This week our story was The 3 Billy Goats Gruff. As a challenge the children had to work in pairs to make a bridge over a river for the goats. They could use anything they liked, lego, blocks, junk modeling etc. but had to make sure none of it touched the river. The children worked well and had some very inventive ideas.

Our Tuesday trip to Thorncombe Woods was definitely the highlight of our week. When we arrived in the woods we headed into ‘Dinosaur Valley’ to observe the plants and mini beasts using magnifying glasses. We found ferns and bracken, holly and beech trees, woodlice and spiders. We talked about how ferns have been around since the time of the dinosaurs but are now extinct. The children found some scratches on a log which could have been ‘raptor’ claw marks but we decided they were actually cuts in the wood. We also found bluebells starting to grow and buds on the trees.

After a snack on the picnic benches we walked to another area to build shelters for our bears and hedgehog. The children worked in groups to make these little dens. Afterwards we played What’s The Time Mr Wolf before heading to the café area to eat our lunch outside.

After lunch we walked past Hardy’s Cottage and found an area to build shelters big enough for us to sit in. Again the children worked collaboratively, finding sticks that were long enough, ensuring the door way was big enough to fit through and that it looked good at the end. We then had time to play hunt the bears who had disappeared into hibernation. The children found them camouflaged in a tree trunk, in the leave and in a branch – excellent searching skills!

All the children had a fantastic day and we arrived back at school tired and muddy and relieved we hadn’t actually met the Big Bad Wolf!

Our Junk model houses and our Cinderella slippers are all complete and on display in the classrom.

Times for parent teacher consultations have been sent home tonight in bookbags. Please check your time. 

Monday 5th February is the reception dance festival at DMS in the afternoon. Please make sure you child has tracksuit trousers in school to wear to and from the event. 

Wednesday 7th February is our exposure at 2:15  and we look forward to see you in our Seahorse Classroom then. 

Please remember Friday 9th February is a staff training day so  NO children in school.

Have a good weekend.