tables were covered in historic information and photos from aith, which some children noticed old style cars and boats in the pictures.

We split up into groups and went dinosaur spotting.  There were also lots of interesting parts of the garden to help us learn a bit more about the trees, nature, birds and other wildlife that were in the wood.

Before we left for the Leisure Centre, we were able to play on the swing and see some of the other things there.

When at the Leisure Centre, we were able to enjoy a sit down with our sandwich picnic and the delicious biscuits made by our canteen staff.  We also used up a lot of energy playing with the bouncy castle and all the other soft play resources.

I think everyone enjoyed the trip and this was yet another step towards getting back to “normal”.

Sign a long

We have been learning some of the signs for clothes this week at Sign a long.  The ladies from the Pre-School Home Visiting Service brought in a clothes line with pegs and clothes items to peg up, as well as a teddy to dress, some lovely books to read about wearing clothes and a great mix and match wooden jigsaw to do and speak about.  We have sung songs and practiced our signs using the resources that are left from the ladies for a week.

We are really enjoying the time in the smaller groups and all the play and communication we get from the sessions.

Den Trial

You may have noticed a new big blue den in nursery this week.  This is something which we have borrowed from another setting to try.  This is a calm area that bairns can go in if they need some quiet time to read a story or to have a rest.  We hope the bairns like it.

Out for a walk – bird spotting

We have been fortunate to be out and about again this week in the community.  This time we spotted some different birds, and wondered what they would be eating for their lunch.

 

Maps and roads

The bairns have again been exploring maps, making roads and thinking about where they might go on their travels this week.  We have been exploring different sizes, colours and forms that our maps that we create might take.

 

Colder weather- exploring ice

The colder weather, light snowfall and ice has provided a super discussion and exploration point this week.  We loved seeing how the properties of water changed with the cold, turning to ice and then back to water again.  The ice allowed us to make marks on the windows, explore the surface of puddles, shapes and patterns in frost, the noises of the crunch below our feet, the slippy surfaces and how our warm breath was seen in the cold air.  Lots of fun, excitement and exploration and learn in nature!

Music outside, bubbles and balloons

We have had a super time in both outside areas this week.  The water ways have been a great success again as the bairns are able to pour and fill containers, then transport the water and watch it move through its path.  The puddles have been a great source of fund and enjoyment as we have watched the water jump up as we jump in.

We have used the coloured transparent shapes to make sun catcher cities.  The coloured shapes cast on the ground have been interesting to change and create.

We have also really enjoyed having the musical instruments available to play with outside, making beats and tunes together.  The giant bubbles and balloons have also been a great hit, as have the space hoppers.  What a lot of energy using, skill development and muscle building has been done this week outside.

Numbers , colours, shapes and fun

We have been speaking a lot about numbers and letters and again this week.  We have been looking at “tens frames” and thinking about if they are full (making 10), or not full yet.

We have also been playing with shapes to make pictures and patterns.  Of course as always our block play has been amazing again this week.  The structures and building are being explored and added to with creativity and planning.  Also, the hollow blocks provides an opportunity for climbing on and challenging ourselves in risky play in a safe space.

 

Long weekend next week

Don’t forget about the long weekend next week.  There will be no nursery on Friday 25th February or Monday 28th February.

We hope you have a lovely weekend and look forward to seeing you next week.

We always have a healthy snack and lunch available for all our bairns, at no extra cost to parents.  This is part of the nursery offer every day.

Please find the snack menu for the week below.

Morning-snack-WB 21st Feb 2022

Sign-a-Long

We have loved seeing Cyndi and Vaila from the Pre-School Home Visiting Service again this week for Sign-a-Long.  The bairns have been looking at some colours in our smaller group sessions.  We have sung songs and played games as well as learn some new signs.

We have loved seeing a little bit of snow in the outdoor environment as well as the sun and a rainbow this week.  There is no better way to think about the seasons and the weather, than to get outside and experience it first hand.

Community Walk

We had a super walk out on Tuesday.  What a beautiful day even if it was a little windy on the way back.  The bairns were delighted to meet Peter when we were out.  He showed us how to “beat da scarf”, to help keep us warm on the cold day.  We stopped and spoke to someone from Ireland, who had a different accent, then the friendly driver of the big “gulley-sucker” truck gave us a toot.  We met the postie and they showed us how to get the letters out of the letterbox, but still there was no sign of the swans that we went off to feed.  Maybe next time!

