June Newsletter
What have we been up to this month?
Babies
For Soccer Aid this year the babies went out into the veg patch garden to kick and chase after the footballs, they also tried to score some goals! They had lots of fun with their friends and loved kicking the balls around.
Babies were busy making their Father’s Day cards this month, they put a lot of love and effort into their cards and a few squiggles as well.
The babies took another trip out to the veg patch garden but this time they helped water the plants in between play time.
The babies had a lovely sandy time with their sand pit. They used vehicles, spades and other items to create marks in the sand.
Toddlers
Toddlers had a rainbow gloop activity and used tweezers to pick coloured matchsticks from the gloop.
They made some shortbread biscuits with their friends and helped to pour, mix, roll and use the cookie cutters to make the circles.
The Rainbow fish was one of the books of the week this month and so toddlers decorated their own fish using glue and tissue paper, creating some beautiful scales.
For Soccer Aid this year, toddlers took part in a penalty shootout. Everyone enjoyed taking it in turns to score a goal and especially loved being able to dress in their football kit.
Pre-School
Pre-school set up an ice cream station this month using play dough as their ice cream and paper confetti as the sprinkles, they looked good enough to eat.
The children were very helpful and set up a car wash in the car park. The cars were very clean as the children each took responsibility for a part of each car.
The pre-schoolers had a special visit this month from Colin the caterpillar, but he needed some help putting himself back together. Luckily, the pre-schoolers were there to help put him back together again and in the right order.
Carrying on the caterpillar theme, pre-school learnt about the life cycle of a butterfly and with the help of their book ‘the hungry caterpillar’, they managed to put all the stages of the life cycle into the correct order.
The children have loved learning about the caterpillars and watching them as they emerged as beautiful butterflies. They were very excited to release them and see them fly away (eventually).
Reminder:
A reminder to please bring in a hat and suncream for your child and make sure these are labelled. If you are unsure how much suncream your child has at nursery then please check with someone in your child’s room.
Date for the diary:
School Leavers Cattle Country Trip (Tuesday 9th July)
Pre-School Graduation (Saturday 20th July)
May Newsletter
What have we been up to this month?
Warm welcome!
A warm welcome to our new kitchen team, Terri and Jade. We can’t wait to see what delicious dishes they create!
Babies
Babies have had a lot of sensory play this month and enjoyed the different textures in their trays.
With the weather becoming warmer and warmer, the babies have spent more time in their garden and enjoyed story time and their sand tray.
They also had a sensory walk indoors and walked through the slimy river and watery walkway.
Toddlers
The toddlers also made good use of their sensory trays this month and made a sensory walk too, their trays consisted of different textures perfect for little feet to stomp on. They then made a beach themed tray using some foam, sand and shells.
Toddlers made the most of the dry weather and had a picnic outside and brought all their favourite snacks.
They also practiced their chopping skills and made some wonderful fruit kebabs for their snack time.
Pre-School
Pre-school learnt all about bees and how they collect nectar from flowers to make honey! We then made our own bees by cutting out the stripes and sticking it all together.
They then had a special delivery of some caterpillars this week. The children are excited to watch them grow and have even started drawing pictures of what they might look like.
Earlier in the month, they put some old bananas to good use and made a wonderful banana bread, delicious!
Soccer Aid
We're going football crazy at Snapdragons for UNICEF's Soccer Aid. In the weeks before and after the official Soccer Aid match on Sunday 9th June, we'll be holding our own sports themed events across our nurseries and inviting you to support our fundraising for UNICEF. Here at Shirehampton, we will be having a penalty shootout. Please see the link below to our just giving page:
Parents information:
With the weather finally starting to improve, please see below a link to our outdoor activities policy regarding suncream and outdoor play…..
Dates for the diary:
Soccer aid (Monday 10th June)
Father’s day stay and play (Friday 14th June)
Father’s day (Sunday 16th June)
April Newsletter
We will be closed for the following bank holidays:
Monday 6th May and Monday 27th May
What have we been up to this month?
Babies
This month babies have been out and about in the garden and making the most of the outside resources.
