St. Francis- Nursery
Welcome to the summer term! The summer term is always a special time at our nursery. It's a time when we see tremendous growth and development in our little ones, and we're thrilled to witness the progress they'll make over the coming weeks. This term will mark the end of their journey with us at the nursery as they prepare to move on to reception class. This transition is a significant step, and we want to ensure that it's as smooth and seamless as possible for both the children and their families.
Today Nursery and Reception went on a school trip to Ruislip! We were lucky enough to ride in the train to go around the lake! We had so much fun looking at the forest around us and waving to people walk past. When we got to the beach, we played in the pirate ship and built sandcastles for hours! Thank you to all the parents who volunteered to look after a small group of children. We couldn't have done it with out you!
This week, we read the story "The Rainbow Fish" and discussed what it means to be a good friend and why friendship is a real treasure. We created a Class Rainbow Fish where each child contributed one of their scales, demonstrating how sharing makes a beautiful, collective creation. Additionally, the children made their own Rainbow Fish, decorating them with crayons, markers, glitter, and sequins. They also completed the sentence template “I share my ... .Sharing makes me feel...".
This week, our nursery took part on an exciting underwater adventure with the story of "The Little Mermaid." The children enjoyed retelling the tale and had an opportunity to take part in lots of activities inspired by the story. Using various 3D shapes, the children built their own underwater castles, integrating both creativity and early maths skills. Our little ones expressed their artistic talents through sea-themed craft, creating beautiful mermaids.
I am delighted to share that today’s nursery assembly about treasure was a fantastic success! The children performed amazingly, displaying remarkable confidence and enthusiasm. They looked fabulous in their costumes, and their hard work and dedication truly shone through. We are incredibly proud of them and their achievements. Your support in helping them learn their lines and prepare their costumes made a significant difference, and we cannot thank you enough.
This week, we read the story "Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs" by Ian Whybrow. We discussed what dinosaurs mean to Harry and why they are so important to him, like treasure. Afterwards, each child took a turn to look inside a bucket and describe what they saw, then created their own stories and drew pictures for "What's in My Bucket?"
Today, we had a fantastic Father's Day breakfast to celebrate this special occasion. It was a wonderful morning, and we were delighted to see so many of you managed to join us. The children had a great time, and we are very pleased with how the event turned out.
What a fantastic sports day!
The children had a fantastic time mark making in the playground, expressing themselves creatively. Mark making is so important, and they enjoyed using paint on cling film to create wonderful pieces of art.
In the nursery we started a new topic: Treasure Island! The children have had a wonderful time exploring our new treasure island role play area.
As it was Careers Week, on Friday, children came to school dressed up as a person they would like to be when they grow up. They looked fantastic and enjoyed the day very much!
This week in nursery, our little ones had an exciting time exploring the world of engineering through fun, hands-on activities as part of our Careers Week focus on being an engineer! Our first activity involved counting with building blocks and Lego bricks. The children practiced their counting skills and learned about different colours and sizes by building creative structures. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm as they constructed and counted the blocks used in their imaginative creations. We also read the book "Boxitects" by Kim Smith. Inspired by the story, the children transformed into little engineers, designing and building houses for a toy dog. We followed the engineering design process, starting with brainstorming ideas and then collaborating on the final design. The children contributed their unique ideas and worked together to create some fantastic dog houses using various materials.
During careers week nursery children really enjoyed the visit from a lady who works in construction. They had an opportunity to talk about the safety on the building site and tried some equipment used by workers.
This week, we explored non-fiction books about people who help us, such as ‘The Doctor’ and ‘Firefighters’. We discussed the uniforms and tools associated with each profession and encouraged conversations about why these items are important. As an activity, the children chose a profession they learned about (e.g., doctor, firefighter, nurse) and drew a uniform for that profession. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to understand and appreciate the vital roles these professionals play in our community.
We continued with the story "The Smartest Giant in Town”, children listened with great interest. Afterwards, they enthusiastically acted out the story using props.
This week in the nursery, we read the story "The Smartest Giant in Town" to the children. After reading, we encouraged the children to explore feelings by talking about what made the animals in the story sad. We discussed the various ways he helped them, like giving his tie to the giraffe to keep him warm or his shoes to the mouse for a house. For our activity, we asked the children to draw a shopping list of clothes they would like to give to someone in need. Alongside our story session of "The Smartest Giant in Town," we had a blast practicing measuring! We introduced a fun challenge: measuring animals using cubes. The children eagerly participated, lining up cubes to measure each animal and determining which one was the tallest.
