Hatching Dragons Westminster Blog

Westminster School Highlights - November 1, 2024

Written by Westminster Manager | Nov 1, 2024 6:01:59 PM

Phonics

This week, Dragon Flight continued their phonics journey, focusing on the letter “N” to connect with our theme of North America.

The children practiced pronouncing, writing, and tracing the letter N.

Additionally, we reviewed previous phonics with a fun letter-matching game, where the little learners challenged themselves to identify the first letter on each word card.

What an exciting learning journey!

Halloween Celebrations

In preparation for one of the most exciting festivals, our Halloween party, we engaged in a variety of fun activities.

The children learned to roll paper into balls, wrapping them with tissue to create little ghosts. Some even used sensory balls for added texture!

We also made pumpkin playdough by mixing different ingredients, including pumpkin spice, and added orange food coloring for a festive touch.

In Mandarin, we practiced saying and writing Halloween as “万圣节” (wàn shèng jié). The children were so focused!

On Thursday afternoon, we celebrated with a Halloween party alongside our parents. How much fun was that!

A stroll at the park

Autumn brings such beautiful colors, crisp air, and so many opportunities for sensory exploration.

To make the most of the season, we spent a wonderful day out at the park, where the children were immersed in nature.

They enjoyed running through the fallen leaves, listening to the crunch beneath their feet, and exploring the textures and colors of different types of leaves.

We held a little scavenger hunt for the biggest leaf in the park, and it was delightful to see how engaged each child was in the search.

Our "big leaf winner" proudly showed off the leaf they found!

Pimlico Library

Following the park, we made our way to Pimlico Library for some quiet reading time.

Each child had the opportunity to browse the library shelves, select a favorite book, and settle in for a cozy reading session.

Watching them choose books and focus on the stories was a special sight—their love for books is blossoming with every visit!

Don't miss out on our even more exciting excursions in the future—increase your hours now!

Mathematics

This week in mathematics, we explored how 3D shapes create 2D shapes when traced!

The children used a variety of 3D shapes, including spheres, cubes, cylinders, and cones, to make outlines of circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles.

As they traced, they observed how each 3D shape left a distinct 2D imprint.

This hands-on activity sparked curiosity, with children excitedly guessing which 2D shape would appear each time.

For our older children, we introduced a mini Year 1 math quiz that included counting, basic addition, and shape recognition questions.

The quiz allowed them to apply their skills in a playful and interactive way, and we celebrated each correct answer to encourage confidence and enthusiasm for learning.

Combining fun with foundational skills helped make math a memorable experience for all!

Geography

We continued our studies of North America, exploring major cities like New York City, Los Angeles, and Mexico City.

The children learned about popular North American sports, including basketball, baseball, and ice hockey, and were especially curious about the Super Bowl.

We also had an introduction to North America’s natural resources, such as oil, gas, and wood.

Our partnership with Little Village

As an early years education and childcare institution, we put great value on helping children in need.

This is why we partnered with Little Village, an organization that helps babies and young children living in poverty all across London.

Want to help children in need? Donate to Little Village below!