Healthy Eating

Dear Parents and Carers

We hope that you all had a lovely Easter break.  This week sees the introduction of our spring/summer menu’s which are displayed in each room and also on the front door.  If you would like a copy, please do not hesitate to ask. Also this Saturday we are holding our healthy eating forum, whereby Emily, our cook will be sharing some of her recipes with you and parents will have the opportunity for a question and answer session regarding food served up at nursery and also suggestions for challenging eating behaviours such children who will only eat certain foods or turn their noses up at vegetables, for example.  The session will run from 9.30am – 11.30am.  If you would like to join us please could you advise Michelle.  Thank you.

Policies

Please see the attached our procedure for the administration of medicine and our Paracetamol suspension administration policy’. 

Snails

The focus in the snails this week will be exploring the outdoor environment.  Leanne will encourage the children to roll and  stand, using the walkers in the garden.  The babies will also experience story time outdoors.  Creative activities for the babies include using chalks to make marks outside and water play. 

Alisha – Annual leave all week  Leanne – day off Friday

Caterpillars

The current interest in the Caterpillars is Spring and ‘Exploring self and imagination’.  The books of the week are ‘Farmyard friends’ and ‘Old Macdonald’.   This week the children will be encouraged to use mirrors to point to different facial body parts and will be encouraged to explore the role play area, trying on hats and costumes. Creative activities planned for this week include making spring flower pictures and animal masks. Planned activities within the Snails and Caterpillars surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

Days off Jamie - Friday   Tara - Tuesday       Tarnia – Annual leave all week

Ladybirds

The current interests in the ladybirds are water play, cars and insects and bugs.  The story of the week is ‘Bugs at play.’  This week the children will be encouraged to use to push and pull the cars along the floor, whilst the water trays shall have sea life animals in them to encourage imaginative play. Creative activities this week include mark making in damp sand.  the children shall also look for bugs and insects outside in the garden.  Planned activities within the ladybirds surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

Days off   Abi – Tuesday    Kim– Annual leave Tuesday and Wednesday  

Bumblebees

For the next two weeks the Bumblebees team shall be concentrating their planned activities around sharing and ensuring that all children have the opportunity to explore the new equipment in the new defined areas. This week the children will have their group activities in each of the following areas,; Construction, ICT, role play, creative and sand and water.  The books of the week are ‘Sharing is caring’ and ‘Teeth are not for biting’. Creative activities planned include making play dough and using a selection of tools with the play dough, create a picture using a selection of equipment such as scissors, glue and paint and using pencils to create lines and circles on a large area .  Planned activities within the Bumblebees surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning which is now displayed on the large notice board outside the Bumblebees room.

Days off    Jenni – Thursday     Jani – Friday

Butterflies                       

 This week the children’s interests surround growing.  The children will be encouraged to discuss how things grow such as flowers, plants and people.  The book of the week is ‘The very lazy ladybird’.  The children will be encouraged to make up a story around the book of the week. Also, this week, the children will be encouraged to build a structure using the big blocks outside and then to follow instructions to hop, jump and walk, using their structure. Planned activities within the Butterflies surround each child’s current interest in conjunction with supporting and extending their development.  To find out what activities are planned for your child for this week, please see your child’s keyworker who will be happy to take you through the planning.

Days off   Stani – Friday   Tracy – Wednesday   

Procedure for the administration of medicine

Aim of policy

At Castle Daycare & Preschool, we put the safety, comfort and welfare of the children first, therefore we would expect a child suffering from a short term illness to be cared for at home until they are fully recovered.  However, we accept there are occasions when Nursery staff will be required to administer medication. This policy gives guidance to how we do this.

Points to consider

The definition of the term ‘medication’ in this context is taken to mean any medicinal preparations specifically prescribed for the treatment of non-contagious conditions.

Only the Manager or a senior worker (deputy or senior practitioner) is authorised to administer medicines.  Details of all medicines administered must be recorded on the medication authorisation form.

Castle Daycare and Preschool aim to achieve this by:

·         A manager or senior staff member will administer prescribed medication or Paracetamol Suspension on written instruction from a parent.

·         Children should not attend the nursery if suffering from a communicable disease or one that requires special treatment during the day, change of dressings etc unless staff have received the necessary training. 

·         Long term illnesses or conditions requiring specialist training and support (such as diabetes) will be assessed as described in our special needs policy and individual health care plan will be completed and agreed with the parent/carer.

·         Medication will be stored away from the children in a secure place. At this nursery medication is stored:

In the office or in the fridge in the staff room

·         Medication must be in correct containers, clearly labelled to indicate:

·         Child’s name

·         Date of prescription

·         Use by date

·         Dosage

·         Any other relevant information

·         The parent/guardian must enter medication details on the medicine authorisation form, including:

·         Date of instruction

·         Name of child

·         Type of medication and dosage

·         Method of administering dose

·         Time of dose and duration of treatment

This instruction should be signed by the parent and counter-signed by the Manager or senior worker.

Two members of staff must be present to administer medication – one of whom shall be the Manager or senior worker.

The medication label, the authorisation form and the child’s identity must be carefully checked prior to administering the medication.

Do not administer further medication if the child spits out, vomits or spills part of the dose.  This should be recorded on the administration form (comments).

Replace the medication in the designated area for medication.

Record times of doses on the child’s daily record sheet and medicine authorisation form and alter accordingly if the previous dose is administered earlier or later than stated – (record the reason for this)

For long term medication, such as inhalers and epi-pens, individual protocols should be made, documenting in more detail information about when and how the medication should be administered.

The parent must sign the administration record at the end of the child’s day/ session.

 

Paracetamol Suspension administration policy

Aim of policy           

To ensure that the administration of non-prescription Paracetamol Suspension (Calpol) medication is administered correctly and safely to any children who require it.

Points to consider

Paracetamol Suspension will only be administered in an emergency and with permission obtained from a parent or authorised guardian.

Castle Daycare and Preschool aim to achieve this by:

Paracetamol Suspension will be kept on site as an emergency provision only.

Paracetamol Suspension must be kept in a labelled container in the medication cupboard.

Paracetamol Suspension is for the use of the reduction of body temperature in nursery children who have a body temperature exceeding 37.5°C unless the child’s core body temperature is naturally lower, this should be requested in writing by the parent.

 To help lower the child’s raised temperature:

Take off the child’s outer clothes, leaving them in simply their vest and pants/ nappy. (Cover with a cotton sheet if they shiver). Please keep privacy in mind.

Keep the room at a normal temperature (18- 20°C) or cooler by opening windows and use a fan to circulate the air, but do not aim it directly at the child.

Give plenty of fluids to drink.

Sponge the child’s body and head- not hands and feet- with lukewarm water with a face flannel.

Contact parent and obtain further permission, in addition to the already obtained signed long term preventative medication form for the administration of Paracetamol Suspension

Give the oral Paracetamol Suspension as prescribed by the parent; however the guidelines stated below must never be exceeded.

o     3-6 months: One 2.5ml spoonful

o     6-24 months: One 5ml spoonful

o     2-4 years: One 5ml spoonful and one 2.5ml spoonful

o     4-6 years: Two 5ml spoonfuls

o     Do not repeat dose.

When judging the child’s fitness to stay at nursery take into account the well child policy .