We are delighted to share how enthusiastically our children engaged in our maths sessions. The children have been hanging out clothes, rolling dice, and using pegs to reinforce their understanding of numbers and sequencing. Through this fun activity, children rolled a dice and pegged up the corresponding number of clothes on the washing line. But it didn’t stop there! We introduced an extra challenge: problem-solving. For example, if there are already two pieces of clothing hanging up and they rolled a three, they needed to figure out how many more clothes they needed to hang up to reach the total. Following this exciting activity, the children moved on to practice ordering numbers from 1 to 10. Using numbered cut-outs, they identified numerals shown on the clothes and fastened them to the washing line in sequence.
This term brings a new topic ‘All dressed up’ and the children were delighted to explore the newly set up role play area ‘Fancy dress shop’. Pupils also proudly showcased the costumes they had created themselves. Each outfit was a unique reflection of their personalities and interests.
🐰🌷🥚 Happy Easter! 🥚🌷🐰 Our nursery children went on an egg-citing Easter egg hunt today, led by none other than the mischievous Easter bunny! With wide eyes they eagerly followed the clever clues scattered around our nursery. Oh, what joy they found in solving each riddle and uncovering colourful treasures hidden beneath bushes, behind trees, and tucked away in secret corners! When the children found and solved all the clues they were treated to a yummy Easter egg! From our nursery family to yours, we wish you a Happy Easter!
Patterns Day! Nursery children had the opportunity to come dressed up in their favourite patterns. They had a chance to talk about their chosen pattern with their peers, fostering communication skills and confidence. Additionally, they learnt to appreciate the beauty and diversity of patterns. Thank you for your continued support!
We had an exciting time exploring the wonderful world of jungle animals through the story "Rumble in the Jungle"! After reading the story, we talked about the patterns found on various jungle creatures like spots, stripes, and zigzags. Following our discussion, children drew their favourite jungle animal. As an interactive activity, we played a game called "Hot Seat," where children had the chance to step into the shoes of their favourite characters from the story and their classmates had the opportunity to ask questions. They also used their imagination by crafting their own animal patterns.
We wanted to express our gratitude for your enthusiastic participation in our Mother's Day Breakfast event at the Early Years Foundation Stage. Your presence truly made the morning special and created a lovely atmosphere for everyone involved. The smiles, laughter, and shared moments between parents, guardians, and our little ones were heart-warming. Once again, thank you for coming and for being such an integral part of our community.
We are thrilled to share the celebration of World Book Day at our nursery! The day was filled with enchanting moments as our little ones dressed up in the most imaginative and fantastic costumes, bringing their favourite book characters to life. Our Year 3 pupils joined in the festivities, spreading the love for reading by sharing stories and creating a magical atmosphere that resonated throughout the nursery. Witnessing the older pupils engage with our little learners was truly heart-warming.
We kicked off our new topic ‘Patterns’ with the tale of "Elmer" by David McKee. Through Elmer's vibrant and colourful journey, the children discovered the importance of celebrating what makes each of us unique. They got engaged in various hands-on activities to explore and create their own unique patterns. One of the highlights of our exploration was the creation of stained-glass effect Elmer artworks. We encourage you to continue the conversation at home by exploring patterns in everyday life with your child. Whether it is spotting patterns in nature, designing your own patterns, or simply discussing what makes each family member unique, every interaction helps reinforce the valuable lessons learned in the class.
We wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for your incredible support on the recent 100th Day of School celebration. It was a day filled with joy, excitement, and fantastic outfits. Seeing the children come dressed up in such creative and imaginative costumes truly made the day special. The effort and attention to detail that went into each costume were evident, and it made the celebration even more enjoyable for everyone involved. Once again, thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to many more joyful celebrations and collaborative moments throughout the school.
Last week in Nursery we explored the world of planets. We engaged in various activities linked to the book ‘Meet the Planets’. Through discussions and interactive reading, we talked about the characteristics of each planet, discussing their names, colours, and unique features. We were counting planets together as a class. During a literacy and creative activity, "If I could make my own planet," children designed their own unique planets using balloons, various colours of paint and they attempted to write the initial letters for their creations.