They also had lots of fun with their big scale painting and managed to get some of it on the paper, not just themselves.
Toddlers
The toddlers have had sensory parties in their sleep room this month using glow sticks, they loved having a dance in the dark with just the glow sticks as light.
Old MacDonald was one of the books of the week during this month for the toddlers. They created a sensory farm with ‘farm mud’ and then added animals from the room that they felt belonged on a farm. As well as this, the toddlers were treated to a puppet show with their farm animal puppets.
Pre-School
During April, Jack and the beanstalk was one of the books of the week. Pre-school made their very own beanstalk and measured everyone’s height, marking it with a leaf that they had decorated themselves. They also made mini beanstalks using pipe cleaners and beads, adding leaves throughout.
Pre-school learnt about Ramadan and Eid this month and decorated their rooms with decorations they had made. They then used different tools to print stars and moons as well as using brushes to create the night sky by flicking paint on to their paper inspired by their discussion of the moon cycle. They then made some yummy Eid biscuits in the shape of moons and stars.
They also made their own sensory farm this month and used items from around their room to create it. They used soil from their veg patch supply and added green straw for the grass.
Dates for the diary:
May Day Bank Holiday (Monday 6th May)
Spring Bank Holiday (Monday 27th May)
Half Term (Monday 27th-Friday 31st May)
March Newsletter
We are closed Friday 29th March and Monday 1st April!
Have a lovely Easter and we will see you next week
Reminders:
A polite reminder that phones are not to be used while you are in the nursery, please put these away until you have left the building
Half term: Monday 1st - Fridy 12th April
What have we been up to this month?
Babies
Babies had a disco this month, they enjoyed dancing around the disco ball with their light up tubes.
For Mother’s Day, the babies made some lovely cards to take home. As always, they loved the feeling of the brush as it tickled their hands. Thank you to all the parents that attended our Mother’s Day event, it was lovely to have you and to spend a bit more time with you.
For World Book Day Shirehampton decided on a pajama day, which went down well as always in the baby room. Everyone looked so snuggly with their favourite teddy and book.
Toddlers
For World Down Syndrome toddlers dressed up in fancy dress. They also took part in odd sock activities which included decorating their own funky socks and drawing them as well.
For St David’s day, toddlers did some observational painting and painted daffodils. As well as this, they made their own flags out of play dough.
Pre-School
This month pre-school have been learning all about the life cycle of a plant, they then used this new knowledge and planted some cress. They packed their tub with cotton wool, used the pipette to soak it in water and then sprinkled the cress seeds on top.
Pre-school also celebrated St David’s Day and did some observational paintings of daffodils and the Welsh flag.
As the temerpature continues to rise, pre-school have decided to start planting their seeds. Everyone was very careful adding soil to the pot, adding the seeds, and then adding a drop of water. Another Spring activity involved a springtime water tray in which pre-schol added flowers to their water tray, chooped them up and then mixed the colours together.
February Newsletter
What have we been up to this month?
Babies
It was children’s mental health week during this month and so the babies took a trip to the spa. They relaxed on the mat with a cucumber face mask, a warm flannel on their foreheads and had a wonderful massaged from the baby team.
The babies enjoyed some lovely pancakes this month with some yummy fruit, they did a great job stiring the mixture together.
Babies got crafty for Valentine’s Day and created some pictures using their feet as the paintbrush. They enjoyed the tickling sensation as the baby team added painted to their feet to create the pictures. It was toe tickling fun!
The babies made the most of the dry weather and had some fun in their baby garden, they were joined by our photographer Royce.
Toddlers
This month toddlers were busy building an obstacle course in the garden. They took it in turns to jump, climb, and balance their way through the course.
The toddlers have been showing off their brushing skills with a great tooth brushing activity. They had to make sure the teeth were spotless and that all marks (food) had been removed.
They have also been working on their fine motor skills as they used the pincers to find hidden animals amongst the shredded paper in the tray. They then went fishing and had to use the sticks to fish out the fish in the tray.
The toddlers also made some fantastic pancakes this month. They helped make the mix and chopped their fruit to go on top of these.
