Welcome to Snowflakes B class page

Here you will find information and pictures showing what the children have been doing in class and outside in the playground.

The staff in Snowflakes are Mrs Badger, Mrs Wilkinson and Miss Wilkin.

               On the last day you have to have a party

On behalf of all the staff in Snowflakes B we would like to wish you all a safe and peaceful summer. God Bless.

                      Sports Day

Well thankfully the weather stayed kind to us and we managed to take a somewhat smaller class out onto the field to join Mrs Claridge's class for our sports day activities. Here are some photographs of what we did.

                   Summer has come

What could be better than to be outside and being able to develop our skills even further by taking part in outside learning experiences.

The children have really enjoyed our science based topic this half of term and we have already read two books both of which have taught us about what can happen with water.

In Who Sank the Boat we found out about sinking and floating and what happens if something gets too heavy to stay afloat in the water.

Then we read Mr Archemide's Bath which was very funny as he tried to find out why his bath water over flowed every time he and all the animals got into the bath. 

We  also took our learning in to the forest school as the children were asked to find things which they thought might sink or float. They then brought them back to the water trays in the playground to test out if they were correct. We also watched to see what might happen if the object was held down under the water. Did it stay there?

   Physical Development - PE Lessons

Not only are our PE lessons with Mr Syme a lot of fun but they are a very important part of the curriculum. Children learn to listen carefully, follow instructions, work independently or with a partner, or as part of a team and they develop both their gross and fine motor skills. It also helps to strengthen muscles, develop co-ordination and spatial awareness as the children take part in different activities which require them to carefully manoeuvre around the hall or outside.

                   Summer Term 2021

Welcome back to all the children and families in Snowflakes B. It is a little different in class but I am sure that, like me you will enjoy looking at the photographs of what the children have been doing whilst I am away.

The Summer term is always very busy and we are usually lucky enough to get some warmer weather which means that we can get outside to do lots more learning. Being able to get outside is so important and it certainly helps to develop lots of different skills.

                           Growing

This term has been full of new life and watching things grow and I have been amazed at how much the children themselves have grown whilst I have been away. I have been kept up to date with all that they have been doing and how much they are achieving. 

At the start of this term we were so lucky to be able to look after some hens eggs in the classroom. They provided a valuable source of communication and learning material for the children. 

The children watched as the eggs hatched in the incubator and the chicks were born. Over the next few days activities were set up for the children to take part in, allowing them to learn even more about how the chicks had developed and grown.

I thought that I would share with you all some photographs of 3 of the chicks who went home with a friend of mine at the end of the two weeks.

Goodness how they have grown. In a couple of weeks time they will be ready to go out in to her garden to live in the chicken run.

        Our Sunflowers have grown too

The children really enjoyed planting sunflower seeds and it is great to share                some photographs showing how much they are growing. 

             Understanding the World

Today in class the children were given the opportunity to plant a sunflower seed. This activity is a way to help the children to begin to understand about the need to respect and care for the natural environment and all living things. By planting seeds and plants they can start to understand the key features of life cycles, which they have also looked at by having the eggs in the classroom a few weeks ago and being able to observe how they crack open and the chicks hatch. 

Here are some lovely photographs of the children planting their seeds. I wonder whose seed will sprout first and which sunflower will be the tallest?

                  Songs and Rhymes

It was lovely this morning to be able to join both Snowflakes B and C for a Zoom Song and Rhyme session. We sang some favourite songs together and learnt some new finger rhymes.

Why is it important to sing and share rhymes with our children?

Singing is not only a fun activity for your child but is also a great way to establish a solid foundation in terms of motor skills and communication skills.

Fine motor skills are the ability to control the small muscles in one's body, including fingers, toes, tongue and lips. Singing allows children to exercise the muscles in and around their mouths.

Singing also helps with speech and communication skills. Children's songs usually have rhyming words which help to develop phonic skills and sound awareness which enable them to speak, enunciate and learn to read with more ease. Singing with parents is supposed to foster reciprocal communication skills at a young age.

Songs which incorporate actions and movement will also help children with rhythm, spatial awareness, balance and coordination.

                      Forest School

Forest School activities provide opportunities for visual, auditory and kinaesthetic, which can be described as tactile, learning. Within the boundaries of safety rules the children are encouraged to touch what they find to help them to understand more about nature and wildlife.

