Weekly blog

Dear Parents and Carers

On May 15^th we have two events within the nursery.  In the morning the mobile farm shall be visiting us giving the children the opportunity to see first hand sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and other farm animals.  Also we shall be holding a school information evening on the same day (7.30pm – 8.30pm).  This evening may be useful to parents whose children shall be starting school in September 2014.  We have arranged a speaker from St Nicholas school and hopefully will be able to answer any questions parents may have on the processes of applying for schools for your children.  This event has proven very popular in the past.  If you would like to attend please advise a staff member.

We would like to welcome Stani to our Pre school.  Stani comes from Slovakia and has a teaching degree. 

We would also like to welcome two volunteers to the setting.  Hannah will be working within the Bumblebees on a voluntary basis on Wednesdays and Thursdays until her 17^th birthday in July when she shall come on board as an assistant practitioner.  Hannah is currently studying for her NVQ 3.  

Maria has started volunteering with us on a Friday.  Maria originates from Spain and is currently working as an au pair for one of the children within the setting.

As volunteers, the ladies shall not be counted in staff ratio’s and are not left with the children.  The usual police checks and references are sought as everyday practice.  If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please can I remind parents that the setting shall close at 18.00 on Friday May 3^rd and re – open at 8.00am on Tuesday May 7^th.

NB: There has been a change of date for our Summer BBQ in August, from Saturday 24^th to Saturday 17^th August due to the 24^th being the last Bank Holiday before older children go back to school and therefore a lot of parents may be away.

Please can I ask parents to return the parent surveys that went out a few weeks ago.  We have had a lot of praise and a few items that have been highlighted which require improvement which shall be included in the analysis of the feedback which shall be included in the blog on Friday May 10^th, however only a handful of surveys have been returned which means that the data collected really doesn’t paint a full picture of the service we provide.  The surveys sent are also used during our OFSTED inspection and therefore the more we receive back, the bigger the picture OFSTED receive in how we evaluate our practice.

Please can we remind parents to provide their children with named sun cream as we prepare for the hot weather (hopefully!!)  Please be aware that sun cream that has previously been used has a life span of one year before the SPF becomes unreliable and therefore the setting will be unable to use any sun cream which is older than this, which has been opened.

Could I ask parents to be aware of the settings policy surrounding the use of mobile phones.  Calls must not be taken within the rooms where children are and parents are asked, when taking calls, to do so either, in the hallway or outside the building/in your car.  This is following best practice with regards to safeguarding children.  If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Snails

The babies shall continue to follow their theme of families.  Opportunities shall  be made available for the  babies to spend some time with the Caterpillars, whilst song times shall revolve around families and people who love us.

Jenni – Annual leave  Monday & Tuesday  Days Off Jenni – Thursday     

Caterpillars

The Caterpillars shall be using the garden as the main environment for their planning this week.  The children shall use the soft play, outside to climb and explore, large sheets of paper shall be put outside for the children to use their hands to paint with.  The large blocks shall be used for building and balancing.  Heuristic play shall take place in the garden and a relaxing reading area shall be constructed to allow the children some quiet time in a comfortable area, exploring books. 

Days off Jamie – Friday              Alisha annual Leave – Friday a.m

Ladybirds

The children shall continue their theme of ‘Animals’ this week by using the toys fish and other aquatic animals in the water tray, outside, whilst the desert animals shall be used in the sand tray.  The children shall be encouraged to join in an animal matching game with support from the practitioners.  Song times shall revolve around the animal theme whilst an example of the creative activities planned for this week, includes trying to replicate the patterns in different types of fur using paint and other decorating materials.

Days off   Julie – Friday    Abi – Wednesday

Bumblebees

From this week, Nikki shall be returning to a 5 day week, working Monday – Friday.  The children shall continue their theme of ‘How we get to nursery’.  Self help skills shall be a focus this week by encouraging the children to put on their own coats and shoes.  Discussions shall continue surrounding how the children get to nursery and the possible different types of transport.

Days off    Krissi – Monday      Tash – Annual leave Monday & Tuesday, Day off, Wednesday     

Butterflies

Princes and Princesses’ is the current interest within the pre school as it has been noted that the children have been drawing pictures of towers and castles in the art area.

This week the children shall be using large boxes to make a castle and will also design their own crowns and wands to wears at the tea party organised for Thursday May 2^nd.  The children are encouraged to come to the party in fancy dress.  For the party the children shall also prepare a selection of crudités. Also the preschool would like to encourage the children to bring in a book from home surrounding the theme. (Please make sure that the book is named as the setting cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to the items)

From the beginning of September Lee shall be working term time only, continuing on his existing hours.  This shall not interfere with Forest School as this takes place during term time only.

