Parent News

Dear Parents and Carers

A polite reminder to all of our school leavers that we are holding our graduation party, this Wednesday, July 2^nd (3pm – 5pm).  There will be a ceremony where the children will be presented with their certificates, party games and a bouncy castle.  If your child does not normally attend you are more than welcome to join us, however your child will need to be accompanied by an adult.

Don’t forget that we are also holding our summer BBQ on Saturday July 12^th (2pm – 5pm).  This is an ideal opportunity for you busy parents to network and catch up with each other.  All proceeds shall be donated to the princess hair trust, a wig making charity for children suffering from the effects of cancer treatments.

Policies

Please find attached our settling in and transition policies.

Snails

The focus in the snails this week will be colours through sensory exploration. The children will have the opportunity to explore with the cars in green sand and experience the touch and feel of blue feathers on their toes, face and hands. Creative activities, this week, include red cornflour play and gluing and sticking, using feathers, for our older babies.

Planned activities within the Snails 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.

 

Alisha –  Day off   Wednesday                          Leanne – Day off Friday

 

Caterpillars

This week the Caterpillars team will focus on exploring paint in different ways, including cling film, table, string and body painting.   The children will be encouraged to look at their own family books and those of their friends. The creative activities this week include, cornflour play, playdough and mark making.

Planned activities within the 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 – Monday          Tara  - Tuesday      Tarnia Annual Leave all wk

Ladybirds

The current interests in the ladybirds continue to be dinosaurs, sand play, mark making and animals.  This week the children will be encouraged to use their imagination in the sand pit, playing with the safari animals, identify animals, using flash cards and paint using the dinosaur feet.   Creative activities this week include, mark making in damp soil. The book of the week is’ Harry and the dinosuar’s say “Raahh”. 

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 – Friday     Kim – Annual Leave Friday     

Bumblebees

This week the children will develop their creative skills through wax crayon painting, bubble painting and using the hole punches with adult support.   The role play area will be transformed into a train ticket office for the week. To help the children develop their understanding of the world, the team shall support the children to look for insects and then make a bug hotel for them. Activities to support mathematical development include drawing numbers with our fingers and counting how many spades of sand are needed to fill the buckets, an extension of this activity could be discussing the difference in numbers pertaining to the size of the spade or bucket.

 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      

Jani – Wednesday            Jenni – Thursday    Hannah – Annual leave all week

 

Butterflies                       

 This week the children’s interest is ‘going to school’ and our graduation party.   The children will make paper chains for the party and create their own display for the book corner. The children will play ‘Simon says’, practising their listening skills.  The children will be asked to think about the things that they are good at, promoting high self esteem during this transition period. 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 – Tuesday

Settling in policy

Aim of policy

 

At Castle Daycare & Preschool we want every child to thrive with us. Part of making this happen is having a high quality settling in procedure that supports the child and their family as they join us.

 

Points to consider

 

Through this policy and the appointment of professional staff, we aim to make parents/carers feel comfortable in the nursery and that the staff team are friendly, approachable and attentive to their needs and the needs of their children.

 

Castle Daycare and Preschool aim to do this by:

 

·         From the point of booking, the family become members of the nursery and should be informed of any major events, social activities and general news regarding the nursery, even if they have not yet started.

·         Once a booking is confirmed the Manager will contact the parent/carer 4-6 weeks prior to the start date to organise settling in visits for the child. 

·         We recommend an induction period of three settling in sessions, of one hour long, should take place prior to the start date.

·         We will hold an opportunity to welcome the family, address any issues or anxieties and take detailed information about the child.  The staff should be informed in advance of the settling visit to allow for the appropriate preparation and organisation.

·         The settling in sessions should be led by the child’s key person.

·         During the settling in sessions the key person will go through the registration form, terms and conditions and the “All about me pack” with the parents.

·         The key person will give the parents information about the nursery such as; activities, policies, events and newsletters.

·         The key person will answer any questions or concerns the parents have and will refer them to the manager if needed.

·         The key person will ensure that they know the child’s routine, care plans and needs during these sessions so that the child can be supported and cared for as best as possible from their first session with us.

 

 

Transition policy

 

Aim of policy

 

Moving rooms or going to school can be an exciting and stimulating time; however change can cause some anxieties and upset. At Castle Nursery we want to ensure every child’s transition is as smooth as possible.

 

Points to consider

 

The parents may be as anxious as the children regarding transitions but through our strong work with parents we aim to alleviate any worries and support the whole family. See the Parents as Partners policy.

 

Castle Daycare and Preschool aim to do this by:

 

·         6-8 weeks before the child is due to move rooms the parents will be sent a letter discussing the expected date of the move. This will be discussed by the child’s current key person with the parents.

·         The parents will be given the opportunity to visit the child’s next room at a convenient time. They will be introduced to their child’s next key person who will show them around the room, discussing routines and activities. They will also answer any other questions the parents have.

·         The child will start having visits into the next room prior to them moving up.

·         For the first few visits they will be accompanied by their key person, this key person will support the child and introduce the new key person and other staff.

·         Both key people will work together to ensure the child is confident and happy in the new room.

·         The parents will be kept informed of how the visits are progressing by both key people.

·         The child’s visits will be gradually increased so they can experience meals and rest times in their new rooms.

·         If the child is not settling as well as we would like, the current key person may spend longer helping the child to settle in or the settling in period may be extended.

·         Pegs, drawer names and other details will be already displayed before the child starts visits in order to help them feel a sense of belonging.