EYFS (F2) Reception: Gallery
Date: 19th Dec 2024 @ 12:28pm
Date: 19th Dec 2024 @ 12:18pm
We have loved going on the Christmas bouncy castle and soft play as a special end of term treat. The children have had the best time whizzing down the slide. We also had a very special visit from Father Christmas and one of his elves! We have loved signing Christmas songs and making Christmas crafts.
Date: 19th Dec 2024 @ 12:14pm
Thank you to all the parents and carers who joined us for our craft morning. The children loved making salt dough Christmas ornaments, Father Christmas spiral hanging decorations, decorating baubles, making Christmas cards and much more! The children loved sharing time with their parents and carers in school.
Date: 19th Dec 2024 @ 12:11pm
What an exciting time we have had in EYFS this month! We have been learning all about waiting and Advent in RE. We have used the knitted nativity set to retell the story of Jesus’ birth. We put up our Christmas tree and made our own Advent promise hearts.
The children have been busy decorating wooden Christmas tree ornaments, making reindeer food and designing our own Christmas cards. This year EYFS had a special visitor, Jimmy the Shepherd, who has been helping the children understand the true meaning of Christmas with daily tasks.
Date: 19th Dec 2024 @ 12:06pm
This week we have had a special visit from the Halton Dental Service. They told us all about how to clean our teeth properly and what foods to avoid. The children loved practicing cleaning their teeth and sorting foods. We then got to take home a brand new tooth brush and tooth paste, the children couldn’t wait to brush their teeth at home!
Date: 19th Dec 2024 @ 12:03pm
Wow! What a lovely surprise we had over night. The children were amazed by the snow and ice in the EYFS area. In small groups we went outside to discover. The children loved going down the hill and making snow balls.
“Brrrr! It was cold out there” – Ivy
“I’m making a snowman” – Aoife
“Ahhhh it’s chilly” – Pixie
Date: 19th Dec 2024 @ 12:00pm
This term we have loved exploring in our very own Party Shop, inspired by our English book, 'Festivals'
The children have been selling cards, wrapping paper, plates and part accessories.
They have been learning about religious and special festivals around the world too.
"You can buy Christmas cards here" - Troy
"I am selling birthday candles" - Junior
"Don't forget your wrapping paper" - Ruby
Whole School - Baptism Friday 22nd November 2024
Date: 1st Dec 2024 @ 12:46pm
The families of Tommy, Billy, Teddy, Ezra and Zach joined the whole school as we came together for an amazing celebration in the school hall.
Father Mark Moran welcomed brothers Tommy, Billy and Teddy with a special Catholic blessing.
Ezra and Zach were then baptised as we all watched on, what an amazing experience to be part of!
Congratulations to all of the boys and their families - we hope you enjoyed your special celebration, including the cake afterwards!
Thank you for sharing such a proud and important day with your St Basil's family.
Date: 15th Nov 2024 @ 8:16am
This week we have been reflecting and learning about remembrance day.
The children have done some potato printing to make their own poppies as a sign of respect.
They have learnt more about Festivals around the world.
EYFS - Bonfire Night and Diawli
Date: 11th Nov 2024 @ 4:18pm
What a busy week we have had!
Our new text is called 'Festivals'. It has some beautiful illustrations and we have loved learning about festivals from around the world. We now have a role play party shop, thank you for all your donations!
One of the festivals we have been learning about is Diwali, the festival of light. We have enjoyed learning about the story and making our own diya lamps. We listened to some Diwali dance music too!
We have also been looking at Bonfire Night and fire safety. The children have made chalk firework pictures and talked about their experiences with Bonfire Night.
In RE we have learnt about the Annunication story and how Mary was chosen by God. The children have loved retelling the story with the knitted nativity set.
Whole School - Road Safety Awareness
Date: 23rd Oct 2024 @ 8:21am
This week we met as a school to talk about Road Safety Week. This year it will take place from the 17th to the 23rd of November.
We thought about who our road safety heroes were. We decided they were people who would:
- Work really hard to overcome difficulty
- Do something really well
- Be really brave
We learnt that everyone who helps make journeys safer and healthier or helps care for someone after a crash is a road safety hero.
