6th – 10th September

A huuuuuuge welcome back to the classes of 2021/22!! We’re so happy to be back with you all, & are settling into the weekly routine already! Last week we focused on introducing the children to their teachers, each other, & their preschool environment – we did activities like carrying a chair, washing our hands & making the classroom rules, as well as just getting used to the daily routine in the classroom. This week, we are talking about our families, & linking them to school by putting the family photos up on the family tree on the wall. The children will also be asked to think about how they are all different from each other, & doing self-portraits of themselves!!

Circle Time Song

Hello everyone and how are you today?
We’ve come to our circle time to sing and laugh and play!
And when we’re up we’re up, and when we’re down we’re down,
And when we’re only halfway up we’re neither up nor down.
So roll your hands so slowly, and roll your hands so fast –
Give your hands a clap clap clap,
And place them on your lap lap lap!

Families

Some families are big                    (arms out wide)
Some families are small                (arms in close)
But I love my family                       (point at self)
Best of all!!                                       (throw arms up in air!)

Barnardos Big Toddle Fundraiser!!

We are SO delighted that our Big Toddle held on Friday 25th June raised the fantastic amount of €924.70 for Barnardos Ireland!!!

Thank you all for your wonderful generosity, this will really make a difference to some children & their families who are in vulnerable circumstances – it was the perfect way to end our school year ❤️

barnados-logo

thank-you-for-your-kindness-quote-earhart

30th June 2021

Well it’s the last day of the most disjointed school year ever and we just can’t believe how fast this last term gone by!!! We’ve had such a wonderful time with your fantastic children – thank you all so much firstly for entrusting us with your children, it’s been a real privilege to facilitate them in their learning, and secondly thank you for all your support you’ve given in that learning and to us in the school!✨✨ It’s not an easy thing to say goodbye to all the little people who are moving on to ‘big’ school after spending part of this last year or 2 getting to know them and being part of their wonderful journey of growth & learning, but they’re ready for that step, and it’s an exciting time for them and for us all! If you don’t have a child returning in the near future, we hope that you & your child will continue to visit any time – and we’ve often had secondary school students on work experience who were ex-pupils of the Montessori, so there’s no excuses – we can always find a space for your children!! Have a wonderful summer, & see you all soon in the future again❤️❤️

The Children’s House will be closing on Wednesday 30th June for summer holidays,

re-opening Wednesday 1st September

– have a wonderful summer everyone, and thanks for another amazing year!!

21st – 24th June

It’s hard to believe it’s the last full week of our school year!!! We’re going to have fun-filled week as it’s Sports Week ⛹️⚽️ The children will be playing musical statues, making obstacle courses, doing mindfulness & all sorts of different activities before our big day on Friday, when we have our Big Toddle for Barnardos down at the GAA pitch (weather permitting ) & also our Sports Day – we’ll have hurdles, agility ladders, sack races, bean bag throwing….you name it!!
We will also be making Worry Dolls, which is a tradition that we do every year with the children; these are a traditional Guatemalan peg doll that the children can confide their worries in and the dolls are meant to take the worries away. We always reiterate to the children that they should always tell their parents/guardians/teachers about their worries, but if for instance they are awake in the middle of the night and need a bit of comfort, the worry dolls are a lovely support ❤️❤️

14th – 18th June

Good morning everyone!! Welcome to another week at the Children’s House. This is a very special week as we will be celebrating the special men in our lives – dads, grandads, uncles, friends etc. The children will be making cards and baking Rice Krispie buns to treat those special men in their lives❤️❤️ We are also holding our annual Pyjama day on Wednesday the 16th, we will all be in our favorite PJs and drinking hot chocolate!!
 
Song of the week:
This is the way we take a bath, take a bath, take a bath,
This is the way we take a bath, we do it every evening!
This is the way we put on our pyjamas, put on our pyjamas,
put on our pyjamas,
This is the way we put on our pyjamas
We do it every evening!
This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth,
This is the way we brush our teeth, we do it every evening!
This is the way we read our book, read our book, read our book,
This is the way we read our book, we read it every evening!

8th – 11th June

Hello everyone, we hope you all had a wonderful bank holiday weekend!! This week the children will be continuing with their ‘All About Me’ books where they will talk about their favourite instruments, songs, play their favourite instruments and listen to their favourite songs. They will discuss and do activities around what they want to be when they grow up, & the best thing about them. We will be having a teddy bears picnic on Friday so favourite teddy bears are welcome ☀❤️
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,

knees and toes

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes
And eyes and ears and mouth
and nose
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes!

31st May – 4th June

Hello everyone, welcome to another exciting week, we hope you had a wonderful weekend in the beautiful sunshine!! ☀️☀️☀️ This week the children will be working on their all about me books – they will find out how tall they are using the large number rods, they will have the opportunity to choose their favorite continent & animal and draw it, they will discuss why they love their family❤️, who their friends are, and what they like to do with them. Then there will be the opportunity for the children to get messy while painting their hands and feet to make handprints and footprints! With the aid of emotions cards, the children will talk about what makes them happy and sad, and of course there will be lots of picnics & outdoor time in the sunshine!!
All of Me
My hands are for clapping,
My arms can hug tight,
My fingers can snap or turn out the light.
My legs are for jumping,
My eyes help me see,
This is my body –
and I love all of me!

24th – 28th May

Welcome to the final leg of our journey around the globe. This week the children are off to the warmer climes of Australia where they will explore different animals , discuss why kangaroos have pouches & experience kangaroo baby pouches using a baby wrap, and doll. They will learn about its geographical location using the globe and map & some fun facts about Australia’s Indigenous arts and culture and create their own boomerang. There will also be a water cycle science experiment ☔️
Follow the Animals
The emu runs
The kangaroo jumps
Koalas climb the trees.
The crocodile snaps
The platypus swims
The kookaburra laughs at me.
We are on our way to Uluru
In the Aussie outback
We will be there soon
Jumping, swimming, climbing the tree
Follow the animals 1,2,3
Follow the animals 1,2,3!

17th – 21st May

Welcome to another exciting week at The Children’s House! This week as part of our continents project the children are off to Antarctica – the coldest continent on Earth – where they will study its geographic location using a globe and map
They will explore the landmarks and animals that inhabit this icy continent such as penguins The children will also learn about the Life cycle of the emperor penguin & learn the CBeebies Antarctica dance! There will be colouring, cutting and gluing art activities ️❄️

I’m a Little Penguin (Tune of I’m a Little Teapot)

I’m a little penguin,
Black and white.
I waddle to the left,
And I waddle to the right.
When I’m feeling hungry,
Splash and splish,
I jump in the water,
And catch a fish!

 

10th – 14th May

Hi everyone, we have a very exciting week ahead with our globetrotting project! This week the children will be learning about Africa, where they will explore some of the animals that live in the African plains on their sandbox Safari. They will explore landmarks such as Table Mountain, the Nile River, Timbuktu, the Great Pyramid of Giza, Mount Kilamanjaro & the Avenue of Baobabs. There will be the opportunity to listen to some African safari music and some wonderful stories such as ‘Mouse Tales – Tutankamouse’.
The children will also design and create colourful African necklaces using mixed media. Feel free to send in pictures, artefacts, or information if you or anyone you know has been there.
The Seven Continents Poem
North America, South America joined in the west,
Europe and Asia meet together,
And on Africa, they rest.
Australia stands alone, floating down below,
And Antarctica is the loneliest, where no one wants to go!