Parent News

Dear Parents and Carers,

On Friday May 29^th (4pm – 5pm) we shall be holding an information session for those parents who will be applying for schools this year.  The session will outline the processes that take place and will also be an opportunity for any questions that you may have.  If you would like to attend, please could you advise Michelle via email.  Thank you

 

Please note that due to the bank holiday we will closed on Monday 25^th May and will re-open at 8.00am on Tuesday 26^th May.

 

If any parent has any of the following items that are no longer in use and would like to donate them to the nursery it will be very much appreciated. Hairdryers, curling tongs, hair rollers, empty shampoo and conditioner bottles, big clips, headbands, brushes, and combs. If you have any of the following items, please may they be passed on to Michelle in the office. Thank you!

 

Pre-school would like to ask parents not to bring in toys from home if these are not your child’s comforter as they get broken or lost. Thank you

 

At the beginning of July, Hannah who works in our Bumblebees will be moving rooms and will be working in the Ladybirds (18-24’s) alongside Abi and Kim to replace Naomi as she will be going on her maternity leave very soon. We are currently interviewing for a nursery assistant position to replace Hannah within our Bumblebees room. Hannah works 5 days a week from 8.30am until 5.30pm.

 

Please may I remind parents who would like their children to attend the farm trip on Friday 12^th June to return the payment slip by Wednesday 27^th May with the payment attached. If you have not yet received a letter and would like your child to attend, please see a member of staff within your child’s room.

Policies

Please find attached our every child matters policy.

Snails

The focus in the snails this week continues to be settling in new starters. The children will be able to experience a range of activities, including creating father’s day gifts, exploring the treasure baskets, looking and holding stories, taking part in Custards music class on Friday and to continue building the relationship with their key person. Garden activities this week include, exploring the bead mazes, playing with the tents and tunnels and free play with our Caterpillar children (12-18’s room).  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 – Monday

 

Caterpillars

This week the Caterpillars team will focus on the children getting to know themselves and to explore their body through singing songs and mirror play.  The children will be encouraged to explore block play by building towers and knocking them down, take part in water play, cornflour play, sand play and fitting puzzle pieces together. Outdoor activities this week include tents and tunnels, mark making and stacking cups. 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 – Friday

 

Ladybirds

The current interest in the Ladybirds this week is textures. The children will have the opportunity to play with pigs in cornflour, going on an egg hunt, exploring oaty playdough, exploring the sand pit, both indoors and outdoors, touchy feely sensory bags and filling and emptying containers with water. Outdoor activities this week include playing on the rollercoaster and turn taking, playing with the skittles, using the pedal bikes and playing in the tents and tunnels. 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 – Thursday

 

Bumblebees

This week the children will be focusing on cooking, painting, construction and role play. Activities this week include dinosaur play – talking about what they are doing and using complex sentences. Making up our own stories using puppets, role playing with equipment, pretending it to be something else (block as a telephone), using scissors to make snips in paper, building with shaped blocks, printing with the alphabet sponges, mark making with pencils to create a shopping list, practicing our lines and circles and creating pictures of ourselves using the mirrors to distinguish what we need to draw, such as, eyes, nose, mouth. The story of the week this week is hands are not for hitting and feet are not for kicking. The cooking activity of next week is fruit tasting, a permission slip will be created for parents to sign to provide permission for children to try certain fruits and vegetables. The children will be encouraged to touch, smell and eat the food by preparing it using a knife, practicing our cutting skills. Outdoor activities this week include chalk drawing on the pavement, climbing on the climbing frame, ball games and sand and water play.  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.

 

Days off     

Jani – Friday

Jenni – Tuesday

Emma – Half term all week

 

Butterflies     

This week the butterflies are going to focus on sea life animals. The activities include talking about sea life animals by watching short videos, creating a 3D beach craft, making sea biscuits at cooking club on Wednesday, creating jellyfish by using paint and our hands, exploring the water tray with sea life animals and discussing what animals live in the sea. Outdoor activities include, create underwater scenes, playing in the water tray by making the water blue, playing shark attack, role play being on a submarine. The children will be focusing on the letter of the week, which is, ‘S’ 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.

 

Pre-school have asked if it is possible for children not to bring in toys from home as they get broken and lost, comforters however are still welcomed.

 

Days off   

Stani – Friday                               

Tara – Tuesday

Jade – Wednesday

Lee – Half term all week

 

Every Child Matters Policy

 

Aim of Policy

 

To follow the five outcomes of every child matters:

 

• Being Healthy: enjoying good physical and mental health and living a healthy lifestyle.
• Staying safe: being protected from harm and neglect and growing up able to look after themselves.
• Enjoying and achieving: getting the most out of life and developing broad skills for adulthood.
• Making a positive contribution: to the community and to society and not engaging in anti-social behaviour.
• Economic well-being: overcoming socio-economic disadvantages to achieve their full potential.

 

Points to Consider

At Castle Daycare & Preschool we believe we have a responsibility in securing these outcomes. We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure we support the children and families with these outcomes. The overarching aim of the Early Years Foundation stage is to help young children achieve the five outcomes of Every Child Matters.  We also try to encourage a range of protective factors that can help children overcome disadvantage including:

• Positive role models
• Developing characteristics such as self esteem, self motivation and intelligence
• Recognition, praise and feeling valued.