HAPPY EASTER !

Hi everyone ! 
 - we have had a fab week - with junk modelling creations taking over the world!  One child made a rocket, rocket launcher and rocket packs for the toys.

Our Easter celebrations included Easter hats, Faberge eggs and making chocolate Easter nests - without eating the chocolate first !  & They experinced cold solids becoming warm liquids.

'Tennis' seems quite popular at the moment with some developing tennis skills being observed.
Despite the cold weather we had an Easter egg hunt at forest school - which we knew the children enjoyed by their big smiles and chocolate covered faces.

We managed to get out in the sunshine - and observe the frozen water - made from water in containers left out over night. Theythen brought it inside to observe it metling. The children found ice inside the tyres - they said it was "icebergs"- so we looked up icebergs in our encyclopedia - just to check !
 PLAYSCHOOL is open again on Monday 15th April

ITS FREEZING OUT THERE !

Can we remind all out parents/carers - your child needs to come to playschool wearing at least 3 layers - vest t-shirt and jumper and socks and needs a warm waterproof coat -as we are still accessing the outdoors. On Forest school days Weds and Fridays they need extra socks - or they will be crying with the cold.      Thankyou.

At Broadway Playschool - the little ones are getting really good at the "what's in the box " game and the "who's got the glasses on " game, they are all getting really good at remembering all their friends names, and beginning to play in small role play groups, communicating well with each other. We are very proud of them.

 

At Towerview Playschool - we have been working on our Easter theme - making & painting daffodils sculptures and hand printing sheep! The junk modelling is going very well with lots of exploration of how to join things together with loads of glue, string,masking tape, glitter and even pasta .

Our transition to school has been extended with visiting the school hall and doing physical exercises.

On Monday 18th March, a Sensory play day at Broadway Playschool set up by Children Centre staff ( thanks to Moira and Ness) was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Some of you will already be aware there will be staff changes at Apple Vale Children Centre - we have enjoyed developing professional relationships with the team there and will be very sad to say goodbye at the end of March. We wish them all every success in their new posts.

A new team will be introduced soon.

PETITION - YOUR HELP NEEDED

 URGENT – PARENTS/CARERS

Petition against changes to staff to child ratios

Please sign online at www.rewindonratios.com or the paper copy at Pre-school. The below information is taken from the PLA’s website:

In January 2013, the Government announced plans to relax staff‑to‑child ratios in early years settings and for childminders in England.

This will mean that more children can be looked after by the same number of staff.

Under the changes, Playschool staff can look after 6 two-year-old children (up from the current limit of four).

As EYP’s OR Early Years Teachers, Jude and Mags could look after 13 children each !

We believe these changes will have a serious impact on:

·         CHILD SAFETY: With more young children to look after, childcare workers will undoubtedly have less time to keep an eye on your child, posing a real risk to their physical wellbeing.

·         CHILD SUPPORT: Your child’s key person will have less time to engage with your child on a one-to-one basis. This is of particular concern for children with additional needs, who may require extra care and attention.

 

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/department-for-education-drop-plans-to-i

 

Turn your signature into dozens more by sharing this petition

PLEASE GO ON LINE & SIGN THIS WEEK !!!

FRANCE, TARTS AND GRAPE JUICE!

The Broadway playschool (the 2 - 3year old group) are loving the "what's in the box?" and "whose wearing the glasses?" games - used to develop communication skills.

At Towerview Playschool, the children have been enjoying exploring clay, even making snowmen with it!

In the afternoons, the table top games are very popular, especially the Crazy Chef and Shopping List games. The rice & pasta play is going really well too - lots of exploration and descriptive language developing.

 

Children have enjoyed using the outdoor blocks to make a 'Batmobile' and a 'castle' to support their superhero role play.

 

They have been using buckets of water and paintbrushes to paint the house and clean the blackboards!

On the French theme we have made French flags, explored grapes and juiced them in the juicer to make grape juice and all had a sip during snack time.  They have written recipes made pastry rolled it out and added sliced apple to make apple=pomme tarts!  One of our students has introduced 'si vous plais' and 'merci'  and we have been counting up to 10.

The re-introduction of sign language has continued with our other student signing 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' at circle time and then the children have been observed  re-telling the story using props during free-play.

HAPPY MOTHERING SUNDAY !

The children worked really hard on their mothers day cards and enjoyed cutting out the paper plate flowers, painting them and pushing the split pin through onto the card. At Broadway playschool, the children scrunched tissue and wound pipe cleaners around to make a flower which they could then tape onto their card. 
                Hope you enjoy them. Happy mothering Sunday from us all !

The lovely weather promoted us having our lunch outside on Tuesday which the children all helped set up- working together to carry tables out, clean them and put chairs out. It was lovely to sit outside and get them there rays an See the daffodils waving in the breeze!

We are lucky to have two great student from Worcester University working with us for two weeks. They are using their practical and theoretical skills to enhance the children's learning and are both an asset to the team. The children are loving interacting with them

The older boys really enjoyed making a bonfire out of sticks in forest school. There was alot of playing on the climbing tree - practising balancing and stretching .....this was after one child tasked with risk assessing the climbing tree had tested it to make sure it was safe!
Some of the girls have been 'writing' their own stories with staff scribing for them - some of them are in book corner to share with friends.

The American flag was made by the whole group on Monday - complete with the correct amount of stars! ( have a look on the window)   We also had a go at making USA style pin wheels - continuing the development of cutting and split pin skills.