Autumn 2024 – Newsletter 44

Autumn 2024

We began our Autumn Term with the theme “All About Me.” This provided a wonderful opportunity to get to know our new starters and their families. The older children created “All About Me” Boxes, filled with their favourite items, colours, foods, and activities. Each child proudly shared their box during circle time, allowing everyone to learn more about each other and celebrate their unique interests.

During circle time, we learned the song “I Love My Family” and discussed siblings and pets, which sparked many lively conversations.

In the craft area, mirrors were available for the children to observe themselves and create self-portraits. This activity encouraged them to explore what makes each of us special and unique.

To make the most of the blackberries growing in our garden, we prepared a delicious apple and blackberry crumble together.

This naturally led to our next topic: the life cycle of an apple. During group time, we watched a short video about apple trees, cut open apples to count their seeds, and painted a large apple tree as a group. We added Velcro dots and balls to the tree, transforming it into a fun game where the children picked, sorted, and counted apples by colour in the autumn.

Next, we explored Harvest Time. Through crafts, stories, and tasting, we examined pumpkins, apples, and other autumn harvests. We even sampled some delicious apples from Veronica’s tree! These activities sparked discussions about where food comes from—whether it grows in the ground, on trees, or on plants.

Following Harvest Time, we delved into the topic of hibernation. The children learned about animals like hedgehogs that hibernate, discovering through stories and videos how and why these animals prepare for their long winter rest. In the craft area, we made spiky hedgehogs out of clay and baked some tasty hedgehog-shaped bread rolls. The book corner was filled with hibernation-themed stories, and as always, Hodge the Hedgehog was a favourite.

After half-term, we embraced the beauty of Autumn. With leaves changing colour and falling from the trees, we learned a song called “Leaves are Falling.” During circle time, we discussed why leaves change colour, collected them for crafts, and identified different types of trees. The craft area was bustling with creativity as the children made colourful leaf collages and prints.

Our Autumn Sensory Tray was a hit, filled with treasures like pinecones, acorns, and a variety of leaves for the children to explore and enjoy. We also made bread with the children and see here the result:

 

Next, we explored the topic of emotions, an essential part of personal growth. The children learned to recognize, express, and understand feelings such as happiness, sadness, anger, and excitement. They created expressive faces to represent different emotions and practiced identifying these feelings in themselves and others. During circle time, we used the Feeling Box to further develop emotional awareness, and the book corner featured stories that helped us understand emotions more deeply.

As the term drew to a close, we were thrilled to celebrate Christmas with a range of festive activities. We discussed how people celebrate Christmas in different ways around the world. The children wrapped presents, emphasizing the joy of giving and kindness. In the craft area, our little artists created holiday treasures, including robin handprint cards and footprint ornaments, blending creativity with learning about Christmas symbols. We also created Xmas treat pastries, which we really enjoyed eating!

 

The highlight of the season was a special visit from Santa, followed by a joyful Christmas party filled with songs, fun, and festive cheer.

On behalf of the Privett Montessori Team, we wish you a wonderfull Xmas and a prosporous new year! See you in the new year!

 

 

 

About us

 

---