week commencing 30th March

Dear Parents

 

Easter Break

Just a reminder that we will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday but open as normal for the rest of Easter.

The staff days off may be slightly different over the Easter period so check below for your key persons days off.

 

Forest school, Parents Session

Lee, our Forest school leader, is leading a Forest school session for parents on 26^th April.

You will be able to go along and see what the children get out of these exciting sessions.

If you want to sign up please go to Sunflowers room.

Please note that children will be unable to attend these sessions.

 

Sports stars

Sadly Coach Sarah will no longer be doing our sports sessions on a Monday afternoon as Sports stars are no more L

The last session will be Monday 30^th March. Sorry for the late notice but I only found out this week.

The Forest School sessions will now be on a Monday morning for this term whilst we decide what to do about additional activities.

 

Lost Cardigan

Please can you all have a look at home for a girls Autograph, Marks and Spencer cardigan.

It is white with a floral pattern and is aged 3-4. If you do have it please can you return it to Sunflowers. Many Thanks

 

Useful websites:

Here are the links for the Surrey Family Information Service, Free Early Education (the 15 hours funding) and Free Early Education for Two year olds.

 

www.surreycc.gov.uk/fis
www.surreycc.gov.uk/fee
www.surreycc.gov.uk/feet

 

Menus

There are no planned changes to this week’s menu

If you would like to see a copy of our allergens menu at any time please ask!

 

This week’s activities

Each key person will be responsible for designing an activity based on their key children’s needs; however, all children who are in on that day will have the opportunity to access the activity too.

If the key person is on holiday or off, another staff member will be able to lead the activity in their place so that the children do not miss out.

For more information on the Early Years Foundation stage, the guidance we use to support our planning and practice, please visit:

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/ 

 

This week’s planned activities are also are now on the ILD’S

 

Forest school

This week everyone made fire using cotton wool and a spark maker. The group then made popcorn and toasted marshmallows over their fire.

They finished off the session with a game of hide and seek.

 

Buttercups

Monday – Leanne’s group will be listening, clapping and dancing along to music

Tuesday – Nilem’s group are filling and emptying containers in the sand pit

Wednesday – Leanne’s group will be developing their awareness of animal sounds as they play with the small world animals

Thursday – Charlotte’s group are exploring shapes and spaces through using the shape sorters and jigsaw puzzles.

Charlotte is on holiday all week, Leanne is off Monday, Nilem is off Monday and Mel is off Tuesday.

 

Bluebells

Monday – Almu’s group will be learning how to operate the toy computers and torches

Tuesday – Donna’s group are talking about Passover and making and tasting bread

Wednesday – Chloe’s group will be exploring different feelings through using the emotion dolls

Thursday – Rose’s group are creating Easter chicks with paper plates, glue and a variety of materials

Donna is off Monday, Chloe is off Thursday, Rose, Hannah and Almu are in all week.

 

Sunflowers

Books of the fortnight

30^th March – 6^th April  - How Plants Grow by Franklin Watts

13^th – 20^th April – Giraffes Big Night by Carrie and David Grant

27^th April -4^th May – My Brother is Autistic by Jennifer Moore- Mallinos

 

The Sunflowers have one detailed weekly focused activity to ensure all the children have the opportunity to take part in it.

This will work alongside their weekly planned activity list which you can see in the room and on the ILD’S.

 

This week’s activity is creating own drawing stories using a variety of materials and resources.

 

The learning intentions for this activity are:

To encourage imagination

To encourage the children to share ideas

To develop the children’s storytelling skills

 

The letter of the week is : T

 

This week’s activities are:

Telling each other different stories

Making telescopes at the mark making table

Drawing our own treasure maps in the garden.

 

Jess is off Tuesday, Becci and Megan are in all week.

 

Kind Regards

 

Caroline Laidlaw

week commencing 16th March 2015

Dear Parents

 

Ofsted

We had an unannounced Ofsted inspection on Monday. Thank you very much to those parents who spoke or sent an email to the inspector.

We have to wait a few weeks for the report to come back to find out our official results so fingers crossed!

As soon as we get the report I will email you all a copy.

 

Environmental Health

We also had an unannounced Environmental Health inspection and received 5 stars for the third time in a row!

