Researchers and Designers
Our interest in animals continues to grow, and we have been exploring real-life size and the scale of different animals.
The children have been busy studying books from our library and using iPads to look closely at animal features, finding creative ways to bring them to life.
Our St. Paul’s Promise “I connect with the wider world” not only supports children to be “out and about” in St. Paul’s or the city or Stoke Park Estate…
But supports children to use a range of resources, materials and ideas to connect with the widest of worlds!
To be explorers, designers, makers!
Take a look at our incredible, gigantic giraffe in the making!
We have been using metre sticks to carefully measure resources so we can make our giraffe life-size.
The children have been observing features closely and choosing different materials to represent them in our model—watch this space to see how it develops!
Did you know a giraffe’s legs can be up to 6 feet tall?
That’s taller than our very own Rhea!
Male giraffes can reach up to 20 feet—that’s even taller than Rhea standing on Ella’s shoulders!
We wonder… what could you measure at home to match the size of a giraffe?
Mark Makers!
Many children have also been showing a growing interest in mark making on both large and small scales.
We’ve been exploring a variety of ways to make marks, including paint sticks, markers, and even our fingers in the sand.
We have noticed some children beginning to create recognisable shapes and patterns, and even starting to form meaningful letters.
Our St. Paul’s Promise “I can use marks to communicate meaning” supports children to explore and experiment with lines, shapes, marks
As well as imitating adults writing and mark making
As well as attempting to write their own name
And make links between the sounds they here and the marks they make!
Children are beginning to think about the sounds in their names and noticing other words that start with the same sound.
Our core song, ‘Tom Farmer’, has supported this learning by helping us explore alliteration through fun and playful sound patterns.
Don’t forget to check out our website to see the adults in the room singing Tom Farmer!
We Are Engineers!
The children have been busy acting as designers and engineers, using blocks to create aeroplanes, cars, and homes.
They have been thinking carefully about how their structures should look, selecting different shapes and sizes while considering how to balance and position each piece so their creations stay standing.
Our St. Paul’s Curriculum – Expressive Arts and Design – supports children to express themselves using all sorts of materials and tools…
Be creative thinkers!
Develop skills to explore, design and make!
Take a look at their amazing work…
Watch Out! BEARS!
One of our core stories this term has been ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’.
We have been busy cooking porridge over the fire—salty like Daddy Bear’s, sweet like Mummy Bear’s, and plain like Baby Bear’s.
This has sparked lots of conversations about our favourite foods and those we don’t enjoy as much!
Throughout the term, we have explored the story in many different ways: using props and puppets, creating story maps, acting it out, and even innovating our own versions.
These experiences help us become confident readers, develop storytelling language, and build strong early literacy skills.
Our St. Paul’s Promise “I am an inspired and inspiring storyteller” supports children to love stories… the words and rhythm of books… the characters… the problems and resolutions… like “who ate all the porridge and broke the chair?”
Eid Mubarak
Some of our children and families celebrated Eid this month.
THANK YOU to everyone who joined us for our Eid celebrations.
The children enjoyed immersing themselves in Somali culture, as Hudda—our bilingual practitioner—shared how and why Eid is celebrated.
The children were excited to wear special clothing, including the kameez (traditional outfits worn by boys) and hijabs (headscarves worn by girls).
Some of our expert children demonstrated how to use a prayer mat and tasbih (prayer beads).
We then came together to enjoy traditional foods, including dates covered in chocolate and sprinkles, chapatis made by the children, and delicious samosas kindly brought in by families—thank you!
Many children shared how they celebrate Eid at home and the traditions that are important to them.
Our St. Paul’s Promise “I know my own uniqueness and embrace diversity” supports children to have a sense of belonging and explore different languages, cultures and communities.
We have been spending a lot of time together as a team reflecting on Equalities – particularly Race Equality.
We really want children and families to shape our provision, shape how we celebrate together – to invite personal histories, family stories about how you celebrate your culture, celebrate important events in your life, your family, your year.
Come and talk to us about you, your family, language, culture and history.
We are keen to learn more and journey together!
