26/05/24

This term, Acorns have benefited from warmer weather at Forest School. In class, among many other things, we have learned what a plant needs to grow, So, at Forest School, we have planted radish seeds. Our first step was to work together to weed the Forest School planter. Now, we are delighted to see that they have started to grow. Fingers crossed that the snails don't eat them before we do! Our aromatic plants are back, we enjoyed the smell of the thyme, lemon balm and the fennel.

Another highlight was our careful bug hunt. Big Acorns did theirs after a rainy day and found more than 30 snails. Some children decided to install them in the tuff tray and observed the snails racing against each other. It was a lot of fun. 

Little Acorns found millipedes, centipedes, beetles, woodlouse, and an ant nest. I can reassure you that all the little creatures were treated with respect and freed at the end of the session. 

For the adults, the moment to cherish was hearing children proudly showing their findings to their friends and offering their help to find the same.

This term we say goodbye to Jo, as she has done her last sessions as our Forest School helper. We will miss her a lot. 
We are excited to welcome Jade (Willow's mummy) starting Tuesday, 11th June.

Next term, Little Acorns will benefit from an extra Forest School session on Thursday, June 6th. Please, Little Acorns, don't forget to bring your kit that day.

As the days become sunnier, may I please ask you to add a sun hat to your child's Forest School kit. We won't need as many layers as in winter, but please ensure that your child has a long-sleeve t-shirt and trousers to keep them protected from the sun but also to limit the risk of being stung by the little insects who share the allotment with us. 
May I also ask you to apply some sun cream on your child face before school, so they are ready for their morning outside. 

Many thanks for your continued support. We really appreciate it.

30/03/24

This term, Little and Big Acorns have enjoyed cooking over the fire as well as experimenting with mud. Rainy days and the water tank have provided ample opportunities for mud play. The children dug a small pond at the bottom of the allotment and relished jumping into it. Transporting water from the tank to the pond required focus and teamwork, and taking turns to jump in demanded patience.

For our final session before Easter, we were fortunate! The Easter Bunny, aware of our fantastic Forest School sessions, left gifts and a message for us. He gifted us the story "We're Going on an Egg Hunt" and some chocolate eggs scattered around our Forest School site. After reading together, we embarked on an Easter egg hunt in the allotment. Each child enjoyed one chocolate egg alongside their healthy snack, and took another one home.

Next term, we will explore the life cycle of plants and the small creatures that live in our gardens. A huge thank you to Jo for her unwavering support since the beginning of the school year and for agreeing to assist us in term 5. We are also really excited to welcome Jade (Willow’s Mummy) in term 6 and extend our gratitude to her as well.

I also want to thank you for your patience when, occasionally, clothing items playfully migrate from your child's bag to another, requiring a bit of time to locate them. Unfortunately, due to technical issues with my iPad, I have fewer pictures than usual to share, and some have been lost entirely. 

10/02/2024

This term at Forest School, Acorns have been focusing on cooking over an open fire, and we plan to continue with more delicious food after the half term break.

We've learned from the story of "Fiery Fox" that having a fire can be a lot of fun if we are careful and follow safety rules. We've also learned how to make better choices than Fiery Fox by not playing with lighters or matches.

Additionally, we've explored some new vocabulary, such as fire blanket, fire gloves, and fire sticks.

I believe all the adults were impressed by how wise and responsible our Acorns have been. They've also shown great dexterity while using the potato peeler to prepare their marshmallow sticks.

Despite a few very cold sessions, most of the Acorns have coped remarkably well!

As always, please take a look at the pictures; they speak volumes 

Many thanks from Mrs Lefebvre

03/01/2024

During term 2, both little Acorns and big Acorns learned about autumn at Forest School. We read the story 'We're Going on a Leaf Hunt' and revisited what we can observe outdoors during the autumn season. Additionally, we used our imagination to create leaf puppets.
Instead of the hammock, we had a rope spider web. Similar to the story 'We're Going on a Leaf Hunt,' the children had the opportunity to go under, through, or around it.
This term, the children also enjoyed constructing a small den with planks, which was a collaborative effort between Acorns and Beech class. Although initiated by Beech class, both little and big Acorns decided it was important to maintain it and added some planks. We'll see if this activity is something the children would like to continue next term.

At the end of term 2, we made our own Christmas tree decorations out of clay and then decorated them in the classroom using paint and lots of glitter. As Mrs. Lefebvre always says, 'life is better with glitter' I'm sure the children were proud to show you what they made. However, they might not have mentioned how resilient they were during the process. Both groups did this on a cold day, opting to take off their gloves to shape the clay more easily. Additionally, Big Acorns worked during a rainy session, making the clay very sticky. Despite setting up a temporary tarpaulin shelter, the humidity made the clay challenging to work with. Fortunately, Miss Hatton was there to assist us, and we all loved having her at Forest School.
Next term, we will focus on learning about winter. We plan to have our first fire and cook various types of food on it. I won't reveal more now, I'll keep you updated in the coming weeks 

To conclude, I'd like to thank Jo for agreeing to continue supporting Acorns Forest School sessions next term. I also want to thank you for being fantastic at providing appropriate clothing for Forest School and for always collecting the muddy Forest School clothes with a smile . As we enter the coldest period of the year, please continue to layer your child's Forest School kit. We advise girls to wear tights as an extra layer before adding one or two extra pairs of socks on top. Unfortunately, sometimes the tights get wet, so having an extra pair in the bag would be helpful.
Thank you for your ongoing support, the Acorns team really appreciate it. 

24/10/2023

We were truly thrilled last week to witness our little Acorns taking their first steps at Forest School. Getting changed was a bit of a challenge initially, but it's all part of the learning process . We are confident that soon they will become faster at putting on all their layers independently. No small button, tight, or sock will resist their little hands. 

Once we gathered at the allotment, we settled on the logs, discussing safety rules and singing our Forest School song together.

The children were given the freedom to explore the allotment. They quickly learned where to queue for the tire swing, how to climb our cherry tree, and even collaborated to build a bridge using planks. Their creativity knew no bounds as they imagined being on a boat, complete with playful jumps into the "water." We couldn't help but hear a few delightful splashes. Our Forest School Mascot, Carotte, found a special place in their hearts. It was heartwarming to see our little ones caring for her so tenderly. She was cuddled, given the best seat on the log, and even treated to a "mud" hot chocolate in a large bowl, specially prepared for her enjoyment.

As you'll observe, all the children approached the various activities with confidence and enthusiasm. They enjoyed a well deserved break for hot chocolate and snacks in the midst of the session. It was a delightful morning filled with exploration, learning, and camaraderie. I just want to add a huge thank you to Jo as we are really lucky to have such an amazing helper to support little and big Acorns sessions. 

13/10/23

Big Acorns had a successful first forest school session. We were pleased to see all of our Acorns trying their best to be independent whilst they were getting changed.

We were also particularly impressed with how quickly they have began to learn not to cross the fire area. Currently, we have a simulated fire, but in the coming months, we plan to have our first real fire.

The main focus of the session was allowing the children to freely explore the allotment. We were proud to observe excellent turn-taking and patience as they took turns climbing trees, trying the tyre swing, and relaxing in the hammock. The children also showed kindness and good communication towards each other.

Some of the children discovered the aromatic plants such as thyme, lemon balm, and mint. Additionally, we encountered worms and snails, and of course, Forest School wouldn't be complete without a visit from “Sunny the cat."

At the end of the morning, the children were nicely tired and ready for a good lunch! 

Next week, Little Acorns will have their first session and then, we will observe and learn about the Autumn season. 

Please have a look at the pictures below.