 

Funding forms

The funding forms for the Summer term are going out this week. If this is the first time we have claimed for your child we need to see a passport of birth certificate please.

All new children will receive an information pack about the funding but if you have any questions please let me know.

 

Children’s door Bell

Following a great parent suggestion, we now have a new working doorbell for the children to use.

 

Useful websites:

Here are the links for the Surrey Family Information Service, Free Early Education (the 15 hours funding) and Free Early Education for Two year olds.

 

www.surreycc.gov.uk/fis
www.surreycc.gov.uk/fee
www.surreycc.gov.uk/feet

 

Menus

The only change to this week’s menus is Mondays tea, which will be a St Patrick themed dinner!

If you would like to see a copy of our allergens menu at any time please ask!

 

This week’s activities

Each key person will be responsible for designing an activity based on their key children’s needs; however, all children who are in on that day will have the opportunity to access the activity too.

If the key person is on holiday or off, another staff member will be able to lead the activity in their place so that the children do not miss out.

For more information on the Early Years Foundation stage, the guidance we use to support our planning and practice, please visit:

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/ 

 

This week’s planned activities are also are now on the ILD’S

 

Forest school

This week the forest school used large bamboo poles to make musical instruments. The children explored rhythm and beat and used logs as drums!

The group jumped on mole hills and played hide and seek before having hot chocolate

 

Buttercups

Monday – Leanne’s group are developing their hand and eye co-ordination through building with the wooden blocks.

Tuesday – Nilem’s group will be exploring the small world farm as they develop their vocabulary and communication.

Wednesday – Leanne’s group will be looking at the ‘family cubes’ and exploring the photos of their own families.

Thursday – Nilem’s group is playing hide and seek with each other and the teddy bears in the garden

Friday – Charlotte’s group will be sharing ‘Peppa Pig’ stories together. 

Charlotte is off Monday, Mel is off Tuesday, Leanne is off Friday and Nilem is on holiday all week.

 

Bluebells

Monday – Donna’s group will be selecting their own toys to play with.

Tuesday – Donna’s group are listening and dancing to Irish music to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.

Wednesday –  Almu’s group will be developing their independence in washing their hands.

Thursday – Rose’s group are looking at the photo cubes and talking about the photographs of themselves and their friends. 

Friday – Chloe’s group will be investigating torches, computers and cameras and learning how to operate them.

Almu and Rose are working together with Rose’s key group. This is so that we have a seamless transition when Rose goes on Maternity leave.

Donna is off Friday, Chloe is off Thursday, Rose and Almu are in all week.

 

Sunflowers

Books of the fortnight

16-23^rd March – Lulu Loves Stories by Anna McQuinn

30thMarch – 6^th April  - How Plants Grow by Franklin Watts

13^th – 20^th April – Giraffes Big Night by Carrie and David Grant

27^th April -4^th May – My Brother is Autistic by Jennifer Moore- Mallinos

 

The Sunflowers have one detailed weekly focused activity to ensure all the children have the opportunity to take part in it.

This will work alongside their weekly planned activity list which you can see in the room and on the ILD’S.

This week’s activity is: sorting, recognising and matching shapes

 

The children will be:

Using the flashcards to recognise and match shapes

Categorising shape cards into groups of colours, size and shapes

Playing games with their peers – finding and drawing different shapes

Developing their mathematical language

Exploring the concept of size.

 

The Letter of the week is: R

 

This week the children will be:

Creating 3D rabbits

Thinking of words that begin with R

Colouring robot templates

Exploring the letter R templates at the easel

Investigating red objects in the water tray

Having races in the garden

Talking about the weather.

Jess is off Friday, Megan and Becci are in all week.

week commencing 9th March 2015

Dear Parents

 

Mother’s week and Red Nose week, this week!

This week we are celebrating Mother’s day by having stay and play sessions and a tea party on Friday night.

It’s not too late to sign up just speak to the staff in your child’s room for details.

We are also celebrating Red Nose day. Each room is doing something different to raise money so again ask your key person for more details

 

Late collections

Please can all parents make sure they collect/drop off their child at the correct times.

We are having lots of parents who are collecting after 1 pm or 6pm.

If you collect late at 1pm we could be over our ratios (as staff are having their lunches) Ratios are a legal requirement which we are not allowed to break.