Taxi rides and picnics

It has been a week for exploring the world and enjoying picnics in Nursery.  We have been trying to be very careful with the china cups and plates, as well as thinking about all the different sandwiches and snacks we can take on our journey.  The children made a few taxi’s out of boxes,  and enjoyed taking passengers abourd.  Then we took our playground taxi on a drive all over the world.  Finally we made a map of all the places we had been to visit.  “Ding Ding, next stop Florida please!”  Thankfully we packed enough for our picnics each time.

Shetland Bannocks

This week we have baked bannocks and enjoyed them for snack.  We used different ingredients and cups for measuring how much we needed.  There was mixing, rolling and cutting, but of course the best bits were the smell and the taste!  Delicious!

Marble Runs

What a lot of fun we have had with the marble run this week.  Very carefully planning the paths, then watching them all tumble quickly or slowly.  We have been able to take turns and share.  Great!

Playpark Visits

Whenever we can take the chance, we really enjoy a good run out in the playpark.  The bairns were able to negotiate obstacles, develop confidence on the swings and the roundabout. Hopefully we can get out a bit more again after all the wind in the last few weeks.

 

School Visits

We have taken the chance to go through to the primary school in very small groups this week, as our transition activities continue.  We have met some of the important people who work in the school and some of our friends from last year.  We also explored some of the spaces in the school.  We will do these small visits more regularly as the next 2 terms goes on.

Playing and Learning

Of course most of the nursery day is spent playing and learning together.  We are learning about numbers, letters, making marks, sharing, caring for others and our resources, and speaking about so many different things.  We are developing skills that will help us understand how things work, how we move, how to solve problems, make things and change things.  We are learning how to be more independent and how to collaborate together.  We have had great fun this week.

We hope that everyone who has not been feeling well recently is starting to feel better, and we look forward to seeing you all again soon.  Have a lovely weekend everyone!

 

 

We always enjoy a healthy snack and lunch at Nursery.  Please find the snack menu for the coming week below.

Snack Menu for 14th Feb 2022

We welcomed staff from the Pre-School Home Visiting Service on Monday morning to introduce Shetland Sign-a-long.  This is a 6 week training block for children and staff, where we all have an opportunity to learn games, signs and songs to help us communicate.  Every Nursery in Shetland has access to the booklet that accompanies the programme.

From next week, the children will be separated up into 2 different groups (pre-school and anti-pre-school), and the sessions will be delivered in the Hall.    This week we were learning the signs for different animals and the children played a fishing game to see if they could remember some of the signs.  We hope to be able to use these signs more in our Nursery day as we develop our communication skills.

 

 

The transition processes has gently started this week.  The pre-school children who were in  Nursery on Thursday had a peerie wander through the school, on their way to the Tingwall Hall for PE. They saw Mrs Anderson, who will be their class teacher after summer when they start P1.  They also had a quick look in the dining hall, so they could see where they would have their school lunches. The canteen staff, who will prepare, cook and serve their lunches, also came out to say hello.

There will be plenty more opportunities to have little visits in, before the longer visits start.  Nursery staff and Mrs Anderson will also work more closely as we near the end of the summer term.

We loved the time in the hall, working on our throwing, catching and balancing skills during our PE lesson.

We have been thinking about Chinese New Year a little bit this week, and had great fun trying to eat with the chop sticks.

We also really enjoyed making a human “Chinese Dragon” outside.  We watched the movement of the cloth, as it looked like a dancing dragon.

Continuing with celebrations, we are still working away on our torches, and managed to get a galley painted this week too.

As always, our block play has been amazing this week.  Such a lot of creativity and skillful planning in some of the creations. This morning a group of children worked so well together making “sculptures” that turned into “The Police Department”.  A full half an hour of engaged play in positioning, and repositioning co-operatively was brilliant to see.

We have been working hard at sharing resources, taking turns and looking after our environment and each other.  What a super week, with lots of stories, pictures, communication, building and fun.

Next week, we will be introducing more visual information within the classroom environment.  This will help with our sign a long sessions and support a positive approach to reinforcing key messages for all children.  We will also continue our work on sharing and taking turns through our table top games.

We hope you all have a lovely weekend!