For valentine’s day, toddlers made some pictures using flower and heart cutters to create the different shapes on their cards.
Our photographer Royce got nice and messy in the sand tray with our toddlers this month, there were lots of giggles and smiles.
Pre-School
Just like the babies, pre-school took a trip to the spa this month as part of children’s mental health week. They enjoyed a nice foot soak and scrub which they seemed to very much enjoy as you can see.
Pre-school also helped make their pancakes for pancake day this month and carefully chopped their fruit to go on top.
This month pre-school made some kindness potions using various liquids, colours, and textures. They discussed what makes a good friend and then added those things into the mixture.
For Chinese New Year the children made some paper chain dragons, they really enjoyed piecing together their dragons and sticking them together. They also discussed what was special about the New Year and the process before the event. They then went up to the mini kitchen and made their own Chinese vegetable stir fry. Everyone helped to chop the vegetables ready for the frying pan.
During this month, pre-school learnt all about space. They built their own rockets, spaceship, and planets! They then blasted their rockets into space using ‘Brunel’s Blast-Off Box’ which Charlie kindly brought in for the children. All activities were based on the book ‘Whatever Next’.
As the weather is finally starting to change and warm up, the pre-schoolers decided to make a start on planting bits and pieces for the veg patch. They carefully planted the seeds in the soil and are now patiently waiting for them to grow.
Dates for the diary:
St David’s Day (Friday 1st March) - You are welcome to bring your child to nursery dressed in red, green, white or anything Welsh related.
World Book Day (Thursday 7th March) - To celebrate World Book Day, the children are invited to wear their pyjamas to nursery, bring in a teddy and their favourite bedtime story! During the day we will be sharing lots of bedtime stories and rhymes. Attached to this email is a book token you can use in order to purchase a World Book Day book.
Mother’s Day (Monday 11th March) - We are inviting parents in to join us for an afternoon tea between 4.30-5.30pm. Please let someone on the desk know if you intend to join us so we can ensure we have enough food.
Concept Photography (Wednesday 20th March) - Concept photography will be with us again on the 20th. For children in on that day you do not need to sign up, if your child does not do a Wednesday and you would like them to have their photo taken then please speak to someone on the desk to book a morning slot.
Parents Evening (Wednesday 20th March) - There will be sign up sheets on the doors of the room so please look out for these over the next week or so to book your time slot with your child/childrens key person.
World Down Syndrome Day (Thursday 21st March) - Join us in celebrating World Down Syndrome Day by wearing your funkiest socks and dressing up clothes to symbolise the uniqueness of every chromosome- each one valuable, and one-of-a-kind!
January Newsletter
Welcome back
What have we been up to this month?
Babies
During January, the very hungry caterpillar was the book of the week for the babies. They fed the caterpillar fruit and vegtables that they managed to dig up in their garden tray.
Babies have made the most of a delivery this month by using one of the cardbaord boxes as a canvas to draw on. They found it great fun being able to use all sides of the box and to find a space to draw whenever they turned.
Our photographer Royce captured some lovley photos of the babies on blue monday, they used blue paint to create some lovely artwork using cars and trucks dipped in the paint.
Reminder:
Please can all baby parents remember to bring in shoes/wellies for the garden
Toddlers
The toddlers created a bug hunt this month using various bugs from their bug toy box, they then added tunnels and leaves ready for the big hunt.
For their snack, toddlers cut their cucumbers into slices and practiced their cutting skills. They did an excellent job, well dont toddlers.
Royce captured some wonderful photos of the toddlers preparing some pictures of snacks inspired by their book of the week during January, the tiger who came to tea. They then had a tea party using their toy food, ready for the tigers visit.
As most of you will be aware we have recently become affiliated with 'Sing and Sign', a baby signing programme which teaches Makaton signs using fun games and songs. This month the toddlers showed Royce what they had learnt and did a fantastic job in front of the camera.
Pre-School
Pre-School have also been making use of the delivery and made a car using one of the empty boxes, painting it in the morning and then constructing it in the afternoon. The children then pretended to go on holiday and to the park.
