Parents Newsletter - issue 58
Week commencing 9 June 2014
Class A have been really enjoying their topic on ‘In the Garden’. They have planted lots of lovely flowers and herbs; they even made a garden centre to work in. We really dig all the scooping and weeding. We also said goodbye to our student in May. We are now thinking about how Jack went up into the Beanstalk but here in Class A, he brings lots of noisy things down from the giant’s castle. This helps us to think about ‘Music, Sounds and Vibrations’. We are looking forward to our assembly on Friday where we can play with all the popcorn and balloons which Jack takes from the giant’s castle in the story.
Class B have enjoyed a story called the ’Musical Life of Gustav Mole’. In this story we got to listen to and play real instruments and make our own junk model instruments. During garden week we got to listen to Emily play her guitar. It was our favourite part of the week!
A short but busy half term! In our “Music and Sounds” topic Class Chave been exploring instruments and objects, listening to the sounds we can create on these. We loved the sound of the bass guitar and amplifier, the sound of dropping different objects on a drum – rice went everywhere but made a brilliant sound! We even made sounds with different kitchen utensils in cooking!
In our RE topic, “Special Books”,we explored the story of “Jonah and the Whale” -which is included in the special books of 3 faiths. We had fun waving the sails on our boat, shouting “land ahoy!” dropping stones in the “sea” listening to the splash, and exploring smelly fish and seaweed inside the” whale” in our dark area.
We made our own Special Books of recipes and rhymes in cooking. Each week we have listened to a funny rhyme related to the ingredients of the recipe. We make a wonderful mess using our hands to explore all the ingredients showing which we like or don’t like and helping to hold and use tools. Look out for our completed books at the end of term!
We have been getting musical in class D, learning about how lots of different sounds can come together to make the music we love. We shared some songs that we really like in assembly;you can listen to these on the display outside our classroom next time you are in. We also explored how sounds can be quiet, loud and cause very big, trembling, tickly vibrations by feeling how small beads move about on a musical vibrating surface. Don’t worry; we tidied it all up with our new Henry hoover!
This term our topic is Music Sound and Vibration. In Class E, we have listened to everyday sounds around us and enjoyed making different sounds as part of our Peace at Last story. In the sensory theatre, we experienced different styles of music including orchestral music, music through the ages and music from different countries. We have also been exploring feeling vibrations on different parts of our bodies.
Gardening week
Planning for the Garden week was enthusiastic, we were all excited as the weather forecast was good and we were looking forward to a brilliant time in the sunshine! As the week grew nearer, so the weather forecast became gloomier! Despite the unpredictable weather in the week we had a fantastic time!
We started the week with a Musical walk. We explored different areas of the school grounds to find different musical experiences the hand chimes and drums being very popular.
On Tuesday we had the opportunity to make different crafts for the garden –bird feeders, mobiles, bunting and decorating caterpillar outlines and also making foot print stones for the Sensory Garden.
It was gardening time on Wednesday, planting hanging baskets, vegetables, sowing seeds and making wonderful smelling herb /flower bouquets. We also had Emily playing her guitar to entertain us with garden songs!
Thursday was our Garden party, the weather forecast was bad but we managed half the afternoon outside before rushing in to the hall as the thunder and lightning started! However what a wonderful afternoon with performances from Holy Trinity, Alexandra and St Johns school Everyone was overwhelmed from the performance from Alexandra school, singing songs from Les Miserables and Pharrell Williams( we were all very happy!)
Garden games were planned for Friday and were all placed outside ready for action! However at 1.30 the heavens opened and all activities were moved inside. This was a shame as we were unable to use the super soakers and water bombs but we still had fun hooking duck, playing swing ball, feeling bubbles scoring goals in football.
What a brilliant week to work with other classes and have fun. Thank you Louise, Lynda and the theme team for their hard work organising this.
Before our great gardening week we had a fabulous Garden Dayon Saturday 17 May. The garden is beginning to look lovely again, thanks to all the staff, parents and volunteers that gave up their time to help us. We now have some newly painted benches and pergolas, tidy flower beds a cleaner looking playground and less weeds. A lovely picnic lunch was had by all and to finish the day as a thank you Carole provided us with a sumptuous cream tea. A beautiful garden is hard to maintain and anyone who has spare time to help us keep on top of it would be greatly appreciated. A big thank you too to all those who donated plants.
Thank you for your donations for our cake sale in aid of MacMillan – we raiseda great £82.02
Summer Playscheme
If you would like your child to attend the summer playscheme, please send back your form. If you need another form, please let the office know.
Parent Survey
If you have not yet completed this, please can you do so and send back to the school office. If you would like another copy, please ask the office.
Thursday 19 June
Parents Coffee Afternoon 1.30pm – 3pm – Tactile/Sensory Library
Come and join us for coffee and cake where Nick, our QTVI will be talking about the work of the new tactile/sensory lending library at Sunshine House. Please let the school office know if you will be attending.
Summer Fair Saturday 28 June from
12 Noon to 3pm
You will have received letters about this year’s Summer Fair. We still need bottles, unwanted and unused gifts, summer goodies for summer hampers and donations from local businesses for raffle prizes and Tombola stalls. We look forward to seeing as many of you, your family and friends on the day.
SportsDay Wednesday 9 July 10.15am
Come and join us for our traditional sports day full of fun and activities followed by a fabulous lunch prepared by Carole. Parents' afternoon will follow from 1.15pm onwards.
Sainsburys Active Kids vouchers has now finished
We have collected 6000+ vouchers to date. Please send in any vouchers you have lying around by Wednesday 11 June so we can order our much needed sports resources.