Recently, nursery children embarked on an exciting literary journey with the book "Whatever Next" by Jill Murphy. Pupils listened to the tale of Baby Bear's adventure to the moon. We encouraged them to express their thoughts and share what items they would choose to take on their own intergalactic journey, they also engaged in a role play, where they acted out key scenes from the book, afterwards, they created their own story maps. Our little astronauts had a blast making their own rockets during our craft sessions using various materials. During maths lessons children were learning about positions and size ordering.
We are excited to share with you the experience we recently had in our nursery class during our Religious Education lesson focused on the miraculous story of the Feeding of the 5000 (Mark 6:31-42). As we read the story, we created a hands-on experience for the children. We were aiming to get the children to understand that Jesus is God, performing miracles. Children engaged in many activities linked to the story, hands – on crafting, creating paper plate fish and bread using various craft materials, retelling the story using small toy figures, exploring sensory play – finding fish and bread, counting and feeding ocean animals.
We are thrilled to share the exciting highlights of Maths Week in our nursery class! Our little mathematicians have been immersed in a week full of engaging activities, fostering a love for numbers and problem-solving. Here is a brief recap of the week:
The Number of the Day: Each day we had a special number and arranged activities cantered around that number.
Number Hunt - our children were exploring the world of numerals hidden around the outdoor area and enthusiastically matching numbers on the number mat.
Civil Engineer - Build a Ramp for Toy Cars - our building civil engineers got creative as they constructed ramps for toy cars. Through hands-on exploration, they learned about slopes and gravity.
Roll and Draw an Alien - children rolled the dice to draw different parts of aliens. This activity, not only reinforced counting skills but also sparked creativity.
Song and Rhyme - we sang counting tunes together. Through music and movement, the children reinforced their counting skills in a fun and interactive way.
Take the Learning Home!
We invite you to continue the fun and learning at home by picking a number each day and doing a simple activity related to that number. Whether it's counting toys, arranging items, or exploring shapes, these activities help reinforce the concepts introduced during Maths Week.
Dear Parents/Cares! Thanks for creating beautiful rockets with your children! I wanted to take a moment to express my huge thanks for your involvement in making the recent homework assignment a truly special experience for your children. We are all amazed about the beautiful rockets that your children brought to class.
Welcome back Everyone and Happy New Year!
Dear Nursery Parents/Carers,
We hope you had a joyful and restful holiday season surrounded by loved ones. Welcome back to a brand new year filled with excitement, growth, and learning!
Our little ones are eager to embark on new adventures, explore, and continue their journey of discovery. We look forward to creating wonderful memories together.
As we kick off the year, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Let's make 2024 a year filled with laughter, learning, and shared milestones.
Wishing you all a fantastic start to the new year!
Warm regards,
Nursery Team
Warm welcome to the nursery children and their families!
My name is Mrs Szymczak and I am the class teacher of Nursery alongside Mrs Hopkins and Mrs Decruz. We are delighted to welcome all the children to school, to make learning a fun and enjoyable experience. We are very excited about the year ahead and are looking forward to seeing children thrive.
Please drop in weekly for updates on all the exciting activities and learning opportunities that children will engage with.
Christmas Baking. Nursery children have prepared delicious cupcakes, the sale of which has raised money to support a charity. Thank you for participating in this special event. All the money raised from the sale will support St Mungo's Homeless Charity.
The Nursery and Reception class children performed their Nativity show Baarmy Bethlehem, last Thursday. All the children did such a fantastic job and made their parents extremely proud.
This week nursey children enjoyed learning the nursery rhyme 5 little ducks. The children thoroughly enjoyed counting to 5 and were ambitious to count higher. Please ask them about the song at home.
Christmas Jumper Day - December the 7th
As we gear up for the holiday celebrations, we're excited to announce a special event that not only brings joy and warmth but also supports a great cause. This year, we are organising a Christmas Jumper Day at our school in partnership with the Save the Children charity. The event will take place on Thursday 7th December, and we would love for your child to participate in spreading holiday cheer while making a positive impact. The purpose of Christmas Jumper Day is to raise funds for Save the Children. In supporting Save the Children, we align with our school's Catholic ethos and uphold the principles of Catholic social teaching, particularly the emphasis on the "Option for the Poor."
We understand that these are challenging times for many families, and we want to emphasize that participation in Christmas Jumper Day is entirely voluntary. If you are unable to make a donation, please know that your child is still welcome to join in the festive spirit. For those who are able to make a donation, we suggest a contribution of £2.
