We will be changing for this session so please make sure that your child has their PE kit in school. Once in the hall we will ask the children to tell us about how they travel to school. As a warm up we will join in with the Sticky kids video ‘jump out of bed’. Then we will encourage the children to move around the space, following instructions: One clap, go. Two claps, stop. ‘Beep, beep' children to walk faster as if they were trying to catch a bus. Then we will revisit how they travel to school. We will explain that we are going to experience our own journeys to school through dance. During the journey to school the children will be encouraged to perform their actions ensuring that they are performed using large and exaggerated movements. We will start by acting out closing the door. We will ask the children to  explore different ways they could use their bodies to demonstrate how they would shut the front door?  Using music as an accompaniment, the children will be given time to explore how they would move in the following ways on their journey to school; walking, skipping, running, jumping. We will link these movements to things they may do on the way to school? We will encourage them to be creative, for example, jumping could be represented by jumping over a big puddle or a tiny flower. Walking could be represented by balancing on a bench or on a tiny crack in the pavement. Running could be represented by being late for the bus. When the children become more confident with their movements, we will introduce new instructions to follow, for example, 'bus,' pupils jump and bounce along. Roundabout, pupils turn as they move. Red traffic light, pupils stop. As a cool down we will explore squiggle as you wiggle - giant mark making  - we will represent routes that the children may have taken.

The children were keen to make pancakes at school so today we are finding out about Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday. We will explain that this is a traditional feast day for Christians (we will discuss what this means) which happens at the start of Lent, the forty days leading up to Easter. We will explain that Lent was traditionally a time for fasting (we will explain what this means) and Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the fast, and pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients. As well as eating pancakes it is now traditional to have pancake races and toss pancakes! We will ask the children if they take part in pancake day or Shrove Tuesday and if so what do they do. We will explain that later we are going to have a go at a pancake race  - but we will use bats and play dough pancakes. But first we need to make the pancake batter, the children will work in their groups to do this, spooning, stirring and mixing. Whilst an adult cooks the pancakes the children and other adults will explore pancake races. We will try tossing the pancake and travelling in different ways , balancing it on the bat. Talk about whether the children have taken part in a pancake race before - did they know that you could do this?

Today we will continue to explore the theme of pancakes! Several children have been having a go at writing letters and all the children have been mark making so we are going to focus on this.  We will remind the children of our poem of the week ‘Mix a pancake’, we will explain that Mrs Ray keeps forgetting parts of the poem so we need to help her remember it, writing things down can help people remember things. Before we write, first we have to warm up (just like we warm up our bodies in PE)  our brains, arms and hands. We will recite our poem encouraging all the children to do exaggerated actions. Then we will say it again with small movements. Then the children will need to get their pens ready - using the pinch and flick technique to pick them up. We are going to explore making marks linked to the poem - first in the air make swirls for mixing - then adults model and children imitate on whiteboards (remind them of ‘rules’ for using). We will repeat this for stirring (representing circles), frying (zigzags), tossing (bridges). Encourage children to show their work to their neighbour each time. Finally we need to make the written labels to remind Mrs Ray of a couple of the words. Adult to sound out ‘mix’ and ask children to blend it. Then ask if anyone know how to write the first sound ‘m’. Ask a child to model writing the letter, adults model too, then children imitate on whiteboards, repeat with other letters. Then do the same for ‘pop’.

Today, on World Book Day, we have our second session of Forest Schools. The focus today will be on storytelling. Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately, including wearing wellies (they don’t need shoes at school for this day).

Friday

Everyone needs to wear pyjamas to school today!!

Today we have a continuation of World Book Day, the children will be visited by Mrs Hier and her dog for a story session. We will also take part in ‘Drop Everything and Read’ so don’t forget to send in your child’s favourite book.

Show and Tell will be a ‘Story in a Jar’ - the children will be encouraged to tell their friends about the stories they have depicted.

Finally the children will be voting for their choice of book to be read by the three adults in the class. The adults will introduce the books to their group and then the children will vote using their mini me characters. they will need to count how many votes each book gets and then work out which is the most popular.