The activities are flexible, enabling all children to achieve with a degree of challenge, building confidence and self esteem and encouraging the perseverance that will help to build and develop resilience.

This week the children were each given a piece of card which was their Forest School Journey Stick. As they walked through the forest area they were asked to collect things which they liked to put on their journey stick. Once back in class they were then able to talk about what they had found and to learn more about the items. A great way to share information and to help develop communication and listening skills.

           Mrs Badger's Forest Walk

I thought that I would share my photographs with you all of my walk in the woods which are at the bottom of my road. Being outside is not only beneficial for children but we as adults also need to have time out in the fresh air. Walking in nature is one of the most positive things you can do. 

As you walk be mindful of what you can see, hear, smell and touch. Think about what you are experiencing at that moment rather than worrying about what you have ahead of you. Enjoy every moment and take in deep breaths of positivity.

              The Chicks are Growing

Now that the chicks are big enough, the children have the opportunity to interact with them more closely. Mrs Gajjar asks each child if they would like to hold one of the chicks. Some of the children are very comfortable doing this but some are a little unsure and so are encouraged to stroke them gently. What a fantastic experience for the class.

                    Outside Playing

Communicating, creating, interacting, listening, talking, being creative, understanding, copying, role playing, waiting, turn taking, working together, being ourselves.

Being able to use the outside space for our extended learning is so important, allowing the children the freedom to be, the freedom to do and the freedom to express themselves.

Being able to provide a safe environment where the children can explore and create games is so important and when you see happy, smiling faces you can be sure that they are learning and taking in everything around them. 

     See Those Little Bunnies Sleeping

How lovely it was to be able to join the class on Friday morning via Zoom to do some songs and rhymes. I think they were very surprised to see me. We were also joined by Mrs Claridge and her class too.

We warmed up our fingers, wiggled and shook them. We sang One Little Finger, Two Little Dicky Birds, Wind the Bobbin Up, Here is the Beehive and of course we couldn't leave out Sleeping Bunnies right at the end.

As the children have been learning about growing and have had the excitement of the eggs hatching in the class I also taught them on new song called I'm a Little Chick. Here are the words

I'm a little chick just ready to hatch

Pecking at my shell, 

Going scratch, scratch, scratch

When I crack it open out I'll leap

I'll fluff up my feathers with a cheap, cheap, cheap. ( sung to the tune of I'm a Little Teapot)

                  Fun with the Chicks

The chicks grow so quickly and the children have found it amazing to watch them. They are now out of the incubator and are in a special box where they have a light to keep them warm, some water and special chick food. They love to huddle together and the children can also hear them making noises.

In class the children have taken part in different activities to help them learn about growing and how important it is to care for animals.

      The Freedom of Outside Learning

Outside is a natural environment for children and there is a freedom associated with the space which cannot be replicated inside. Children playing and learning in an outdoor environment appear more active, absorbed, motivated and purposeful and they tend to develop a more positive attitude to learning.

When children are young, their social skills are constantly evolving; when they play in a group they learn to negotiate plans with their friends, extend and elaborate ideas to co-operate, share and take turns.

The environment where we work and play affects our emotions. Children will often be less inhibited outside and more willing to join in with activities, talk and come out of their shells. In overcrowded spaces children's behaviour can change and some can become more unsettled, while others become more solitary. 

Exercise outside improves children's emotional health, allowing for relaxation and calmness and a heightened sense of well being.

The children had a great time if the Forest School this week, exploring, looking, listening, collecting, communicating and most of all having fun being with each other and spending time in the outside classroom.

We would like to say a big thank you to those parents who have volunteered to help in the Forest School, it means that the children have the guidance and support of an adult should they need it, but can also feel safe enough to explore and be independent in their learning.

                   Are Eggs Alive?

What a brilliant question. I wonder what the children found out today?

The eggs arrived on Monday 19th April. They were put inside the incubator where it is lovely and warm. We had to make sure that no one would turn the light off so a large notice was put on top saying

                       PLEASE DO NOT TURN OFF

On Tuesday 20th April Mrs Gajjar sent me some photos of the first chicks hatching from the eggs. It takes them quite a while to slowly tap at the shell to make a little hole and then to keep tapping to make it big enough for them to squeeze out. At first they are covered in the yolk sac but they soon dry off under the warm light and you can hear them making little chirping sounds. 