Days off   Jo – Tuesday   Jo absent Thursday & Friday 

Dear Parents and Carers

Thank you to those of you who came to our parents evening.  It was a huge success and so nice to see so many of you.  If you could not make the event and would like to discuss your child’s development with your key worker, please see them to arrange another appointment.

Please may I remind parents that we open at 8.00 am.  There are some children whose parents have arrange to drop off at 7.45 am, which is why there may be a selected few that are here before 8am.  This is available at an additional charge, however currently we are experiencing more and more children arriving and being left before 8am without having arranged an early drop off.  Please can I ask parents to adhere to our opening times.  Many thanks for your co operation.

Snails

Firstly we would like to thank the parents of the babies for your patience and co operation whilst the redecoration is being completed. I am sure that you will agree with me that there is a huge improvement in the aesthetics of the baby room.

The snails will continue with the theme of families and people around us, by using the ‘Happyland people’ in the sand and water trays.

Days Off Jenni – Thursday     

Caterpillars

This week the Caterpillars shall be using the garden as their current interest.  The children shall be exploring bubbles outside and using the tent and tunnels to promote their large motor skills.  The children shall also be mark making outside on boards, paper and the garden floor, using chalks.

Days off Jamie – Friday

Ladybirds

The children shall continue their theme of ‘Animals’ this week by using their sense to explore different fake furs.  The children shall be making animal ears and tails.  The team would like to ask those parents with pets, if they could bring in a photograph which can be used as a discussion tool with the children. 

Days off   Julie – Thursday    Abi – Monday

Bumblebees

The children in the Bumblebees shall be exploring ‘How we get to nursery’ for the next two weeks.   ‘Stop’ and ‘Go’ signs shall be used in the garden whilst the children are on the bikes and discussions shall take place during circle time surrounding how the children get to nursery.  Box craft shall be used to make a car and the children shall be encouraged to draw pictures of how we get to nursery.

Days off    Krissi – Monday      Tash – Friday      Nikki – Monday

Butterflies

‘All things British’ shall be the current topic of interest for the Pre school children this week. The children shall discuss what fruits and vegetables grow in Britain and those that grow in other countries.  The children shall make bunting and the St Georges Cross.  Countries within the UK shall be discussed and then the children shall be supported to make a puzzle out of them.

A tasting session using caffeine free tea’s shall be organised and the blocks shall be used to make famous British landmarks.

Days off   Jo – Tuesday    

Please can we ask that children be provided with sun cream now that the warmer weather is starting to arrive (hopefully).  The sun cream needs to be named and less than one year old.  Many thanks for your co operation in this matter.

Dear Parents and Carers

Thank you to all of those parents who came to the Forest school taster session.  The weather was on our side and you all were fabulous participants.  Photo’s of the session can be viewed on the monitor in the entrance hall (Sorry chaps).

Just to confirm that the Forest school shall start this Monday afternoon.  The parents of those children attending have already been informed and information has been displayed on the notice board outside the pre school. Between now and July the children experiencing the Forest school shall be those who leave us to go to school this year.  Please do not be concerned that your child will not have opportunity to participate.  We shall alter the sessions on a 6 weekly rota to take accommodate the sessions of children taking part. There are circumstances which we cannot accommodate which are explained in the pack which parents will receive prior to their children taking part in the sessions.

Sadly we have to say goodbye to our head chef, Wendy, who has the opportunity of a new challenge.  Strategies have been put into place to ensure a consistency of high quality food that is currently being served and interviews are ongoing.  Wendy’s last day with us will be Friday May 3^rd.

Snails

The babies shall be looking at ‘Families and the people around us’ for the next two weeks.  Jenni would like to ask parents to provide photographs of the children with close family members whereby at the need of the two weeks she can devise a display for the children to look at.

The children shall also be using the ‘Happy land people’ in the water and sand.

Days Off Jenni – Thursday     

Caterpillars

This week the Caterpillars shall be concentrating on extending their sensory play.  They shall be doing through sand and water play.  Observations have shown that the children really enjoy taking part in the sensory activities and , for this reason, the team shall be extending the sensory experiences available to the children through ice play, flour play and activities using corn flour.