The team finish work at 6pm so if you are late you are stopping them from going home.

Of course there are times when traffic is bad or the trains are late, and that can’t be helped. However we are having more parents who are persistently late and do not call to let us know they will be late.

Due to this we will start using our late fee which is, a charge at the rate of £7.50 for the first 15 minutes then £15 for every 15 minutes thereafter if you are late more than once in a few weeks or if you are more than 15 minutes late.

We don’t like to do this but feel that our good nature is being taken advantage of. If you would like to discuss this with me at any time please let me know.

 

Buggy Sheds

Please can you make sure your buggies are folded up when put in the buggy shed.

Some parents are finding that they are unable to store their buggy due to other buggies not being folded away.

We do only have a limited amount of storage. Please can you make sure that other people such as grandparents, nannies etc, know to do this as well.

Many Thanks

 

Illnesses

We still have a temperature virus and sickness bug going around L

 

Useful websites:

Here are the links for the Surrey Family Information Service, Free Early Education (the 15 hours funding) and Free Early Education for Two year olds.

 

www.surreycc.gov.uk/fis
www.surreycc.gov.uk/fee
www.surreycc.gov.uk/feet

 

Menus

The only change to this week’s menus is Fridays tea which will be our Mother’s day party tea!

If you would like to see a copy of our allergens menu at any time please ask!

 

This week’s activities

Each key person will be responsible for designing an activity based on their key children’s needs; however, all children who are in on that day will have the opportunity to access the activity too.

If the key person is on holiday or off, another staff member will be able to lead the activity in their place so that the children do not miss out.

For more information on the Early Years Foundation stage, the guidance we use to support our planning and practice, please visit:

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/ 

 

This week’s planned activities are also are now on the ILD’S

 

Forest school

This week’s forest school session has been moved to Monday 9^th due to staffing at our Markenfield Road Nursery.

At Forest school last week the children used clay to make models of mini beasts.

They went on a hunt for fairy houses and made hot chocolate over the fire!

 

Buttercups

Monday – Nilem’s group are exploring the sounds and textures of objects in the treasure basket. 

Tuesday – Leanne’s group will be listening and moving to music with the ribbon streamers.

Wednesday – Leanne’s group are learning about parts of the body through singing the song ‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.’

Thursday – Charlotte’s group will be looking at animal books together.

Friday – Charlotte’s group are developing their physical skills as they explore the ‘Toddle Boxes’ and wooden trucks. 

Charlotte is off Monday, Mel is off Tuesday, Leanne and Nilem are off Friday.

 

Bluebells

Monday – Almu’s group are practising their tidy up skills.

Tuesday – Donna’s group will be developing their vocabulary as they look and talk about pictures in a variety of books.

Wednesday –  Rose’s group are learning about animals as they play with the zoo puppets.

Thursday – Donna’s group will be counting using the compare bears.

Friday – Chloe’s group are practising putting on their shoes, hats and coats in preparation for the garden.

Almu and Rose are working together with Rose’s key group. This is so that we have a seamless transition when Rose goes on Maternity leave.

Donna is off Friday, Chloe is off Thursday, Rose is off Wednesday and Almu is in all week.

 

Sunflowers

Books of the fortnight

2-9^th March – Mother Knows Best by Jill Murphy

16-23^rd March – Lulu Loves Stories by Anna McQuinn

30thMarch – 6^th April  - How Plants Grow by Franklin Watts

13^th – 20^th April – Giraffes Big Night by Carrie and David Grant

27^th April -4^th May – My Brother is Autistic by Jennifer Moore- Mallinos

 

The Sunflowers have one detailed weekly focused activity to ensure all the children have the opportunity to take part in it.

This will work alongside their weekly planned activity list which you can see in the room and on the ILD’S.

 

This week’s activity is: making cakes and biscuits and decorating them.

 

The children will be:

Talking about what they are doing as they are baking

Using their own ideas when decorating their cakes and biscuits

Discussing why they are making the cakes and biscuits

 

 

The Letter of the week is: Q

 

This week the children will be:

Thinking of words that begin with the letter Q

Using the letter Q stencils at the easel

Making the letter Q using play dough

Talking about the Queen.

Jess is off Friday, Megan and Becci are in all week.

 

Have a good weekend