Parent News

Dear Parents and Carer,

 

I would like to thank all of the parents who attended the Easter Bonnet Parade, the bonnets all looked lovely and some great creative ideas were shown!

 

If you have not yet booked your termly meetings, please do so by seeing your child’s keyworker to book a time and day that is convenient with you.

 

Please see your child’s keyworker if you are interested in organising a playdate. Your child’s keyworker will be able to provide further information about this. Dates and times are arranged to be most convenient with you and are carried out during the working week.

 

Thank you for your patience regarding question 5 of the parent survey! Also a big thank you to all of the parents that have kindly completed this, a staff survey is about to go out, so once all of the data has been collected I will then review and collate all of the information together.

 

On Friday 17^th April at 4pm we are holding a question and answer session for those parents who have children that will be attending school in September this year. The session will be an hour long which will provide you with information on how we are supporting and extending your child’s learning. Please see Michelle if you wish to attend or require any further information.

 

We are holding a Forest School taster session on Sunday 26^th April between 10am-12midday. We ask for this session to be parents only as you will be experiencing and taking part in activities. The session will be held at the site where the children attend, the Chantry Wood which is off Half Penny Lane. If you require a map, please see Lee. If you are interested in the session, please inform Michelle.

Forest School session will begin again on Monday 13^th April. If you have received a parent pack, please may you return the permission slip at the back of the booklet.

 

French begins again week commencing Monday 13^th April. The letters will be in the Pre-school room, please may these be returned if you wish your child to attend.

 

We would like to congratulate Naomi in announcing her pregnancy. Naomi is due at the end of July and we would like to wish her well.

 

Policies

Please find attached our transition policy.

Snails

The focus in the snails this week is sensory activities. The children will have the opportunity to sensory items, such as heuristic play, sensory bottles and touch and feel books. The children will also be able to explore the push and pull toys, happy land figures, supporting the children’s self-help skills by encouraging them to hold their spoon and cups during meal times and exploring the ICT toys. Outdoor activities include looking at and reading stories with their keyworker and playing with the walkers, using the ICT musical board on the front and walking and exploring the garden whilst holding on.

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 exploring the colour green. Activities this week will include creating green play dough, making green sensory bags, green table painting and exploring green animals in wet sand. The children will also get to take part in activities such as, puzzles, shape sorters, heuristic play, puppet play and balancing pebbles. Outdoor activities this week include singing with actions, pop up toys and sand play.

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 – Friday

Alisha – Thursday

 

Ladybirds

The current interest in the Ladybirds this week is physical development. The children will have the opportunity to take part in action songs, such as ‘Teddy bear, teddy bear’, colour sorting using the mega blocks, making cress heads and taking care of them, smelling the herbs in the sensory garden, feather painting and soft play. Outdoor activities include balancing on the balancing beam, riding the pedal bikes, playing with the balls and hoops and the big block obstacle course. The story of the week is ‘Doing the animal bop’.

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 – Wednesday 

Naomi – Thursday

Bumblebees

This week the children will be focusing on mark making. Activities this week include gluing and sticking, table painting and making balls out of play dough. The children also have the opportunity to building train tracks, looking at shapes, recognising the letters of their name, using the scissors to make snips in paper, builders’ tray playing with sand and cars and junk modelling with the big boxes. (Thank you to those parents who bought in boxes!) The children will also be cooking this week and they will be making yoghurt lollipops. Outdoor activities this week include dustpan and brushes, chalking on the pavement, exploring the sand pit, big diggers, big helicopter, a ‘tidy-up game’ whereby a box of small balls are around the garden and the children have to find the member of staff with the box and place them back in, climbing equipment and using the ladders, water play guttering and tipping and pouring, and kicking balls into a homemade goal. The story of the week is ‘Goldilocks and the three bears’. There is also an additional focus this week which is encouraging the children to serve their own lunch and tea and to put their coats on by themselves.

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 – Wednesday, in the office on Friday

  

Butterflies     

This week the butterflies are focusing on spring. The activities include making craft items for the Easter display board, talking about what we did over the Easter holidays, taking part in cooking club, and having a ‘games day’ on Friday whereby the children are able to bring in their favourite board game. Outdoor activities this week are building with wooden bricks, ball games – practicing catching and throwing, water play with farm animals, balancing games, hide and seek and parachute games. The children will be focusing on the letter of the week, which is, ‘S’ and the number of the week, which is number 6.

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                                 

Tara – Thursday

Lee – Term time only

Jade - Tuesday

 

Michelle is day off Friday.

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.