Nursery & Preschool, Sidcup - Newsletter - Jan 2026
Welcome to January!
Welcome back, everyone! We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break. It has been lovely to see the children settling back happily into Pre-School as we begin this exciting new year. January has brought wonderful opportunities for learning and discovery, with our winter and animal themes capturing the children's imagination and sparking fantastic conversations and creative activities.
What We've Been Learning
Winter Wonders & Icy Explorations
We began the month exploring the dramatic changes from autumn to winter, talking about colder weather and how our environment transforms at this time of year. The children learned about penguins and their icy habitats, created beautiful penguin artwork with puff paint and glitter, and went on an engaging winter walk around the school grounds where they spotted signs of frost and ice.
We extended this icy theme by learning about glaciers and icebergs that surround the South Pole. The children had great fun painting with ice—exploring the cold textures and watching it slowly melt as they created. This hands-on experience brought geography and sensory learning together beautifully.
Bears & Adventures
We finished the month celebrating bears! The children thoroughly enjoyed reading 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt', and we brought the story to life with our own bear hunt around the school grounds. The adventure ended with hot chocolate and cake—a wonderful, memorable moment together. The children have confidently acted out and retold the story independently during their play, using fantastic language and wonderful teamwork.
We also made bears using junk modelling materials and worked on sequence pictures to support storytelling skills. Through play, the children learned about different bears and where they live across the world.
Key Learning Areas
Phonics & Reading
We focused on four key sounds across the month: 'D' (dog, door, dinosaur, duck), 'G' (grapes, glue, glasses, goat), 'O' (orange, otter, ostrich, octopus) and 'C' (car, cup, crown, cat). The children have been blending sounds together with enthusiasm—d-o-g, g-oa-t, and c-a-t—building confidence in their phonics journey.
Our focus books were 'Lost and Found' for our older children and 'Pip and Posy: The Snowy Day' for our younger children, both perfect for the season.
Maths
We've been developing mathematical thinking through play and hands-on activities. Our younger children have been spotting and beginning to recognise numbers, while our older children have been confidently recognising and naming them. We've explored size language (giant, tiny, big, little, huge, small), compared objects (longer/shorter, bigger/smaller), and measured through playful activities exploring weight and length.
Nursery Rhymes & Music
We enjoyed singing 'Pat-a-Cake', 'Ring-a-Ring-a-Roses', and 'Round and Round the Garden'. The children particularly loved 'Row, Row, Row your Boat'—they even made their own boats and sang together. Music and rhyme are wonderful ways to develop language and listening skills.
Play & Social Learning
Through board games and group play, the children have been learning important social skills: understanding rules, taking turns and sharing with their friends. These everyday moments build confidence and cooperation.
Important Dates & Reminders
Reception Class Applications: The deadline for primary school Reception Class applications is 15th January 2026.
Parent Workshop: Thank you to all who attended our communication and language development workshop on Monday 26th January. This was a wonderful session exploring how we support children's speech and language together.
Half Term Break: Pre-School closes on Friday 13th February and reopens on Monday 23rd February.
Reminders: Please ensure your child brings wellington boots and a change of clothes. We ask that children don't bring toys from home.
Health & Wellbeing
We reported a small number of chickenpox cases during January. Please do contact us if your child shows any signs of illness. We appreciate your partnership in keeping our community healthy and safe.
Learning at Home
You can support your child's learning at home by:
Talking about winter weather and seasonal changes you observe together
Comparing objects around your home (which is longer, shorter, bigger, smaller?)
Going on winter walks and bear hunts in your garden or local park
Singing nursery rhymes and songs together, especially 'Pat-a-Cake', 'Ring-a-Ring-a-Roses' and 'Row, Row, Row your Boat'
Reading 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' and talking about the story
Playing simple board games to practise turn-taking and following rules
Spotting numbers in everyday life—on doors, buses, packaging—and talking about them
A Moment to Celebrate
One particularly lovely moment this month was watching our children confidently act out and retell 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' during their independent play. What struck us most was their wonderful teamwork, their use of expressive language, and their genuine joy in sharing the story with each other. It's magical to see learning come alive like this—when a book becomes an adventure, when children feel safe to explore and create together, and when their imagination carries them away. These moments remind us why we do what we do.
Looking Ahead
We're excited to see what February brings! We're grateful for your trust in us and for the wonderful partnership we share. Together, we're nurturing confident, curious, creative learners who love to explore.
Warmly,
The St Peter Chanel Pre-School & Nursery Team