Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 I am trying (agianst much opposition) to change our role play area from a house (where the children just run in and out throwing dishes and food around, leave and refuse to tidy afterwards; not for me but as a senior staff member, I am not always in the area!!!!!) to Percy the Park-keeper's cottage. So far I have a small cooker, wooden table and chairs, kettle, crockery, cutlery etc, a "homemade" fireplace with a basket of logs, 2 sets of Park-Keeper gear (wellies, coats and hats) wheelbarrows, plant pots, garden tools, seed catalogues, gardening mags and so on, There is a small bread crate with a blanket for sick animals to rest in (complete with bottles etc). Can I add any other elements???? I have tried to gather together soft animals for sorting but we have a disticnct shortage of squirrels, badgers etc. Any ideas would be much appreciated Janet
Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 dear jambo hello i hvan't come across you before Neil griffisths has a book called "corner for lerning" for role-play. he has writen a whoe senaro connected with percy the park keeper.. See if you can get the book or i can photocopy the the pages fr you. Let me knnow
Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 pardon the 3 wine glasses of wine which is affecting the levle of typing
Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 Thanks for that recommendation - I will be down to the bookshop tomorrow!! I found your first message perfectly clear, I too am on the Wine Wind Down diet, although I may be a glass behind you!!!! Janet
Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 i beleive it doesn't count if its drunk at the pub- i did
SueFinanceManager Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 Dear Janet Glass of wine in hand here too Percy's hut sounds such a brilliant idea. You could spend a week concentrating on a particular story such as 'Hedgehogs Balloon' becuase then you could bring in scince based things using the balloons. The one about the snowy night would tie in nicely as we are soon entering winter, lots of CLL about how Percy and the animals will keep warm etc. Good luck, sounds great fun. Sue
Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 Funnily enough, hibernation and hedgehogs is the topic next week and I have just been thinking about filling the sand tray with blown up balloons and thngs like dry spaghetti, cooked spaghetti, cotton wool, wellies, pencils and pens, pine cones and needles, acorns,conkers and leaves and so on to see what might pop a balloon. I remember linking Percy to Autumn last year, but did squirrels gathering nuts, after a trip to Oasis Whinfell Forest in Penrith I has loads of photos of squirrels eating things we put out for them!!!!!!! Anyway back to the sand tray towards the end of next week I have planned to have compost, beans seeds and bulbs for the children to explore. This will be transferred to one of our new planters afterwards and we will see what grows!! Janet
hali Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 Im on my 3rd too.........do you think we are alcies on here (sory for spelling) its friday.....hic hic
Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 It's a nice idea to give the children a change in the role play area but wouldn't they just trash Percy's cottagewhen they had had enough? - conkers and wellies flying around conjures up quite a picture not to mention a wheelbarrow!
hali Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 a sensible answer for a friday..well done mousebat
Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 hal! - I only become sensible once I'm on my second bottle of beer ( Budvar czech beer not to be confused with Budweiser the american beer)
Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 It's only a 2 week cottage. After that I have suggested the Enourous Turnip anf the Magic Soup Pot, using a diferent kitchen, changing the crockery and introducing real veg for the kitchen!!! This is another small change ( 2 week max) We then "apparently" will close down the role play until december and the Santa's Workshop I used last year comes back out!!!!!! This is not my decision, the children should have acceess to some sort of role play all of the time, it is just not monitored efficiently and as I have been removed from the department, each time I walk in the cot is upside down, ironing board in pieces and all of the cutlery etc is thrown around the room. I cannot expect any more as there is a culture of throw it back in the corner and deal with it later from the team in the department too!!!!! I am trying to lead by example, If I don't change the role play it remains a condemned house ALL OF THE TIME. ( I have done Garden Centre, Hairdressers, Pirate Ship, Airplane, Cafe (Italina, Chinese etc, Desert Island, Santa's Workshop, Stable and Builders Yard) Janet
SueFinanceManager Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 Janet Where is your setting, is this the sort of behaviour that you expect from your children, do you have such a big budget that you as an organisation can afford to have resources trashed? Sue
Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 I think I'd better remove tongue from cheek jambo - I wasn't being totally serious I know exactly what you mean about role play areas. I divide my time being a teacher for one term and a TA for two. I had to spend a lot of my time as a TA in the role play area. Just imagine how I felt sitting in Santa's grotto wearing my Rudolph costume during Ofsted week last year - the inspector loved it. She suggested the teacher join in too!
Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 No And whilst I was in the PS dept it never happened it is only since my promotion and removal from the dept that this has been allowed to start!!!!! I have to say in my defence when the New PS staff team came and asked me to buy new food and pots and pans for the role play area they were told in no uncertain terms that until they encouraged positive play and the respect of existing resources there would be no more new equipment at all!!!!!!! I am fed up of going in and finding pots of things they cannot be bothered to put away and our cleaner finds, or having bought a piece of new equipment, going in to hear they let a child take a piece home, or could not stop him breaking it!!!!! Janet
SueFinanceManager Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 Janet I can only imagine how frustrated you are. There must be some senior member of staff who feels that allowing this lack of respect to your resources is unacceptable surely. Take care Sue
Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 On a more serious note.....it does make you wonder how these children treat their things at home.
Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 I would like to think I had backing, but I think I have mentioned elsewhere on the forum, I think there are bigger plans afoot for the premises, we are operating on a 60% capacity, unheard of years ago we were the bst and we had a waiting list, things are sliding and after the redundancies things seem to be winding down the property is worth a fortune and this could be invested in the residential care ( and government funded) side of the Centre. This is why I have given myself a deadline to either have business plans in place or have a new job!! How cynical am I All my protestations seem to fall on deaf ears (get her out of the dept and shut her up!!!!!!) Janet
Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 Funny you should mention poltergeists - we do have ghosts in the building!! Maybe it's them objecting to the lack of fun!!! I too have sat with my hair in rollers, towel around my neck and a "cup of tea" to keep me going much to the disapproval of the other members of the team. I personally can't wait to get into the cottage, stoke up the fire, bung on some wellies and head out to do some planting, come back and look after the poor sick lamb and have my tea!!!!!!!! It's unfortunate I will be too busy washing dishes, wiping bums and having meetings to enjoy it. I'm sure I'll make time though!!! Janet
Sue R Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 Denise - Budvar's the best!! Jambo - I suspect your'promotion' duties so far are just lulling you into a false sense of security! Sue
Guest Posted October 8, 2004 Posted October 8, 2004 jambo - sounds as though the powers that be are trying to break your 'spirit' - if you pardon the pun. Enjoy your time in the role play and blow what the others think. After being Rudolph I was then made to be Rubrikt (sp.) Santa's naughty elf. I had a ball ! and before anyone asks there is no photographic evidence - I protested on the grounds of my human rights!!!
Guest Posted October 9, 2004 Posted October 9, 2004 jambo your problem seems to be like mine. I have 1 member of staff who refuses to change any aspect of her practice and is not qualified and refuses to go on any courses. The school has no real idea of what we do in nursery and does not see the need for efficient pro-active assistant. She has put her case froward effectively and is always overhelpful in the rest of school but is quite differnt within the work setting. it is quite frustrating to enthuse others or change their ides and thats way i've decided that thought i have invested my time, effort, money and holidays in the nursery it si not enough and i am making a clean break and leave. not a defeat but more bec i think i'm worth more and my family life is more important. So :wacko: roll on January new life and new interests. So you need to evalaute your own postiiton and decide what is best for you.
Guest Posted October 10, 2004 Posted October 10, 2004 Leo I know where you are coming from. I have had enough of trying to encourage staff to go to the "children's level" I have started a business plan and hope to have developed a succesful plan within 6 months. I have decide to take the "money and run" although I love what I do and the changes I have made were forthe better, now that I have been "removed" parents are questioning where I am, what I am doing!!! Someone has already said that they may be trying to break my spirit, I think they may be right!!!!! The only saving graces are my caretaker and chef, who I can go and have a sly cup of coffee with, oh what a bottle of wine every now and then can do!!!!! Janet
Gezabel Posted October 10, 2004 Posted October 10, 2004 Err going to children's level does this count???
Gezabel Posted October 10, 2004 Posted October 10, 2004 Sorry! my last message now doesnt make sense! I attached an image of me as a fairy!!!! thought my barbie crown looked quite good but chickened out after I had posted and edited it!! Couldnt find how to delete a whole message so you got left with one that doesnt make sense! (Do any of mine make sense I wonder :wacko:
Guest Posted October 10, 2004 Posted October 10, 2004 It most certainly does count ....that's great geraldine.....you're very brave (or didn't you have a choice) I certainly did not want to be seen as Rudolph or Rubrecht outside of Santas Grotto.
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