Castle Nursery Markenfield
Friday, 28st August 2015
Dear
Parents and Carers,
Don’t
forget we close at 6pm Today and re open again on Tuesday 01st
September at 8am. We hope you all have a great bank holiday
We
would like to remind parents that they please do not take their children into
the rooms until 8am or 7:45am if an early start has been booked (this requires
24 hours’ notice) We thank you in advance for your understanding and
cooperation on this matter.
If
possible could children please be sun creamed before arriving at nursery and we
shall re-apply throughout the day, please can you inform us if your child has
had sun cream applied.
Tuesday
1st September is harvest festival week; activities will be available
throughout the week, supporting the children’s learning around the harvest. We
will be collecting donations that can either be taken to your child’s room or
to Michelle in the office. The donations will be going to St Johns Church,
Stoke Road to be distributed out where needed. Any contributions will be
greatly received.
On
Saturday 5th September we are holding a party for our 20th
Anniversary from 10am until 1pm. We would love to see you there, Shalford
Village Hall, although the parking is restricted. If you know any of our ‘old’
families, please see if they would like to come along as it would be lovely to
see everyone!
Friday 11th September is
Grandparents day, please invite all grandparents to come into nursery and have
a taster session of what the nursery provides for your children. Lots of fun
games and activities will be happening on Friday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm.
Please can you inform a member of staff if you would like your child’s
grandparents to attend. Children who do not normally attend on this Friday are
still welcome to come and have lots of fun!
Policies
Please
find attached our School readiness policy.
Snails
The
focus in the snails this week is Mirrors and Books. The children will be able
to experience a range of activities, including lots of cuddles, hide and seek
cubes, painting with cars, fish sensory bags, family books and cornflour play.
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 Printing with leaves sponges and
stencils, Activities this week include heuristic play, table painting, mark
making with crayons sand play with cars and sensory bags. 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 Summer Activities. The children
will have the opportunity to take part in chalking on black card, soapy sand,
flour gloop, car painting, and painting a piggy pig pen. Garden activities this
week include bikes and cars, dollys and pushchairs, garage and cars and balls
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 – Friday
Bumblebees
This week the children will focus on Ways we move
our bodies. Activities this week include Happyland, drawing with pencils,
dancing, making flapjacks, tents and tunnels and shape hunt. Garden activities
this week include running games, sand pit, parachute games hide and seek and
making an assault course. The story of the week is ‘Going on a bear hunt’.
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
Jenni – Wednesday
Emma – half term
Jani- Tuesday
Butterflies
This
week the butterflies will focus on Superhero’s and Villans. The activities
include superhero mask making, superhero lolli pop puppets, making roacky Road,
supervero and villan fancy dress and msking superhero toilet roll people, the
letter of the week this week is ‘Ff’ and the number of the week is ‘4’. Garden
activities this week include sand, water, balls and bikes and small
world.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
Jade – Thursday
Tara – Tuesday
Lee – Half term
Leanne is day off Friday and Annual
leave Wednesday
Michelle is day off Friday
School readiness policy
Aim of policy
To give
guidance to all practitioners so they understand their role in developing
school readiness in each child.
Points to consider
It is
easy to think that only the preschool practitioners need to be concerned about
getting the children ready for school, but ensuring a child is prepared for the
transition is part of every practitioners role.
By
supporting the children as they move rooms though the nursery, we are helping
them see transition as an exciting relaxed process rather than something to be
scared of.
By
developing their social skills and language we are giving them the skills they
need to thrive and grow.
By
supporting a child’s cognitive skills we are giving them the skills they need
to become inquisitive active learners.
Whilst it
is unclear whether school readiness means the start of reception or the start
of year one, at Castle Daycare and Preschool we use the term school readiness
when the child starts reception.
“school readiness is something that children
develop inwardly as a result of a range of experiences. It takes ages to build
up and is something that we should focus on in the years as well as the months
before children start school. To build up in a child the sense that they are
capable, they need plenty of experience of managing things for themselves as
well as making their own decisions”
Penny Tassoni
A child
who is ready for school will:
- Have strong social skills
- Can cope emotionally with being
separated from their parents
- Are relatively independent in
their own personal care
- Have curiosity about the world and
a desire to learn
And
should be able to:
- Sit and listen
- be aware of other children
- understand the word no and the
borders it sets for behaviour
- understand the word stop and that
such a phrase might be used to prevent danger
- be potty trained and able to go to
the toilet independently
- recognise their own name
- speak to an adult to ask for their
needs
- be able to take off their coat and put on
their shoes
- To talk in sentences
- To open and enjoy a book
Castle Daycare and Preschool aim to
achieve this by:
When
a child starts at the setting the child’s key person will ask the parents to
complete an ‘all about me’ form. This helps us to see where the child is in
their development.
Throughout
their time at nursery planned and unplanned activities support the child
develop through the seven areas of learning.
When
the child is ready to move into the next room, the current and new key person
will work with the family to ensure the move is as smooth as possible.
In
the autumn term the Preschool holds a presentation about getting the children
ready for school. This lays out how we plan to support the children in their
last year at the setting as well as supporting the parents in their role in
their child’s school readiness
In
the summer term, the Preschool begins the transition process by speaking to
parents to ascertain which school they have been allocated. Then a letter is
sent home detailing what parents could do in transition to support their child
and what parents could do at home; for example read stories to their child
about school and talk to their child about their future teacher.
Changes
will be made to the Preschool; for instance the role play area may become a
classroom with school uniforms, and staff share books with children about going
to school to emotionally prepare them for the transition.
The
parents also have a role in supporting the children’s school readiness and we
must work with them to support the children’s progression.
