We have been exploring hedgehogs in Forest School this term. We have discovered that hedgehogs are nocturnal and why they have spikes on their back. In our first session, we enjoyed using natural materials to create our own hedgehog sculptures. We are looking forward to finding out how we can help to care for these wonderful animals.
This week, EYFS explored the Hindu festival Diwali – the Festival of Lights. We discovered why the celebration is important to Hindu’s, how they prepare for the festival and what you might see during Diwali. We found out that they spring clean their homes in preparation, they exchange gifts and share family meals, they watch firework displays and they light up their homes to invite the Goddess Lakshmi. We enjoyed creating our own diva lamps that we decorated with our special adults at home.
EYFS were very proud to have a special visitor this week. We have been learning all about Remembrance Day and its importance, and we had lots of questions we wanted to ask a soldier if we ever met one. We were very excited to meet Anthony, who answered all of our questions including why we wear poppies and why he has special medals. It was wonderful to put all of our learning into a real life context. We paid our respect to soldiers like Anthony, and all of their families, by completing a 2 minute silence on Friday 11th November.
Throughout the year, EYFS will be taking part in three ‘Exploration Sessions’ to support our understanding of the world around us and our local community. We will be supporting our knowledge of our local area with first hand experiences, noticing the features of our environment as we go.
This autumn term, our first Exploration Session was called ‘The Journey to Forest School’. We were very excited to go on our first adventure and explore our school grounds! We travelled through the red door, walked next to our outdoor area, over the big bridge, through the wild willow den, around the statue, across the path and we marched past the bushes to arrive at the huge gate!
Reception used their knowledge of their journey to Forest School to create their own maps of our immediate area.
On the 6th June 2022 we hosted a community event in school to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Families from Valley View Primary School came together to for an afternoon of entertainment; we played games, socialisied and enjoyed some delicious home made scones and refreshments.
We would like to thank all of our families for joining us for this celebration and to South Tyneside Platinum Jubilee Community Fund.
A great time was had by all, we cant wait to welcome our community to our next celebration!
Last week, Nursery enjoyed learning all about the Harvest Festival. We looked at the story of bread, and we were shocked to find some flour had been left for us from Farmer Phil! We decided it was a great idea to make our very own bread, We loved looking at the changing texture as we made the dough, and we learnt how to knead. We couldn’t resist trying our bread once it had been baked, and sharing it with others.
We have loved reading the Bear Hunt Story in our Early Years setting. It is one of our five key texts this term and we adore it!
The children have enjoyed reciting the repetitive vocabulary and joining in with the corresponding actions. We have had fun recreating the bear hunt trail in our outdoor area! We waded through the long wavy grass, squelched through the thick oozy mud, splashed through the deep cold river and stumbled tripped through the big dark forest.
We have also enjoyed acting out the bear hunt story using the small world story props as well as sequencing key elements of the story. Some of the language the children have used has been incredible and we are very proud of them!
Nursery Blue groups have been enjoying their visits to forest school, which started again this term. The children have been busy making chocolate mud cakes, fishing in the Valley View pond, collecting and transporting with baskets, mud and stones. The children love using the magnifying glasses at the investigation table where they observe woodlice, worms, slugs, leaves and bark.
Today EYFS had some exciting visitors. We had a visit from two local police officers. They told us about how they help us, when our cars break down, we are lost, we are in danger etc. We were then allowed to try on some of their uniforms and even go inside of their police car!
