After a wonderful summer holidays, we were very happy to welcome our new Finches’ group and start a new adventure together. The children have grown so much over the summer, and it has been lovely to see them come back with lots of happy stories, excitement and curiosity about the new school year.
During our first weeks we have taken our time to get to know each other, become familiar with our classroom and settle into our new group. Everyone has been curious and excited about this new adventure and we have enjoyed discovering different games and activities together, indoors and outdoors.
The beautiful weather has given us many opportunities to spend time outside. We have explored the nearby forest, observed nature, played together and enjoyed being outside. We have also gone to the gym, where we have been practicing our gross and fine motor skills through different physical games and exercises.
The last couple of months, we have become more comfortable together and we have started doing more guided arts and crafts activities. One of our first projects was about our families. The children enjoyed creating their own family house and book while practicing their fine motor skills and how to follow instructions. It was a lovely opportunity for everyone to share stories about their families with their friends.
We were also very happy to welcome some of the children’s parents to our parent evening. It was a wonderful opportunity to introduce our group, talk about our goals for the academic year and share what we hope to explore and learn together. We were able to show the parents our classroom and talked about our everyday activities and how we support the children’s learning and development. It was especial and lovely to hear the parents share stories about their children and their everyday lives at home. We enjoyed learning more about the children’s interests, favourite activities and the things they enjoy doing with their families. The children were also very excited to have their parents involved in their classroom life with a special project to show their children and make all the Finches happy and proud to have their parents taking part.
Meanwhile, we had a student from Austria staying with us for two weeks. She made a small presentation for the Finches, showing us her family and country. The children were very interested and excited to listen, ask questions and learn more about how life is in Austria. Then, we put our little baker hat and baked a Marmor cake using our student’s recipe from Austria. The children enjoyed taking part in the baking process, exploring the ingredients and working all together. And, of course, we all enjoyed tasting the cake afterwards. It was delicious!
One of the highlights of our six weeks as Finches was our visit to the Leppvävaara’s fire station. The Finches had an amazing time! We saw a big fire truck and we practiced putting out a fire. The children were excited, curious and full of questions, and we had lots of fun together. We also made special card for the firefighters to say thank you.
Back in the classroom, we have continued exploring different indoor activities, working on our family project and enjoying time together. Little by little, the children are becoming more comfortable and confident and we are beginning to see friendships grow.
These last weeks as Finches have been filled with new friendships, family, creativity, learning and lots of happy moments. It has been wonderful to see the children settle into their new group and discover more about each other.
We are looking forward to all the new adventures, discoveries and memories that this year will bring us!