We talked about the different road safety heroes:
- School crossing patrols
- Roads policing officers
- Road designers and highway engineers
- Fire and rescue services
- Ambulance services
- Medical staff in hospitals
The Y5 road safety officers will be holding a poster competition in November to make people aware of road safety dangers and how to cross safely.
EYFS and Y6 - Meeting our Prayer Partners
Date: 22nd Oct 2024 @ 4:07pm
Reception were very excited to meet their Year 6 Prayer Partners! The children in Year 6 spent some time down in EYFS getting to know their prayer partners and exploring the EYFS area.
Our Prayer Partners help us to recognise and apreciate the religious and spiritual dimentions of life.
Together, we will love, learn and succeed following Jesus.
''Lukie is my Prayer Partner and also my cousin!'' - Tommy
''My Prayer Partner will help me in Reception.'' - Isla
EYFS &Y6 - Parent Collective Worship - Prayer Partners
Date: 22nd Oct 2024 @ 3:56pm
Welcome Collective Worship - St Basil’s Foundation Stage with Year 6 prayer partners.
The children in Year 6 and Reception gathered together to celebrate the children in Reception now being apart of the St Basil's family. Each child in Reception received a prayer book to take home.
''Mrs Sheppard gave me a very special prayer book!'' - Ivy
''Our Prayer Partners are so special to us, they will help us at St Basil's.'' - Troy
Whole School: Blessing of Mary in memory of Christine Wilson
Date: 22nd Oct 2024 @ 12:28pm
On Wednesday 16th October we gathered as a school family to remember Christine Wilson with Father Peter Ross.
Christine was a much loved and valued member of St Basil's and a former Chair of Governors.
We also welcomed Jim Wilson and members of their family, as well as some close friends.
Father Peter led us in prayer and dedicated our new statue of Mary to the memory of Christine, significant particularly during this special month of October.
The children shared in the our liturgy with readings and prayers, as well as with their absolutely beautiful singing.
The occasion was a heartfelt tribute which warmed all of our hearts and provided a lasting memory to treasure.
Whole school - Harvest Cereal Challenge for Widnes Foodbank
Date: 19th Oct 2024 @ 2:44pm
On Friday the 18th of October, we had a great morning completing our Cereal rally challenge.
After collecting boxes of cereal over the last month, each child came with their class to place a box in line ready for 'the big push!'
We were joined by Vicky from the Foodbank and Pip Turner from Asda who organised a donation on their behalf.
We also received a donation from Tesco in Widnes too, which helped boost our boxes to around 230 in total.
The children joined in with a countdown and watching the boxes being knocked over, followed by big cheers at the end!
Thank you to everybody who donated and to all of our children for particpating and showing their solidarity with others.
Comments from the children across school included:
"It was great fun and we got to help people too!"
"I hope people in Widnes won't be hungry now."
"The Foodbank is a brilliant thing."
"I can't wait to do more to help other people."
"I hope the people who get our cereal love eating it."
Date: 11th Oct 2024 @ 8:07am
Every week, the children in Pre School get to take home one of our school ‘Reading for Pleasure’ books. The children love swapping their books on a Wednesday and talk about why they enjoyed reading their chosen book.
Florence – My book was about bunnies; it had flaps to open!
Junior – My book was about feelings, happy and sad. I want to take the monsters book next.
Aoife – This one was about we’re going on a bear hunt shapes.
Jennifer – Mine was about crazy cows!
Caben – I had the gingerbread man but next I would like to take the town book
Sophia – I want to take the one Florence had about bunnies.
Date: 11th Oct 2024 @ 8:01am
This week we have continued to enjoy our 'Farm Shop' role play. The children have had new produce to sell including leeks, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and carrots. They have loved being the shop keeper and dressing up!
The children have loved reading ‘A Squash and a Squeeze’ and can now retell the story themselves. In English we have read ‘Homes’ by Ellis Carson, whilst still thinking about poor Mr Bear in ‘Peace at Last’, who cannot get any sleep!