Using your imagination and being creative can take you to all sorts of amazing places. Chijichem has used his creativity and imagination to make his rainbow wheel. Both these skills are useful when you want to become an Engineer, a Designer or work with specialist equipment or tools.

Elon and Elodie are being creative and imaginative in their play, making up stories and developing their communication skills. Maybe one day they will use these very important skills to be able to talk to others, empathise and listen. 

               RE - What makes us happy or sad?

In our RE lesson this week we looked at happy and sad faces and asked the children what makes us happy and what makes us sad?

I know that I feel happy when I see the sunshine or if I can go out for a walk and hear the birds sing. I feel sad when my friends are sad too and I feel sad when I can't be with the people I love.

The children then made happy and sad faces which were put on the Prayer Table.

                             Spring Term Learning

It has been lovely to see and feel the sun coming out a bit more over the past few days and it certainly has helped to put smiles on our faces. The children have enjoyed the activities, and as each week has passed they have remembered the routines and have become more comfortable when working in small groups or interacting with their friends.

There has been a lot of chatting, developing communication skills, relearning how to share and take turns and how to wait for an adults help or attention when there are others also waiting.

We have learnt about all sorts of different colours and animals through our stories and with the help of the Mixed Up Chameleon we found out that it is ok to be who you are.

The Easter story has been told and the class enjoyed learning about how this Spring festival is celebrated in church.

We have also welcomed a new friend to the class called Bethel and we would like to extend this welcome to her family as well.

The class also said goodbye and a big thank you to Miss Henesey as she will be going to a different class to continue with her studies after Easter. 

I would personally like to thank Mrs Gajjar, Mrs Wilkinson and Miss Wilkin for all their help and support in Snowflakes B and I would also like to wish everyone a very Happy, peaceful and healthy Easter.

                           Welcome Back Snowflakes

It was so lovely to welcome everyone back to Snowflakes B this week and also to say hello to some new friends in the class. We have had a very busy first week back and all the children seemed very keen and eager to join in with all the activities.

On Tuesday we took advantage of the dry weather and went for a walk through the Forest School where we explained the rules to keep ourselves safe whilst we are there. We also sat and listened to the birds and even saw a little Robin who came along to say hello.

On Wednesday the class had lots of fun joining in with Mr Syme's PE lesson in the hall and Mrs Gajjar took the class for the rest of the morning.

We have sung songs, joined in with circle time, played outside in our playground and made some circle mobiles for the classroom.

The children loved making their Mother's Day surprises to take home as well.

World Book Day

It is so important to be able to share books with your child to help develop their love of words and to build their vocabulary. Books do not just have to be stories but can also be information books, so long as your child is able to access them and you can give them your time to share them together. Reading and sharing a book should be time spent together having fun and giving enjoyment.

                  Sir Captain Tom Moore 100 Challenge

As a school this half term, we have taken on the 100 Challenge in memory of Sir Captain Tom Moore, who in the first lockdown decided to walk 100 times around his garden in support of the NHS who had looked after him so well during a stay in hospital. He was an inspiration to so many and gave us a feeling of hope in very difficult times.

Here are a few photographs of how you have taken on this challenge. Well done to you all.

                  January 2021 Home Learning

RE       Epiphany

This morning the children watched the power point which told them about The Epiphany and the journey of the Three Kings to see baby Jesus. Here is a link to the Power point and an activity which the children might enjoy doing.

7th January Home Learning

Developing good pencil skills is a very important part of the Early Years curriculum and we try to do some pencil control activities every day. Here are some lovely winter pictures to trace over and finish off. First use your index finger to trace over the dotted lines and then use a crayon or coloured pencil to draw over the dots. Go slowly and carefully trying to stay on the lines. Remember to hold your crayon or pencil correctly with the index finger sitting on the top and all the others tucked underneath.

