Mama Beech

Often in a classroom you see 30 little models, all at least similar if not worryingly identical.  These are a great demonstration of how to follow instructions, but not creativity.  In Year 3 Forest School this week Sara Holman from Neurodiversity Me i nvited those who wanted to participate to create an animal. She had prompts that could (and in some cases were) be ignored, and a few tools, the rest was sourced from the floor! Twigs, Leaves, and Pine Cones created texture. Mud and Charcoal changed the colour of the clay.  Hand-Eye coordination, dexterity, manipulation, muscles: all fine motor control was exercised and imaginations fired! Some children followed a prompt, some didn't! Some made something, squashed it, and started again, and did this over and over. Some were inspired by Forest School and made birds, bugs, squirrels, foxes, and hedgehogs, others made their favourite turtle or dolphin... Some children took inspiration from what others made, the dolphin led to ...

It's THAT time of year. We have 4 weeks of Term 2 left and school is getting busier than ever. Carrier bags of tinsel and costumes are appearing, the Hall has been timetabled for rehearsals, and the children are already chattering about Christmas gifts. It's THAT time of year. Coughs, colds, and fevers are doing the rounds. Children are sneezing everywhere, staff have constant headaches, and the boxes of tissues in the classrooms deplete in a day. It's THAT time of year. Gluesticks and glitter. Christmas meals marked on calendars. School disco preparations. Shopping to do after work. Evenings out. Juggling dates. Watching time gather speed... It's THAT time of year.  Hectic. At basecamp it's different. The rain beats rhythms on the canopy, smoke curls in patterns, the birds twitter away above, we sit as we always sit making sure everyone is mindful of being safe, of keeping others safe, and of exploring exactly what and where they wish.  We have the opportunities to...