Catholic Life in Nursery
Summer 2
Celebrations-Birthdays
Week 4 27.6.2023
Nursery have begun a brand new topic this week of Celebrations and have learnt about how this is a happy time, when we celebrate something special. We have focused on different celebrations the children have been experienced, mainly focusing on birthdays and what happens during these events.
The children have learnt about how at a birthday we do special things such as give presents, eat special party food, blow out candles on a birthday cake and perhaps even dance to music or wear special birthday clothes. The children have been talking about what happens at birthdays using picture cards to support them and have painted themselves at a celebration.
They also made different birthday props using the small world and drew and coloured in different party props. We also made wonderful birthday cakes with candles using the playdough. All of these activities really helped Nursery to understand that celebrations are a special and happy time and to link celebrations to their own experiences. You can see pictures of the children enjoying their lesson below and all done to everyone!
Sunday as a Special Day
Week 3 21.6.2023
Today Nursery had a fantastic lesson learning all about Sunday as a special day when we go to Church and worship God. The children explored how Sunday is a special day when we rest, just like God did in the Creation Story. They have also enjoyed recapping different items we saw in the Church and talking about different objects and their meaning.
Nursery had great fun drawing themselves and their family onto a church collage, making churches out of junk modelling and lego and acting out going to church with the small world people. We have enjoyed exploring and handling different artefacts from church, making church and drawing lots of wonderful things we do on a Sunday, such as enjoying meals with our family, praying to God and reading the Bible. You can see pictures of the children enjoying their lesson below and all done to everyone!
Learning about Father Gary
Week 2 13.6.2023
Today the children learnt about our parish priest, Father Gary who works at our local church Our Lady and St Rose of Lima. The children learnt about the various jobs he has such as looking after the church and the people who go there, reading the Bible and sharing out the bread and wine.
Nursery also went over to the church where Father Gary works and looked at some of the special objects that are there. We learnt about various objects such as pews, fonts, candles, crosses and statues. The children then came back and painted/ created churches whilst also discussing some of the objects they had seen. We also enjoyed roleplaying church with church buildings and the small world characters. You can see pictures of the children enjoying their lesson below and all done to everyone!
Thanking People Who Care for Us
Week 1 7.6.2023
This half term Nursery have started a brand new topic in RE all about God's Family. For our first lesson we have been identifying people who care for us and discussing who loves us in our lives and the different things they do to show their love and care for us.
The children so enjoyed painting pictures of people in their families and talking about who they are. We also wrote thankyou prayers to God and said who we were grateful for in our lives. The children were brilliant at writing initial sounds for their loved ones and even wrote words such as Mom and Dad- WOW! You can see pictures of the children enjoying their lessons below and all done to everyone!
Summer 1
The story of Pentecost
Week 6 23.5.2023
To finish off their topic of Pentecost, Nursery have been retelling and acting out the story. We made headbands of fire and used them to act out the events that happened in the disciples house, when The Holy Spirit came.
Nursery have so enjoyed using the constructions area to build the disciples house, colouring mixing red and yellow to make orange, the colour associated with fire and Pentecost. They have so enjoyed acting out the story using themselves and the small world puppets and this has truly helped with their understanding. What a great lesson Nursery to finish off our topic and you can see pictures of the children enjoying their lesson below.
The Colour of Pentecost
Week 5 16.5.2023
Over the last two weeks Nursery have been learning all about the events of Pentecost. We know that a great wind came upon Jesus friends and they all has tongues of fire upon their heads. We have discussed how these things symbolise The Holy Spirit and, just like air, this is something we can-not see, but we know it is there.
To show their understanding Nursery have made windmills which they can blow on to show the air and wind and have made fantastic Pentecost pictures using different papers and crafts in the Pentecost colour of red. They have also listened to and sequenced the story in small groups to help them to learn the key events of the story. They have even been using musical instruments to make the wind! What a fantastic RE lesson Nursery and you can see pictures of the children enjoying their tasks from the last few weeks below.
Enjoying Class Mass
Week 3 3.5.2023
Today Nursery went to Mass with Father Gary where they learnt all about Jesus and his life. We listened to how Jesus said that ' I am the way, the truth and the life' and this means that we should follow him and look to him in everything we do. As well as listening to Father Gary's homily, the children in Nursery also gave each other the sign of peace, took part in reverent prayers and sang so beautifully to all the hymns. You can see pictures of the children enjoying Mass below and all done to everyone!
RE-Easter and Alleluia
Week 2 25.4.2023
Nursery have continued with their topic of Easter this week and have been learning all about the world ' Alleluia' which we use when are happy. We have practised the word together and talked about what makes us happy in our lives. The children know that people said 'Alleluia' when they were happy that Jesus has risen from the dead.
