Angry ducks and forty-one legs

Miss Kind was issued with some sound advice this morning, as she was busy at the sink trying to release several paint brushes from a pot of hardened PVA glue.

"You mustn't leave the taps on." Warned the little learner. "Or else the ducks won't have any water!"

Miss Kind found herself turning off the taps immediately and leaving the firmly set paint brushes to soak in some warm soapy water. 

It is all things "Little Red Riding Hood" this week.

• Discussing the characters and the setting of the story
• Retelling and re enacting the story
• Puppet making
• Map making (the route to Grandma's house)
• Counting the items in Little Red Riding Hood's basket

Later in the week the Sunnysiders will be welcoming another visitor from their community to come and talk to them about keeping safe. This time it will be a representative from the Whippy Cove Police Station.

So, it is shaping up to be yet another very busy week in the Reception Class at Sunnyside School. 

This afternoon the little learners disappeared off to the hall to join the year one little learners for a story (on the big screen) from India.

Mrs Crayon stayed behind to tackle the rock hard paint brushes and it has to be said that she made sure that the running of the taps was kept to an absolute minimum.  When everyone came back, Mrs Crayon asked one of the little learners what the story was about.

"It was about a man with ten heads, twenty arms and forty-one legs!" Declared the little learner.  That brought a smile to Mrs Crayons face after the arduous task of cleaning the gunged up paint brushes!

"Oh! For goodness sake, who left the taps on?"

  

Lollipops and Zebras

Sunnyside school welcomed a visitor this afternoon in the shape of Elvis, the local lollipop man.
In addition to the traditional tales theme currently running, the little learners are also looking at people who help them within their community. The team invited Elvis to come in to talk to the little learners about road safety.

He arrived in his full lollipop attire and brought his roll out zebra crossing with him so that the little learners could practice walking across the road in a safe and sensible fashion. He also brought a spare uniform for the little learners to wear when they took a turn at being a lollipop person.

To illustrate the dangers of a fast and busy road like the one close to Sunnyside School, Elvis showed the little learners a series of picture cards of  different kinds of vehicles. He asked the little learners to name each vehicle and then make the sound that particular vehicle made. So for example, when he showed them a car, he wanted the little learners to go "vroom! vroom!" Similarly with a police car, "nee nar! nee nar!"  However the little learners were on a completely different wave length to Elvis at that moment, and chorused the initial phonic sound for each of the vehicles instead. The team were very impressed!

Just before Elvis left to go and stand at the real zebra crossing, Mrs Very Jolly asked. "Does anyone have a question for Elvis?" 
It is always at this point that the grown ups hold their breath for what might come next, so when a little hand shot up immediately, Mrs Very Jolly tentatively asked. "Do you have a question for Elvis, poppet?" 
"Yes." replied the little learner. The little learner turned to Elvis and at the top of his voice he shouted. "Do you know what a post office is?"

Well, this particular little learner certainly did, (as his learnt all about it yesterday) he just wanted to check that Elvis did too.

 

"Mind the, c,c,car and the b,b,bus!"

Billy goats and chirpy ogres

It was a cold and frosty morning in Whippy Cove. The little learners arrived at Sunnyside School (after their half  term break) suited and booted for the sudden drop in temperature. This will now mean a daily hunt for hats, scarves and gloves before the little learners go home, because just as there are meddling P.E. fairies, there are twice as many accessory fairies up to tricks and causing all sorts of mix ups.   

The topic for the next couple of weeks is traditional tales. It's a topic that leads nicely into Christmas and it's absorbing enough to keep the glitter at bay for just that little bit longer. Once the glitter comes out for the Christmas activities there is no turning back!!! 

Anyway, the traditional tale for the next day or two is, "The Three Billy Goats Gruff."  Mrs Very Jolly introduced the little learners to the story this morning and she asked if anyone could tell her what a troll is. "It's an ogre." said one little learner. "What's an ogre?" asked Mrs Very Jolly to the same little learner. "Well." said the little learner. "They live under bridges, and when you walk over them, they just pop up!!! How lovely.

 Mrs Caring worked with a group of little learners re-enacting the billy goat story. The activity was so popular that eventually as more and more little learners joined in, it became the lesser known traditional story of ... "The Twenty Five Billy Goats Gruff!"  It was a very long story, but it was a delight to see so many potential thespians in the offing.

