Our first activity of the week was to collect our groceries from the Old Hall. After listening to my instructions, the children were able to pick up the variety of items and place them inside the reusable shopping bags. The children learn many skills during their time with us and this supports their confidence. 

As part of our topic, we spoke about a variety of ways to support the planet. Once again, the parental support has been amazing!! The children showed many items of interest, such as solar lights, photos of wind turbines, animals and bird books. 

Another way to support the planet is to use a reusable cloth bag. I demonstrated this during carpet time and the children pointed to the cloth bag as the most environmentally friendly. 

A very helpful Eco Committee member came into class to collect our recycling bin. I showed the children that the blue bin (recycling) is for paper and card and the domestic bin is used for food waste, tissues and other items. To extend this activity, Miss Ruby and I took the children to the staff car park to visit the recycling bins. I pointed to the picture which was on the front of the bin and we spoke about all the recyclable items. Perhaps your child could help you with your waste at home and see if they can identify which bin it should go in. 

We watched a video on the CTouch to raise awareness of rubbish in our ocean. For example, I asked the children where they should put their rubbish when having a picnic on the beach. We were very happy to hear their reply as they told us they would put their rubbish in the bin. 

Carrying on with our theme, lots of fun was had exploring shredded paper from Mrs Tickers office. The Robins enjoyed scooping up the paper and then used it to hide their favourite Paw Patrol characters. 

 

As the weather was slightly milder, we made the most of the weather (including the rain) by spending two afternoons venturing around the school grounds in our all-in-one suits. The children had such great fun and myself and Miss Ruby enjoyed watching the children experience the great outdoors for themselves by having the freedom to roam and explore within the trees. Learning should be fun whilst also providing the children with real-life experiences. We therefore found as many puddles around the school grounds and jumped in them! The laughter was great to hear and some of the Robins made up their own song about puddles. The children then learnt to run and jump in the puddles as this created the biggest splash and splosh!

Mr McCarthy visited our class and read one of our favourite stories Angelica Sprocket’s Pockets by Quintin Blake. The children sat very well and they liked finding out about all the different items in Angelica Sprocket’s never-ending pockets. Mr McCarthy was very impressed with their good sitting and good listening skills and also their confidence.  

Our bird feeding station was very busy and it was lovely to see so many garden birds on our feeder. The seed mostly attracts robins (feathery kind), blue tits, dunnocks and wood pigeons. Whereas, the suet balls are preferred by great tits and magpies. 

It was lovely to see our Form 6 friends and some of the children read stories to our little ones. The older children are such fantastic role models and it is always great to see them around the school grounds during our adventures. In fact, a lot of the Main School children offer a helping hand when they are out playing and this is great for the Robins as they especially like a high-five!

This week’s cooking activities consisted of chocolate and beetroot cake which was very yummy and the beetroot added an extra sweetness without adding any extra sugar. Our next bake was lemon, blueberry and banana cake which again had a very low amount of sugar as it contained natural sugars from the fruit. Form 6 helped us to make bread rolls and they watched the children knead and pat the dough.

Chocolate compost (peat-free, of course) cakes with frosting were the children’s favourite bake of the week and they enjoyed a cheeky taste of the frosting. 

Never wasting any resources, I brought in some bubble wrap for the children to explore and this was certainly a fond favourite. Especially as they liked the popping sounds. 

The children have gained so much confidence during our sensory PE circuits and it is wonderful to see the progression in our new children. To further extend on their physical experiences, we used the parachute for more fun which also worked our gross motor skills. We all held the parachute and walked clockwise whilst one of the Robins remained in the middle. There were lots of giggles as the child in the middle spun around. There were lots of children wanting a turn but they were all very patient and waited their turn. This activity also promoted teamwork as the child in the middle would only spin round if we all worked together. 

 

We ended the week with a lovely play in the Long Garden and the children enjoyed using the new rustic seating area. 

Next week’s topic is Aesop’s Fables and we will also continue to explore nature by carrying out some more birdwatch tasks. We encourage children to bring in something from home (just not too big please). This can be related to our weekly topic or anything else they would like to share or celebrate with us. The children enjoy sharing their objects from home during carpet time and it is a fantastic way to build effective communication and listening skills. Have a lovely (hopefully dry) weekend.