Caterpillar Camp!

For 4 weeks, Primary 1/2 have been looking after caterpillars. We have been observing them in their home and watching as they grow and eventually turn into butterflies!

We made Caterpillar Diaries to keep track of all of the interesting things that happen to our caterpillars.

Looking back at our diaries so far, here is what some boys and girls think of the effort they have put in:

Erin

"I think my caterpillar diary is okay. I have done lots of writing but I have pictures missing from two weeks."

India

"I think my pictures are good and I have done lots of writing. I want to put more on my front cover."

Paige

"My caterpillar diary is good because I have tried my best at handwriting and my pictures."

Ashleigh

"I think my diary is good but I have a week missing and I need to catch up on it."

Sophie

"My diary is good because I have good handwriting and pictures but I don't have a front cover yet."

Zachary

"My diary is really good because I have lots of big pictures and writing about the caterpillars. I want to colour in my front cover."


I think we have all put a lot of hard work into our diaries. We have lots of neat writing and beautiful pictures showing us what our caterpillars look like!

Super Success!

Over the past few weeks, Primary 1/2 have been writing in their Super Success Jotters. This is where we write down everything that we think we have done well.

Last week, some children were thinking about what they are confident at:

Ashleigh wrote that she is "confident at signing, spelling, acting and speaking in front of people."

I would definitely agree with all of those things! Ashleigh is a very confident girl!


Zachary wrote that he is "confident at singing on the stage."

I would love to hear Zachary sing on stage - I am sure he would be fabulous!

This week, some children were thinking about what makes them a good friend:

Paige says: "I am a good friend because I play with people when they are lonely."

Sophie says: "I am a good friend because I play with everyone."

Erin says: "I am a good friend because I don't kick and hurt people."

India says: "I am a good friend because I play with people in school."

It seems we have a lot of good friends in our class. We make sure that we stick to our friendship contract and the golden rule - treat others as you would like to be treated!

Spring Art Work

This week Primary 1/2 have created beautiful pieces of spring art work.

We used pastels, tissue paper and mixed our own paint to create our pictures.

Here are some children's views on their pieces of work:

Zachary

"I think my picture is okay. If I was to do my picture again, I would make the paint less thick so that you could see the flowers underneath."

Ashleigh

"I like my picture because I have used bright colours and have lots of colourful flowers in it."

India

"I think this is my best work. I tried my best when I made this picture."

Erin

"I think my picture is good because I think I painted very well. I also like the colours of my flowers."

Sophie

"My picture is okay. If I did it again, I would like to make my flowers smaller and I would like to have more sky in my picture."

Paige

"I think my work is okay because I tried hard but I would like to not use as much tissue paper next time."

And the fun begins...

Well today was the first day of block placement in a nursery. WOW! I am shattered.

Who would think that baking cakes out of play dough, being fed imaginary dinner (numerous times), saving lives in surgery and posting my letters and packages at the post office would be so tiring!?

I have to say that I had a very restless sleep last night, worrying about what the next day would entail and whether I would like it any more than the previous day but I was definitely pleasantly surprised.

I am beginning to see where the learning begins in terms of free play whereas before I found it all very boring and did not understand how we were meant to pick out threads when the children changed their minds every two seconds!

It is a rewarding experience when you have four or five children desperate for you to read them story after story, cosied next to a radiator on a cold, winter's morning and even more rewarding and lovely when you are asked to join in every game! I never thought I'd be so relieved to be "accepted", so to speak, into the life of a 3 or 4 year old.

After a lot of observing today I am totally ready to get on with the dual-narrative diaries however I suppose observation is key this week...

Better make the most of it as 4 weeks will be over in a flash!

As much as I am enjoying nursery though, I do have to say, I am definitely geared towards the upper school and can't wait to get back to my planning folders and integrated topic planners (sort of!)!

Hope everyone else enjoyed their first day and are ready for the next 4 weeks of constructive chaos :)

What I have learned this week...

This week I have learned that I am terrible with money!

My budgeting skills  are definitely in need of some improvement. As usual there is far too much month left at the end of the money and with it being Halloween today(!) I am in serious budgeting mode to make it out and about tonight!

The guilt I felt at the ATM when the screen showed I had an embarrassing £3.21 and I can withdraw 'nil'!
Thank goodness I get money in my account tomorrow so I can pay off my phone bill and feel rich again...for a few days at least...