The children have practised a song together this week all about ' Alleuia' and have also created a whole class banner, painting the words together. You can see a video link to the song below as well as the pictures of the lesson. Well done Nursery!
RE-Easter and The Empty Tomb
Week 1 18.4.2023
Nursery have started a brand new topic of Easter in their RE lessons. We have been learning about the story of Easter and how Jesus rose from the dead and came back to life to be with us. This shows us that Jesus can conquer anything and that his love for us will never end.
We listened to the story of the empty tomb together and the children then worked together to create a whole class tomb. We got creative with paint, creche paper, empty egg boxes and other bits we could find! Nursery loved making their tomb and it really helped them understand the story.
They also had great fun acting out the story using the small world and puppets, drawing objects and people from our story and even acting out the story with Jesus, the women, the soldiers and the angel. You can see pictures of Nursery enjoying their Easter lessons from this week below.
Spring 2
RE- Holy Week
Week 5 30.3.2023
Nursery have learnt all about Holy Week this week and have so enjoyed learning about the story of Palm Sunday, The Last Supper and Good Friday. We have listened to special assemblies all about Holy Week from the older children and have roleplayed and acted out different parts of the story.
Nursery have enjoyed learning about the special events of this week and have taken part in some fantastic activities. They have painted their own crosses and palm leaves, completed Easter cards and taken part in a roleplay of The Last Supper with bread and squash. The children have really immersed themselves in the stories of Holy Week and the understanding and vocabulary they have produced has been fantastic.
You can see pictures of Nursery enjoying their time in Holy Week below- well done everyone!
RE- Loving Choices
Week 3 22.3.2023
Nursery have now finished their RE topic of Lent and over the last few weeks have been learning about God as the Father of Jesus and also how we can make kind and loving actions during this time.
The children have been writing some of their own prayers to God and have been drawing pictures of how they can be kind and caring to others. We have been focusing on lots of loving activities in class such as sharing our toys, making friendship bracelets and helping each other in sorting activities.
You can see pictures of Nursery enjoying their Lent lessons below. They have so enjoyed this topic and this is such a special time in the Christian calendar so make sure you talk to your children at home about this special time.
RE- Lent
Week 1 7.3.2023
Nursery have started their new RE topic of Lent. They have been looking at the colour of Lent which is purple, discussing that this is a time for reflection and being the person that Jesus wants us to be.
The children have completed various activities in the classroom including sorting different purple items and made crosses out of purple materials. They made a class handprint display using purple paint and talked about how during Lent we make good choices and say sorry for mistakes. The children now know the colour of Lent and that it is a time when we reflect and try to do better.
You can see pictures of Nursery enjoying their Lent lesson below. This is such a special time in the Christian calendar so make sure you talk to your children at home about this special time.
Spring 1
RE- The Christmas Story
Week 3 18.1.2023
Nursery have been focusing on Christmas during their RE lessons so far and have looked at the story of Christmas. We have learnt about Mary as Jesus' mother and have sequenced key events throughout the story.
Nursery have been sequencing the pictures so well and know events such as an angel appearing to Mary to tell her she was with child, Mary and Joseph going to the inn, then Jesus being born in the stable and the shepherds and kings visiting him. They are wonderful at retelling the story and have also been using the Christmas story to develop their pencil control and mark making. The children have also been playing with the dolls, understanding the role Mary and Joseph would have had as parents to look after and care for the baby.
You can see pictures of Nursery enjoying their lesson below. The Christmas Story is so special and we hope the children have enjoyed learning about- well done to all of you!
RHSE- We Are All Unique
Week 2 12.1.2023
In RHSE this week Nursery have been learning all about how we are unique and special to God. He made every one of us differently and there is only one of us in the whole world! They looked at our similarities and differences- we may all have noses, faces etc but we have different colour hair, eyes, and like and dislike different things.
The children then discussed what they are good at and the gifts and talents they have received from God. The children explained that they were good at different things- such as building, drawing, writing their name, sports etc. We then did lots of activities in class to show our talents and uniqueness- the children went outside and did climbing, bike riding, hula hopping, bowling and space hopping. They also explored different musical instruments to see which ones they enjoyed and used mirrors to draw a picture of their unique faces. We also made paintings using our special fingerprints, which we know are different for every child.
You can look at pictures of Nursery enjoying their RSHE lesson below. They have loved learning about their own uniqueness and specialness and have enjoyed discovering and exploring their different talents, given to them by God. Well done everyone!
