Friday Headlines
the weekly newsletter from EHS
Nursery to Year Six Highlights
24 January 2025
It has been a wonderful week in our Pre-Prep and Prep, packed with creativity, exploration and fun. The teachers have shared some of the exciting activities the girls have enjoyed this week. Take a look at the gallery below for pictures!
Little Miss Muffet
In Nursery, the focus has been on the nursery rhyme Little Miss Muffet. The week started with the girls being invited to bring items from home related to the rhyme. These were displayed on the special table, where the girls enjoyed talking about their items and sharing them with their friends. This activity helped build confidence and strengthened their communication and language skills.
In role play, the girls took turns acting out the roles of Little Miss Muffet and the spider. This not only brought the rhyme to life but also encouraged creativity and developed their drama skills.
For fine motor development, the girls participated in a spider themed pegging activity, matching the correct number of pegs to the numeral on the spider. This fun task supported their early maths skills while improving hand-eye coordination. Craft time was a big hit as the girls made spiders using model magic and pipe cleaners. The children loved getting creative with their designs! They also delved into a sensory experience by making and tasting "curds and whey," just like Little Miss Muffet in the rhyme.
Hands On Hacksaws!
In the outdoor classroom, Kindergarten girls confidently used hacksaws to chop sticks into different lengths. A great opportunity for some hands-on learning! Every child was encouraged to think about their safety, understanding that the hacksaws were sharp and that they needed to watch their fingers as well as wear goggles to protect their eyes. It enabled the girls to explore measurement, problem solve and use their fine motor skills. Not only did the activity help to reinforce mathematical concepts but it empowered the girls to handle tools responsibly, encouraged their independence and enabled them to master new challenges!
The Wonder of Plants
Reception pupils are discovering the wonders of plants and growth through different hands-on activities. As part of their learning, they explored the story of Jasper’s Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen. This is a story that introduces the concepts of planting and waiting.
To increase their independent writing, girls have written about the story themselves. They recounted the events and used their phonics knowledge to write sentences. They have also painted pictures of the story which are now displayed in the classroom. The results were amazing – well done girls! We are so proud of you.
Portrait Galleries
Year One have been looking at famous artists and the portraits they have drawn. This inspired the girls to turn into budding artists and they each sketched a portrait of their friend. The girls thought about all the different facial features they had been learning about during their recent Science lessons on ‘The body.’ They tried to include many of these features in their sketches. The girls were so proud of their work, they have made portrait galleries in their classrooms for everybody to see!
Compound Words
Year Two pupils have been investigating compound words. They started by sharing what they already knew, then tried guessing compound words from picture clues such as picture of green paint and a picture of a house representing the compound word ‘greenhouse’. Once they were confident, they worked in pairs to create their own compound words. Each pair had a set of words which could be combined to create a variety of compound words. Some very amusing nonsense words were created too! The pupils chose one of their compound words to write and draw so a class collage could be created for Seesaw.
Recipes for Storytelling Success
Year Three have been learning the art of storytelling. They explored the six-step ‘recipe for telling a story’: Who, Where, The Problem, Friend or Help, Journey, and The End. In groups, they worked collaboratively to develop their own stories, with just two minutes allocated to brainstorm each step. After creating a basic outline, the girls enhanced their stories by adding action, emotions, and vivid descriptions during their English lessons.
Throughout this process, they demonstrated cooperation and perseverance while working as a group. The girls thoroughly enjoyed performing their stories to their peers and parents during a special assembly.
Islamic art tiles
Year Four have been looking at Islamic art, mainly tiles that are used to decorate the Mosques. The girls thought about mathematics, geometric shapes and the use of colour. They had to use perseverance, as it was the first time they had used compasses within their designs. Many girls achieved an excellence with their circle designs and colour choices.
Digestive systems!
Year Five had a fantastic time bringing their understanding of the digestive system to life by simulating the digestion of a hearty breakfast, including toast, cereal and a banana. Mrs. Eveleigh was delighted to see the girls confidently using key scientific terms like enzyme, sphincter, and bile with accuracy and enthusiasm.
Scientific discoveries
In Science, Year Six showcased how creativity fuels scientific discovery. Using their knowledge of independent, dependent and control variables, they explored forces by designing experiments to investigate how the weight applied to a spring affects its length. With curiosity, they planned their investigations and were excited to measure and analyse their results.
Year Six also braved the chilly weather for their first outdoor netball lesson of the year! They showed great enthusiasm as they practised their different passes and worked on
their teamwork skills. A fantastic start to the term!
Nursery to Year Six Highlights
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