The team can't wait for the little learners' forth coming production of, "Little Red Riding Hood." They have the feeling she could be eaten by a pack of wolves!!!

"Morning!"

Wings and springs

Over the years, the team at Sunnyside have had many conversations with little learners about what they'd like to be when they grow up. For the little girls, becoming a princess has traditionally been a very popular option and for the boys, a footballer. In all the conversations that Mrs Crayon has personally had with little learners on this subject, not one of them said they'd like to be an inventor. Mrs Crayon would love to know therefore, whether Daring Dan Recycle Man ever had aspirations to become an inventor when he was a little learner, and whether he shared his ambitions with his teachers. What ever the answer is, Mrs Crayon has got all inspired about the idea of a little character who possesses a very inquiring mind and the ability to make stuff!
So, following several hikes on the downs of Appleville with her dog, Mrs Crayon has come up with this next offering.

He's small, he's feisty and he's not afraid of heights!

Daring Dan is desperate to fly. He may not have wings, but he has a cunning plan, a kite, several balloons and a whole lot of determination. All he needs now is a suitable launch pad and he's ready to take flight. It's that simple! Or is it? Lets hope the little lad has taken into account that, what goes up can sometimes come crashing down with a painful thump!

A

Bare feet! Bear feet!

 Mrs Crayon has made an observation. Little learners like to remove their shoes and go about in their sock feet, or even their bare feet (if they can get away with it) at every opportunity. Whilst this is fine and jim dandy at home, it is a definite no no in a busy reception environment, where a seemingly innocuous piece of Lego can stab a little learner in the foot bringing them to their knees in searing pain in a trice. Therefore the golden rule is, shoes on at all times in school, with the only exception being a P.E.session in the hall where the floor surface is safe and free of troublesome pieces of construction. It is this observation coupled with an unremarkable comment from a little learner one day, whilst she was changing into her P.E. kit, that inspired Mrs Crayon to pen the following verse. The little learner in question asked Mrs Crayon if she needed to wear her plimsolls for P.E. " No not today, you're doing P.E. in your bare feet." Mrs Crayon told her. The little learner stared intently at her bare feet for a minute or two, then she turned to Mrs Crayon and said. " My Mummy calls them my bare feet."  It suddenly struck Mrs Crayon that it was possible the little learner had a different kind of bare feet in her mind when she made the comment. So that evening whilst walking her dog on the downs of Appleville, Mrs Crayon wrote....

Bare Feet

I don't like shoes and I don't like socks,

Laces are a pain and so are flip flops.

Tights won't stay up and plimsolls don't stay on,

I don't mind trainers, but I've only got one.

Wellies flop about and they hurt my toes,

Where my slippers are nobody knows.

I long to run about in my feet all bare,

But the grown ups frown at me and say. "Don't you dare!" 

I love my...

 ...Bare feet, bare feet, I don't have a care feet.

Stop and stare feet, don't you dare feet.

Out in the fresh air, in my feet all bare. 

That's where I want to be, barefoot and fancy free!

Sandals are okay every now and again,

but when I've got them on I still complain.

The only time I feel complete,

Is when I'm stepping out in my... 

...Bear feet!

Happy half term!

Sing, sing, sing!.

The team can hardly believe that at the end of this week, Sunnyside breaks for half term and the little learners will have been in school for seven whole weeks. In that time, the team have got to know each little learner very well and they are extremely proud of them all for the way in which they have settled and embraced every aspect of Reception life.

The little learners have achieved so much in their first half term. They are becoming more and more confident, independent and self reliant. Their listening skills are improving daily, which of course has a positive impact on their learning. 

Miss Kind and Mrs Caring spent time today talking to the little learners about the activities and experiences they enjoy most in school. Almost without exception they all said playing with their new friends was their most favourite thing to do. The one exception came from a little learner who stated to Mrs Caring that his most favourite thing to do was make hats and sing Bruno Mars! That wasn't what she was expecting him to say at all.

One of Mrs Crayon's favourite activities is singing and performing with the little learners and today she enjoyed a whole afternoon of it. 
Mrs Crayon provided some "singing hats" for the little learners and they in turn   provided the entertainment.
The little learners decided to make tickets for their show and they set out chairs in rows for their audience. They sung all afternoon from their growing repertoire of songs to a very appreciative audience which included all the grown ups in the team at varying times throughout the performance.
Well done little learners! Roll on your next performance.