Mass- The Feast of the Epiphany
Week 1 6.1.2023
Today Nursery went to the special Feast of the Epiphany Mass. This feast commemorates the visit of the wise men to visit the baby Jesus and Father Gary spoke to us about the importance of the star. The star was used to lead the Wise Men to The Baby Jesus- there were no maps or phone GPS at the time when Jesus was born. He explained to us that The Wise Men trusted in God and were very brave, wiling to follow the star.
This is a time of reflection and celebration, when we think about the wonderful gift of Jesus. Please make sure you speak to your children about the importance of Jesus birth and of how his love for us is special and unique.
Autumn 2
RE- The Advent Wreath
Week 7 13.12.2022
Nursery had their last RE lesson this week to finish off their topic of Advent. Today the children looked at different images of an Advent Wreath and learnt about how this is a key symbol of Advent. They now know that we light candles on the wreath each week in Advent.
The children then created their own cardboard wreath with an adult and used their handprints to make greenery around the outside. They then added candled to the middle in the different colours of pink, purple and white and discussed what these colours meant.
Nursery talked about the different objects they could see on the wreath and also had a go at making their own wreaths using candles and cloths, playdough and even lego. They looked at different pictures of advent wreaths to help them and also practised the vocabulary such as wreath, candle, Jesus and birthday. You can look at pictures of Nursery enjoying their lesson below. We hope this topic has helped them to understand more about the very special time of Advent and well done everyone!
EYFS and Year 1 Christmas Nativity
Week 7- 12.12.2022 & 13.12.2022
We all really enjoyed learning about the Christmas story and retelling it in our Nativity through singing, dancing and acting. We had a fantastic time practising and then performing it for the whole school, our friends and our family. The children all worked so, so hard to make it a great success. Well done to everyone for your amazing singing, Nursery for your fantastic animal dancing, Reception for acting out the story so beautifully and Year One for speaking so well.
Learning the story has really helped us during this special time of Advent, to prepare for the coming of Christ. Thank you to all the parents and carers for supporting us. We hope you enjoyed our Nativity just as much as we did…until next year! You can see pictures of the children in our fantastic nativity below.
Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Miss Murphy and Mrs. Deocades
Advent Reflections
Years 2 and 3- Week 5 & 6
Nursery have been listening to reflections all about Advent from Years Two and Three this week. They have been telling us all about how Advent is a time of preparation and how we need to wait and get ready for Jesus' birth.
Both classes have shown some lovely assemblies to us- we have had songs, videos and even sign language used to help us understand the meaning of Advent and the Advent Wreath. Nursery have seen how there are 5 candles on the wreath for Hope, Peace, Love, Joy and Christ. We are now getting ready for Jesus and are so excited. You can look at pictures of Nursery enjoying the reflections below.
RE- Preparing for Jesus Birthday
Week 5 30.11.2022
Nursery are continuing with their theme of Advent in RE and learnt all about how it we are waiting and preparing for Jesus birthday. We discussed how Jesus is born at Christmas, on Christmas Day, and that his birthday is very special, as he is God's Son.
The children made birthday cards to Jesus to celebrate his birthday and acted our a birthday party with balloons, cakes, candles etc. They also made candles and candles with the playdough. Nursery now know Jesus is not just about getting presents- it is about the birth of Jesus and a time when we celebrate his birthday. You can look at pictures of Nursery enjoying their lesson below. Great work Nursery!
School Retreat Day
Week 4 24.11.2022
Today Nursery has a fantastic day where they took part in a Whole School Retreat Day with Dan and Emily. The theme of our day was 'Let all Creation Sing' and the children learned about the story of Creation and all that God made.
In EYFS, our focus was animals and we spent the day learnt about the different animals that God made. We played games with Dan and Emily and sang different songs and prayers with them in assemblies throughout the day. Nursery also did activities in class such as colouring in their own booklets about animals from Creation and discussing their favourite animal.
The children had such a fantastic day and listened so beautifully to all that Dan and Emily told them about Creation. It was a lot of sitting down for the littles one and they did amazingly and were so reflect. You can see pictures of Nursery enjoying their retreat day below.
RE- Preparing for Advent
Week 4 22.11.2022
Today Nursery started their new topic of Advent and learnt about preparing for events. We learnt about our morning routines and what we do to get ready in the morning before we come to school. The children were brilliant at telling us how they get out of bed, wash their face, brush their teeth and hair and get changed ready for school. Many children also loved to tell us how they eat breakfast and love cereal! Nursery were superb at telling us their morning routine and this helped them to understand that during Advent we are also getting ready for something, which is the birth of Jesus Christ. We will continue to learn more about him in the coming weeks and see pictures of Nursery enjoying their lesson below. Well done everyone!
