Monday ...... THE 1st OF MARCH!

 Hello Hedgehogs and a very warm welcome to March.

This is a very good opportunity to practise saying the months of the year. There's a song here if you like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5enDRrWyXaw

I hope you all managed to enjoy some sunshine this weekend. Here's a photo of Sam out in the sun:

Spring sunshine is a good source of happiness.

Don't forget Mr Small's session this afternoon at 2.30pm - the Zoom details went out on the original Parentmail about it. 

Now, on to our final week of learning at home:

Job 1: Head up!

Click on the image to go to the activity slides. 

Click here for the video

Click here for the (optional) writing frame (wide or narrower lines available)

Job 2: Phonics

Reception Phonics Lesson:

Click here to go to Phonics Play.

Year 1 Phonics Lesson:

Click here for the phoneme spotter story. 

Optional-but-good Job 3: Spring!

During your daily exercise today, see which of these signs of spring you can find.

Have a very good Monday Hedgehogs!

From Miss Nash :0)

Forest School Friday - 26th February

 Hello Hedgehogs,

It's good to be back. I hope you all had a nice, relaxing half term. I am delighted that we will all be back at school soon. I've started to notice more and more signs of spring. There are daffodils blooming in my garden and I have seen lots of snowdrops and crocuses around on my mine and Daphne's walks. I have also noticed blue skies and milder weather which felt delightful.

                                              ♫ Spring ♫

There have been some exciting developments since I was last in touch.

See our chickens before they hatch

I would like to introduce you to our feathery friends. They hatched on Sunday  21st February and will be joining us in school shortly after we return. Now is a good time to start thinking of names for chickens as we will need to name them. Please write your ideas down and send them to me

Meets the chicks at virtual forest school here

Please keep your eyes peeled for signs of spring. Keep and eye on the weather as well. If you remember, it was only a few weeks ago that it was freezing and we had snow. Think how the weather has changed and what you enjoy about certain types of weather. How does it make you feel? Share these ideas with your grown ups and listen to what weather conditions/seasons they like and why.  

A couple of other ideas:

Music with Mrs McKee:

Click here for a lesson

You will need the tortoise (here) and the instructions (here). 

Click here for a singalong video and here for the lyrics. 

The Smartest Giant in Town:

Click here for the story.

Click here for some yoga based on the story. 

Have a very good weekend Hedgehogs! 

   

                                  

Thursday 25th February

Happy Thursday to you, 

Happy Thursday to you,

Happy Thursday, dear Hedgehogs,

Happy Thursday to you.

Today we have...

Job 1: Whale

Click here for the video

Job 2: Maths

Reception Maths - something outdoorsy!

Year 1 Maths

Click here for Challenge 1

Job 3: Capital Letters

We haven't done much practice of capital letters!

Starting from A, please practice your capital letter formation. You don't have to do them all. It would be best to choose three or four letters to practice well, and then choose a few more another day.

Here is an optional formation booklet to help you. Choose a few pages to do for now, and then we will practice again another time.

Have a fabulous Thursday Hedgehogs :0)

From Miss Nash

Wednesday 24th February

 Good morning and happy Wednesday to you all.

I was very happy with the sunshine yesterday. Did you see it? It was around for a while... I even saw my shadow!

I hope you are all having a good week so far. 

Let's start with our Hedgehog Song!

And now..

Job 1: The Counting Sheep

Click here for the video.

Click here for the (optional) Reception writing template

Click here for the (optional) Year 1 writing template

Job 2: Phonics

Reception Phonics:

Click here for noughts and crosses.

Year 1 phonics:

Click here for the oa road game

Job 3: Number Writing

Please all practice writing your numbers correctly.

Reception children:

• Practise numbers 0 to 5. If you want another challenge...
• Practise numbers 6 to 9

Year 1 children:

• Practise writing your numbers to 20. Write them by yourselves first, then your parents can see which ones you need more practice with and you can practise those together!

Have a lovely day :0)

From Miss Nash

Tuesday 23rd February

 Happy Tuesday Hedgehogs!

I am very glad that we are going to see each other on Monday 8th March. It's been too long and I've missed you. 

So that we can see each other before then, I thought we'd do our storytelling as usual this week, on Friday.

Reception: 10.30am
Year 1: 11.00am

I'll send out Zoom details soon!

For today...

Job 1: Once in a Lifetime

Click here for the video.

Click here for the optional template (there is a narrow and a wide lined version)

Job 2: Maths

Reception Maths:

Click here for blank part-whole diagrams.

Click here for the dot cards and here for the related part whole diagrams

Year 1 Maths:

Click here for the pairs game
Click here for the grouping work sheets.

Job 3: Have a break!

Job 1 and Job 2 are quite long today, so I am not giving you a Job 3! As usual, please make sure you do some reading at some point today!

Goodbye, just for now,

From Miss Nash

Welcome back! Monday 22nd February

 Dear Hedgehogs,

Welcome back to the Hedgehog Blog. I hope you all had a good half term and managed to find ways to keep busy. I mainly spent time with Sam the pony and thought about ways to keep your learning at home going. 

