Gong Xi Fa Cai!! It’s the Chinese Lunar New Year on Saturday, so this week we will be learning a bit about China – looking at where it is in Asia, learning about some customs & superstitions, and looking at some photos and objects from China. As it’s the Year of the Rooster the children in the full time classes will be making rooster puppets, while the part time class will be creating firework paintings! At the end of the week we will be putting on a shadow puppet show, using the time-honoured combination of a sheet and a torch!! We will also be doing more yoga this week.

Gong Xi Fa Cai (phonetically: gowng zee fah chai)

Gong Xi Fa Cai, Gong Xi Fa Cai,
Sing Happy New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Clean up the house, get out the broom,
Sweep out the old year, bring in the new.

Gong Xi Fa Cai, Gong Xi Fa Cai,
Sing Happy New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai!

The dragon dances, the lanterns light,
The firecrackers light up the night.

Gong Xi Fa Cai, Gong Xi Fa Cai,
Sing Happy New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai!

This week we will be learning all about winter weather, and exploring it in different ways. The children are really interested in observing and talking about the weather every day at circle time, so we will be developing a new way of recording it, in weather charts. We will be asking the children about the types of weather we have in winter time, and from that each class will create their own weather chart. We will also be discussing the type of clothes we wear in the winter time and doing some art activities with that.

Each week the curriculum in The Children’s House is informed by the interests of the children, as we ask them for their input all the time on the activities we are doing and what they would like to do next, and we record their answers; if they don’t volunteer information verbally, we can gather the subjects they’re interested in through our observations of their play and activities. If you have any ideas or suggestions of subjects that your child might like to explore further, please be sure to let us know as we highly value your input too – and we will be asking you to join us in activities as the year progresses!

The Mittens on my Hands (tune: Wheels on the Bus)

The mittens on my hand keep me warm,
Keep me warm, keep me warm,
The mittens on my hand keep me warm,
All winter long!

The hat on my head keeps me warm…
The scarf around my neck keeps me warm…
The boots on my feet keep me warm…

(Make up additional verses)

Welcome back everyone, and a very Happy New Year!! It’s great to be back in school after the long break, hope everybody had a really lovely Christmas! This week we will be talking about the new year 2017 and the new month January, as well as making some winter crafts, practising yoga & relaxation, doing the puppet theatre and some winter drama!

We would also like to welcome the new children who are starting this week in the last spaces in the 1pm & 9.30am classes, in addition to the children who are joining the school in our whole new part time afternoon class starting on Wednesday from 1.30 – 4.30; it’s all go in 2017 at The Children’s House!!

Tá Mé ag Súil

Tá mé ag súil, tá mé ag súil,             (I am walking, I am walking)
Hé hó mo Dhaideo,                            (Hey ho my Daddy-o)
Tá mé ag súil.                                     (I am walking)

Tá mé ag ithe/ag ól/ag snámh…      (I am eating/drinking/swimming)

The Children’s House will close for Christmas holidays on Wednesday 21st December, reopening Monday 9th January

Welcome to the last few days of 2016 at The Children’s House!! It’s hard to believe Christmas is almost here, the time has really flown since Hallowe’en, but that’s probably because we’ve been so busy having fun and learning loads! This week each class will be putting on a show with some songs and poems that we’ve learnt since September, and then on Wednesday we’ll be finishing with a party and a visit from a very special jolly person…have a wonderful break everyone and we look forward to seeing you all again in January!!

Monday: 9am class Christmas songs @ 11am

Tuesday: 9.30 am class Christmas songs @ 11.30am

Tuesday: 1pm class Christmas songs @ 2.30pm

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring, to you and your kin –
We wish you a merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!!

Well it’s the last full week of school at The Children’s House for 2016, and it’s going to be a busy one!! This week we will be making some Christmas angels from doilies, making winter playdough & then modelling snowmen from the playdough, and also using the musical instruments and doing drama with the puppet theatre, as well as practising our songs & poems for next week’s shows! Thanks so much to everyone who’s given in their €1, we’re making a donation on the children’s behalf to Barnardos Children’s Charity to support vulnerable children in Ireland this Christmas.

