ICT skills are developing well this term - the children are using various programmes and a paint package enables them to make their own designs. They have been using the camera to record their creative achievements, (such as the fabulous daffodil badges) and to explore emotions. The staff are also 'up-skilling' so that we can keep up with the children ! We had a great staff ICT training evening that gave us lots of ideas and helped us to utilise the ICT equipment we have got.
On Friday the children got to play in the Children's Centre sensory room, which from the looks on their faces, they really enjoyed.
NB = We are getting the photographer back in on April 24th from 1pm for those who missed out (so you can come along even if your child's not in that session).

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

What a lovely week - warm mild weather has meant we can be outside without coats and hats - what a treat ! Pancake day saw the children flinging small pieces of pancake up in the air in their plastic frying pans - they also made the batter and wrote recipes. Everyone enjoyed muching their way through the pile of pancakes made!
Some excellent tulip relief printing was achieved on Thursday and was developed from a child's idea of pressing objects into mud at forest school.
The older children started their transition visits to Broadway First school reception class this week, where they enjoyed looking around the recption class, having a story and playing the outside area.

CHINESE NEW YEAR OF THE WATER DRAGON

Chinese stir fry was a great success !
Excellent chopping skills were observed, placing vegetables and noodles into the wok and a lovely dish eaten and
enjoyed by most. Some children tried different vegetables for the first time.
YUM
YUM !!
It was a great way for us to share and experience of food from another
culture.
The children also made folded paper Chinese water dragons – showing their
increasing concentration skills and ability to follow a sequence of
instructions.

what the playschool staff up to......

The children were fab’ today at Friday forest school.
As part of Tracy B’s Forest School teaching, we had 10 students from FSLI
(Forest School Learning Initiative) who were with us to watch a session.The
children’s behaviour was exceptional ... it was as if the students weren’t
there, they just got on with their session and had a lovely time.
All bar two children chose to tell everyone what
they enjoyed doing!
We made bird feeders, played in the muddy puddles,
made houses for the birds and mice and the 3 little pigs, we did our exercises
on the logs!!! and we sat and had a ‘Percy the Park Keeper’ story at snack time
A good time was had by all

Mags, Tracey K & Jude attended an
evening course looking at special educational needs. They took lots of notes and
are sharing what they leant with the rest of the team. We hope it will be invaluable
to help us to identify children’s
special needs at playschool.

This week the children loved looking atthe bird feeders they had hung up on the trees at forest school and finding that the birds had started eating the seeds and nuts, they ran around excitedly
checking each one in turn. A great time was had making a different type of bird feeder by threading cheerios onto coloured pipe cleaners and then joining the ends together to form a loop. These were then taken home to hang in the garden.
Inside playschool, we all enjoyed having the computer out and learning howto use the mouse and interact with the programmes.

FEED THE BIRDS !

We have been making the most of the mild weather and had some fantastic
Forest School sessions. Wehave been looking at the change in the landscape with regards the birds andtheir need for food & making bird feeders with the Christmas decorations, that we had hung in the trees before we broke up.
First. the children painted them with flour and water glue and then dipped them in
wild bird seed. Also the children used bread crumbs, flour and water and wild
bird seed mixing it all up into balls to make food for the birds at home. This
is a great activity to build up the pre-writing muscles in their hands and
arms.

At Broadway Playschool (2-3s group) the new children have settled in really well in to our little family group. To welcome them we have been decorating our "next steps" 'tree' and
will be adding each child’s individual next steps to the tree shortly.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

Hi all & welcome back to the spring term.
The children have been keen to get back into the routines and activities.
The staff have been making photo learning journeys for each child getting use to new technology - with lovely results!
Remember snow line at BBC Hereford & Worcs if we have bad weather