Hopefully (hopefully, hopefully, hopefully) we will be back in school in a couple of weeks. I decided, because of this, not to start a new story yet. Instead, your learning each day will be:

• A video clip or a story, followed by a Super Sentence or another activity.
• A maths or phonics lesson 
• One more small job

Parents, please continue to send me work daily if possible, and on Tapestry if possible - but if either of those not possible, don't worry - emails are fine.  Let me know if you are unable to complete the work for whatever reason and I'll see what I can do to help.

Job 1: High Diving Giraffes

The video is here

Click here for the (optional) sports star template

Job 2: Phonics

Reception Phonics Lesson:

Click here for sounds splat. 

Year 1 Phonics Lesson:

Click here for the word search.

Job 3: Name Writing

Please practise writing your name. Reception children, choose the challenge that's right for you! Year 1 children please at least do challenges 1, 2 and 3. 

1. Write your name, making sure the letters are formed correctly including a capital letter at the star. 
2. If you want a trickier challenge, make sure your letters sit on the line.
3. If you want a trickier challenge than that, make sure your tall letters are tall (including the capital letter) and your small letters are small.
4. If you want an even trickier challenge, practise your surname too. 

Have a good Monday Hedgehogs and Hedgehog families,

from Miss Nash :0)

Friday 12th February

                                    "Chick chick chick chick chicken... lay a little egg for me"       

                                                     Fabulous  Friday 12th February                                                             

Hello Chickens (Hedgehogs),

(this picture reminds me of all of you at forest school)

A short virtual Forest School for you this week here

I am very pleased to inform you that we (as a school) have achieved our bronze certificate from the RSPB for the wild challenges you have been doing at home. As soon as we receive the certificate I shall put it on the blog. In the meantime, give yourselves a pat on the back. A big well done from me!  

Today is the last day before half term. I do hope you have had a good 'no pens week' and that you are looking forward to a bit of a rest from all the home learning that you have been doing so well.

Well done to those of you that embraced the elements last week and went out to do your forest school session. Some great tree measuring and comparing and also some great nest spotting. 

I went for a walk on Saturday and found plenty of nests high up in some tall oak trees. I also heard a very noisy woodpecker hammering on the tree trunk which was quite lovely. Up above me, two Red Kites circled and I also recognised the song of the great tit - here is a reminder of the great tit bird song.

Although it has been a bitterly cold week I have been thinking ahead to spring... I have been thinking about the pond and how lots of you enjoy pond dipping. I am hoping to make it even better for when you return to school such as adding plants that provide oxygen which will hopefully help us discover more pond insects. 

Of course, the other very exciting bit of recent news is the soon to arrive chicks. This is where your help comes in Hedgehogs - together we need to learn how to look after chickens. Please have a look at the link as you will find some helpful information on it. 

From Miss Swain and Daphne

Some other ideas for half term...

A Mrs McKee Music Lesson

A Mrs McKee Singalong

Chinese New Year Story

Chinese New Year Dance Activities

How to Make a Paper Lantern

Paper Chinese Dragon

Mindful Colouring

All About England and the Six Nations

Design a Rugby Shirt

Hedgehogs, and Hedgehog parents, you have done such a great job of learning at home over the past six weeks. 

It is not easy trying to do school at home, but you've done it! You all deserve a lovely restful week. 

Thank you for all your hard work and your enthusiasm, and for sending me some brilliant work that has made me smile!

Your next blog post will be on Monday 22nd February.

Until then, Hedgehogs, happy half terming,

From Miss Nash

No Pens Week: Thursday 11th February

 

Hello Hedgehogs,

Well, here it is - the final chapter of our story! You have been excellent marine biologists. Thank you for your brilliant work (and, parents, thank you very much for helping your children to step into the story and get involved!). It's been a lot of fun and you have learnt so much.

Our storytelling session tomorrow (Friday) will be:

10.30am Reception

11.00am Year 1

I will parent-mail the details as usual!

Job 1: The final chapter!

Job 2: Four jobs over four days
Choose one each day - you can choose the order you'd like to do them in.

Click here for the Bear Hunt story

Click here for the recipe

Click here for some under-the-sea yoga poses

Click here for the practice sequence

(Parents, pick and chose as you like from the below)

Clip 1

Clip 2

Clip 3

Clip 4

Whale Song *

* I don't recommend listening to all ten hours. 

Optional Job 3: Go Outdoors

Enjoy your day Hedgehogs,

From Miss Nash :0)

No Pens Week; Wednesday 10th February

 Hello Hedgehogs,

It's Wednesday - at the moment, it's easy to forget what day it is, so I thought I'd remind you! I've enjoyed the work you've sent me so far this week. There have been some interesting Marine Biologist meetings and some marvellous attempts at flag semaphore!

On this Wednesday, I give you...

Job 1: The penultimate chapter of our story.

Job 2: Four jobs over four days
Choose one each day - you can choose the order you'd like to do them in.