This month pre-school had lots of fun with a memory game, they thought very carefully and tried to remember where they had seen the matching numbers. They each waited patiently for their turn and were very excited when they found a matching pair.
As well as matching numbers, pre-school put their brains to the test and had to pick out their name amongst their friends.
Royce spent some times with the pre-schoolers and captured their fantastic talent show. Everyone showed off their best dance moves and musical abilities with the instruments. As well as this, Royce captured some fun actitivies in the room which included painting and sandcastle building. They then braved the cold in the garden and had lots of fun on the slide and bikes.
Dates for the diary:
National Storytelling Week – 27th January-4th February 2024
Children’s Mental Health Week – 5th-11th February 2024
Chinese New Year – 10th February 2024
February Half Term – 12th-16th February 2024
Pancake Day – 13th February 2024
Valentine’s Day – 14th February 2024
Random Acts of kindness Day – 17th February 2024
December Newsletter
Reminder:
We are closed Monday 25th December-Monday 1st January
We will open again on Tuesday 2nd January
What have we been up to this month?
Babies
Babies have been getting crafty this month, they made some lovely pictures for their families as well as some marvellous party crowns to wear during Christmas dinner. They also made some beautiful Christmas decorations to go on the babies Christmas tree.
Babies had lots of fun with a melted snowman that the ended up as a gloopy mess. The babies used their Christmas cutters to make patterns in the melted snowman.
Christmas dinner day was a hit with the babies, they loved the yummy dinner cooked by our chef Caroline. The party crowns looked fabulous as they tucked into their dinner.
Toddlers
Toddlers also had fun with a gloopy snowman, the toddlers loved the squelch. As well as the gloopy snowman, the toddlers made snowmen out of flour, buttons, and cotton wool.
Toddlers got crafty as well and made not only party crowns for Christmas dinner but some lovely snowmen out of card. They also made some decorations to go on their toddler tree.
Pre-School
Pre-school have had a very busy month preparing for Christmas. They made a lovely soup for the reindeer to make sure they have enough strength to pull Father Christmas’ sleigh on the big night.
Pre-school also got crafty and made some stained-glass baubles for their trees, all the baubles looked very colourful. As well as baubles, pre-school made some wonderful tree and snowmen pictures using festive red and green paint.
The Christmas Nativy went well as always, well done pre-school! Thank you to all of pre-school for working so hard with the children.
Pre-school also enjoyed Christmas dinner day with a lovely roast and crumble for pudding.
Reminder:
Pre-school: Please remember to bring in spare trousers for your children
Please remember to bring in coats, wellies, hats, gloves and puddle suits to ensure your child has everything they need for the colder weather. Although we have spares, we can’t guarantee we have enough for everyone and in the correct size.Dates for the diary:
Thank you!
Thank-you very much for a great year! We have had some wonderful events, and thank-you all for your support. We look forward to welcoming you all back in 2024, and seeing some new faces join the nursery too. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas, stay safe and we will see you in the New Year.
Dates for the diary:
Christmas Closure - 25th December-1st January - Our last day this year will be Friday 22nd December, we will then be closed for Christmas, opening again on Tuesday 2nd January
First day back - Tuesday 2nd January 2024 - We look forward to welcoming everyone back after the Christmas break
November Newsletter
What have we been up to this month?
Babies
This month the babies have been busy making firework pictures using kitchen scouring pad to create the splatter image. The babies really enjoyed dipping the scourer in the messy paint and then dapping it on the paper to make as much mess as possible.
Pyjama day in support of Children in Need was a success again, the babies looked very warm and cosey in their onesies as they snuggled up to their teddies.
Our nursery photographer Royce has been in again this month, he has captured some lovely photos of the babies exploring the forest garden and gathering leaves. The babies then used their collection of leaves to make some artwork when back inside in the warmth.
The weather hasn’t been as nice this month and so babies have made the most of their soft play. They explored the tunnels and practiced some yoga on the soft mats. They then had lots of fun playing with the parachute.