                  We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Please use this link for the words and music to We Wish A Merry Christmas.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g-OF7KGyDis 

Early Years - Reading

These links provide lists for suggested early reading books for Nursery children:

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/booklists/1/100-best-0-5/

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/booklists/1/100-best-0-5/

https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/reading-lists-for-ks1-school-pupils/100-best-picture-books-to-read-before-you-are-5-years-old/

                                Religious Education

Our first RE task was to be part of a whole school RE project which looked at different crosses and how they are used.

We looked at and handled a 'Holding Cross'. We helped to make a large Holding Cross which has gone up on display in the school Hall.

                                                                  Religious Education

This week in RE we have been talking about our families, and the children brought in photographs of themselves when they were babies. Each child stood up in front of the class to show their photographs. We talked about how much they have grown and how different they look and that we are all different and special. We are all part of God's family.

We have also had a lot of fun painting self portraits and making our handprints.

                                             RE

In our RE lesson this week we talked about the prayer table and how important it is for us to look after it in the classroom. As we gathered around the table we thought about our families and how we are all part of God's Family.

When we say our prayers in class we sit quietly on the floor and put our hands together. 

                                                            Thank You 

Sadly from next week we have to say goodbye to Mrs Unegbu as she leaves Snowflakes B to help in another class in the school.

Myself, Mrs Wilkinson and all the children in Snowflakes B would like to say a huge thank you to Mrs Unegbu as it has been lovely having her in the class to help settle the children into their routines. We will all miss her but I know that she will always be able to pop by to see us again.

                                                                  Fine Motor Skills

Developing your child's fine motor skills is a very important first step to being able to hold a pencil and to make marks, leading to writing. One way to do this is by using playdough. Squeezing, pulling, rolling out and pinching playdough strengthens the fingers and helps to develop the pincer grip needed to hold a pencil. It is not until the hand is strong enough to do these actions that a child will be comfortable enough to make marks or write. This happens for every child at different times but we can help by giving them the opportunity to experience more of these actions.

Buying tubs of playdough can be expensive and so we have found a very simple microwave recipe which we use in school to make larger batches of playdough. It is also something you can do with your child but do be careful as it is hot when it first comes out of the microwave.

                                    Funny Bones

This week we have been learning all about our bodies. We watched Funny Bones and read a Funny Bones story together. Afterwards we built the skeletons to go on our display. We were very good at connecting the right bits together. We all thought they looked very funny!!!

Mrs Wilkinson then helped the children to make their own skeleton hands using black paper and cotton buds. We also looked at x-rays of different parts of the body.

                                              RE

Following on from last week's RE lesson, with some help from Rainbow Bear, the class talked again about how we are all special and how we are all good at doing different things. Then, as we gathered around the prayer table, the children came up to pin their special stars on the collective tree.

We all think that the tree looks very pretty.

                         Developing our Gross Motor Skills

This week we have really enjoyed learning all about scarecrows. The children have been able to take part in lots of different activities which have helped to develop their learning skills. They have particularly enjoyed joining in with our action songs.

Being able to move different parts of the body, to manoeuvre around objects safely and follow instructions are all very important skills to develop. Large body movements which become strong and purposeful help towards finer motor control skills such as holding a pencil, pen or crayon for mark making. A child will only be able to control their finer motor movements if they have strong upper body and core strength. Dancing and moving to music is not only a fun activity to do but it is also of huge developmental value for children of this age. It is also something which you can have fun with at home as well.

The children loved pretending to be scarecrows, wearing their flippy floppy hats and shaking their hands and feet whilst singing 'I'm a Dingle Dangle Scarecrow'.

Here are some of our class displays.

We have made Autumn leaf stick puppets and we talked about lots of different things we could see when it is Autumn.

We also made some shapes and stuck lots of coloured paper on them. Which shapes can you see?

In RE we talked about how God created the world.

We spoke about all the different colours and painted a rainbow.

                                   Sharing stories

This week your child will be able to choose a book to take home with them on Monday which they can keep for the week and bring back to school the following Monday and swap for another one.

Sharing a book together is an important part of children learning about reading.

Choose a quiet time when you can both take time, not only reading the book but also looking and talking about the pictures. This is just as important and helps to develop vocabulary and understanding. Don't forget to look at the cover of the book and tell your child who wrote the book and drew the pictures.

Ask some questions:

What can they see?

What are the people/ animals doing?

What might happen next?

What do they think the story is about?