Additionally, we want to encourage creativity and sustainability. Rather than purchasing new Christmas jumpers, we invite your child to get creative and decorate an old jumper with festive ornaments. This not only adds a personal touch to the event but also promotes the importance of reusing.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to celebrating the holiday season together.
We are getting ready for Christmas. As we read the book ‘The jolly Christmas postman’ children have started writing letters to Father Christmas. We set up a new role play area - Post Office, where children are enjoying playing and posting their letters.
This week nursery read the book ‘Birthday monsters.’ We engaged the children in a conversation about their birthdays, where they could share some of their experiences. We discussed the elements of a birthday party, such as decorations, cake, presents, and games. Afterwards pupil took part in many activities linked to the story, like wrapping presents, making monster birthday invitations, making party hats and counting and sticking candles on a birthday cake.
Happy Diwali! To celebrate Diwali, we organised the Diwali themed day in EYFS, we came to school dressed in colourful clothes, enjoyed making and eating chapatis. We also made Diya lamps out of clay.
We read the story "The Best Diwali Ever" and talked about the significance of Diwali and why it is celebrated by many people. Pupils made Happy Diwali cards and practised writing the initial letter of their names.
This week nursery children made poppies to help them to remember about the soldiers who had been injured or killed during many wars.
This week in the nursery we started a new topic ‘Let’s celebrate’. Children listened to the story ‘Sparks in the sky’ and thought about all of the sounds that characters could hear when they went to the Bonfire Night celebration. Pupils listened carefully to hear the initial phoneme of each sound effect. Afterwards they took part in many activities linked to the story, like building 2D Space Firework Rockets, mark making in glitter, writing sparkly initial letters of their names, making fireworks and retelling the story using small world setting.
African Drumming Workshop. We have been celebrating Black History Month and nursery children had a fantastic opportunity to play on the African drums, which they really enjoyed.
This week in nursery we continued celebrating all of our wonderful cultures and diversity during Black History Month by taking part in lots of different activities. We read the story of Handa’s Surprise by Eileen Browne. We had so much fun retelling the story, matching fruits to the animals, making patterns and using our senses to smell, describe and taste the exotic fruits. They were so yummy!
We had great fun in class celebrating the Spanish Day, children came dressed up in Spanish colours and took part in many fun activities related to the theme, for example: counting up to 10 in Spanish, creating Picasso style self – portraits, painting Spanish flags, dancing flamenco. Children also enjoyed authentic Spanish cuisine for lunch.
Celebrating Black History Month, nursery children learnt a Ghanaian folk song, ‘Che Che Koolay’. They enjoyed learning new words, singing all lines and performing actions to the beat.
Spanish Day - Thursday 12th October
Dear Parents/Carers,
On Thursday 12th October 2023 we will be holding a Spanish theme day at school. Pupils will not follow their normal timetable on this day but will instead take part in lots of engaging and fun activities relating to Spain.
We would like to encourage pupils to come into school dressed in the colours of Spain, or traditional Spanish clothing on this day.
We are looking forward to learning and having lots of fun on the day.
Black History Month – We set up a space theme in the small world area, as we began to talk about Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel into space.
Nursery children, with assistance from Year 6 pupils, had their first visit to our community church - Five Precious Wounds, where Father Tony gave them opportunity to walk around the church, having a scavenger hunt and looking at different features.
On the 4th of October nursery children made animal cookies to celebrate St. Francis, the patron of our class - saint of nature and animals.
This week we read the story ‘Croc and bird’. After the story, children talked about their own friends and painted their best friends portrait. They also took part in many activities linked to the story e.g. making 2D shape birds, matching 2D shapes, building nests, cutting feathers and mark making in birds seeds. They also worked in pairs to make a crocodile.
We have started learning about our new topic Family and Friends. We read the story ‘Who is in my family?’ and children were telling us all about their own families. Afterwards they drew their family members and created their own lollipop stick houses. Thank you for sending your family photos to support children’s learning.
This week in the nursery we have been learning all about the story ‘Owl babies’. The children have had a great time exploring the different activities set up for them. They created their own owls using a variety of different resources. We have also been making our own owls using playdough and paint.
Our first week in Nursery has been super fun and exciting. We have made lots of new friends, getting to know our new teachers and classroom setting.
