Westminster School Highlights - September 13, 2024

This week, our little ones had an absolutely wonderful time diving into the magic of autumn and learning a little about the Middle East!

Before we begin...

In line with clause 7.9 of our terms and conditions, we will be instituting the annual fee increase in next month’s billing cycle to take place from November 1st billing for the December period. You can see the new fee cards here! We will be publishing our work programme for the schools in the coming week but families are encouraged to review the various subsidies and discounts that we provide and book in a call with Kristina and the team to talk through should you need.

Baby Room

We kicked things off with a lovely touch-and-feel story session featuring That’s Not My Squirrel... 

This was a fantastic opportunity for the babies to develop their sensory awareness and fine motor skills as they explored the different textures in the book.

Touch-and-feel stories are brilliant for helping little ones make sense of the world around them through hands-on experiences.

We then got creative by making colourful sensory bottles filled with autumn leaves.

These not only looked beautiful but also helped the babies develop their visual tracking skills as they watched the leaves move about inside the bottles.

Next, the children had a great time painting a playful squirrel, allowing them to express themselves creatively while practising hand-eye coordination.

One of the week's highlights was watching the babies joyfully playing with the leaves.

They especially loved singing along to Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down, which was wonderful for their language development and social interaction.

The big adventure of the week was an autumn treasure hunt, where the little ones excitedly discovered hidden treasures.

This activity encouraged their problem-solving skills and helped develop their curiosity and sense of exploration.

We also introduced the Makaton sign for “sitting down”, which the children eagerly practised throughout the week.

Learning Makaton is fantastic for developing early communication skills, as it supports their understanding and use of language in a fun and engaging way.

Next week, we’ll continue our adventures by learning about some of the amazing animals found in the Middle East.

We can't wait to see how the children engage with this exciting new theme! 

Blue Dragons

Our blue dragons got busy this week with dot mixing, hula hoop fun, and many more - read more below to see what they've been up to!

Dot Mixing 

This week, the children explored mixing coloured dots with cotton buds, which is a fantastic activity for developing their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

By practicing holding the cotton buds, the children are strengthening the muscles in their hands and fingers, preparing them for future tasks like pencil grip and writing.

This ties directly into our curriculum’s focus on early writing skills, as fine motor development is essential for progressing towards drawing and eventually forming letters.

Hula Hoop Fun

In the garden, the Blue Dragons enjoyed exploring hula hoops.

Rolling them in different directions and passing them to friends and teachers encouraged teamwork, communication, and physical development.

This fun activity aligns with our curriculum’s emphasis on gross motor skills, helping the children improve their balance, coordination, and muscle control.

It also nurtures social skills, as they learn how to work together and share during play.

Animal Check-ups and Doctor Role Play 

Our little doctors had a wonderful time this week with role-playing, taking care of their stuffed animal patients.

This activity helped the children learn about body parts in a fun, engaging way, building their vocabulary and understanding of the world.

Through imaginative play, the children also practiced empathy and caring, important social and emotional skills that are a key part of our personal, social, and emotional development (PSED) curriculum.

Role play also supports cognitive development as they follow sequences and solve problems while pretending to be doctors.

Letter Trees 

Using car tracks to "plant" trees was an excellent way for the children to engage their imaginations.

As they explored the letters and sounds on the tree leaves, they were reinforcing their early literacy skills, which is a key area of our curriculum.

Matching letter toys with the leaves allowed them to practice recognising letters in a playful, hands-on manner, linking sounds to symbols, which is a crucial step in learning to read.

Lego Skyscrapers 

This week’s Lego skyscraper activity wasn’t just messy fun; it also encouraged creativity and spatial awareness.

As the children built their skyscrapers layer by layer, they practiced problem-solving and planning, which are important cognitive skills.

Creative activities like this align with our curriculum’s focus on expressive arts and design, helping the children learn to think creatively and develop their own ideas.

It also supported fine motor development as they handled the Lego blocks and paint.

Middle Eastern Berber Tribe Tattoos 

In our ongoing effort to broaden the children’s understanding of the world, we explored Middle Eastern culture this week, focusing on the Berber tribe’s tattoo traditions.

The children had the opportunity to choose and have patterns painted on them, fostering a sense of individuality and creativity.

This experience ties into the "Understanding the World" strand of our curriculum, helping the children gain a sense of the diversity of cultures and traditions around the world.

It also encouraged them to appreciate artistic expression from other cultures, deepening their respect for diversity.

Dragon flights

This week has been packed with exciting learning experiences for the children, full of fun activities that spark their curiosity and help them grow.

Let's look at what they've been exploring!

The Great Fire of London

We started the week with the fascinating story of the Great Fire of London. The children were captivated as they learned why the fire happened and how we can stay safe in emergencies.

To make this topic even more fun, the children dressed up as firefighters, adding a playful touch to their learning.

We also introduced some new Mandarin words, such as 火 (fire) and 消防员 (firefighter), adding a bit of language exploration into the mix.

This helps to develop early language skills while fostering an interest in different cultures.

Welcoming Autumn

As the autumn season sets in, we’ve been talking about the changes we see around us.

The children have been learning autumn-related Mandarin words like 秋天 (autumn), 树叶 (leaves), and 南瓜 (pumpkin).

They’ve been excited to use these new words while exploring the changing colours of the leaves and noticing the seasonal shifts in their surroundings.

This not only builds their vocabulary but also supports their understanding of the world.

Phonics and Mathematics

In phonics, we focused on the letter ‘o’. The children practiced writing the letter and explored its different sounds, which is key to developing their early reading and writing skills.

In mathematics, we’ve had hands-on fun weighing and comparing objects, helping the children understand the concepts of heavier and lighter.

These practical activities encourage problem-solving and critical thinking, which are essential for their future learning.

Understanding the World – A Journey to the Middle East

This week, we also took the children on a mini-adventure to the Middle East!

They learned about the animals that live there, like camels and falcons, and some aspects of life in the region.

The children’s natural curiosity shone through as they discovered new things about this part of the world, helping to broaden their understanding of different cultures and environments.

We’re looking forward to more exciting learning adventures next week!

Want to help children in need?

Hatching Dragons is immensely proud to announce that we’ve partnered with Little Village and the baby bank alliance to service those in need within our communities.

The baby bank provides local struggling families the resources they need.

It’s based on community giving - secondhand toys, clothes, furniture that can be repurposed - to provide support for those who can’t afford to buy them new.

We would like to seek donations from our registered parents, and from the wider community, to ensure that our baby bank is replete with the resources required to support parents in our community.

Want to lend a helping hand to struggling families? Donate to Little Village below!