This week in The Children’s House we are celebrating grandparents, and asking if any of the children’s grandparents would like to join us during the week and show us photos of when they were children, or read a story at circle time, or anything they like at all!! We will also be doing some art for Father’s Day, as well as doing the musical instruments and later in the week philosophising about change that is coming for next year – some children are moving to different classrooms within the Montessori, while some children are moving to different schools, so we will be discussing why change happens and how that makes us feel.

Also this week, we are learning some sign language!! We are using Lámh, which is a signing system used in Ireland by people with intellectual disability and communication needs, and one of the children is currently using this system so we thought we’d all learn it together! So we’re signing the song If You’re Happy and You Know It – by the end of the week your children should know how to sign ‘happy’, ‘sad’ or ‘angry’, so just ask them to teach you

If You’re Happy and You Know It

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands,
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands,
If you’re happy and you really want to show it –
If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands!

If you’re sad and you know it wipe your tears…
(sign for sad: pass hand down over face making sad face)

If you’re angry and you know it stamp your feet…
(sign for angry: draw index finger across forehead making angry face)

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands…
(sign for happy: 2 thumbs up)