2018 Spring term

This year the children will be participating in weekly Squirrel School sessions. In each session the children will be developing their characteristics of effective learning; Playing and exploring, Active learning, Creating and thinking critically

The children will work in groups alongside an adult each session. They will work with their group for three weeks, developing their ideas each week and sharing their mini projects with the whole class in the fourth week.

 

The Artists

The artists will work alongside our Atelierista, Jo, who will guide the children to develop their artistic expression and techniques.

 

The Story Tellers

The children will work alongside Amy, developing a community of listening and sharing ideas.

 

The Explorers

The children will work alongside their Class teacher, exploring the outside world and developing their tool skills, bush craft, and scientific exploration.

As the weather turned colder the children turned their thoughts to things that we could do to keep warm, 'put on your gloves' and 'have a fire'.  The Explorers used fire sticks to create sparks, they looked at the problem of most of the leaves and sticks being too damp and therefore unable to catch alight.  The children collected materials for the fire to bring back to school to dry ready for the fire.  The Explorers made a fire starter pot using dry leaves, cotton and dry sticks cut down to size.  The children were supported 1:1 to use a hack saw to cut their sticks to the correct size for their fire starting pots.  The children showed care and consideration for their and others safety when using tools. 

The Artists worked on a collaborative project trying to capture Squirrel School and bring it back to the classroom.  The Artists used digital cameras to photograph and sketched their view of the woods at Squirrel School.  They collected natural resources such as moss and bark and created their own mud paints using natural pigment from mud and foliage.  The children pulled all of their ideas together to create a mural that is displayed for all to enjoy in the classroom.