Week commencing 2nd October

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

This week’s events:

 

In 2 Sports – This week coach Pasha introduced a new sport, we played Basketball! We had to try and shoot into baskets and aim for targets. It was great fun. We also enjoyed playing the  ‘Mr Men’ character game too.

 

Forest School –  This week at Forest School we went over the Forest School rules, then headed up to the woods! We then collected different natural resources to create a small fire to warm our hot chocolate! We all had a turn at helping Lee light the fire, we then enjoyed our warm hot chocolate together. We also had a fun game of hide and seek in the woods and had to find where Lee was hiding!

 

Theatrebugs -

 

 

 

Up Coming Events

Next week – Thursday 5^th October – Nursery Photos

Friday 8^th December – Christmas party

Monday 11^th December – Carol service

Tuesday 12^th December – Nativity play

 

Photographer

The nursery photographer will come in this Thursday (5^th October) to take photos of the children. They can do family photos and siblings too so if you want to bring the whole family you are more than welcome! The open session will run from 3.45-4.30pm for children and families who aren’t in on Thursday, it will be a first come first served basis.

 

Facebook

As a group we have decided to create a Castle Nursery and Preschool Facebook page to promote the company, engage with parents and team members across our nurseries. If you would be interested in following this page, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/Castle-Nursery-and-Preschool-790319011138020/. We will be regularly adding events and photos to the page.

 

Menus

There are no planned changes to this week’s menu.

See attached document for the weekly menu. 

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

 

Useful websites

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

 

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

www.surreycc.gov.uk/eypp

 

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 on the ILD’S.

 

Buttercups

 

Topic of the month: Autumn

 

Monday – Charlotte’s group will be exploring the ‘Autumn’ sensory bottles and tray investigating the world around them

Tuesday –  Montse’s group are building an interest in health and self-care while getting ready for snack and trying new fruits

Wednesday – Leanne’s group is completing a number puzzle developing number awareness

Thursday – Nilem’s group are painting on a large sheet of paper building sensory exploration

Friday – Sammy’s group will be reading the Mr. Men books supporting an awareness of happy and sad emotions

Charlotte is off Wednesday, Leanne is off Thursday, Nilem is off Monday and Tuesday, Montse and Sammy are in all week.

 

Bluebells

 

Topic of the month: Autumn

 

Monday – Donna’s group is collecting leaves from around the garden then printing on paper using paint developing an interest in media and colour

Tuesday – Donna’s group are building their imaginative play with friends while exploring the role play resources

Wednesday – Ruby’s group will be developing listening and attention skills while dancing to different music

Thursday –  Megan’s group is creating their own obstacle course in the garden supporting gross motor skills

Friday – Maria’s group are developing number skills while exploring number cards during group times

Donna is off Friday, Megan is off Tuesday, Ruby and Maria are in all week.

 

Sunflowers

 

In the Sunflower room each Key Person plans and implements their own Key Group activity, but the room works on the same area and aspect to ensure the activity is individual to each Key Group and therefore meets the specific Key Group’s individual needs.

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

 

Becci’s and Ines’s activity:

For this week’s activity the children will be developing their knowledge of measurements and size by measuring and comparing each other’s feet in a small group. The children will also be experimenting to put their feet on a small, medium and large surfaces and will discuss the size of the area.

 

Almu’s activity:

Almu’s group are exploring weight while ‘Going shopping’ with their friends and using the scales to find out the weight of the objects. They will also be encouraged to predict what objects they think will weigh more.

 

Topic of the month: Autumn

 

The letter of the week is: S

 

The children will be:

Talking about words beginning with S

Setting up the easel with letter S stencils

Writing the letter S

Talking about Seahorses and their shape

 

The Number of the week is: 5

 

The children will be:

Counting to 5

Holding up 5 fingers

Jumping 5 times

Writing the number 5

Making the number 5 using playdough

Exploring number puzzles

 

The shape of the week is: Hexagon

 

The children will be:

Counting how many sides and corners an hexagon has

Drawing around a hexagon stencil

Finding hexagons in the room

Becci is off Wednesday, Almu is off Monday and Ines is in all week

 

Interactive Learning Diary

Don’t forget to check out all the exciting things your child has done this week, on their ILD profile.

We aim to put at least one observation up per week.

Follow the link below: www.interactivelearningdiary.co.uk

 

Our Policy of the Week: 

 

Procedure for children’s bathroom and baby change area

 

Aim of policy

 

To ensure that the bathroom and change areas are always well maintained, clean and pleasant to be in.

