Unicorn Class Blog                    Term 1 Week 6               Week Commencing 7th October 2024

This week we have had a vets role play area, we have been taking it in turns to pretend to be the vet and to take our pets to the vets. We have been learning the names and the purposes of the different vets’ tools as we played. We listened to and discussed ‘Mog and the V.E.T’ by Judith Kerr and children have been discussing their own experiences of vets, either through taking their own pets to the vets, when their pet or a relatives pet has been taken to the vet or when the vet has come to their home. It was discussed how some animals like farm animals may have the vet come to visit them on the farm, if they are unwell or injured, as they may be too heavy to carry. The sand tray has been Digger land with some visits from some big stompy dinosaurs. The water tray has been used to catch fish and ducks some of which the children decided needed to go to the vets as they looked unwell or injured.

We have enjoyed learning about different roles of Farmers and tractors on farms, using the small world farm and sharing nonfiction and fiction books. The information book about tractors was very popular with children showing lots of curiosity with the questions being asked. Some of us made books about tractors, painted pictures and used the stencils to make farm pictures. We have been singing and learning signs for ‘Old MacDonald had a farm’. 

During Forest School we enjoyed using the swings and hammock, we made hedgehogs using autumn leaves and twigs. We found some long sticks that we enjoyed using to make big splashes in the tuff spot. We explored different routes we could find. We discovered a big apple from the apple tree that we were able to use to put in our crumble. We looked for blackberries but we discovered that most of them had gone and the ones that we did find we noticed had gone rotten. This week we also enjoyed making a café, we pretended the leaves and sticks were different foods and drinks.

We took it in turns to help make a big apple crumble that we shared during snack time. 

Outside we have enjoyed using the bikes, balls, climbing frame, using the large construction kit to make houses, police stations and police boats, playing Hide and Seek and making up chasing games.

In the hall we moved like different farm animals, played The Farmers in their Den with a version the children helped to make up, we had an obstacle course using the wooden benches, bar box and cones, we also played Duck, Duck, Goose!  

As part of our SCARF program we made a special scarf, we listened to a story about everyone being special and then each child had a piece of scarf to draw and an adult scribed why they are special, the pieces of scarf were all joined together to show that although they are special, the scarf brings them together in a community. 

During maths our main focus this week has been reacting to change of amounts in groups, developing fast recognition of objects without counting, we discussed what we could see and how we see it. We particularly enjoyed conker drop and the squirrel’s acorn PowerPoint.

During phonics we have been continuing with rhyming, alliteration, environmental sounds, rhythms and using Georgie’s Gym to do oral blending.

We have enjoyed using the play dough, paints, construction kits and home corner.

This week we have also been making surprise pictures for Zoe, to go on her birthday card, for her very special birthday from the whole class. Happy birthday Zoe!

Next week we will be continuing with our ‘All about me topic’, please can your child/children bring in a picture/pictures of their family or you send it to the Unicorn Class email address on unicornclass@nettlebed.oxon.sch.uk . We will also be having a focus around the story, ‘Pumpkin Soup’ which will include using the animal puppets and pretending to make pumpkin soup. We will also continue to use the vet’s role play area.

Hope you all are having a lovely weekend and looking forward to seeing you all this week for more exploring.

Best wishes

Mrs Fenwick