Friday 31 August 2018


Bathroom redecoration

The decoration work is going well and nearly complete, they will be completely finished by Tuesday 4th. Thank you for your patience during this time.

 

Parent’s Evening

A reminder that it is parents evening on Thursday 27th September.

Pop in anytime between 6.30-8.15, to chat to your child’s key person.

The Pre-School team will be completing a ‘Going to School’ presentation at 6.30pm to let you know what we do in the Pre-School to get your child ready and excited for school.

You can also have a look at the next room if your child is due to move up and have the chance to talk to other parents.

Hope to see you all there!

 

Sammy’s Charity Sky Dive

In September Sammy will be completing a charity skydive to help raise money for the British Heart Foundation in memory of Megan’s mum. The target to reach is £500 so if you would like to read Sammy’s story or donate please visit the link below.

Thank you in advance for all your help and support. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sammyrogers.

Dates for your diaries

4th September – New Term starts

10th September – Universal funding starts

27th September – Parents evening
 

This weeks activities and events

Forest School – This week during Forest School the children made their own super cool necklace by wilting a piece of Elder, then removing the middle with a palm drill and finally threading a piece of string through the middle creating a fabulous piece of Forest School jewellery. 

Nature Club – During Nature club this week the children led the session, we started by looking at the clouds and spotting planes. We then explored the woods finding items of interest, we even brought them back to show our Bluebell friends.

Next weeks 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:

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

Buttercups 
Topic of the month: Vehicles

Monday – Leanne’s group are singing ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’ encouraging children to find and recognise body parts.

Tuesday – Sammy’s group are building their motor skills while manoeuvring around the garden on their little bikes and trikes.

Wednesday – Jamie’s group are making a small world town with trains, cars, people and animals. They will be exploring how to move the vehicles and what sounds the different animals, vehicles and people make.

Thursday – Hannah’s group will be singing nursery rhymes and pointing to different objects or body parts that are represented in the rhymes they sing.

Friday – Sammy’s group will be exploring media and materials while finger painting with their friends.

Jamie is in all week, Leanne is off Wednesday, Hannah and Sammy are in all week. 
 
Bluebells

Topic of the month: Nursery Rhymes

Monday – Megan’s group will be having a teddy bear picnic with their friends building relationships.

Tuesday – Ruby’s group are reading ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’ story building their understanding of life cycles.

Wednesday – Donna’s group is exploring the role play area and tea set encouraging imaginative play.

Thursday – Donna’ group are building their language skills while singing nursery rhymes.   

Friday –  Chloe’s group will be exploring their new number puzzle supporting their number recognition.

Donna is off Monday and Friday, Chloe is off Monday, Tuesday and Friday, Megan is off Thursday and Friday, Ruby is off Thursday.
 
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 group will be following their interest in fire engines by reading a story about fire fighters, dressing up as fire fighters and playing with the fire engines. They will also discuss other professions and develop their understanding of different occupations.

 
Ines’s group are reading the “Highway Rat” in small groups building on focusing the children’s attention and encouraging them to join in with repetitive refrains. After the story the children will be making paper rats.

 

Topic of the month: Jungle Animals
 
The letter of the week is: N
 
The children will be:

Writing the letter N on the Easel

Thinking of words that begin with the letter N

Finding objects in our environment starting with N

Counting numbers

 

The Number of the week is: 12

The children will be:

Counting to 12

Writing the number 12 on the whiteboards

Jumping 12 times

Number puzzles

Looking at the number 1 and 2 shape
 
The shape of the week is: Rectangle

 

The children will be:

Counting the sides of the corners

Drawing Rectangles  shapes

Making different sized rectangles out of bricks.

Becci is off Wednesday, Ines is off Tuesday and Eva is in all week.

I am on holiday from the 31st August until the 17th September, so if you have any queries please speak to your child’s Room Leader or Jamie.

 

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

 

Facebook

Castle Nursery and Preschool Facebook page promotes the company, engages 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  


 Our Policy of the Week

Intoxicated persons policy

Aim of the policy

To give clear guidance on what to do if a member of staff or a person collecting a child is intoxicated.

Points to consider

No person who is intoxicated by alcohol, medication or other such substances will be allowed onto the setting premises at any time.

 
Childcare and Learning Group aim to achieve this by:


•          Ensuring no child will be permitted to leave the premises with any person who is intoxicated. This includes parents, guardians or care givers.

 
•          In the situation where the person collecting a child is intoxicated, they will not be allowed onto the premises, or they will be asked to leave the premises.

 
•          In this situation, another person authorized to collect the child will be contacted and asked to collect the child.

 
•          In the situation where a staff member is intoxicated, they will be asked to leave the premises and will be informed that intoxication while on duty is a breach in their employment conditions and the regulations as set out by Ofsted. Disciplinary action will be taken.


•          Staff members must inform the Manager of any medication they are taking that may affect their working ability.

•          MASH may need to be contacted, see the child protection policies and speak to the manager

 
•          It is vital that any incidents are recorded in a clear and unbiased manner.

Kind Regards,
 
Jess, Jamie and the South Hill Team

 
                                                                                                 

Friday 24 August 2018


Dear Parents and Carers,
 
Nursery News:
 
Bathroom redecoration

The decoration works are going well. We aim to have these finished by Friday 31st.