Our Christmas tree has now arrived and so babies have been busy making some lovely decorations to go on the tree, this included baubles and gingerbread men. As you can see, the babies were very excited about their decorations and being able to add them to the tree.
Toddlers
Toddlers have also made their own firework pictures at the start of this month. They used kitchen roll tubes with slits to create the fireworks. They mixed the colours together which created some very colourful and bright displays.
Toddlers have been helping Charlie with some planting this month. They helped by digging the holes and planting the garlic and broad beans, ready for next year.
For Remembrance Day, toddlers created some poppies using paint and cotton wool. With great precision, they managed to create the delicate petals of the poppies.
Our photographer Royce spent some time with the toddlers and captured their skittles activity. The toddlers painted and decorated all the skittles needed for their game, they then took it in turns to try and knock them all down.
Royce also managed to capture the toddlers exploring natural objects found outside. Using play dough, they created imprints of these objects into the playdough to see what patterns and shapes they created.
Pre-School
Pre-school used chalks for their firework pictures, they took inspiration from the fireworks they had seen with families as well as some pictures from previous years displays. As well as chalk, pre-school used paint which they added to a salad spinner which when spun, splattered the paint around on their pictures, creating their firework. It was hard work spinning the spinner but lots of fun.
Pre-school took part in some Diwali activities this month, they made diva lamps out of play dough which they then decorated with buttons.
Pre-school also supported Children in Need and made the most of being able to wear their pyjamas to nursery. Everyone looked so warm and cosey.
Carrying on the spooky season, pre-school made some potions. They used different scents and colours to create lots of different types. They then finished everything off in the cauldron.
For Remembrance Day, pre-school made a fantastic pom pom wreath which they took up to the memorial.
Pre-school set up a story activity inspired by the book ‘we’re going on bear hunt’. Royce was on hand to capture the story as they told it using props. They then had their very own exploration through the long wavy grass, deep cold river, thick oozy mud, big dark forest, swirling whirling snowstorm and the narrow gloomy cave.
Helpful information as part of Millie’s Mark, please see below advice for the winter months
When should I worry about my child’s breathing?
As the winter approaches, the number of respiratory illness rises significantly.
This can be a very worrying time for parents, but when should you be concerned about your child’s breathing?
Most chest infections are caused by viruses and so do not usually need treatment with antibiotics, and most children do not need to see a medical practitioner and will get better by themselves.
It can be extremely scary if your child has any sort of breathing difficulty. Use your instincts; if your child appears well and their breathing difficulty improves after a short period of time, there is normally no need to worry.
Wheeze is extremely common in young children and is most often triggered by a viral infection. Most pre-school aged children with wheeze do not have asthma.
Children under 2 years of age with breathing difficulty may have bronchiolitis. This is an extremely common condition, caused by a viral infection. It usually starts as a runny nose and cough but their breathing may get worse of the next 2-3 days.
If your child is struggling to breathe, they need to be seen by a medical practitioner and may need treatment.
Call 999 or go to A&E if your child:
· has blue lips
· pauses in breathing or starts grunting
· a harsh breath noise as they breathe in
· too breathless to talk
· is pale, mottle and feels abnormally cold to touch
· is extremely agitated or confused or is very lethargic (difficult to wake)
Ring you GP surgery or contact 111 if your child
· Has laboured/rapid breathing or they are working harder to breathe (drawing in of the muscles below their ribs, between their ribs or at the neck)
· Seems dehydrated (sunken eyes, drowsy, not passed urine for 12 hours)
· Is drowsy or irritable especially if they remain this way despite their fever coming down
· Continues to have a fever of 38.0 or above for more than 5 days
· Is getting worse or you are worried
If none of the above features are present, make sure that your child stays well hydrated by offering them lots of fluids – you may need to give this little and often via syringe. Closely monitor them for any signs of deterioration by looking out for any red or amber features.
For more advice and guidance, visit NHS Health Together www.what0-18.nhs.uk
Reminder:
Please remember to bring in coats, wellies, hats, gloves and puddle suits to ensure your child has everything they need for the colder weather. Although we have spares, we can’t guarantee we have enough for everyone and in the correct size.