 

Points to consider

 

1.      Bathroom and baby change area should be cleaned “as you go” to ensure the bathroom is always ready for use.

 

2.      Toilets are to be cleaned with diluted disinfectant; toilet cleaner to be used around the rim. This should be done each evening when the children are not in the setting.

 

3.      Sinks to be cleaned with antibacterial spray.

 

4.      Soaps and toilet rolls must be replaced when needed.

 

5.      Floors to be cleaned daily, using bathroom mop only.

 

6.      Bin to be emptied throughout the day – once full.

 

7.      Mirrors should be polished regularly and windows sills kept tidy and clear of clutter.

 

8.      Disposable cloths should be used in the bathroom and disposed of after every use.

 

9.      Toilets must be flushed after every use.

 

10.   Any soiled nappies must be disposed of immediately and hygienically.

 

11.   Gloves and apron must be worn when cleaning the bathroom.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

Jess, Charlotte and the South Hill Team

Week Commencing 25th September 2017

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

This week’s events:

 

In 2 Sports – This week we have been practising our skills at dribbling and kicking the footballs.  We had fun playing the traffic light game again and explored different movements by pretending to be the ‘Mr Men’ characters. 

 

Forest School –  This week at Forest School we saw some beautiful horses, we all stood really still and quiet so as not to frighten them. The horses left some interesting footprints so we decided it would be a good idea to look for some other animal footprints.  We found a very big dog paw print and used some plaster of Paris to make a cast of it to bring back to nursery.  We then collected some sticks to finish off making our den we started last week.  There was a wooden bench nearby and we thought it would be a good idea to take it into the den to sit or lie on.  We played lots of role play games, including pretending there was a crocodile chasing us and we had to hide!  We also discovered some interesting chestnut cases which had fallen down from the trees, we were fascinated by their spikey shells!

 

Theatrebugs -

 

Up Coming Events

5^th October – Nursery Photos

 

Photographer

The nursery photographer will come in on Thursday 5^th October to take photos of the children. They can do family photos and siblings too so if you want to bring the whole family you are more than welcome! The open session will run from 3.45-4.30pm for children and families who aren’t in on Thursday, it will be a first come first served basis.

 

Facebook

As a group we have decided to create a Castle Nursery and Preschool Facebook page to promote the company, engage with parents and team members across our nurseries. If you would be interested in following this page, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/Castle-Nursery-and-Preschool-790319011138020/. We will be regularly adding events and photos to the page.

 

Menus

There are no planned changes to this week’s menu.

See attached document for the weekly menu. 

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

 

Useful websites

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

 

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

www.surreycc.gov.uk/eypp

 

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 on the ILD’S.

 

Buttercups

 

Topic of the month: Construction

 

Monday – Charlotte’s group are developing their construction skills and hand-eye coordination through building towers with the large wooden blocks

Tuesday –  Montse’s group will be listening to stories and playing with the puppets together, practising their vocabulary by naming things they can see in the books

Wednesday – Sammy’s group are exploring the shape sorters and hammer and peg boards, developing their awareness of the names of shapes

Thursday – Nilem’s group are playing hide and seek games to support their awareness that things exist when out of sight

Friday – Leanne’s group will be looking at the ‘Touch and Fell Farm’ book, making the sounds of the different animals and feeling the textures of them

Charlotte is off Wednesday, Leanne is off Monday, Nilem is off Monday and Tuesday, Montse and Sammy are in all week.

 

Bluebells

 

Topic of the month: Jungle animals

 

Monday – Donna’s group are playing imaginatively with the jungle animals in the sand tray

Tuesday – Megan’s group will be choosing which songs they would like to sing and using props to join in with the actions to the songs

Wednesday – Donna’s group are developing their colour recognition through drawing pictures with the paint sticks

Thursday –  Ruby’s group will be practising their number recognition through making their own car park with numbered cars and parking spaces.  They will then see if they can match each car to the corresponding parking space.

Friday – Ruby’s group will be choosing a bear from the cosy area and reading the story ‘We’re Going On a Bear Hunt’.  They will be filling in the blanks in the repetitive part of the story to encourage their listening and vocabulary.

Donna is off Thursday and Friday, Leanne is in Thursday, Megan is off Thursday, Ruby and Maria are in all week.