Click here for the Bear Hunt story

Click here for the recipe

Click here for some under-the-sea yoga poses

Click here for the practice sequence

(Parents, pick and chose as you like from the below)

Clip 1

Clip 2

Clip 3

Clip 4

Whale Song *

* I don't recommend listening to all ten hours. 

Optional Job 3: Go Outdoors

See you tomorrow, Hedgehogs :0)

From Miss Nash

No Pens Week: Tuesday 9th February

 

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tuesday.

How much snow did you get, Hedgehogs? Over here I had about.... 20 snowflakes. Just about enough to make a footprint. 

Here is No Pen Tuesday for you:

Job 1: Chapter 18 of our story

Job 2: Four jobs over four days
Choose one each day - you can choose the order you'd like to do them in.

Click here for the Bear Hunt story

Click here for the recipe

Click here for some under-the-sea yoga poses

Click here for the practice sequence

(Parents, pick and chose as you like from the below)

Clip 1

Clip 2

Clip 3

Clip 4

Whale Song *

* I don't recommend listening to all ten hours. 

Optional Job 3: Go Outdoors

Click here for 'That's Not My Puppy'

Click here for the template and examples.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

From Miss Nash

No Pens Week: Monday 8th February

Welcome to Week 6 and the final week of this half term.

Hedgehogs, you are doing a brilliant job of your learning. You've been putting a lot of effort in and trying your best. I've had so much good work sent to me - it makes me smile. 

This week, things will be similar, but different. We are going to complete a 'no pens' challenge. This means that a lot of your learning will be talking and thinking about how to explain your ideas. 

You can send me photos of you at work and your grown-up can tell me how you get on.

Each day there will be a chapter of our Mantle story.

In addition, each day choose one of the other jobs (below) to complete each day. I thought I'd put all four jobs up every day so that you can decide when you will complete which jobs. You could even do two of these jobs one day, and none of them the other day. Or all four jobs one day, if you really like. As long as all four Mantle chapters and all four other jobs are done at some point, it's fine!

I will also post an optional outdoor activity each day. 

In between times, please keep reading!

Job 1: Chapter 17 of our story.

Job 2: Four jobs over four days
Choose one each day - you can choose the order you'd like to do them in.

Click here for the Bear Hunt story

Click here for the recipe

Click here for some under-the-sea yoga poses

Click here for the practice sequence

(Parents, pick and chose as you like from the below)

Clip 1

Clip 2

Clip 3

Clip 4

Whale Song *

* I don't recommend listening to all ten hours. 

Optional Job 3: Go Outdoors

Have a good Monday, Hedgehogs!

From Miss Nash

Friday 5th February

HHello Happy Hedgehogs and Super Squirrels

Welcome of Forest School

How has your first week of February 2021 been?

Visit virtual forest school here

Thank you to those of you that completed the Big Bird Watch, I have submitted the results to the RSPB and together we have made even more progress towards our bronze certificate. We are over halfway now so well done! Let's see if we can complete enough challenges between us this week to achieve the bronze certificate.

Wild challenges to complete

As we have spent the last few weeks looking at and listening to birds I thought we could move on to looking at trees as these are so important to birds for many reasons. Can you think why? Not only do they provide food sources like nuts and berries but birds also like to build their nests in trees. February to August is the time of year that birds build their nests so you could start looking out on your walks to see if you can spot any birds' nests. If you do see any, please can you send me a picture? I shall be looking out on my walks and also at forest school to see if I can spot any. 

Did you know Squirrels and Hedgehogs... that squirrels actually build nests in trees? Squirrels' nests are called dreys and they look like this. They are typically built where tree branches form a fork (like a V shape)

One of my favourite activities to complete outdoors is measuring the age of a tree. Did you know you can tell how old a tree is by cutting it down and counting the number of rings on the trunk? However, as some of you know we do not want to be cutting trees down to measure them so below is another method that you can try:  

                                

You can get a rough estimate of the age of a tree without cutting it down and counting the rings. The circumference of a tree can be used to estimate its age, as roughly a tree will increase its girth by 2.5cm in a year. So, simply measure around the trunk of the tree (the circumference) at about 1m from the ground. Make sure you measure to the nearest centimetre. Then divide the circumference by 2.5 (you may need to use a calculator to do this or ask an adult to help) to give an age in years. A tree with a 50cm circumference will therefore be about 20 years old.

Each week we usually consider the weather for various reasons. We may consider what clothing we need to wear or how the weather has made changes to our environment. I found an activity which you can do at home to observe changes in weather. You will need to find a pine cone before you can begin so you may look out for one when you go out for a walk. Where might you find a pine cone?

                                          Pinecone weather gauge

A challenge for you squirrels (How to make a barometer). Hedgehogs, you are very welcome to try this one at home. It is a fun activity (adult support required).

I hope you have a super, duper weekend

Love from Miss Swain and Daphne

And a few other things....

A music lesson with Mrs McKee.

A singalong with Mrs McKee

and...

Click here to go the Chester Zoo Facebook page. 

Click here for the yoga video

Have a good Friday Hedgehogs!