Going to our First Mass
Week 3 16.11.2022
Today Nursery went to their first ever Mass, here at Our Lady and St Rose of Lima Catholic Primary School. They went to Church with the rest of the school and sang hymns, prayed to God and listened to Father Gary's homily. All of the children in Nursery listened so well and were amazing at being reflective and reverent. What a great job Nursery and well done to you all!
Learning about Church and God's Family
Week 2 8.11.2022
This week Nursery have been learning all about Church and how we gather at Mass to worship and pray as part of God's family. The children discussed how everyone is part of God's family and how we are all special to him.
They made a class collage using their amazing cutting and sticking skills- they cut out people from magazines and stuck them around a Church. Nursery also drew their own churches outside and made churches using boxes and junk modelling. They also looked at different religious artefacts and made crosses using strips of paper and foam.
The children have been so wonderful at learning about Church as a house of God and remembering that everyone in the world is in God's family. Fantastic work everyone and you can see photos of Nursery in their lesson below.
People who Love and Cares for Us
Week 1 1.11.2022
Nursery have started their new topic in RE this week of God our Father Cares for Us. We began our topic by looking at our families and discussing what they do for us to show they care. The children told us how their family gives them cuddles, cooks for them, reads to them, and plays with them as well as many other things. They were all able to identify different members of their family and knew that they loved them by how they cared for them and the different actions they did with them.
The children so enjoyed talking about their own families and were amazing at telling us everything they did for them at home. They then made a whole class collage with pictures of members of their family who care for them. Please see photos of Nursery enjoying their RE lesson below below and what a wonderful start to our RE topic!
Autumn 1
Jobs in Understanding the World- Week 7
20.10.2022
Nursery have been discussing different jobs this week as part of their 'All About Me' topic. The children learnt about different types of jobs in our community- doctors, teachers, builders, postal workers, police officers and many more. The children then picked what jobs they would like to be when older and why. We had such a range of answers from the children- from astronauts and hairdressers to dancers and golfers! We explained how every child is unique and special and we can be whatever we want to be. Please see pictures below of Nursery proudly displaying their different job interests.
Creation in PSHE- Weeks 6 and 7
10.10.2022-21.10.2022
During their PSHE lessons Nursery have been learning about the story of Creation- they have been listening to the story of how God created the world in seven days. We have been so amazed by all the beautiful things that God made- we know he made light and dark, sea and land, animals, the sun and stars and even people! Nursery have been acting out the story with actions and learning a creative worship song. They have also made a whole class collage of all the wonderful thins God created and have used this to help them remember all God made. We have also gone outside to look at the plants and trees made and have even made a creation soundscape using musical instruments for the sea, moon, light etc.
Nursery's First Assembly
Week 5 11.10.2022
Today Nursery had their first assembly of the school year- they went to Hymn Practise with the bigger children and sat for a whole 30 minutes! Their sitting was absolutely beautiful- the rest of the school were so wowed by their amazing behaviour in Assembly and their beautiful singing voices! The children were so wonderfully behaved and set a real example for the rest of the school. Nursery will now come to Assembly 3x a week on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. Please see photos of Nursery at their first Assembly below and what a fantastic start children!
Catholic Social Teaching
The Dignity of The Human Person
For our Catholic Social Teaching this half term, St Rose School is focusing on the dignity we have as human people.This means that every human person is created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, every person’s life and dignity must be respected and supported from conception until the end of their natural life on earth. Therefore, it is essential that every institution’s worth is assessed in how it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.
To support this, Nursery have been doing some activities in class to help them understand that they are special and valued as people and that they have 'intrinsic worth.' We held a circle time and discussed about how we all have differences but God loves each of us equally. The children also drew their favourite parts of their bodies and spoke about why they liked it and why that part was beautiful to them. You can see photos of the children enjoying these activities below.
Making the Sign of The Cross
Week 5- 5th October 2022
This week has been so exciting for Nursery- they have had their first RE lesson! The children learnt about 'The Sign of the Cross' and we spoke about how we use these actions when we want to talk or pray to God. Nursery have learnt to put their hands together when they pray and know that we need to make The Sign of The Cross. They all had a go at making The Sign of The Cross, both as a class and individually with an adult.
Nursery also now know that God our Father made us because he loves us and that our beautiful world is also made by him. The children also made crosses using different materials such as glue and stripes of paper, playdough, outside bricks and even cube! WOW!
What a wonderful first RE lesson and well done to all of Nursery! Please see photos of Year One enjoying their lesson below.