Food bank
Thank you to all those that kindly donated money and food to the Food bank last week. We support the Food bank throughout the year and are able to provide families with vouchers to access this support if they need them. Coming up to Christmas we understand the financial pressures families may be experiencing so, as always, please let us know if you would benefit from a food bank voucher and we can issue this for you. Thank you again to those that donated.
Dates for the diary:
Nativity - 6th December - A reminder that the pre-school nativity for school leavers is on the 6th December
Christmas Jumper Day - 7th December - Get those Christmas jumpers ready as it is Christmas jumper day on the 7th, we can’t wait to see all the festive jumpers to really start the Christmas spirit
Christmas Dinner - 12th December - Our lovely chef Caroline will be cooking Christmas dinner for all children and staff on the 12th
Christmas Party and Special Visitor - 15th December - This is an open event to all of our Shirehampton Snapdragons Nursery families. We will have some yummy food, games and activities for everyone to enjoy. This will start at 4:30pm and will finish at 5:30/5:45pm. Please let us know if you can attend so we know numbers for our chef.
Christmas Closure - 25th December-1st January - Our last day this year will be Friday 22nd December, we will then be closed for Christmas, opening again on Tuesday 2nd January
October Newsletter
What we have been up to this month?
Babies
Keeping our teeth clean is a very important everyday task and one which the babies love to complete. With their own toothbrushes, the babies can practice their independence throughout the whole process as they run their toothbrush under the water tap, add the toothpaste and practice the brushing motion.
Babies have been making the most of their sensory den recently, they made their own puppets to use in the den and had fun with the different shapes that they made.
Getting into the Halloween spirit, babies decorated their own pumpkins and ghosts. They used different textures and had lots of fun painting and sticking their hands as well as the paper.
Toddlers
This month toddlers have been practicing their fine motor skills by threading spaghetti through a colander and using tweezers to move the colour sorting bears to correct colour pot. It took a lot of concentration but they managed it perfectly.
Toddlers went on a bug hunt in the vegetable patch and found a new friend. After this, they went for an autumnal walk inside using the objects in their room to create the different textures found outside.
For Halloween, toddlers made witches broomsticks by dipping lollypop sticks and string into paint to create their broomsticks. They also made a giant pumpkin and used green and orange tissue paper to decorate it.
Pre-School
One of our lovely parents has been in to do some yoga with the pre-school children this month. They practiced a number of poses which tested their balance and Cedric the butterfly also came along to help the children with their ability to stay as still and calm as possible.
Pre-school have been practicing letter recognition this month. During their circle time the children each had a go at ‘splatting’ the letters in their name.
Pre-school got into the autumn spirit this month and made their very own hedgehogs. They used forks to create their hedgehogs spikes.
Halloween is approaching and so pre-school have been busy making pumpkin shaped sun catchers to get into the Halloween spirit. They also had fun rescuing spiders from the giant spider web trap and made the spiders their very own individual web to play in.
Grandparents Day
Thank you to all the lovely grandparents that joined us for Grandparents Day, we hope you had a lovely time doing some fun activities with your grandchildren.
Reminder:
Please remember to bring in coats, wellies, hats, gloves and puddle suits to ensure your child has everything they need for the colder weather. Although we have spares, we can’t guarantee we have enough for everyone and in the correct size.
Dates for the diary:
Guy Fawkes Night - 5th November
Parents Evening - 7th November - Sign up sheets will be on the door of your child’s room, please put your child’s name next to the time you would like
Remembrance Day - 11th November
Spooky S’mores - 15th November - Starting at 5.30pm and finishing at 7pm, feel free to join us anytime during the session. Please let us know if you will be joining so we have an idea of numbers
Children in Need - 17th November - Children are welcome to dress in their pyjamas for children in need day
Food bank fundraising week - 20th-24th November - Week beginning the 20th November we will be having a fundraising week for the local food bank in Avonmouth. More details will follow shortly but if you do have any food items you wish to donate we have a collection box in the entrance way to the nursery. Please have a look at the following website for a list of items they are particularly looking for, for Christmas: Christmas Shopping List 2023 (foodbank.org.uk)
September Newsletter
We got “Good”!
