Welcome to the Skylarks Class!
Staff
Teacher: Fran Marshall
TAs: Jess Tupman, Joanne Ryan, Joanne Brice and Nic Meyers
Mid Day Leader: Rachel Platt
Newsletter
Earth, Wind and Fire
What another busy fun packed half term we have had here in the Skylarks! Spring has definitely sprung!
In our ‘I Wonder’ sessions this topic we have been exploring and experiencing colour through the Hindu festival of ‘Holi’. It taught us about light and colour and how it symbolises good overcoming evil. Each week we were immersed in a different colour where we could create our own colour and light effects through materials, sand, water and glitter! Towards the end of the half term we focused on Easter. We learnt about rebirth and new life as well as having some lovely chocolate treats through our own Easter egg hunt in class!
In our ‘Food Discovery’ sessions this half term we have been developing our chopping and cutting skills. We started to use playdough to get the hang of holding the knife and directing it so we could cut. Then, each week we began to chop different fruits and vegetables with different textures and density. It has really helped us to develop those fine motor skills as well as our co-ordination. From cutting and chopping a banana to a cucumber and carrot!
In our ‘Understanding the World’ sessions we started to create our very own mini Skylarks indoor garden! We used soil and different containers to plant our own seeds and bulbs. We learnt how to use the trowels and spades to part the soil to then carefully put the seeds in place. We then used watering cans and water sprays to make sure the seeds and bulbs had a good drink of water to encourage their growth. In one of our creative sessions in class we even decorated our own plant pots using paints and glitter. We hope we see our seeds start to sprout soon!
We have been very lucky this half term as we have had three big special days where we have developed our timetable to match the theme of the day! For ‘World Book Day’ we dressed up in our pyjamas and went off to Neverland to be the lost boys! We met Nanna, Tiger Lilly, Wendy and Tinker Bell! For the full day we immersed ourselves in story of Peter Pan and the bad pirate Captain Hook. A few weeks later we hopped on a plane over to France! We had a day listening to French music while experiencing the different foods. After tasting croissant and baguettes we used blue, white and red paint to create our very own French flags. Towards the end of the term we celebrated ‘Red Nose Day’. We had a day dressed in our favourite red clothes while exploring red themed foods and materials. Our favourite activity was decorating our own biscuits using icing, sprinkles and red marshmallow! Yum!
From us all here in the Skylarks nest we hope you have an ‘egg-citing’ Easter holiday full of chocolate fun!
Signalong
At Kingfisher we use Signalong as a part of a Total Communication Approach, we are constantly using core vocabulary with the children to support their language development and then through each of our topics we introduce new signs and language, which extends their vocabulary further. We also have two “Signs of the Week” which helps maintain and extend key knowledge and skills of everyday vocabulary.
Each half term we will be creating a short video showcasing and demonstrating signs relavent for the current term so that you can learn the signs and further this learning at home.
Click play to watch this half terms Signalong video!
Lunchtime
If your child has a school dinner, the school menus can be accessed by clicking here. For children who bring a packed lunch, please remember to provide healthy and balanced options. We are a Healthy School and will be focusing on healthy eating and how children can make healthy lifestyle choices.
How You Can Help at Home
The following activities are suggested as appropriate homework activities which you can enjoy with your child and reinforce the learning we are focussing on this half term –
- Read a story book with your child, if possible focus on stories that centre on different plants and flowers, Easter and colours.
- Encourage your child to taste, try and explore different foods and textures linked to Easter. Make pancakes! Can they choose a topping? Can they help to mix then flip? Explore different herbs and spices with your child. Keep your own fresh herbs such as mint and basil.
- Look at photos of friends and family. Do they recognise familiar people? Can they recognise themselves? Look at photographs, images or use a mirror. Do they respond to their own name?
- If possible take you child out into the community – go to a park or a garden centre to experiences different plants and flowers. Take your child for a walk in the countryside – what flowers, plants and trees can they spot?
- Encourage your child to help prepare meals. Can they help to wash up? Can they help to cut, chop and stir? Can they help to use different kitchen appliances from hand held mixer and whisk to a blender?
- Create your own little garden either outside or in the home using different plants, flowers and herbs. Can your child plant different seeds using soil? Can they water the plant?
- Play with you child – encourage interaction by using their favourite toys/games/TV shows. Can they accept you into their play? Can they take turns?
- Encourage your child to dress and undress themselves. Can they choose their own clothing?
- Using play, meal and snack times build on their communication skills. Can they make a choice between toys, foods and drinks?
- Encourage your child to brush their teeth. Can the put the tooth paste on their brush? Can they put the brush into their mouth?
- Encourage your child to wash and then dry their hands.
- Encourage your child to help to wipe down/clean surfaces in the home
- Encourage your child to help to tidy away. Do they know where things are kept?
- Practise the key Signalong signs.
If you and your child are learning from Home, please access any of the activities suggested here or on the Medium Term plan, but activity suggestions will be sent each week to help you via Seesaw.
