This is the last week at Squirrels before our
summer break.  On our last day (Friday) we are looking forward to
our Sports day and Summer Fayre.  The children have been busy practising
for their races which include egg and spoon, running, beanbag on head
and sack.  After the races we will be presenting all the children
leaving Squirrels with their special Learning Journeys and a small gift. 
This is both a happy and a sad day for us and the children and parents too as we
say goodbye to lots of families.  It’s sad because we will miss
the children and parents (grandparents too) who we have come to know so
well over the last year or several years in some cases.  It is also a
day of happiness as we know we have helped to prepare the children for school
and we have watched them grow so much in confidence and begin to form their
first friendships.
 
We hope you will all join us on Friday to
watch the sports and afterwards join in with the
Summer Fayre.  We have face painting, crafts and game s for the
children and cakes, tombolas, strawberries and cream, raffle etc for the
adults.  If you can make us some cakes or donate something we will be very
grateful.
 
Look forward to seeing you all there and don’t
forget to bring your friends and relatives too!   

Squirrels Pre-school outing
30 children from Squirrels Pre-school, all the
staff and lots of mums joined together for an outing to Highwood’s Country
Park on Wednesday.  It had rained heavily the night before but on the
day the weather was fine if a little overcast.  We set off just after
9.30am arriving at the visitor’s centre at 10am.  There we met Jo one of
the park rangers who explained the morning’s activities. 
 
We split into 2 groups, one going off on a
mini beast hunt and the other preparing for pond dipping.  The mini
beast ‘hunters’ had fun searching through leaves and soil to
uncover bugs and beetles.  The children used brushes to carefully scoop
them up into their little magnifier pots so that they could look at them closely
and show their friends.  The pond dipping was great
fun.  Jo explained the rules so that everyone was safe by the
water and the children took turns to use the pond dipping nets.  The
nets revealed lots of tadpoles, water-boatmen, sticklebacks, leeches and
snails as well as lots of pond weed.
 
Half way through the morning the 2 groups met
up for snack on the picnic benches outside the visitor’s centre.  The
children all behaved very well throughout the morning and at 12 o’clock we said
thank you and good bye to Jo and began our journey back to the
pre-school.