Life at the nursery

A DAY IN THE LIFE AT ORANGE SEEDS NURSERY

Each day at Orange Seeds Nursery is fresh, exciting and different – though we do implement a daily routine with a themed lesson plan depending on the class level. This routine consists of allocated times during which your child will be engaged in individual and group learning, snack breaks and lunch times, sports and gym time, Heuristic play and messy play, circle and story time, outdoor play and music.

With the day starting between 8:00 am – 8:30 am, each child, once greeted by their teacher or teacher assistant, is free to approach the hands-on activities laid out on the shelves. The team members of the class, help to guide the children as they work independently. After 8.30am, and once all children are together, the nursery begins…

JUNIOR TODDLER CLASS: 4 MONTHS TO 12 MONTHS

At this age, there is a focus on heuristic play to support the child’s sensory development. The toddlers have an innate urge to satisfy their curiosity and start with feeling objects and manipulating them in different ways to see cause and effect. We engage in activities that play on their natural desire to gather, fill, empty, stack and transfer items. Our toddler program is designed to prepare the child for the pre-school program and additionally, provide each child with the same routine established at home. This will further help the child feel settled and content with his or her new environment.

TODDLER CLASS: 12 MONTHS TO 2 YEARS

This class caters to the young walkers, who have now become steady on their feet and ready to take on more challenges with their learning. The pre-school program begins here, with one-to-one sessions that use simple fine motor skills and sensorial exercises. Each class and its materials are ‘laid out’ at their level, encouraging the children to explore them themselves, perfect their movements and during breaks, feed themselves. Further topics are introduced and initiated with art materials, group work, language (French and Arabic), music, sports and circle time.

PRE-SCHOOL CLASS: 2 YEARS TO 3 YEARS

During this stage, the children are ready for a more structured day; following ground rules and be given the freedom of choice to choose hands-on activities from each of the learning areas. The entire environment and learning plan are set to encourage independence. At this stage there is a focus on sensory play and language activities with the alphabet being introduced through the jolly phonics system, coupled with the sensory sandpaper alphabet symbols. Recognition of symbols and associating them to sounds begins here. The same goes for numeracy, where numeric symbols are related to quantity through various activities, be it sensory, art, hands-on or circle times.

FS1 CLASS: 3 YEARS TO 4 YEARS

An extension of the pre-school 2 class, each child is approached with activities suitable for their age, interest and capability. Through daily observations, teachers can assess when a child is ready to progress to the next level. Even though the FS 1 program is primarily the EYFS curriculum, the fact that it is Montessori inspired, allows the child to develop at their own pace. The 7 areas of learning, with relevant learning materials, are free for the children to access. Children are encouraged to challenge themselves and do their best every day. Children work individually or in a group setting during their daily work cycle.

FS2 CLASS: 4 YEARS TO 5 YEARS

Certain essential learning goals related to acquiring language and numeracy skills important for mainstream schooling are imparted successfully at this stage.

Math skills are developed with group and individual hands-on experiences. Children’s math experiences expand as they count higher, compare more, expand patterning skills, and begin to understand the concept of adding and subtracting.

Children are exposed to a wide variety of fine motor activities that help them develop the skills that they need to write letters. Whether writing in shaving cream, tracing sand paper letters, or stamping letters, children begin to see and feel each letter’s formation. They begin with curves and lines, eventually learning to form letters. Children are given opportunities to write and draw on a variety of media, including chart paper, chalkboards, and dry erase boards. By the end of the year, they would be able to write their names and associate each letter sound of the alphabet with its sound, in preparation for reading.

Emphasis is placed on social interaction, emotional growth and independence. Children learn to follow directions, take turns, share, and co-operate. They are given lots of opportunities to make decisions and are encouraged to make good choices.

AFTERNOON CLUB

An extended hours service, the afternoon club is aimed at providing a little extra edutainment each day for the children, whilst also offering their parents option and flexibility with their own personal or professional commitments. During the afternoon club, each day focuses on a new skill, and discovery, with the activities specifically designed to offer something different to their usual day – allowing for a little freedom with their learning whilst remaining in the familiar environment. Activities include sensory play, cooking, drama and role-play and even gardening when the weather allows.

EVENTS & CELEBRATIONS

Priding ourselves on being a mix of cultures and traditions in an adopted homeland, we make sure to celebrate and understand the importance of cultural, social and religious events and celebrations throughout the year. Each ’day’ we create activities, music and experiences that allow the children, and their invited families, to not only celebrate together but gain a broader understanding of the people and the world around us.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR

We partner with carefully, hand-picked external service providers that offer enriching experiences to give a bonus to our children’s curriculum. Ballet, football, gymnastic, plus many more, allow our children to discover additional technical and social skills while remaining in our safe and secure environment.

HOLIDAY CAMPS

Outside of the regular term times, we remain open for Winter, Spring and Summer camps, continuing to provide a safe space and happy environment for the children, with themed activities and additional hour options, offering additional support to parents throughout the year.

SPRING CAMP

These two weeks coincide with the season of growth and harvest. The themes are related to exploring nature, studying life cycles, spring time weather changes and the science behind these changes. These themes are supported with real life experiments, recipes from real whole grains and nature walks and trails. Creating art and scrap booking using nature are also featured during the spring camps.

WINTER CAMP

A fun plan is set out for the children to enjoy their holidays. The main themes of the winter camps are focused on the winter and festive season. We have had the carnival theme, celebrations around the world theme and even a theme on the season of giving and why it is necessary for us to share with others.

SUMMER CAMP

In order to provide a complete experience each week, we usually break down the theme to be completed within a week. We choose literary themes such as children’s literature by Julia Donaldson, Eric Carle and other authors. Each week is a different story, hence all the activities, art work, role play, music and yoga lessons are based on the stories.