Week Commencing 5th December

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

This week’s events:

 

Forest School – This week at Forest School the children learnt how to create a fire in the woods. They then made their own yummy snack using the heat from the fire, by melting marshmallows on the fire and warmed some water up for their hot chocolate.

 

In2Sports –  This week we were developing our football skills, we were manoeuvring around the garden with the ball at our feet practicing our gross motor skills and co-ordination. We then had a fun game of football bowling.

 

Theatre bugs –

 

 

Up Coming Events

Friday 9^th December - Christmas party – 3.30-5.00pm.

Monday 12^th December – Carol Service – 4.15pm.

Tuesday 13^th December – Nativity plays – 9.45am and 4.15pm.

Friday 16^th December – Christmas jumper day – Save the children

 

Next week:

 

Christmas Party

The Christmas party is next Friday (9^th).  For children who are not normally at nursery on Fridays, parents are very welcome to bring them in, however you will need to stay with them.  The party is from 3.30 to 5pm.  Father Christmas will be visiting Babies at 3.50, Bluebells at 4.10 and Sunflowers at 4.30.  Parents of children already at nursery next Friday are very welcome to join us too!

 

Carol Service

A reminder that it is the Babies and Bluebells carol service on Monday 12th at 4.15pm.

There is no cost to see the carol service but we are limiting seats to 2 per family due to space. It would be appreciated if bags and coats were hung on your children’s pegs to save space in the Bluebells room.

 

Nativity

The Nativity performances are Tuesday 13^th. There will be two nativity plays this year.

Tuesday 13^th December at 9.45.

Tuesday 13^th December at 4.15.

There is no cost to see the nativity play but we are limiting seats to 2 per family. Please sign up to which performance you would like to see in Sunflowers. This is a first come first served booking system.

 

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!

 

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 are listening and dancing to music from around the world developing attention skills

Tuesday – Charlotte’s group will be singing number songs building an awareness of number names

Wednesday – Nilem’s group is exploring the treasure basket with a variety of interesting objects stimulating senses

Thursday – Sammy’s group are building their motor skills while using the peg boards and jars to move and fill containers

Friday – Sammy’s group will be investigating colour and media while dipping cotton wool balls into paint to make marks on paper

Charlotte is off Wednesday, Jessica is off Thursday, Nilem is off Monday and Sammy is in all week.

 

Bluebells

 

Topic of the month:  Winter and Artic Animals

 

Monday – Donna’s group are selecting their favourite activities and working together to take turns with their peers helping them developing self-confidence and turn taking skills

Tuesday – Carla’s group will be exploring the roleplay dolls and accessories building imaginative skills with friends

Wednesday – Megan’s group are using the props from their story sacks to share with their friends and act out the story together

Thursday – Donna’s group is building their understanding while comparing and sorting compare bears

Friday –  Chloe’s group are being supported to write letters to Santa to put in our post box we made developing early literacy skills

Donna is off Friday, Chloe is off Thursday, Megan and Carla are in all week.

 

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: Operating a maths game on the computer

 

This week the children will be practicing their ICT skills while operating a game on the computer. The children will be playing the ‘Maths Skills’ game to acquire basic ICT skills. The children will be supported to fit a variety of shape extensions into a larger shape using the mouse and arrows. The activity will be extended and the children will be encouraged to recognise and count the shapes on the screen.

 

Topic of the month: Christmas

 

The letter of the week is: C

 

The children will be:

Writing the letter C

Exploring cornflour gloop in the water tray

Playing with the car garage

Talking about Christmas

Thinking of words that begin with C

 

The Number of the week is: 13

 

The children will be:

Counting up to 13

Writing the number 13

Creating a number puzzle up to 13

Making the number 13 with playdough

 

The shape of the week is: Pentagon

 

The children will be:

Drawing pentagon

Looking for pentagon shapes around the room

Spotting the differences between a pentagon and a hexagon

Making pentagon with playdough

Leanne is off Thursday, Becci is off Tuesday 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: 

 

Bruising on not independently mobile children

 

Aim of policy

 

This policy gives guidance on what to do if you notice bruising on Non Mobile children.

 

Points to consider

 

Not independently mobile children are children who are not yet crawling, bottom shuffling, pulling to stand, cruising or walking independently. It includes all children under the age of six months or children with significant disabilities resulting in immobility.

 

Childcare and Learning Group aim to achieve this by:

• Recording all bruises and marks noticed, in the accident forms and on body maps
• In not independently mobile children, the presence of any bruising, of any size, in any site should initiate a referral to children’s services following the flow chart on page ­13
• Although bruising is not uncommon in older, mobile children, it is rare in infants that are immobile, particularly those under the age of six months. While up to 60% of older children who are walking have bruising, it is found in less than 1% of Not Independently Mobile infants.  Moreover, the pattern, number and distribution of innocent bruising in non-abused children are different to that in those who may have been abused.

 

Patterns of bruising suggestive of physical child abuse include:

• Bruising in children who are not independently mobile, particularly those under 6 months of age;
• Bruises that are away from bony prominences;
• Bruises to the face, back, abdomen, arms, buttocks, ears and hand;
• Multiple or clustered bruising;
• Imprinting and petechiae;
• Symmetrical bruising

 

The younger the child the greater the risk that bruising is non-accidental and the greater potential risk to the child.

 

This policy relates only to bruising in children who are Not Independently Mobile however any bruising, or suspected bruising, in a child of any age that is observed by, or brought to the attention of  a professional should be taken as a matter for inquiry and concern.

 

While accidental and innocent bruising is significantly more common in older mobile children, professionals are reminded that mobile children who are abused may also present with bruising (Baby P 2008). Body map and incident report to be completed in all cases.

 

If you notice a bruise on a child, you should discuss this with your Manager. Any bruising on Non-Mobile children must be recorded in accordance with the accident/ incident reporting procedure. Bruising on mobile children will be assessed per child.

 

If the decision to refer to the LADO team is taken by the Manager or Designated Safeguarding Lead the flow chart on page 13 will be followed.

 

Where possible the parents should be informed about the referral. However, if sharing these concerns puts the child at risk of significant or further harm we will seek advice from LADO.

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

Jess, Charlotte and the South Hill Team