As many of you know, we had our Ofsted Inspection in July, and I can confirm that we are “Good” in all areas! We are delighted with this, and can’t thank all of the parents enough for all of their support, kind wishes, and lovely comments on the day. The inspectors were impressed with the progress children make at the nursery and how quickly new children settle in and thrive due to the close partnerships with parents that are formed from the outset. For more on this, please follow this link:
Good on you, Shirehampton! — Snapdragons Nursery
Concept Photography are back…
We have concept photography coming into the nursery setting on Tuesday 31st October from 8:30am-2:30pm. All children who are in session on this day will have their photos taken. You will be given a proof sheet of all photos taken, and then you have the option to purchase these if you wish. You are under no obligation to buy them, if you’d like anymore information regarding concept, please do ask at the desk and we will be happy to help.
A gentle reminder….
With the weather getting cold and wet, please can we remind you that we need children to have weather appropriate clothes to wear to the garden. We do go outside in all weathers, so we would recommend bringing in a warm waterproof coat, a warm hat and some wellies and in extreme cold weathers please bring in some gloves/scarf if needed.. Please label all clothing, as quite often children do bring in the same piece of clothing, and can often get them mixed up. Thank-you.
Illness…
As we are coming into winter, unfortunately we do see an increase in illnesses. We do all we can to minimise these, including regular sterilising of our toys and resources and continuing our hygiene procedures with cleaning and handwashing. Please can we ask, if your child is unwell in themselves, they do not come into nursery until they are well enough to do so. We are also finding that children are having Calpol in the morning before sessions, please can you familiarise yourself with our Illness Policy, as we ask that children do not have Calpol, 4 hours prior to starting their session. The link to our Illness Policy is below:
Illnesses — Snapdragons Nursery
Dates for the diary that are coming up…
Grandparent Day- Tuesday 10th October 2023- We are inviting the grandparents in from 9:30am-10:30am to do some planting in our outside vegetable patch and have a biscuit with their grandchild/children. If you are interested in this, please do let someone on the desk know as we can book this in for you.
(This will be subject to the weather of course.)
Wear yellow for World Mental Health Day- Tuesday 10th October 2023- We will be wearing yellow to support World Mental Health Day!
Halloween- Tuesday 31st October 2023- We will be completing lots of Halloween activities. Please feel free to dress up on this day if you would like too. I am sure we will have lots of spooky music to go with the activities.
Parents Evening- 7th November 2023- We will be holding our parents evening from 6pm-8pm on Tuesday 7th November. This is an opportunity to book in with your child’s keyperson to have a short discussion about your child/children’s development. You do not have to attend this if you do not wish too. If you would like to, we will put time slot’s on the door of your child’s base room within the next 2 weeks for you to sign up for a time slot.
Spooks and Smores Night- Wednesday 15th November 2023- After our very successful Spooks and Smores last year, we are hosting this again for 2023! We are very excited for this event, and welcome all parents and children to come in from 4:45pm-6:30pm to enjoy some spooky activities as well as the amazing fire pit with smores with our Forest School leader Natalie.
October Half Term- 23rd-27th October 2023- If you are on a Term Time Only booking pattern, this is a gentle reminder about the Half Term week.
Staffing Update…
We have had a few changes to staff around the nursery and we thank-you for your patience whilst we have been sorting this. We have some new faces around the nursery. Welcome to Scarlett, who is our new Lunchtime Assistant in pre-school. Welcome to Kerrie, who is our new Nursery Apprentice in toddlers. Sadly we say good-bye to Owen our Nursery Chef, who is leaving to take on a new culinary experience. We have recruited a new chef, who will be joining us soon so look out for her!
We have also Welcomed Back Jessica Lennox-Gordon from her Maternity Leave. Jess returned in September and has resumed the role of Deputy Manager and Head of Early Years Practice. Suzanne has resumed her role as Head of Toddlers, however is now Third in Charge.