The children have continued to be in awe of autumn and we have talked about how God made everything in our world. They have made autumn salt paintings and explored autumnal colours. The children have listened to a range of songs about our beautiful world. They have met Sophia the Sloth to learn about Catholic Social Teaching and stewardship.
Outside the children have enjoyed refining their gross motor skills on the bikes and by making trampoline parks out of the crates!
Date: 30th Sep 2024 @ 4:49pm
Our shared reading text is now 'A Squash and a Squeeze' and we have been learning all about the farm.
The children are loving our new role play, the farm shop.
They have had real produce to sell and have certainly filled their baskets!
We have all enjoyed singing ‘Old Mac Donald had a fam’ with the puppets.
The children have also been experimenting printing with different animals.
Date: 30th Sep 2024 @ 4:43pm
We have had another busy but exciting week in EYFS.
The children have enjoyed continuing to read our shared reading text, 'Whatever Next' and our English text, 'Peace at Last'. They have been thinking about what keeps Mr Bear up at nigjt.
They have made pizzas for Mr Bear to eat out of playdough.
All of the children have loved doing 'dough disco' and have been working on their fine motor skills.
Pre school have learnt all about the number 2 and have made their own number 2 number blocks,
Reception have now learnt the sounds s, a, t, and p and have been working on forming these letters correctly. In maths they have been investigating number 4.
Date: 23rd Sep 2024 @ 4:42pm
This week we have been enjoying reading our shared reading text 'Whatever Next'.
In the story, Baby Bear visits space and it made the children wonder what it would feel like to be in space.
The children explored in a sensory tray working on their fine motor skills.
With Miss Clark the children made some sensory moon dough too.
Date: 23rd Sep 2024 @ 4:36pm
This week we have loved learning the song 'Little Green Frog'
We have even found a guiro frog and have been learning how to play the song.
We have used the 'singing hands' video to help us to learn the lyrics and actions.
Date: 23rd Sep 2024 @ 4:33pm
What a week we have had!
This week we have enjoyed our shared reading text, 'Whatever Next'.
We have made space cakes and played with the space small world.
The children have explored both inside and outside in EYFS.
They have set put a teddy bear's cafe and have enjoyed making orders for the teddies.
Outside we noticed an apple tree. The children have loved picking and printing with the apples.
Date: 23rd Sep 2024 @ 4:29pm
To celebrate our first full day at St Basil's we had a Teddy Bear's Picnic on Friday 13th of September.
We shared a little bit about our teddies to our new class and talked about how long we had had them.
We made teddy bear ears and drew our teddies.
At lunch time, our teddies came too! They enjoyed the picnic.
We have also been learning the song ' Teddy Bear's Picnic'
Whole School - Visit from Imran Kotwal for Islam week
Date: 22nd Sep 2024 @ 1:40pm
On Friday 2oth September, Imran Kotwal visited school to help us with our learning about the religion of Islam.
As a Muslim, Imran shared some important items with us and talked about how they are used in daily life, particularly with prayer.
We saw prayer mats and photographs of different mosques, as well as sweet smelling oil which can be used as part of the cleaning ritual before prayer.
Imran also told us about the prophet Muhammad, a key person for Muslims.
This is what some of the children felt about the visit in Year 1 and 2.
"It was really good to know about it all."
"I liked finding out new stuff."
"The best bit was watching how Imran prayed."
"I know that praying is very important to lots of people."
"Religions are sometimes not all the same."
"Everyone is special themselves."
Whole School Assembly - Widnes Foodbank Cereal Challenge
Date: 22nd Sep 2024 @ 1:16pm
This week we launched our Harvest campaign to support the Foodbank here in Widnes.
We held a special assembly and remembered what we have already managed to achieve as a school in helping those in need.
Photos of last year's visit to the Foodbank by the RE Ambassadors were a great reminder, as well as the visit from Margaret and Eileen, two of their volunteers.
To continue our promise to try and 'live in solidarity' with others, we will be collecting donations of cereal over the next month.
On Friday 18th October, we will hold our 'Cereal domino rally' with all of the boxes that are donated.
