Wednesday 9 October 2019 As the leaves turn orange and the nights lengthen, the youngest pupils at the Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) celebrated Autumn Day. Pupils in nursery and reception classes at Rose Court had a very exciting day, learning about all things autumnal. To set the mood they wore autumnal colours to school rather than their uniform. One of the most fascinating activities was the visit from three rescued hedgehogs brought in by Penny and Carl from Prickly Edge Hedgehog Rescue in Methley. The rescue team is in their first year, and has already helped 50 hedgehogs, rehabilitating them back into the wild The children learned about how to look after and hold the hedgehogs, what types of food they eat and the dangers that they face. When asked about their favourite part of this activity, reception pupil Amelie stated that it was “learning how to hold the hedgehogs” and her classmate Miles enjoyed discovering “how these animals grow.” Staying on the hedgehog theme, the children also enjoyed painting the animals, making them out of playdough and building hedgehog houses. Outdoors, they took an autumn walk in the sunshine, where they gathered autumn leaves to make crowns. Back in class, they made tree pictures, threaded pumpkins and made some scarecrows. Later on, pupils sang songs celebrating the harvest and the beautiful world that we live in. Mrs Emma Alderson, reception leader, said: “The children love autumn day, learning about the changing seasons, how to explore the world around them through their senses and how to care for animals. It’s a great introduction to their next topic of ‘enchanted forests and woodlands’.” The whole of Rose Court also took part in their annual harvest collection, where St George’s Crypt was overwhelmed with generous amounts of donations from students and parents. This Leeds based homelessness charity focuses on accommodation, training and mentoring to transform lives. General Primary News
