School and Nursery News February 2022
Peaslake School
Bright Lights, Big City
A new year and a new beginning. We were all hoping that school life would be back to normal in January and we’d have the freedom to plan and organise our term’s activities as we were once able to. Sadly, that hasn’t happened, and we are still constantly amending and changing our plans as we go along. This hasn’t stopped us planning though, we all need things to look forward to and it helps us think positively and be excited about the term ahead. Instead of visiting a big city (we really wanted to take the children up to London) we toured virtually. Thanks to our interactive smart boards, i-pads and the power of technology, the children were able to see all the sights London has to offer as if they were viewing from the top of the London Eye. As well as sight-seeing, they were able to witness the hustle and bustle of London streets, looking at all the different forms of transport compared to Peaslake! This inspired some young engineers to design and build their very own taxis.
We felt blessed by the January days of blue skies and brilliant sunshine to get out and play and go out and explore our Forest School. There is no better way to observe seasonal change than immersing yourself amongst the local woodland. Children have learnt how important it is to wrap up warm and to keep moving during the very cold mornings. Forest school activities and learning through play continue to form a very important part of our curriculum. With all the pressures on children to catch up on lost learning over the last year, being able to follow their interests and encourage creativity and imagination plays a vital role in keeping children’s motivation, confidence and self-esteem intact. It’s a lovely way to observe personalities emerge and see characteristics begin to shine through.
Sara Dangerfield
Peaslake Nursery
This half term we are exploring Under the Sea. The children have been making their own jelly-fish and exploring the texture of sand and sea-shells. Although it is freezing outside, we can pretend the sun is shining on us as we play with buckets and spades! The home corner has been turned into a submarine and the children have had all sorts of under-sea adventures while “travelling” in it.
We have also made the most of the outdoors and have revamped our Forest School area. The children love their weekly walks to and from the woods and are always pointing out interesting things along the way.
Vanessa Pollard
