April Newsletter 2020
Dear Parents,
I hope you are all safe, happy and healthy. Life as we all know it has changed so drastically; it can be very difficult to try to comprehend the current situation we are in. All we can do is our best…..😀. The internet is awash with ideas to do with your children, exercise classes, and tutorials on absolutely everything – it is fantastic to see such community support. As a Mummy, I have found myself having days when I’m very enthused about doing cooking, crafting, cleaning, exercising with the girls, whereas other days I just muddle on. We just have to count our blessings and take each day as it happens.
It is difficult on the children as well; they are missing grandparents, their friends and their routines; they are also hearing scary reports on the news and radio about coronavirus, which can really impact their young minds. It can be beneficial to try to shelter our children from hearing the stark statistics that are reported daily. Do talk about the virus, there are some useful online books which explain it, in an age appropriate manner. I will share links to this in separate post.
One thing that this unprecedented situation has gifted us with is time – so let’s use it wisely – talk, listen, and play with your children, which in normal times and hectic lifestyles make these simple things difficult to achieve. The weather has been in our favour and we are blessed to live in such a beautiful area so we need to make the most of fresh air and spend time outside.
Regarding schoolwork, I’m very keen to set up interactive sessions of story time, circle time, show and tell, and ultimately giving the children an opportunity to see each other. If you are interested in this please send me an email to pbyrne369@c2ken.net.
Our topic for the month of April is fairytales – one of my favourites! In Nursery, we focus on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Pigs, and The Gingerbread Man. If you would like to send me photographs of your child enjoying a story or any activity related to fairytales e.g. setting a table for 3 bears, a picnic basket for Little Red Riding Hood, paintings, drawings, forts for the pigs, making gingerbread men or doing puppet shows. I would like to emphasise that this is only a suggestion. I certainly don’t want to be adding any pressure to people – let’s just keep our projects simple.
We also talk about Easter and the Religious significance so maybe ask the children to say their morning prayer – remind them that is the prayer we say in the quiet room before exercise.
Our colour is purple – so lots of time playing I Spy and colour and shape hunts. Photographs are welcome! Scissor work is a skill that we try to develop at this time so let them at it – cutting up strips of newspaper is good for developing this.
This week I’m intending to make a papier-mâché Easter egg so you are welcome to join me. A project that I’m really enjoying at the minute is watching caterpillars transform. I ordered the live butterfly garden on Amazon and I’m intrigued🦋! Another purchase which has gone down a treat is a cardboard house that you can colour in or paint, I got mine on Hobbycraft – they have lots of options to choose from and keeps kids entertained and amused for a few days !
Finally I’m really looking forward to hearing from you all. I’m happy for you to contact me via the email address I have provided. Communication is very important between us all as we approach our final term ; let’s make the most of our time together as the class of 2020 – a year group that will be very historic. I miss each child very much and I think about them every day. Have a lovely Easter and talk soon.
God bless,
Paula Byrne