Newsletter 28.10.2016

Welcome back!  It has been wonderful to hear the children share news about their holidays and thank you to those who shared holiday pictures via Tapestry.  Starting next week we will start sharing weekend news during our carpet sessions, to get the children speaking more.  Information and photos you share with us about your weekend adventures, via Tapestry, helps us know what questions to ask and prompts to give.

There was a good turnout for the EYFS Messy Play coffee morning, hopefully everyone enjoyed getting their hands dirty.  Please see the play dough recipe below, incase you’d like to have a go making it at home.  In class this week the children enjoyed exploring and experimenting with ‘cloud dough’ in the tuff spot.  It can be shaped and moulded but it’s dry and powdery.  It was quite a contrast from the gooey, slimy basil seeds that were in the tuff spot before the holidays.

The children are enjoying the responsibility of using the Planning Boards, during carpet sessions, to choose where they would like to play.  At home you might like to ask your child where they chose to play today.  

Outside this week the children enjoyed playing hide and seek in the Fundino playground and their interest in obstacle courses (from before the holiday) continued.  It is wonderful to see the children challenging themselves; jumping with two feet together, balancing and climbing. 

The children have enjoyed the addition of some larger vehicles and a wide array of costumes to our classroom.  They are working hard to make good choices and take turns while playing together.  This will be a lengthy and on-going focus in F2 and we encourage you to support your child with this at home.  In the classroom  we have a colour ladder which helps the children moderate their own behaviour and encourages them to make ‘good’ rather than ‘poor’ choices when navigating the murky waters of turn taking with their friends.  If you’d like to know more about this, please ask one of the teachers.  At home you could practice turn taking during your daily routines E.g. ‘You brush your teeth for a count of 10, then it’s my turn to brush for a count of 10’ or ‘I will choose the first story and then it’s your turn to choose the next story’, be sure to emphasise the word turn and reinforce with plenty of positive praise.

Today we introduced recordable pegs to the class, and the children were very keen to learn how to use them.  They were thrilled to hear themselves and replayed their messages and songs for their friends and teachers to hear.  We look forward to using more next week.  Have a great weekend, we look forward to hearing all about it on Monday!

Notices:

Late Slips – If you arrive at school after 8:15am please collect a late slip from the office before bringing your child to class. 

Save the date – EYFS Family Morning on the 26^th November.

Library –Please be reminded that children can only have 1 book issued to them at time, to avoid disappointment during our Wednesday library session please return books to school on Monday (or Tuesday).