 

Sunflowers

 

In the Sunflower room each Key Person plans and implements their own Key Group activity, but the room works on the same area and aspect to ensure the activity is individual to each Key Group and therefore meets the specific Key Group’s individual needs.

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

 

Becci’s and Almu’s activity:

For this week’s activity the children will be developing their understanding of rhyming words.  They will be listening to a story with rhyming words in and have their attention brought to these words.  The children will then use the rotating word cubes to talk about different words that rhyme and see which words they can think of that rhyme.

 

Ines’s activity:

Ines’s group will also be developing their understanding of rhyming words as they are invited to play with various letter and ABC flash cards and rotating rhyming cubes.  The children will be asked about what they can see and if they can find any names that rhyme with it.  They will also think about other words that rhyme with each other. 

 

Topic of the month: Mini beasts

 

The letter of the week is: R

 

The children will be:

Talking about words beginning with R

Setting up the easel with letter R stencils

Writing the letter R

Making the letter R using playdough

Hopping like rabbits and colouring pictures of them

Seeing which toys will roll down the hill.

 

The Number of the week is: 4

 

The children will be:

Counting to 4

Holding up 4 fingers

Jumping 4 times

Writing the number 4

Making the number 4 using playdough

Exploring number puzzles

Counting the sides of a rectangle and square.

 

The shape of the week is: Octagon

 

The children will be:

Counting how many sides and corners an octagon has

Drawing around an octagon stencil

Playing with the shape sorter puzzles

Using the shape flash cards.

Becci is on annual leave all week, Almu is off Wednesday, Megan is in Wednesday and Ines is in all week

 

 

Interactive Learning Diary

Don’t forget to check out all the exciting things your child has done this week, on their ILD profile.

We aim to put at least one observation up per week.

Follow the link below: www.interactivelearningdiary.co.uk

 

Our Policy of the Week: 

 

Health and hygiene procedures

 

Aim of policy

 

To give guidance on procedures to keep the children and the setting environment as clean and healthy as possible.

 

Points to consider

 

1.      Staff should make every effort to help the children to understand that cleanliness will help to keep them healthy.

2.      To reduce the risk of cross infection, provision must be made for each child to be allocated a bed and bedding for his and her exclusive use, labelled accordingly.  A supply of clean tissues must be available for wiping runny noses etc.  No disposable material must ever be re-used.

3.      Children must be accompanied to the toilet whilst assistance may be given in wiping bottoms, washing hands etc., staff should encourage and show children how to do as much as possible for themselves at the same time ensuring that good hygiene is practised.

4.      Children should be given the opportunity to use the toilet before going out to play, in order to minimise movement into and out of the building and to ensure that supervision of the outside play area is maintained.

5.      Cleaning children’s hands and faces before and after meals must be carried out in a hygienic manner, using one flannel per child.  Used flannels must then be put in for washing.

6.      When changing nappies, staff must wear disposable gloves and aprons and ensure that the child is in a clean nappy when the parent is due to collect.

7.      Specified tabards worn by staff during nappy changing or cleaning tasks must not be worn whilst undertaking any other tasks i.e. during meal times, play activities etc.

8.      Ensure cupboards are stocked with disposable gloves, aprons, wipes, cotton wool, nappy bags and individual labelled barrier cream.

9.      Soiled clothes will be rinsed through and returned.

10.   All cupboards are to be kept clean and tidy.

11.   All toys, games and equipment should be sterilised or thoroughly washed/cleaned monthly or as appropriate.  E.g. notification of communicable illness.

12.   All toys, games and equipment must be checked for safety prior to use.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

Jess, Charlotte and the South Hill Team

 

 

Week Commencing 18th September

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

This week’s events:

 

In 2 Sports – This week we played a traffic light game where we had to run around and follow the instructions of the different coloured signals.  We played football to help develop our balance and coordination and then balanced the footballs on top of the cones.   

 

Forest School – Forest School started again this week with a new group of children.  We learnt all about the very important Forest School rules and then had lots of fun making a den!  We collected logs and sticks from around the forest and carried them to the place where we were going to build our den.  We put on some protective gloves and had a go at using the saw to cut some of the branches to size.  We haven’t quite finished our den yet so have decided we would like to carry on making it again next week.

 

 

Theatrebugs -

 

 

Up Coming Events

5^th October – Nursery Photos

 

Photographer

The nursery photographer will come in on Thursday 5^th October to take photos of the children. They can do family photos and siblings too so if you want to bring the whole family you are more than welcome! The open session will run from 3.45-4.30pm for children and families who aren’t in on Thursday, it will be a first come first served basis.

