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Key Stage 2 children volunteer to give up their playtime to support reading in the Early Years. They help and encourage the younger children to use their phonics knowledge, reminding them of different sounds and how to blend them together. Through these sessions, the children build confidence and work towards reading full sentences. Celebrating Diwali and Guy Fawkes Night in Early Years This week, our Early Years class has been buzzing with excitement as we explored two important celebrations: Diwali and Guy Fawkes Night. We’ve learned about these festivals and the special traditions that make them meaningful to different cultures. Learning About Diwali We kicked off the week with Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Through the story of Rama and Sita, the children learned about the victory of light over darkness and why Hindus celebrate Diwali with lights, fireworks, and sweets. The children were inspired by the colorful Rangoli patterns and had fun creating their own artwork. Exploring Guy Fawkes Night Next, we explored Guy Fawkes Night, a UK tradition that celebrates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot. The children enjoyed learning about fireworks, bonfires, and the history behind the event. We compared this celebration with Diwali, noting the similarities in the use of lights and fireworks to mark both occasions. Connecting Celebrations We also talked about the celebrations the children have enjoyed with their families, such as birthdays, weddings, and Eid. It was wonderful to see how they made connections between these personal celebrations and the larger traditions we were learning about. Celebration Party To wrap up the week, we had a fun celebration party! The children shared Indian sweets, enjoyed sparklers, and drew Rangoli patterns on the playground. It was a fantastic way to bring everything we’d learned to life! A Big Thank You A huge thank you to all the parents who joined us for the celebration! Your support made the week even more special, and we appreciate your involvement in the children's learning. We’re already looking forward to the next opportunity to celebrate and learn together! This week, our class enjoyed reading the delightful story Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper. The story follows three animal friends—Duck, Cat, and Squirrel—who work together to make their favourite pumpkin soup. However, when they begin to argue about who should do which job, they learn an important lesson about teamwork, respect, and cooperation. Through this story, the children learned about the value of working together as a team, respecting the different roles each person plays, and how everyone’s contribution matters to achieve a common goal. We discussed how teamwork is not just about sharing tasks, but also about listening, helping one another, and showing kindness. As a follow-up activity, we decided to make our own pumpkin soup! Each child had a special role to play—some helped with peeling and chopping the pumpkin, others mixed the ingredients, and some took care of stirring and setting the table. It was wonderful to see the children collaborating, communicating, and showing patience as they waited for their turn. When our soup was ready, we all enjoyed tasting it together. The pumpkin soup turned out delicious, and everyone felt proud of what we had achieved as a team! This week in Nursery, we read the story “Wow! Said the Owl” by Tim Hopgood. The children loved hearing about the curious little owl who stayed awake during the day and saw all the beautiful colours around her. We had lots of fun exploring colours through painting, sponge printing, and vegetable printing. The children also sorted fruits by colour and then helped chop them up to make a rainbow fruit salad – it was delicious! We learned about different kinds of weather and how rainbows are formed, then drew our own colourful rainbows. To finish our week, we had a cosy Pyjama Day! The children came in their pyjamas, just like the owl who is awake at night. We watched The Lion King with fairy lights, torches, popcorn, and hot chocolate – what a lovely way to end our “Wow” week! This week in Reception, we made our very own birdfeeders! We used lard mixed with a variety of seeds to create food for the birds and squirrels. At first, we tried making seed balls, but we found it tricky to hang them from the trees. Instead, we discovered that stuffing the mixture into acorns and pinecones worked much better. Once they were ready, we tied the birdfeeders onto the trees in our outdoor area. We are excited to come back on Monday to see if the birds and squirrels have enjoyed the treats we left for them. This activity helped all of us understand our responsibility to care for the natural world and the animals around us, especially as they prepare for the long winter ahead. This week in Early Years, the children have been exploring the theme of Autumn. We introduced a variety of natural resources—such as conkers, pine cones, acorns, autumn leaves, and twigs—and invited the children to use these seasonal treasures to create their own transient art. With curiosity and creativity, they carefully chose and arranged the materials, producing unique designs. Through this activity, the children developed a deeper understanding of seasonal change, expanded their descriptive vocabulary (e.g., “crunchy leaf,” “spiky conker”), and expressed their artistic ideas using elements from the natural environment. This week, we went on an autumn treasure hunt in Victoria Park and had a wonderful time exploring the seasonal changes. A big thank you to all the parents and relatives who joined us and supported the children’s learning. Although our trip took place a little earlier than planned due to climate change, the children were still able to spot acorns, conkers, pinecones and sycamore seeds. They noticed that most leaves were still green, while some had started to change colour – a lovely way to see the beginning of autumn. The children enjoyed collecting their treasures, recalling why leaves change colour in autumn, and talking about how the days become shorter and the nights longer. We also discussed squirrels and other animals and how they prepare for winter. It was a fantastic experience that allowed the children to share their learning with their families and friends, helping them deepen their understanding of the natural world. This week, after reading Mabel and the Mountain, the children were inspired by Mabel’s big plans and her determination to get started straight away. During our group discussion, many children shared their own ideas about what they would like to achieve this year. A common goal was cooking, so we decided to make banana bread together. The children eagerly helped with each step—mashing the bananas, mixing the ingredients, and stirring the batter. They showed great teamwork, concentration, and pride in contributing to the recipe. Just like Mabel, the children learned that with determination and effort, they can achieve their plans, big or small. |
Mirzakhani News BlogWe'll post about what's happening in our class Archives
November 2025
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