Rachel Keeling Nursery School
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Welcome to our Learning Blog

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Carols Around the Campfire

19/12/2019

 
Well the rain abated just long enough just for us to sing our Christmas carols around the campfire. The children were wonderful, even though they appeared to act as though they haven't been practising these songs for the past two weeks! 
Thank you to the families who were able to come: it's times we spend together that remind us of all the things that unite us.
Christmas party tomorrow morning!
​Merry Christmas and a healthy, laughter and love-filled 2020.

Spiced Milk and a Whole Lot of Well-Being

13/12/2019

 
As the weather gets colder and the chill in the air begins to get into our bones, we think about our provision for the children and how we can ensure their well-being.
Last week we had lots of dance and movement in the garden, we had cosy lighting and Christmas music in the classrooms. We also worked with small groups of children to bake gingerbread and make warm, spicy tea complete with tea pot and cups.
Children worked together first to buy the ingredients at our local shops (where we are regulars). Upon their return, and after washing their hands, they explored the spices (cardamon, cinnamon and mixed spice). They measured out the milk and then heated it, mixing the spices and stirring and talking about what they could see, smell and hear. Children enjoyed dunking their gingerbread biscuits and sharing them. Well-being was at an all time high for staff and children!

Christmas is Coming!

10/12/2019

 
Well many thanks to the wonderful teaching supply agency Empowering Learning for our Christmas Tree and the donations of the most incredible gifts for our school from our generous business partners at Blackrock and St James's Place.
School Home Support has also been a charity instrumental in supporting us to help families all year round. Thank you to you all. The kindness, support and generosity has helped our school to reach families from across the community and offer them support, time, resources and signpost them.
The children have been busy making decorations for the tree and displaying them. The tree looks quite different every day as they rearrange the decorations (and it hasn't fallen down once!) 
Teams have been learning the words and tune to We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Jingle Bells and Twinkle Twinkle as well as our favourite school song Hello to all the Children of the World.
Families please join us on Tuesday 17 December at 2.45pm for our carols around the campfire.

Ice Exploration

8/12/2019

 
When one of our friends noticed ice on the climbing equipment last week, he started making thumb imprints on it and noticed the frost disappeared. "It's melting" he exclaimed.
Other children gathered and explored. Later on they had a conversation with a sensitive practitioner who listened to their ideas supported their thinking around the cold weather. 
They filled some containers with water to leave out overnight. They added some animals to the water. Then the children talked about what they thought might happen and some said it might turn into ice. They were introduced to the word 'freeze'.
The following day the discovered the ice in the garden and handled it: they noticed how cold it felt on their fingers. 
“I need to take it to the hotness… to the sun to melt and get the animals out” one child decided. Some children used spades to crack the ice. A wonderful opportunity to explore early science first hand. 

Socio-dramatic Inspired Play

5/12/2019

 
We have all heard children imitating us (and usually saying the things that make us cringe!)
Here is a lovely example of children internalising a shared learning experience and re-enacting it independently. 
The children had been supported to build a fire as a group, a campfire around which to enjoy marshmallows (which some of our children had been to the local shops to buy).
They sang together, enjoying the sensory experience (with smoke in their eyes as well!) They waited their turn and came forward with sticks to toast their marshmallows. 
The following day a group had set up their own imaginary campfire at the fire pit. They had selected sticks and put berries on the end as their 'marshmallows'. This play lasted for some time.
It is wonderful when children respond to an experience in this way:  the children were actively experimenting with the social and emotional roles of life. Through cooperative play they learn how to take turns, share responsibility and creatively problem-solve.
As practitioners we need to ensure we model this for children and also allow them extended periods and suitable spaces and resources (sometimes Mother Nature is enough) to explore and experiment. 

Reading with Families

2/12/2019

 
Thank you to our families and friends who could join us for our reading drop in last week.
We know how important books can be in developing vocabulary, imagination, reading and attention. Also sharing a book or story enhances well-being. 
We will be repeating our Reading drop ins in the new year on the last Wednesday of every month. Please do join us.
Remember you can borrow books, story sacks and toys from Rachel Keeling - just see your key worker. Nazma will be running workshops at the Idea Store too so please see her if you are interested in joining her fun sessions.
Rachel Keeling Nursery School - Bullard's Place - Morpeth Street - London - E2 0PS        Tel: 020 89805856   Email: admin@rachelkeeling.towerhamlets.sch.uk
Picture
  • Home
    • Contact us
    • Location
    • Welcome
  • News
    • Learning Blog
    • Learning Blog Archive
    • Newsletters
    • Visitors
  • Our School
    • Curriculum Goals >
      • Settle in and become a confident learner
      • Follow a recipe to bake a bread roll
      • Make a model at the woodwork table
      • Ride a bicycle
      • Create your own rhythmic patterns and respond to music
      • Create shades of colour using powder paints and palette
      • Make up your own stories
      • Write the first two letters of your name
    • Our Films
    • Our History
    • Our Mission Statement
    • Our Nursery Building
    • Our Policies/Risk Assessments
    • Our Staff
    • Our Values
  • Information
    • Admissions
    • Early Help
    • Early Years Pupil Premium
    • Federation With Children's House Nursery School
    • GDPR
    • Health Guidance/Viruses
    • OFSTED
    • Organisation
    • Places for 3 & 4 year olds
    • RHSE
    • Safeguarding Summary
    • School Development Plan
    • Special Educational Needs and Disability
    • Self Evaluation Form
    • Term dates
  • Families
    • Cycle Sisters
    • Food Bank
    • Lunchtime
    • Library Visits
    • Saturday Garden
    • Children and Family Centres
    • Useful Links
    • What our community thinks
    • Working Together
    • Workshops and Courses
  • Outreach
    • Articles, Research & Conferences
    • Our Outreach Work
    • Resources >
      • THINC
      • Design Project
      • RKNS shopping
      • Learning Journeys
      • Special Books
      • RKNS using film
      • Courses
      • SEND/Inclusion
  • Governors
    • Who Are Our Governors?
    • What Do Governors Do?
    • Annual Report to Parents
    • Governor Attendance
  • Learning
    • Curriculum >
      • Personal, Social & Emotional Development
      • Physical Development
      • Communication and Language
      • Literacy
      • Mathematics
      • Understanding the World
      • Expressive Arts and Design
    • Learning Gallery >
      • Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening
      • Performing and Playing Music
      • Learning Outside
      • Taking Risks and Being Independant
      • Being Creative
      • Showing Curiousity
      • Designing and Building
      • Cooking
      • Our Shoppers
      • Bike It
      • Science
      • Independent Projects
      • Research Projects
      • Friendships
      • Sustainability
  • Home Learning
    • Learning with Rachel Keeling Staff >
      • Stories with Staff
      • Numbers and Counting
      • Busy in the Kitchen
      • Sing-along Songs
      • Experiments
      • Letters and Sounds
      • Gardening
      • Keep Moving
      • Exploration and Games
    • 52 Things To Do
    • Learning at Home
    • Talking to Children about Coronavirus
    • Music at Home
    • Cooking Together
    • Phonics
    • Mathematics at Home
    • Science
    • Nature Detectives
    • Sharing Stories
    • Tales Toolkit
    • Being Creative
    • Keeping Active
  • Events
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021