It has been almost one year since Children's House and Rachel Keeling Nursery School joined together in federation.
The two schools are different: different school priorities, staff, buildings, budgets and locations - but the same wonderful children, families and pedagogy with a passion for learning at the heart of them. As with much in humanity - there is more that unites us than divides us. Thank you all for your continued support of our schools this year. We enter our second year of federation with vigour and plans for both schools. We will continue to deliver on incredible outcomes for children within loving schools where wellbeing and welfare is at the centre. Here's to 2023 - Merry Christmas and a a Happy New Year! The focus of learning over the past few weeks has been around the celebration of Christmas. Children have been learning about how some Christians celebrate Christmas and why.
Children have been shopping for ingredients to make spiced milk, festive gingerbread and salt dough decorations. There has been a strand of learning around writing, with children writing letters to Father Christmas, with some using phonic knowledge to sound out words! We have been decorating our school with traditional trees and sharing Christmas stories. Some children have been making cards and baubles, making choices about their designs. Last week, some children started to learn about the story of the Nativity. This week we have the costumes out for children to explore and direct the roles as they act out the First Christmas. There has been lots of singing and bell ringing. Please join us in the garden this Wednesday 14 December at 2.45pm for Christmas Carols around the campfire. Christmas Party day is Tuesday 20 December. All children to come to school at 9am: school closes at 12pm. We would like to wish all our families celebrating, a lovely Christmas and a happy and healthy new year to you all. See you on 4 January 2023 - remember we have an INSET day/school is closed on 6 January. At Rachel Keeling we know the importance of sharing our ethos and learning with our families.
The power that our pedagogy can have when it is adopted at home is incredible and working together is the best way to share how we work with children effectively and sensitively. Over recent weeks we have invited families in to celebrate learning and join workshops to share knowledge in school. Our Bike It Breakfast is regularly on our calendar: we encourage children and families to cycle and scoot to school and enjoy a Brick Lane bagel/beigel. Even though the day was cold, friends came and enjoyed a toasted beigel before school opened. We are so proud that so many children are developing skill and confidence on the balance bikes, some have mastered it and have moved onto the pedal bikes. We even have a group of children who have mastered the two wheeler pedal bikes. More than that, they know how to fit their helmets and check the air in their tyre and their brakes: positive cycling behaviours for life! Maria's Phonics Workshop was well attended: we shared building blocks to phonics such as sharing talk, enjoying stories together, encouraging children to tune into sounds in the environment and notice what they can hear. Supporting children to play with words, syllables and rhyming as well. Then they spent some time exploring sounds that letters make and how we work with children when they are ready to learn the sounds, make them, hear them, recognise them when they are written down. We also encourage children to mark make and draw what they love before they begin to write sounds and words. Lize led a wonderful Music and Singing Workshop too which proved so popular that the whole school ended up joining to sing and dance! Again, they talked about having fun together, enjoying listening to music together and singing and dancing. We all know the impact that singing and dancing can have on wellbeing. Lize shared some songs, rhymes and ideas with families to try at home. If you missed either workshop and would like some information, please see Becky and I will get you the handouts. Alternatively, speak to Lize or Maria and they can make a time to talk to you to help share ideas and guide you. |