 

Facebook

As a group we have decided to create a Castle Nursery and Preschool Facebook page to promote the company, engage with parents and team members across our nurseries. If you would be interested in following this page, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/Castle-Nursery-and-Preschool-790319011138020/. We will be regularly adding events and photos to the page.

 

Menus

There are no planned changes to this week’s menu.

See attached document for the weekly menu. 

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

 

Useful websites

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

 

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

www.surreycc.gov.uk/eypp

 

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 on the ILD’S.

 

Buttercups

 

Topic of the month: Construction

 

Monday – Charlotte’s group are practising their listening skills and response to sound through moving and dancing to music with the musical instruments

Tuesday –  Montse’s group will be painting using a variety of objects whilst listening to some music, developing their sensory exploration and creativity

Wednesday – Leanne’s group are exploring the small world animals in trays of damp sand and experimenting with making marks in sand

Thursday – Nilem’s group are playing games with the parachute together, developing their collaborative skills

Friday – Sammy’s group will be playing with the teddy bears and toy food in the role play area, taking turns at holding and feeding the bears

Charlotte is off Wednesday, Leanne is off Monday, Nilem is off Tuesday and Wednesday, Montse and Sammy are in all week.

 

Bluebells

 

Topic of the month: Jungle animals

 

Monday – Megan’s group are developing their independence in preparing snack for themselves, learning how to use equipment such as child friendly knives

Tuesday – Donna’s group will be taking turns at using the jungle puppets, moving them around the room whilst making the sounds of the animals

Wednesday – Ruby’s group are exploring media and materials as they make their own sensory bottles using different art materials

Thursday –  Donna’s group is celebrating Rosh Hashanah by tasting different foods associated with this festival

Friday– Ruby’s group will be writing numbers on puddle shapes, sticking them on the floor and jumping from one puddle to another, developing their counting skills and awareness of numbers

Donna is off Wednesday, Megan is off Thursday, Ruby and Maria are in all week.

 

Sunflowers

 

In the Sunflower room each Key Person plans and implements their own Key Group activity, but the room works on the same area and aspect to ensure the activity is individual to each Key Group and therefore meets the specific Key Group’s individual needs.

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

 

Becci’s activity:

Becci’s group will be given the opportunity to put on their own puppet show.  They will choose which puppet they would like to be and decide on a name for their puppet.  They will then put on a show for each other and be asked to talk about each other’s show.  This activity encourages the children’s skills at listening to others on a one-to-one basis or in a small group and focuses their attention and their recall of stories.

 

Almu’s activity:

Almu’s group are playing ‘The Gruffalo’s’ domino game together.  They will be learning about the rules of the game and following instructions.  This activity will enable the children to practise their turn taking skills and concentration.

 

Ines’s activity:

Ines’s group will be playing an animal guessing game.  The children will be listening to the clues given and the sounds the animals make to guess which animal it is.  They will then each take turns at imagining an animal and using gestures and sounds to imitate that animal,  the rest of the group will be asking questions to help guess what they are.  This activity supports listening and attention skills.  

 

Topic of the month: Mini beasts

 

The letter of the week is: Q

 

The children will be:

Finding things beginning with the letter Q

Thinking of names that begin with Q

Making a Queen’s crown

Cooking quiches in the role play kitchen

 

The Number of the week is: 3

 

The children will be:

Writing the number 3 in colourful sand

Clapping and jumping 3 times

Making the number 3 out of playdough

Making counting domino biscuits up to 3 or more

Counting and talking about the number 3

 

The shape of the week is: tetrahedron

 

The children will be:

Talking about and looking at 3D tetrahedron shapes

Counting how many sides and corners a tetrahedron has

Talking about the shape of each face of a tetrahedron

Finding everyday objects and natural things which are tetrahedron shapes

Becci is off Thursday, Leanne is in on Thursday, Ines is in all week and Almu is on annual leave all week.

 

I am on holiday from Monday 11^th until Tuesday 19^th. If you have any queries in this time Charlotte will be here to ask J

 

Interactive Learning Diary

Don’t forget to check out all the exciting things your child has done this week, on their ILD profile.

We aim to put at least one observation up per week.

Follow the link below: www.interactivelearningdiary.co.uk

 

Our Policy of the Week: 

 

Blood Borne Viruses infection control policy

 

Aim of policy

 

To provide a safe physical and emotional environment for all staff/ children and families.  Childcare and Learning Group recognises that blood borne viruses are a part of the community. This policy aims to minimise the risk of transmission.

