Chestnut Tree Class News

It has been a busy first few weeks in the Chestnut Tree Class. We have 8 new pupils who have all settled into school life really quickly. Everyone has been getting used to each other and their new surroundings which is our main focus for this first term. In class we are learning to use workstations for short language and maths related activities with adult support - for example matching pictures, sorting items, fitting jigsaw pieces, making marks with pens/pencils, identifying shapes and matching letters in names. We allow lots of time to explore cause and effect toys, play with cars/bricks/animals, dress up and admire ourselves in the mirror and use simple interactive games on the whiteboard.

We have also had lots of fun with art activities such as making handprint chestnut leaves and painting cakes for our birthday board.

Helping with communication is a huge part of what we do in Chestnut Tree Class. We are using PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) to make requests at snack time and will progress to use this at other times too. Some children have VODs (Voice Output Devices) which they use to give news in the morning or make requests at lunch. We use lots of visual cues such as symbols or signs and find that these can make a huge difference to both understanding and communication.

A highlight of our week is getting to go out on the minibus. All the children have got used to our school bus now and we have visited various play parks which are proving very popular and are great opportunities for exercise and exploring a bit of the world around us. In the coming weeks we hope to go for some walks in the local area and have asked parents for their trip suggestions.