Unicorn Class Blog                     Term 4 Week 2                         Week Commencing 26th February 2024

This week we have enjoyed another week of exploring, creating, learning and having a go.

We shared the story ‘Rosie’s Walk’ by Pat Hutchins. We were very interested in listening to the story, looking at the pictures, and discussing what Rosie and the fox were doing on Rosie’s walking journey. We discussed and used positional language such as going around the pond, going through the gap in the fence, jumping into the wagon and going under the beehives to explain what Rosie and the Fox were doing. We have had lots of opportunities to experience travelling in different ways such as under, over, in, around and through like Rosie and the hen. We have enjoyed using different mediums such as paints, pencils, oil pastels, felt tips, crayons, straw and feathers to create art for a display of Rosie’s walk.

All children in the Unicorn class have taken part in at least one fun and challenging obstacle course this week to raise money for the Sobell House Hospice. The children who were in school on Friday enjoyed taking part in the obstacle course set up by the School council which included dribbling balls through cones, going under parachutes, stepping on floor ladders, balancing a tennis ball on a spoon whilst talking, travelling over benches, holding onto a rope and moving along it whilst closing eyes and travelling through bubbles. As some children were not due to be in school on Friday, another fun and challenging obstacle course was set up by Autumn, Alfie, Dudley and Eloise for the Unicorn class on Tuesday.

We have enjoyed making and exploring gloop. We talked about the changes we noticed and used a range of vocabulary to describe it such as smooth, dry, powdery, sticky, slippery, runny, dripping, gloopy, warm and wet. We mixed food colouring with it to make new colours, enjoyed pretending we were cooking, collecting the gloop using a spoon, pipette and our hands, pushing vehicles through it, and pouring the gloop. 

We have been using our fine motor skills to carefully thread colourful shaped beads, use scissors, use watercolours to create our own paintings, add body parts and accessories to potato heads and draw and write on the small white boards.

This week we have continued to discuss people who help us and keep us safe. We shared a book about different feelings, took turns to talk about our feelings and the importance of discussing our feelings with our trusted adults. We also shared ‘Emergency!’ by Margaret Mayo and Alex Ayliffe and noticed lots of people such as Firefighters, Doctors, Nurses, Police who help to keep us safe in a range of emergencies.

We have continued to enjoy spotting rhyming words and alliteration in stories, making up rhyming strings and this week we have focused on the letter sounds ‘m’ and ‘d’. We have been continuing with oral blending and segmenting.

During maths this week we have had a focus on experiencing and understanding positional language. We have also continued to experience having lots of opportunities to count making sure we say one number for each item in order which we have continued to use during our continuous provision.

Our home corner has also been a doctor’s surgery and cafe this week. Children have been busy taking orders, preparing different meals and drinks, helping babies, children and adults to get better.

We have continued to enjoy a range of books and songs. We loved learning the words and actions to the new song, ‘I had a little turtle’. Some of us drew beautiful pictures of a turtle in a bathtub. 

The cars, trucks and other vehicles have continued to be popular this week and the use of construction kits such as Mobilo and Lego to make vehicles and buildings. 

Outside we have enjoyed using the climbing equipment, riding bikes and scooters, blowing and popping bubbles, making meals using the mud kitchen, exploring rain and puddles. We had a toad visitor in our playground which we were interested in and wanted to get a closer look. We talked quietly because we did not want to frighten it. 

During Forest school this week we were very excited because we saw frogs, toads, frog’s spawn and some of us spotted a small lizard-like creature called a newt jump into the pond and swim away. We also enjoyed using the swings, hammock, creating pictures, playing hide and seek, climbing trees and logs.

Next week we will be continuing with our ‘Travel and Journeys’ topic with a focus on Air transport. If your child/children have a book they would like to bring into share about journeys they are welcome too. 

On Thursday it is World Book day your child/children can come dressed up as a character from stories and bring in an accompanying book. We also have a local visiting author Rob Jones who is an award-winning author who will be sharing some of his books including his first board book, Where’s Brian’s bottom? Which was the first in his series of very long fold out books. There will also be an opportunity to buy some of his books and for him to sign them.

 Look forward to seeing you all next week for more exploring.

Best wishes

Mrs Fenwick