Take time to ask who/ what and where questions and then give your child time to answer.

Sometimes you might find that, just as we as adults enjoy re-reading a story several times your child might choose to take the same book home again. They might also choose a non-fiction book or information book rather than a story, these are a great source of information and can help reluctant readers and talkers to engage in words and speaking.

                                                               RE

In our RE lesson today we talked about how we can help each other and those around us.

Rainbow bear needed help and we had to see if we could sort it out for him.

First he had got stuck in the basket. How could we help him to get out?

Then he couldn't put his trousers on. Who could help him?

He wanted some breakfast but needed some help. Could any of the children help him to eat?

Rainbow Bear was thirsty. How could we help him to drink?

Then he couldn't put his hat on. Could someone help him to do it?

                     We used our helping hands all day in class.

                           A Very Active Thursday

In PE today the children had a great time pretending to be fireworks. They used soft scarves and moved their arms around to make firework actions. The scarves were lots of different colours and it looked lovely as they twirled and twisted. They even had to put the scarves on their heads to pretend to be fireworks which hadn't been lit yet.

                                                         Autumn is Here

Our maths activity this week involved making a graph. The children had to choose a leaf from the basket and put it in the correct colour section. Which colour did they choose? Which colour has the most? Which colour has the least?

                           Fireworks and Diwali

The children loved making their firework pictures by using the cardboard inside of a kitchen roll which had been cut at the end. They dipped it in to different coloured paint and used it to print. They then added some glitter to make their picture sparkle.

We looked at the way people use fireworks to celebrate different festivals and special days. Our RE lesson was about Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. The children listened to the story of Princess Sita and Prince Rama. They then made a Diva which is a special candle holder to decorate your house.

                          World Nursery Rhyme Week

Wheels on the Bus - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP-MbfHFUqs

Five Little Speckled Frogs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSC-gHBU_d0

Old MacDonald Had A Farm - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm4R8d0d8kU

Miss. Polly Had a Dolly - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJLfpBDBa_Q

Nursery rhymes provide bite-sized learning opportunities for young children to develop key developmental skills and can often be the trigger for hours of creative and open-ended play. They are a powerful learning source in early literacy and enable children to become interested in the rhythm and patterns of language.

Rhymes are fantastic vocabulary boosters. They often feature a pleasing rhythmic pattern and simple repetitive phrases that babies and young children find easy to remember and repeat. In order to develop their phonological awareness, children need to be repeatedly exposed to spoken language and nursery rhymes provide the perfect way to do this.

                           Christmas is Nearly Here

The children have been getting very excited in the class this week as each morning they come into the classroom, rush over to Elfie's basket to see if he is still there and find that he has disappeared. Where has he gone? So far he has managed to hide in a Christmas stocking, sit on top of the reading corner canopy, perch on top of the fire alarm and squash himself behind the Christmas tree. I wonder where he will be when we come to school on Monday?

                                           RE

Our lessons have focused on the Christmas story. We have learnt about what happened in Bethlehem and talked about how Mary and Joseph were told they were going to have a very special baby. The children have then been able to dress up as characters from the story, looking after baby Jesus and playing in the decorated stable in the classroom.

We put the Nativity scene out on the prayer table and went into the school hall to see all the beautiful class display boards which told the Nativity story. We had made sparkly stars to put on our board.

                                It's Christmas!!!!!

The children have had a fun filled week. They have been in the school hall to sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas, they had a visit from Santa and they really enjoyed thier Christmas party at the end of the week.

                                              A Huge Thank You

Myself, Mrs Wilkinson and the staff in Nurture,( Miss Hennesey and Miss Tatum) would like to say a huge thank you to all of you for your generosity and kindness. We were all extremely touched by the gifts sent to us for Christmas.

Starting back at school has been challenging but it is wonderful to arrive each morning to see the smiling faces of the children as they come through the door eager to start their day. We have had a lot of fun together this term.

We all wish you a very safe and happy Christmas and we look forward to better times ahead in 2021.

Mrs Badger

In January Deborah will be moving in to Mrs Claridge's class. We know that she will have lots of fun and wish her well.

We will also be getting 4 new friends joining us in Snowflakes B. We would like to welcome Lois, Louis, Teddie and Reece.