Father Christmas

Father Christmas, Father Christmas,
He got stuck, he got stuck…
Coming down the chimney, coming down the chimney –
What bad luck! What bad luck!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at The Children’s House!! We started last week by making imitation stained glass trees, and then made salt dough decorations, and to top it off a kind parent made us our own large Christmas tree from a pallet, which the children all helped to paint! This week we will be doing some Christmas cooking – delicious cinnamon banana bread muffins! – as well as doing yoga to help us remember how to relax at this busy and sometimes over-stimulating time of year, and finally making Christmas cards, and focussing on what we have to be thankful for at Christmas time. To this end, we are asking everyone if they can bring in €1, which we will put together to make a donation to Barnardos Children’s Charity to support vulnerable children in Ireland this Christmas.

Bualadh Bos (Jingle Bells in Irish)

Bualadh bos, bualadh bos,            (clap hands, clap hands)
Bualadh bos go léir,                        (everyone clap hands)
Tá San Nioclás ag teacht anois,    (Santa Claus is coming now)
Anuas an simléar;                             (down the chimney)
Bualadh bos, bualadh bos,            (clap hands, clap hands)
Bualadh bos go léir,                        (everyone clap hands)
Tá San Nioclás ag teacht anois,    (Santa Claus is coming now)
Anuas an simléar!                             (down the chimney!)

5 Little Christmas Trees

5 little Christmas trees were standing all alone,
Their hearts were very sad, cos they hadn’t found a home…
Then CHOP went the axe, and down fell a tree,
And off it went with a happy family!

4…3…2…1…No little Christmas trees were standing all alone,
Their hearts were very happy cos they all had found a home!!

What a wonderful week we had last week partaking in College Awareness Week; thank you so much to everyone who sent in photos and graduation certificates to show the children – we’re taking copies and adding them all to our timeline of lifelong learning!! This week we’re getting psyched up for Christmas…! It’s hard to believe that December is upon us this week, and Christmas will be here before we know it! So we’re starting to decorate the school this week, and talk about what the children would like to do for a Christmas show for their parents, as well as doing some Christmas crafts and making our own decorations – busy times ahead…..

I’m a Little Christmas Tree (tune of I’m a Little Teapot)

I’m a little Christmas tree tall and straight,
Here are my branches for you to decorate.
First you put the star on the very top –
Just be careful that the baubles don’t drop!

The Snowman

There was a little snowman who had a carrot nose,
Along came a rabbit, and what do you suppose?
That hungry little rabbit, looking for his lunch,
Ate the snowman’s carrot nose….
Nibble, nibble, crunch!!!

This week at The Children’s House we’re partaking in College Awareness Week as well as celebrating Thanksgiving – another busy week after all the excitement of Science Week last week!! For College Awareness Week, we’re aiming to develop the children’s understanding of their own learning, and to recognise that learning is limitless and lifelong. To illustrate this, we will be starting the week by asking the children what they would like to be when they grow up, and how they might achieve that. Then the staff will talk about what they wanted to be when they were a similar age, and how their journey of education has taken them on different paths. We will be bringing in photos of graduations and the certificates/diplomas/degrees/higher diplomas etc we have attained over the years, and also ask family members to send in theirs in order to relate all our learning to the children’s environments. In addition to this, we are asking if parents can give children photos of siblings/relations who have graduated from school/college/training to add to a timeline of education that we are making together as a group project which will visually illustrate the journey of education from preschool to third level settings, and the fact that it is a never ending journey!! We are very lucky to be having a visit from some representatives from Maynooth University on Thursday morning to present all the children with certificates of completion of College Awareness Week; it should be a lovely occasion.

As it is Thanksgiving on Thursday, we will be linking in to this by talking about all the things we have that we can be grateful for – family, homes, food, friends – and of course education!

Let’s Be Thankful

Let’s be thankful for this day,
For our friends and for our play.
Let’s be thankful, let’s be glad,
For the food and things we have.
Let’s give thanks for you and me,
And our home and family!