 

Points to consider

1. In dealing with an injury, all people should be treated as if they have a blood borne virus. This practice is commonly described as ‘universal precautions’. You will not always know whether a person who is bleeding is infectious; therefore it is important that anyone who treats a person follows established safety procedures when dealing with an injury. All blood should be treated as if it is infectious.
2. Children, staff and families have a right to privacy. Childcare and Learning Group would like to give families and staff the opportunity to give any information regarding any blood borne viruses that they or their children may have, with the knowledge that the information will go only so far as it is authorised and will only be used for the purpose for which it was gathered.
3. A child’s health status should not affect their right to an education. Children/ staff/ families should be able to participate in all activities in early childhood settings to the extent that their health permits.
4. Childcare and Learning Group encourages staff and families to let the setting Manager know if they are infected with any blood borne viruses. This information will be treated as confidential. If this information is disclosed to us we will complete a confidential risk assessment.

 

All personnel should know how to carry out the setting’s first aid and safety procedures.

 

First aid kits should be strategically sited around the setting, particularly in areas when an injury is more likely to be sustained. These kits should contain all necessary equipment and materials for dealing with blood.

 

In this the setting, First Aid kits are located at: Office, Kitchen, Outdoor Classroom and the Hallway by Pre-school

 

Guidelines for universal precautions on handling blood in children’s nurseries.

1. Before treating someone who is bleeding, staff will ensure they have covered any of their own cuts or abrasions with a water-proof dressing.
2. Wear gloves for all procedures.
3. Don't delay treatment of a child who is bleeding, under any circumstances because gloves are not immediately available. Use an absorbent barrier such as a towel, paper towel, handkerchief etc. for an actively bleeding child.
4. Dispose of used gloves, soiled dressings, sanitary towels, tissues, etc., in a place where they will not be handled, e.g. in bags which are burnt or buried.
5. Wipe clean and then sterilise all surfaces and instruments contaminated with blood. Make sure you use an effective disinfectant. Where safety permits soak surfaces for 20 minutes and then wipe dry.
6. Wash hands thoroughly when you have finished. Hand washing is usually adequate for non-blood secretions, but the above precautions (i.e. gloves, etc.) can also be used.
7. Make sure that first-aid kits include disposable gloves, disposable wipes or towels, plastic bags for contaminated waste.

 

Each setting should have a spills kit which deals with any spilt bodily fluids in a safe manner.

 

Further useful information:

 

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) this is a virus which attacks the immune system. It is both immune suppressing and opportunistic, not only depleting the immune system but replicating within the body as the immune system becomes more damaged. People with HIV become increasingly likely to develop certain infections, or some forms of cancer, which the body would normally be able to resist easily.

 

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) this is the most severe clinical expression of infection with HIV. AIDS is diagnosed according to clinical criteria established by the regions or countries nominated health body. These criteria include the diagnoses of one of several opportunistic infections, including Kaposi's sarcoma, lymphoma, and a rare form of pneumonia.

 

Hepatitis B this is a vaccine preventable viral infection of the liver that causes nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting and jaundice (yellow skin).

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral disease that affects the liver and can cause serious long-term liver problems.

 

How these viruses are transmitted:

 

HIV can only be transmitted through sexual intercourse/activity involving the exchange of body fluids (semen and vaginal fluids); the exchange of blood by sharing needles and syringes, by injecting drug users. It can also be transmitted from mother to baby during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding.

 

HIV positive children represent a minimal risk to others. It has not been conclusively demonstrated that HIV (and hepatitis B) infected children who bite others transmit the virus. Any child who is bleeding from an injury should be removed for the protection and safety of all other participants in whatever sport they are playing. The injury should be treated following the safety procedures set out in the above guidelines. 

HIV is not transmitted by casual contact, such as sneezing, handshaking, and the sharing of eating and toilet facilities.

 

Hepatitis B is transmitted through close contact with blood or other body fluids of an infected person. This can happen in a number of ways: by close physical contact; by sexual intercourse; from mother to baby when the baby is born; by injecting drug users sharing non-sterilised needles; and by tattooists using non-sterilised needles.

 

Hepatitis C is transmitted through contact with infected blood. It occurs through sharing contaminated injecting equipment and contaminated skin piercing such as tattooing and body piercing.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

Jess, Charlotte and the South Hill Team