OPAL UPDATE

28th April 2025Charlotte Kirkham

During the Easter break, some of our amazingly talented staff have been in and added more wonderful areas for the children to play with. The children now have a mud kitchen, a water area, a dinosaur digging area and a hill slide! We can’t wait to see what they do and make in these new areas.

We kindly ask parents to ensure children do not play in these areas at home time, as the equipment and areas need to be supervised by staff.

 

Thank you for your cooperation.

Easter fun in Year 1!

11th April 2025P Mullea

This week the children completed our annual egg competition. There were some fantastic ideas and the children had a ‘CRACKING’ time making them. We were very impressed with their creativity and how independent they were.

Check out some of the amazing enteries!

We hope you all have a lovely Easter!

OPAL UPDATE!

11th April 2025Charlotte Kirkham

Well… we have decided to make some changes and add even more zones to make more amazing opportunities for the children to play.

One of those amazing zones will be a Mud Kitchen! If you have any of the following we would appreciate any donations that you have:

  • Whisks
  • Wooden spoons
  • Mixing bowls
  • Old pots and pans
  • Plastic funnel
  • Mixing bowls

We are also adding a water area, we are expecting some serious splashing, mixing and getting just that little bit wet!

We think it would be a great idea if you could send a spare change of clothing if you know they like getting wet.

Thank you for your continued support.

E-Safety Information – Instagram

3rd April 2025L Forster

Instagram  remains one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, especially among teens – used by around 70% of 13 to 17-year-olds.

It may be one of the most familiar social media names around but features like AI-powered chatbots and Threads integration have added fresh challenges for families and schools to navigate From worrying livestreams to issues like social exclusion and fear of missing out, Instagram isn’t just about photos. As the platform evolves, so too must the conversations we have with young people about how they use it 

Our latest #WakeUpWednesday guide outlines what these new features involve, the possible risks they bring and how to make the most of Instagram’s parental controls to keep children safe online. ️

Instagram remains a go-to app for teens, with its endless stream of photos, videos, and ‘Stories’ keeping young users constantly connected. From influencer content to live broadcasts, the platform is packed with evolving features that can feel fun and engaging – but can also raise some serious concerns around screen time, online pressures and exposure to inappropriate content.

We’ve created this free guide – also available in podcast format – offering parents and educators up-to-date knowledge on the risks and safety tips for this latest version of Instagram.

https://nationalcollege.com/

South Tyneside Libraries – Easter Activities

1st April 2025D Fawkes

Please find below links to the various activities South Tyneside Libraries are hosting over the Easter holidays.

Arts and crafts | The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, South Shields

Board Games | The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, South Shields

Dr Bike Sessions | The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, South Shields

Lego Time | The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, South Shields

Easter Fun in FabLab | The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, South Shields

Gardening Themed Craft Activities | The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, South Shields

Make Wildflower Seed Bombs with Williby Rocs – Earth Day | The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, South Shields

The Farmer and Clown by Flibbertigibbet Theatre | The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, South Shields

Interactive Storytelling with Kylie Dixon | The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, South Shields

OPAL UPDATE – ZONE 1!

31st March 2025Charlotte Kirkham

OPAL UPDATE-

OPAL is well underway at Harton and we have now introduced different zones for the children to explore.

Through play, children encounter, explore and make sense of the world and their place within it. Currently, the children have 9 zones to play in (with more zones to be added in the near future).

Here are some recent pictures of our children enjoying the OPAL activities in zone 1- The tranquil zone.

In Zone 1, the children can play with: chalks, buckets of water, paint brushes, big rolls of paper with colouring pencils and read books.

We have some lovely ideas planned for this zone including making bird feeders to hang from the trees and adding some relaxing tranquil music.

It has been wonderful to see so much; creativity, imagination, inspiration, communication and most importantly FUN happening!

 

Year 1 Easter Story

28th March 2025J Twigge

Year 1 have had a visit from Elizabeth, who is an RE storyteller.

She told us all about The Easter Story from the bible.

Year 1 Cricket

27th March 2025J Twigge

On Wednesday some of our Year 1 children were chosen to take part in Cricket activities at Temple Park.  There were lots of throwing activities, catching, batting, group games and we were introduced to some new skills.

Year 1 Visit the allotment.

27th March 2025P Mullea

Year 1 were delighted to be working with Kaye and Danielle from Williby Rocs a few weeks ago to help improve our allotment space. The children learned lots about plants and used their knowledge of the seasons to understand why Spring is a good time to plant new things.

The children made special signs so that they knew what had been planted and then got their hands dirty by planting seeds.

We have been looking after the seeds in class and have been very excited to see them growing!

 

Year 1 Visit to Cleadon Park Library

27th March 2025P Mullea

Last week Year 1 visited our local library at Cleadon Park to learn more about what the library offers and of course look at some of the fantastic stories. We enjoyed listening to a Spring time story about Percy the park keeper and all his friends, completing activites and found some fantastic books.

The children were amazed to find out that they could become a member at the library for FREE! If you would like to sign your child up to become a member you can sign up online at:

https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/article/1563/Join-the-library

 

 

The library has lots of lovely events on during the Easter holidays too!