10th-14th October

This week we will be continuing with the topic of Autumn and planting bulbs, as well as focussing on our emotions for the week. Sometimes young children can find it hard to express how they are feeling, and naming and discussing those feelings, and how it is appropriate to deal with them, can be very helpful to them. For this reason, we will firstly be looking at different emotions (e.g. happy, sad, angry, lonely, loved, jealous) and talking about what we do when we feel like that. We will be focussing on relaxation techniques like yoga, and deep breathing, and expression of emotions through using puppets.

Later in the week the children will do self-portraits, as well as making a worry box that we can put our worries into and mentally let go of – some children are more anxious than others, and making an abstract thought into something concrete is very beneficial – these worries can then later be torn up as they are dealt with, which is very satisfying! And at the end of the week we will plant daffodil and crocus bulbs; gardening is a very relaxing and grounding activity that children really love to take part in.

Note: We have been holding observation days in the classes at the moment, where family members  are invited to come in and observe the children at their work, to give an understanding of what they are  doing while at school (as we hear that some children are less communicative at home about what exactly they do than others!) Following this we will be scheduling parent teacher meetings, which is a great opportunity to meet up and review the observations, to discuss any questions there may be, and to have a chat about your children’s progression throughout the year in general and how you can be involved in that as much as possible. We value your input and will be inviting you to come in throughout the school year, whether to observe in the classroom, join in activities, or demonstrate/talk to the children about your own specialised skills! Also, please remember that if you ever have any issues or concerns, we are always here to talk to.

If You’re Happy & You Know It

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

If you’re sad & you know it wipe your tears…
If you’re angry & you know it stamp your feet…
If you’re tired & you know it rest your head…
If you’re happy & you know it shout hooray!!…

3rd – 7th October

Happy October everyone!! To celebrate the new month, we are going to be studying harvest time this week – the types of grain that are harvested, how the grain is ground down to make flour (we will be using a pestle and mortar to illustrate this), and the products that are then made from the flour: and yes, we will be making bread towards the end of the week!

Months of the Year Song

January, February, March and April,
May June, July and August,
September, October, November and December,
Now I know the months of the year!

26th – 30th September

The last week of September is here already!! This week we will be focussing on the Nature table – going on a nature walk to the GAA field to collect objects for our nature table, examining the type of objects we find using our magnifying glasses, and making art with them a la Jackson Pollock! Last week we did a lovely experiment about the equinox and changing seasons using a torch and the globe, and this week we will be continuing to learn about the passage of time and the sequence of days in the week.

In other exciting news, Thursday is Pet Visit Day!!!! We are inviting children to bring their pets into school for a visit – last year we had the very first Pet Visit day and it was such a fantastic experience – but if children don’t have live animals, teddies will do just as well :)

 

Days of the Week (tune of My Darling Clementine)

There are 7 days, there are 7 days,
There are 7 days in the week –
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

19th – 23rd September

Following a great week last week doing all things appley, this week at The Children’s House we will be focussing on our families! We are asking all children to bring in a family photo that they can put up on the wall as part of their family trees – we will be physically linking these photos to their birthday balloons so they can literally see the link from where they are coming from as part of a family, to developing their own individual selves. We will be discussing what makes each of our families so special and different, as part of the process of getting the children to see themselves as unique individuals in their own community.

We will also be talking about the change in weather as Autumn keeps moving in – the longer nights, shorter days, and chillier weather – and how we adapt to this by wearing different clothes (time to put away the tshirts and shorts!!) This week will also see us carrying out our first fire drill, as fire safety is very important and we practise it every month, so be prepared for lots of questions about smoke alarms etc!

Families (Poem)

Some families are big,                    (spread arms out wide)
Some families are small,                (bring arms close together)
But I love my family,                       (point to self)
Best of all!!                                       (throw hands up in air)

12th – 16th September

This week will be all about apples at The Children’s House!! It’s that time of year, so we’ll be using them for apple printing (examining the insides first and observing the seeds and the difference in shape and pattern between cutting lengthwise and widthwise), for making stewed apple later in the week, and of course for eating at snack time!

As well as this we’ll be putting together our friendship blankets, using the pictures that each child has created; we’ll be philosophising about why we have rules before making our own classroom rules that everyone will have a say in; we’ll be keeping an eye on the weather with our new weather song; we’ll be practising gross motor movement by walking on the line and balancing beanbags on our heads; finally, we’ll be having our first yoga session!!

What’s the Weather? (tune of My Darling Clementine)

What’s the weather, what’s the weather,
What’s the weather everyone?
Is it cloudy? Is it rainy?
Is there rain or is there sun?

5th – 9th September

The first full week of Montessori is here!! This week we’ll be learning & practising a lot of practical skills needed in the classroom, such as carrying chairs, rolling mats, saying please and thank you, and using a quiet voice indoors – we’ll also be using drums and shakers to explore the difference between loud and soft sounds.

As well as this, we’ll be making birthday calendars, starting a friendship craft, and doing lots of indoor and outdoor activities – sand and water play, imaginary play, and music and movement – it’s going to be a busy and fun week!!

Rolaí Polaí (Irish rhyme)

Rolaí polaí suas, suas, suas,                    (roll arms and raise them up)
Rolaí polaí síos, síos, síos,                       (roll arms and lower them down)
Rolaí polaí amach, amach, amach,        (roll arms and stretch them out)
Rolaí polaí isteach, isteach, isteach!      (roll arms and bring them in, hugging yourself)

1st – 2nd September

Welcome back everyone!! The first 2 days of school were all about getting to know each other as a class, and getting to know our school environment. The children are all settling in well and getting used to the new routine – playing outdoors, circle time, snack time, Montessori & group activities, then circle time again before going home. Really looking forward to our first full week together!!

Hello Neighbour (chant)

Hello neighbour                             (wave)
What do you say?                           (raise hands)
It’s going to be a beautiful day    (make large circle with hands in front)
So clap your hands                        (clap hands)
And stamp your feet                     (stamp feet)
Jump up and down                       (jump)
And have a seat                              (sit down)

Back to School!!

We are so excited to be starting back to school this Thursday, 1st September –

classes will be resuming at 9am, 9.30am and 1pm – we can’t wait to see you there!!!

OPEN DAY!!!

We will be holding our open day on Tuesday 30th August, from 10am – 12pm, & 7 – 8pm

All welcome to come in, view the school with your children, meet the teachers….

Looking forward to the start of another fantastic year at The Children’s House!!