Weekly Roundup 27 September 2024

It's week four, wet and windy! Our wellies have been put to good use this week and we've seen lots of interesting umbrellas. If your child doesn't have wellies in Pre-School, please do bring in a named pair as splashing in puddles is fun!

The learning has continued and the children have explored animal habitats and talked about their own homes. They looked at pictures of various environments including the ocean, a tree and a house and guessed who might live there. It was fascinating to observe and listen to the children make statements about who lived where. They discovered that animals and humans can often choose their homes, sometimes even sharing them with each other like cats and children!

Many of the photographs in this Round Up show wonderful examples of the children collaborating together and sharing ideas. Attending early years provision supports young children to develop the social skills needed to form meaningful relationships and friendships. In a nurturing environment, children learn how to share, communicate, and resolve conflicts, which encourages cooperation and empathy. These early experiences in interacting with peers help build a foundation for healthy relationships, teaching children the value of teamwork and emotional connection. Pre-School provides a safe space where children can explore different social roles, boosting their confidence in forming lasting friendships. 

For some children, making relationships can take time and the Key Person can support this by creating a tailored and inclusive environment that encourages communication and connection. They observe the child's preferred ways of interacting, through gestures, facial expressions or play and use these to facilitate meaningful interactions with peers. Additionally, the Key Person serves as a bridge between the child and their peers, helping to model social behaviours and facilitating positive peer interactions, ensuring the child feels included and supported in their social development. For anyone interested in reading more about children developing friendships in early years, click on the link to a Nursery World article about the subject - www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/features/eyfs-best-practice-all-about-children-s-friendships. 

You should all have received a letter about Harvest Festival with details of our support for the Chelmsford food bank. We are collecting both food and non-food donations as detailed in the correspondence sent out last week. Thank you to those who have already brought in item s and placed them in our collection box. The Bumbles children will have a visit from a representative of the Chelmsford food bank who will talk about how the donations support the lives of those in need. For more information about the charity visit https://chelmsford.foodbank.org.uk. 

You should also have been sent some information about the Pre-School photographer which has been arranged for the 9th of October. Your child will have their photograph taken on this day unless you contact us. For those children not in for that session, please contact Rachel or Carla to book a time slot if you would like your child to have their picture taken. There is no particular dress code but the pictures will have a Winter theme so you may prefer choose a winter themed outfit for the day. There is no obligation to buy any photographs but they often make lovely Christmas gifts for family!

We'll continue our theme of habitats next week and along with Harvest Festival, will be exploring and learning about Rosh Hashanah, the two-day celebration marking the start of the Jewish New Year.

Have a lovely weekend.