The recent sunshine has been a nice distraction. Boys and girls, look out for crows building their nests high up in trees near home over the coming weeks. I read recently that crows tend to build their nests in upper branches of trees when lovely summer weather is approaching and in lower branches for shelter if it is going to be wet! Apparently farmers have noticed them building nests higher in the trees recently! 

Thanks again to parents/carers for facilitating distance learning. Please say hello in the above comments tab if you haven't already.
The school is in the process of being signed up to 'Google Suite for Education', but is in a queuing system with other schools. New e-mail addresses for staff are part of the suite. I will notify you when it has been finalised.
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​Parents, I added a video below on a poem written recently by a retired Irish-American schoolteacher, Kitty O'Meara. As with all online content, it should be checked by adults firstly. You may prefer to leave viewing for adults only and discuss certain themes with younger family members instead. The video has been shared around the world and is certainly relatable for many people at the moment.

How did you get on with the 'Handy Tricky Word list' from blog post March 26th? The following dictation video will cover the 'Red Level', in my voice.  Have a pencil and paper or a whiteboard and marker ready. I will go through all the other levels in future posts. 

​Notes for adult helper:
1. Ask child to number the page/whiteboard from 1-11. They can write it one after the other, or skip every second line. We usually skip every second line in class, so that there is more space for writing and for reading it afterwards.  
2. Press pause if the child needs more time.
3. I will repeat the word three times and include a sentence with each word. The sentence doesn't need to be written down. Sometimes the word is more easily  recognisable within the context of a sentence.
4. There is no need to prompt the child or help with spelling. We want this to be a true reflection of their knowledge. Don't worry if they make mistakes- part of tricky word territory!
5.Please keep up reading practice, as children will encounter lots of tricky words in reading.
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'How did you get on with the problem-solving activity in last weeks video 'Cats and Domino'? They are clever cats!
There are lots of maths problems to be solved around us- inside our homes and outside.
This week, we are going to do some more work on the topic of length. With adult help, I would like you to find objects in your house/near your house (stay safe) and compare them in the following ways:
long/short, tall/short, wide/narrow, longer, shorter, wider than
You could draw them side by side, or take pictures. For example, a long twig and short twig, a wide tree and a narrow tree. Write a sentence about each comparison- The left tree is wider than the right tree.
You can write about your discoveries in the comment section if you prefer!
Can you order all the objects you have found according to length or height? Use the following language to identify them: as long as/ as wide as/ longest/ shortest

In Senior Infants, we estimate and measure length in non-standard units, e.g. unifix cubes, lollipop sticks, pencils, cubit, hand and foot span. Can you use any of these units of measurement for estimating and measuring the length of objects at home? For example, if you are measuring the length of your kitchen table with hand span, estimate/guess how many you will need first. Maybe it could be a competition between you and a family member to estimate the closest number!
Take a look at the attached video for revision.

To celebrate Earth Day 2020, have a go at drawing an Earth Day Folding Surprise! Follow the video instructions with adult help.

Did you get a moment to check out the wide selection of books contained on the Collins website?! No pressure, but if you are interested, the log-in details are on my April 20th post. 
Here is a link to reading band levels:

Consider if you are judging capability on 'learning off-by-heart' skills or on good phonological awareness. Pick out random words for the child to decipher.
In upper ability books, check fluency, some awareness of punctuation and/or grammar and the use of expression. Comprehension skills can be developed by discussing characters, setting, problem and solution (children are familiar with these terms in school).

Hi girls and boys,
Check out the fun 'Cats and Domino' video. It demonstrates interesting ways to solve problems. Try to answer the below questions after you have watched the video. You can answer the questions orally and/or write them.
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1. There are a lot of dominoes used! Can you guess/estimate how many were used in the entire video? How many colours can you see?
2. What does the first cat do to move the dominoes?
3. How many cats are there? Describe them.
4. What are the cats sitting on?
5. How are the dominoes knocked from under the whiteboard?
6. Count the pink, green, orange, white and blue magnets on the whiteboard.
7. What happens when the cat licks the white plate?
8. How many dominoes are on the cardboard box and what is inside it?
9. Were there any toys or musical instruments used to help knock the dominoes?
10. How were the bells and balls used?
11. Can you find any shapes?
12. Were the cats happy in the end?!

****Additional resources from our learning support team can be found on the website via the following link. Click on 'Additional Support' under the drop down menu on the home page.

Collins have recently given free access to Big Cat readers and many others online.
Please click below box. 
username: [email protected]
password: Parents20!

Hi all!
As you know, we have a 'Mind your Mind' display in Room.8. The children are used to discussing and naming their feelings by referring to the 'Mood Monsters' on the board. Please see below, along with some other activities for when children are feeling worried. They may be useful at home.

​I hope everyone is getting a chance to exercise. We love using the below websites in class. (Also added Joe Wicks P.E. link.) Please click on each box to direct you to the relevant website.

Strengthening of fine motor skills is essential at infant level. These skills are needed for lots of different activities, for e.g. cutting with scissors, writing, drawing, colouring, buttoning/zipping of clothes, eating, using keyboards and page turning. As I have mentioned previously at school, it will be more challenging for a child to master basic handwriting without first mastering correct pencil control and grip.
Please find attached the following:

1. pencil control worksheets
2. alphabet worksheets
3. number formation/counting workbook (numbers 1-20) 

​Children often find the attached activities relaxing. They encourage a more mindful approach- usually the child is less able to focus on other distractions!

If you get a chance, please ask your child to take a look at the spring picture. Then ask them to answer the below questions. There is no need for writing. This one is all about the chat!

At this stage of Senior Infants, children are becoming more confident at  recognising and saying the 42 letter sounds.  Here is a video and activity sheets for further practice.
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