Squirrels News - 14th March 2025
This week, the Squirrels embarked on an exciting journey of emotions, creativity, and discovery, all inspired by Fergal is Fuming by Robert Starling. This charming story about a young dragon who struggles to control his fiery temper sparked wonderful discussions about emotions and how to manage them. Together, we explored different ways to "cool down" when we feel fiery—taking deep breaths, counting to ten, or even having a jump on the trampoline! The children also created their own double-sided dragon puppets to show when they feel calm or fiery.
In Art, our little designers took on a fantastic DT (Design & Technology) challenge—building their very own 3D dragons! Using painted boxes, bottle lids for eyes, and folded concertina paper for dragon features, the children brought their colourful, imaginative dragons to life.
In Maths, we rolled the dice and practiced adding two groups together, matching quantities to numerals while learning about the plus and equals symbols.
But the most thrilling part of the week? A mystery mission from Fergal himself! On Thursday, a magic box appeared in our classroom, containing a special message from Fergal. He hinted at an exciting task awaiting us during our Outdoor Learning Day—but what could it be?
The adventure continued on Friday when we set off to the common. Along the way, Miss Katka encouraged the children to think about fire—how it is made, how to stay safe around it, and the different ways it can be used. Just as we were playing, Emily spotted something unusual… a bag filled with supplies! Fergal had left us everything we needed for a science-packed fire-making lesson!
What did we learn?
The Fire Triangle – heat, fuel, and air are all needed for fire to burn.
How to set up a fire safely – checking for overhead branches, creating a safe fire circle, and having water nearby.
Using flint to make a spark – a real hands-on challenge!
How to control and extinguish a fire – we experimented with removing air and using water.
Why fire can spread quickly on windy days and why it's important to keep it contained.
All the children had a go at making sparks with flint and adding dry wood to fuel the fire. We kept the flames going during Snack Time and observed how the fire slowly faded when we stopped adding wood.
This week has been a magical mix of creativity, learning, and outdoor adventure—and we can't wait to see what Fergal has in store for us next! Well done, Squirrels!