Parent News

Dear Parents and Carer,

 

Shortly we shall be asking some of you if you would kindly volunteer to read some of our policies and procedures which are in the process of being reviewed.  If you are interested in helping us with this please could you email Michelle.

We have set ourselves a challenge of making an igloo out of two litre milk cartons which is big enough for the children to play in.  Could we therefore ask any of you who buy this size of milk to bring in your empties. Thank you

We still have places available on our parent first aid course.  If anyone would like to book a place, please see Michelle.

Policies

Please find attached policy on play dates.  If any parent would like to organise a play date with their child’s keyworker, please see a staff member or Michelle.

Snails

The focus in the snails this week continues to be supporting the babies fine and gross motor skills. The children will have the opportunity to roll and tumble on the soft play and will be encouraged, with support, to build towers using Duplo. On Friday the children will take part in Custards music class whereby the children will be able to explore and copy movements in time to the music. Outdoor activities this week include looking at books and exploring the sensory shapes in the garden.

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.

Amy – Day off Monday

 

 

 

 

Caterpillars

This week the Caterpillars team will focus on ice play, splashing in puddles and exploring the toy boats and fish in the water. Activities this week will include using single words (eg) ‘Ta, using the tents and tunnels, coloured ice play and dancing to familiar music.  A focus will be on helping the new children to settle whilst creative activities include cornflour play, gluing and sticking and feather painting.  Outdoor activities include sensory balls in the garden, chalking on the pavement and water play with the boats and fish. The book of the week is ‘Five little ducks’.

 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 – Thursday

Alisha – Monday

 

Ladybirds

The current interest in the Ladybirds this week is farm animals. The children will have the opportunity to play with the farm animals in damp sand, paint using animal foot prints and make animal masks. The children will also be able to play with the Happyland farm set and will be encouraged to thread, with adult support, using the animal threading stencils. Outdoor activities include ball games, extending from last week’s activities, and practising pushing themselves along on the bikes and cars. The story of the week is ‘Over on the farm’.

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 – Thursday

Naomi – Wednesday and Annual Leave Thursday and Friday

Bumblebees

This week the children will be focusing on cooking, painting, dancing and sand and water play. Creative activities this week include sponge painting, gluing and sticking tissue paper, chalking on small chalk boards and using the duplo to paint. Activities this week include making iced buns, matching numbers to quantities using flash cards, building dinosaur homes using the big blocks and using tongs to transfer compare bears from one container to another. The children will also have the opportunity to practice their mouse control on the computer, whilst the role play area shall be transformed into a doctors surgery. The story of the week is ‘Kevin the crocodile’.

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 – Friday

Jenni – Monday, Training Thursday and Office based Friday

 

Butterflies     

This week the butterflies will continue to focus on fruits and vegetables. The activities will include discuss what has happened to the seeds that the children planted last week, dry out citrus fruits to make a mobile and make bird feeders using lard and seeds. Activities this week also include painting with fruits and vegetables, hide and seek using vegetables and making carrot cake. Outdoor activities include playing skittles, balancing beam and practising using balls and rackets. The children will be focusing on the letter of the week, which is, ‘L’ and the number of the week, which is number 8.

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 – annual leave all week                                   

Tara – Tuesday, annual leave Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

Juan – Wednesday

Lee – Wednesday Forest School all day and out on Thursday

Jade - Monday

 

Michelle is day off Friday.

 

Play date Policy

 

Aim of Policy

To work in partnership with parents, giving both the key person and parent an opportunity to build relationships. The play date gives parents, educators and children the opportunity to build relations without the constraints within the setting, whereby the role of the practitioner within ratio’s causes distractions and strains upon the procedure.

 

Suitable Persons

In this context, suitable persons are parents of those children already attending the setting.  Whereby other persons such as grandparents or nannies, for example regularly collect the child, a play date may be organised with the permission from the parent.

 

 

Organisation

Play dates must be organised during working hours and must be agreed with the manager.  The parent can choose the date, time and venue of the play date which must support the child’s learning and which will not affect the ratio’s within the setting.  These details, along with the name of the person accompanying the child must be known by the manager and practitioner before the play date is agreed.

 

Conduct

The staff member must take a nursery phone with them and must be contactable at all times. They must also take an evaluation form with them to be completed at the end of the play date, which will allow us to evaluate the benefits of the play date for the parent, practitioner and the child.

 

Parents are no way required to participate in play dates just as staff members reserve the right to decline from carrying out play dates providing that a justifiable reason is given.

 

 

Due Diligence

All participants during play dates must show due diligence for the safety of one another.  If at any time any person feels under duress or at risk, the play date will be discontinued.