Parking
Please can we remind parents to park considerately when dropping off and collecting their children. Please avoid parking near our single entrance gate as this can block the view of other drivers coming around the corner from Warwick’s Bench.

Bank holiday
A reminder we are closed on Monday for the bank holiday. We are open as usual Tuesday 28th.

 

Dates for your diaries
4th September – New Term starts

10th September – Universal funding starts

27th September – Parents evening

 

This weeks activities and events
 
In2 Sports –  During in2 sports the children continued to practice their football skills. They were placing balls on top of the cones and practiced passing them to their friends. They then built on their jumping skills, by jumping over the top of the cones.
 
Forest School – This week we read ‘Room on the Broom’ and made magic potion using natural items from the forest and Owens super special magic wizard water. We then went for a walk and found a muddy bank, we turned it into a mud slide!
 
Nature Club – This week we made a crown, we looked for different natural objects we would like to stick on to paper to create a crown. We also went on an adventure exploring the Natural environment, we were very lucky to see and hear Crows, Magpies, squirrels and a cat.
 
Next weeks 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:


 

This week’s planned activities are also on the ILD’S.
Buttercups 
 
Topic of the month: Animals
Tuesday – Sammy’s group are working a long side each other and sharing materials to create their own den.

Wednesday – Leanne’s group will be building their understanding skills while recognising and choosing a variety of objects. 

Thursday – Hannah’s group are using the shape sorter bus to problem solve using a variety of shapes and sizes.

Friday – Jamie’s group will be dancing to music and songs, singing together while moving their bodies.

Jamie is off Wednesday, Leanne is off Friday, Hannah and Sammy are in all week. 
 
Bluebells

 
Topic of the month: Under the sea

Tuesday – Donna’s group will be exploring the sea animals in the water tray developing their language and building their understanding of the world around them.

Wednesday – Chloe’s group are reading the ‘Gruffalo’ story and making their own Gruffalo crumble!!

Thursday – Ruby’s group is having their own mini imaginative play tea party building imagination skills.  

Friday –  Maria’s group will be building relationships while dressing up and dancing to music with their friends.

Donna is off Friday, Chloe is off Monday and Tuesday, Ruby and Maria are in all week and Megan is on holiday all week. Maria’s last day is Friday 31st.
 
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 group are making their own creation out of junk modelling resources supporting turn taking and making relationships with others.

Ines’s group will be building their health and self-care skills while baking a sponge cake with fruit. The children will be talking about the impact food has on our bodies and how following a healthy diet impacts our bodies.

 

Topic of the month: Oceans
 
The letter of the week is: M

The children will be:

Writing the letter M on the chalk boards

Thinking of words that begin with the letter M

Finding objects in our environment starting with M

Creating their own monster pictures

Talking about our Mummies

 

The Number of the week is: 11

The children will be:

Counting to 11

Writing the number 11 on the easel 

Clapping 11 times

Making groups of 11

Number stamps

 

The shape of the week is: Sphere
 
The children will be:

Roll objects down the hill in the garden to see what rolls best

Drawing Sphere shapes

Printing with 3d spheres

Becci is off Tuesday and Wednesday and Ines is off Tuesday. Eva starts on Tuesday.

 

I am on holiday from the 31st August until the 17th September, so if you have any queries please speak to your child’s Room Leader or Jamie.

 

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

 

Facebook

Castle Nursery and Preschool Facebook page promotes the company, engages 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).

 



 

Our Policy of the Week

 

Non-attendance policy

 

Aim of the policy

To give clear guidelines on what to do if a child expected at setting does not arrive.

 

Points to consider

 

This policy needs to be made aware to all parents upon starting at the setting so they understand it is to protect children rather than intrude into personal lives.

Under the Early Years Foundation Stage providers must be alert to any issues for concern in the child’s life at home or elsewhere. By understanding why the child has not attended helps us to form a picture of their life outside of the setting. This policy links to our Child Protection policies.

 

Childcare and Learning Group aim to achieve this by:

 

·        Asking all parents to inform the setting if their child is going to be absent and the reason why.

 

Recording on the registers when and child is absent and why, using the following code:

S = sickness

H= Holiday

A = unknown absence

 

·        If a child is due in and has not arrived, the setting will wait a reasonable time, depending on the child’s session and usual pattern of attendance, before contacting the parent to find out a reason for the child’s absence.

 

·        This reason will then be recorded on the registers.

 

·        Patterns of non-attendance can be monitored through the registers.

 

·        Where possible the setting would encourage parents to contact the setting rather than the setting contacting the parent.

 

·        When contacting the parents the staff will do so in a sensitive manner whilst explaining the need for the phone call.

 

·        If a child claiming Funding is off for more than two consecutive weeks or is regularly absent the manager will need to contact the Funding team.

 

·        The MASH team may need to be contacted. Please discuss this with your Manager and Designated Safeguarding Lead.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

Jess, Jamie and the South Hill Team

Castle Nursery & Pre-School

Childcare and Learning Ltd

14 South Hill | Guildford | Surrey | GU1 3SY
Tel: 01483 533344 | Fax: 01293 772971 | Email: southhill@castledaycare.co.uk | Web: www.castledaycare.co.uk