The last few weeks have certainly been eventful!  We have welcomed back 14 children, settled in 12 new children, and said sad goodbyes to 4 children!  We have seen old friendships rekindled, and new friendships blossom.  The children have explored all our fantastic new Lottery Grant purchases, which have all been wonderful and exciting, the water tray refurbishment has led to the most amazing learning and discoveries, which just goes on and on......
Staff have been training... Saturdays, on-line, college and university...... keeping busy, new learning and new qualifications for all of us!  Amazing!!
Children's interests have clearly been trains.... resulting in train block building, construction, painting, tracks, apps, mark making and of course our trip to Oxford on the train!  What a wonderful opportunity that was enjoyed so much the children and the staff.... so much that our next outing is already being planned :-) 
Other interests have been hospitals and fire engines, shopping and tea parties, teddy bear picnics and ice-creams, filling bags, emptying boxes, and marbles!!!  No two days are ever the same.
The library visits have been great, with a special story telling mat and the Librarian sharing a story with the children each time, before the children choose a new selection of books for pre-school to borrow, before each child being allowed to date-stamp their books!!  A service we really don't want to loose but which is unfortunately under threat.... you can help us help them by commenting on the Mobile Library Consultation at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk.....  we'll be sending more details after half-term and we really feel that this is a valuable service for everyone in the community, young, old and anywhere inbetween!!!
We've had such fun and it's gone so quickly!  Next term will be full of Nativity rehearsals, learning, songs and being creative..... but no doubt the children will lead us in many directions that we can't even begin to imagine!
If you or your child have any specific memories about activities this term, please do let us know what they remember!! 
Have a great half-term, see you on the 2nd November :-)

After a little bit of manoeuvring, and wrestling to get all the car seats fitted safely into the minibus, preschool set off at 9.15 for our train travelling adventures! The children were all so excited to travel in the minibus, looking out of the windows to see Didcot Power Station, AND a real digger drive past us on the back of a lorry!! When we arrived at the station we found a giant post box which caused even more excitement. We all looked around, explored the shop, watched passengers buying the tickets and trying to guess where they were travelling to! Off to the platform to wait for our train 🚊

On the train the children were all chattering together and waiting for the train to go.... And we were off! Past the houses, past the fields, sheep, lake, stations, tracks, oh! Whoosh! We passed a train going very fast! It was lovely to watch the children's faces light up as we travelled along. At Oxford took a walk over the train line(via the walkway!) before stopping for a short snack, and exploring the concourse. We walked outside and saw some buses but all too soon it was time to get ready for our train back to Didcot. Back in Didcot, onto the minibus and back to preschool.... With a group of 10 very tired children! Back at preschool and we're playing..... Trains!!!! What a fantastic morning, very busy, very tiring, but very worthwhile, and the children were fantastic, all so well behaved and showing some very good listening skills!

This morning a small group of children (and some adults!) donned the waterproofs and set out in a trek around the village. We visited our committee chairwoman to collect our train tickets for Thursday's adventure! While we were there we were introduced to a menagerie of chickens, bantams, carp and canaries! The children were fascinated, especially when we discovered that the eggs were still warm! Thank you Chris for a lovely visit 🐓🐤🐟🚊. Meanwhile, the rest of the group made trains from junk boxes, and discovered the many uses of a colander! Originally purchased to push play do through, it was preferred as a helmet, a drum, a collecting pot, and a unique world viewer!

No!  not real ones!   The week has been spent rolling,  pushing and pulling plasticine into the longest snake possible!   Each child got a certificate and a prize block of plasticine....  next week we will be recording all the snake lengths to find an overall winner!   This week we have also used our train theme to incorporate maths,   numbers and shapes....   and then we used play shapes to make trains,  houses and hiding places!   All in all the children are having lots of fun,  making lots of progress and each child is having the opportunity to try something new.....  another great week!!