Week Commencing 19th December 2016

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

This week’s events:

Forest School – This week at Forest School the children built a house for the dolls between the trees using sticks and logs which they had found.  Lee then made a swing and the children had lots of fun taking turns to play on it!  They also enjoyed playing a game of ‘What’s the Time Mr Wolf’.

In2Sports –  This week we were developing our gross motor skills while manoeuvring quickly and safely around the garden. We then practiced our sorting skills while grouping bean bags and balls we had collected from around the garden.

 

Theatre bugs –

 

Up Coming Events

Fridays 23^rd December – Close for Christmas

Tuesday 3^rd January – Open!

 

Carol Service and Nativity

Thank you to everyone who came to this year’s Carol Service and Nativity, it was a great turn out for all performances. All the children did a fabulous job J

Next week:

Parent Dairy 2017

Please see the new parent diary attached for next year. This is a list of all of our important dates for next year along with the festivals we will be celebrating.

Term Dates

A reminder that the last day of term for term time only children is Wednesday 21^st December 2016.

The new Spring term begins on the 3^rd January 2017.

The Early Years funding finishes on Friday 16^th December and will begin on the 3^rd January.

Menus

Just to let you know there will be a few changes to the tea menu next week as we will be cooking and providing our teas as one of the chef’s at Markenfield is on holiday. Lunches will remain the same.

See attached document for the weekly 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 on the ILD’S.

 

Buttercups

Topic of the month: Christmas

Monday – Charlotte’s group is playing with the dolls and pushchairs developing pretend play skills

Tuesday – Sammy’s group will be choosing their own fruit for snack encouraging own choices and health and self-care

Wednesday – Nilem’s group is listening to their favourite rhymes supporting listening and attention skills

Thursday –Charlotte’s group will be building with the large blocks encouraging the children to create simple structures and arrangements

Friday – Sammy’s group are discovering colour and media while making marks on a large sheet of paper

Charlotte is off Tuesday and Wednesday, Jessica is off Thursday, Nilem is off Monday and Sammy is on holiday all week.

 

Bluebells

Topic of the month:  Winter and Arctic Animals

 

Monday – Carla’s group are reading Christmas stories together encouraging an interest in stories and books

Tuesday – Donna’s group will be exploring the heuristic play box with our friends building relationships

Wednesday – Donna’s group are celebrating Hanukkah by listening to Jewish music and tasting bagels for snack

Thursday – Megan’s group is discovering messy play while exploring foam and colours in the art area

Friday –  Megan’s group are making marshmallow snowmen for pudding developing listening and attention skills throughout

Megan and Ruby are all week, Donna and Chloe are off Thursday and Friday and Carla is off Wednesday – Friday.

 

Sunflowers

The Sunflowers have one detailed weekly focused activity to ensure all the children have the opportunity to take part in it. The Key People link this activity to their individual Key Groups.

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 our own Christmas pictures!

 

This week the children will be self-selecting their favourite colours and resources while creating a Christmas picture of their choice. The children will be given praise throughout to develop enjoyment of carrying out small tasks and taking part in activities. The children will explore a wide range of media and textures throughout. The activity will be extended and the children will be encouraged to talk to each other about what they are creating throughout the activity.

 

 

Topic of the month: Christmas

 

The letter of the week is: E

The children will be:

Writing the letter E

Stomping like Elephants

Talking about Santa’s Elves

Thinking of words that begin with E

 

The Number of the week is: 15

 

The children will be:

Counting up to 15

Writing the number 15

Jumping 15 times!

Counting out 15 objects

 

The shape of the week is: Star

 

The children will be:

Drawing  a star shape

Making a star shape with our hands

Singing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’

Talking about where we can put stars on our Christmas trees

Making a star shape with playdough

Leanne is off Monday, Becci is off 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: 

 

The Prevent Duty

 

Aim of the policy

 

To give guidance on how practitioners can follow the Prevent Duty (2015) as set out in the Counter- Terrorism and Security Act 2015.

 

Points to consider

 

In order for childcare providers to fulfil the Prevent Duty, it is essential that staff are able to identify children who may be vulnerable to radicalisation, and know what to do when they are identified. Protecting children from the risk of radicalisation should be seen as part of childcare providers’ wider safeguarding duties, and is similar in nature to protecting children from other harms (e.g. drugs, gangs, neglect, sexual exploitation), whether these come from within their family or are the product of outside influences.

 

Childcare providers can also build pupils’ resilience to radicalisation by promoting fundamental British values and enabling them to challenge extremist views.

 

Practitioners need to be aware of when to make a referral to the Channel programme. Channel is a programme which focuses on providing support at an early stage to people who are identified as being vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. In Surrey we contact the LADO team who would then liaise with Channel.

 

In order to meet the Prevent Duty staff must:

• Be able to identify children who may be vulnerable to radicalisation and know what to do when they are identified.
• Work in partnership with police, Channel police practitioners and local authority
• Take action when they observe behaviour of concern
• Focus on children’s personal, social and emotional development, ensuring children learn right from wrong, mix and share with other children, value other’s views, know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and challenge negative attitudes and stereotypes.
• Make referrals to LADO if there are concerns that an individual may be vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism or extremism.
   

The main way Childcare and Learning Group work to prevent radicalisation is to promote British values. These are not unique to Britain; these values are universal aspirations for equality.

 

British values are:

Democracy

The rule of law

Individual liberty

Mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs

 

These values are imbedded in our practice in the following ways:

 

Democracy

• Practitioners recognise and model respect for every child and their family
• Building children’s self-confidence and self-awareness
• Involving children in decision making. What toys will they choose, deciding on the golden rules of the setting, choosing how an area is set up.
• Ensuring children know their decisions count.
• Involving parents in decisions in the setting, through questionnaires, weekly newsletters and policy reviews.

 

The Rule of Law

• Supporting children to manage their feelings and behaviour in appropriate ways.
• Talking about emotions and other people’s feelings
• Talking about why rules are important
• Encouraging children to think about how they can resolve conflict

 

Individual liberty

• Supporting children’s personal emotional and social development in particular self-confidence and self-awareness
• Allowing children to take risks and try out new ideas.
• Thinking about the characteristics of effective learning and how children are engaged, motivated and thinking.
• Encouraging children to recognise success
• Allowing enough time for children to complete activities and return to them
• Encourage group discussions to talk about feelings and recognise everyone has different opinions.

 

Mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs

• By supporting children’s understanding of diversity
• Role model an inclusive attitude to different faiths, culture and beliefs
• Encouraging turn taking
• Exploring role play
• Supporting the children to recognise similarities and differences.
• Being involved in the wider community
• Working in partnership with parents
• Providing resources that challenge gender, cultural and racial stereotyping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

Jess, Charlotte and the South Hill Team