Days off Jamie - Wednesday

Ladybirds

The children shall be taking part in activities surrounding the theme of ‘Animals’ this week.  The children shall have the opportunity to read stories based on animals, with the staff, and paint and decorate pictures of particular animals.

Days off   Julie – Thursday    Abi – Monday

Bumblebees

Air and Sea transport continue to be the theme for the Bumblebees.  Already the children have made a large boat out of big boxes.  This week they shall be looking out for aeroplanes whilst in the garden, paint pictures of helicopters and make paper planes.

Days off    Krissi – Monday      Tash – Friday      Nikki – Thursday

Butterflies

Construction shall be the focus of activities this week for the pre school children.   Challenges such as ‘How many blocks can we stack without them falling over’ and examining buildings all over the world, and what are they made from?

The children shall also be looking around their immediate environment to identify shapes which surround them.  They shall also try to match geometric shapes from those they identify.

Den building, looking at the processes of making popcorn and designing and creating items on the woodwork bench are also planned for this week of activities.

Days off   Jo – Tuesday    

We are holding our parents evening this Thursday (7pm – 9pm).  If you would like to see your child’s keyworker to discuss their development, please see your keyworker to make an appointment.  We must request that children are not present on this occasion.  If you have any questions, please see Michelle.

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to our weekly blog, we aim to send out an update of events, developments, news and activities throughout each week.

Snails and Caterpillars

The children will be looking at Water and Sand play this week. They will be exploring ice cubes with sand, building sand castles with wet sand, exploring coloured sand with different tools, sand and water play in the garden, creating sand paintings and exploring textures using sand and cornflour.

Days Off Jenni – Thursday     Jamie – Friday

Ladybirds

This week the children will be looking at Animals. They will be making a farm using happy land toys, reading animal stories such as ‘Monkey Puzzle’, ‘Bear Hunt’ and ‘Giraffes Can’t Dance’, creating animal masks using different textures and colours and exploring the animal puppets - can you make the sounds the animal makes?

 Days off   Julie – Thursday    Abi – Monday

Bumblebees

The children will be looking at Air and Sea Transport, they will be looking at rescue books, making flight and boat ferry tickets, looking at the sky in the garden for helicopters and aeroplanes, making boats for the water tray, painting pictures of the helicopters and counting boats in the water tray.

Days off    Krissi – Monday      Tash – Friday      Nikki – Monday

Butterflies

The children will continue to centre their activities around the environment, they will be watering and caring for their newly planted seeds, creating forest fairies using wooden pegs and explore the wooden logs. They will also design a rules poster for our forest school, practice listening using hidden and visible  musical instruments which will enable them to see which two sound the same, creating environments from around the world such as desert, swamp, forest and town using small world and completing their recycling puzzle to prompt discussion about where our rubbish goes and how we respect our environment.

Days off   Jo – Tuesday    

Please may we remind parents to sign their children in and out, this is a legal requirement.

Lee would like to remind you all that the Forest School taster session will take place this Saturday at 10am.

We would like to remind parents that we will be holding our Spring Parents evening on Thursday 18^th April 7-9pm.

Week commencing 01^st April 2013

Snails and Caterpilliars

The children will be centring their activities on water. They will be making marks in cornflour with their hands and feet, exploring water in the garden with brushes and sponges, splashing in puddles, exploring ice with their hands and role play with the babies in the bath cleaning babies with bubbly water and cloths.

Days Off     Jenni – Thursday     Jamie -  Wednesday and Friday

Stacey is on Annul Leave

Ladybirds

The ladybirds will continue to look at spring. They will be playing a spring matching game, reading spring stories with puppets, singing spring songs, making chick masks, making flowers and completing animal puzzles.

Days Off    Abi – Friday     Julie – Tuesday and Thursday

Bumblebees

The children will continue to look at Holidays and how we get there. They will be role playing a plane journey, reading transport stories, counting cars, singing “The Wheels on the Bus”, looking at different colours and sizes of holiday transport, playing a transport matching game and making passport and travel tickets.

Days off    Krissi – Tuesday      Nikki – Thursday and Friday    Tash – Thursday and Friday

Butterflies

The Butterflies will be looking at the Environment. They will be making a weather chart to use at circle time, planting vegetables, talking about trees and Forest School, looking at recycling and why we do it, exploring different materials in the weather such as kites, ribbons and bubbles.

Days off    Jo – Tuesday

The butterflies would like to thank all those parents who helped us on the Spot Trip last Thursday, this was a great success and thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Please can we ask all parents to return their parent surveys to the office or the box located in the foyer.