Your management team is myself (Jenna Schroeder- Manager), Jess (Deputy Manager), Suzanne (Head of Toddlers/Third in Charge). Lowenna is also available if you need anything, we are all more than happy to help!
August Newsletter
Pre-school Graduation 2023
The pre-school children have celebrated their Pre-school Graduation this month. It was so lovely to see so many parents, siblings and friends gather to celebrate the children going off to school, despite the very rainy weather. We just want to wish all of the wonderful children leaving us, a massive good luck, we are confident you will all go on to do wonderful things! Here are some lovely photos of the Graduation.
What have the babies been up too?
The babies have been getting into the football spirit and supporting the Lionesses in the World Cup Final. The babies explored some football activities and even made their own football shirts. The babies have also had a lovely time in the garden this month, they have been exploring the bikes, tunnels, the bridge and the mud kitchen and have been very busy exploring.
What have the toddlers been up too?
The toddlers have also been getting into the football spirit, and have been playing some football games in the garden. Some of the pre-school children joined in too! The toddlers have also been making some yummy flavored water and fruit kebabs with a variety of tasty healthy fruit. They look delicious.
What have the pre-school been up too?
Pre-school have been very busy in our vegetable patch. They harvested the potatoes, and gave them a wash. They then peeled the potatoes and used their chopping skills to cut them up. They then put them in the oven and made some yummy potato wedges for their snack. Pre-school also got a letter back from the King and Queen after we sent them a card for the King’s Coronation. The children were so excited to read it.
Reminders for September:
Term Time Only: Your booking pattern will restart from Monday 4th September 2023- we look forward to having you back soon!
If you have any holiday’s booked, please do pop us an e-mail and let us know so we can mark your child as absent. Our email address is shirehampton@snapdragonsnursery.com.
Please ensure that all children’s clothes are labelled with the children’s names. We do our best to ensure all clothes go back on the children’s pegs, but when it is labelled it is very helpful.
Please provide your child with a labelled water bottle and please ensure this goes home at the end of the day.
Please can we remind you to bring spare clothes for your children for the day incase of accidents, spillages or general messy play. We do have some spares, but these are limited.
We say goodbye too…..
Alex has sadly left us to peruse a new career, we wish her all the best for her future and we will miss her. We also have said goodbye to Grace as she leaves us to go on maternity leave. Good luck Grace, we can’t wait to meet the baby.
A warm welcome….
A warm welcome to Liv, our new Early Years Support Assistant. Liv will be working in all the different age groups, so please feel free to say hello if you see her. We will also hopefully have some new faces in the next few months.
July Newsletter
Updates and what we have been up to this month
Staffing update:
We have a couple of new staff members joining us this month. Eleanor will be joining the baby team and Magdalena will be joining us as part of our lovely lunch time assistants. A warm welcome to both of them!!
Babies
The babies loved exploring this under the sea set up using torches to find the “swimming” fish!
They also loved large scale painting last month and got very messy as they explored the different coloured paint!
Soft play is always a fun activity for the babies, the tunnel is always a great photo opportunity as the baby team always manage to catch a smile as the babies exit the tunnel.
Toddlers
Toddlers practiced their cutting skills last month, they practiced by cutting up their snack time fruit.
It was ‘water theme day’ last month. For this, toddlers made some of their very own jellyfish and had lots of fun searching for the different sea animals in the water.
We have recently had a new light box at the nursery and so toddlers used this to explore shapes and shadows.
Pre-School
Preschool made some egg muffins with cheese and enjoyed learning how to crack eggs!
Invisible threads came in for a dance lesson during June. Pre-School went on an imaginary adventure in the woods and met lots of woodland animals along the way including, deer and rabbits. They loved making the feathers float and popping the bubbles.
Pre-School also held the Snapdragons Olympics inspired by their story of the week ‘The frog Olympics’, they had several events including the three legged race, egg and spoon, and sack race. They seemed to have lots of fun as they competed in their teams of green and red.
June Newsletter
Updates and what we have been up to this month
Staffing update:
A warm welcome to Emily our new support assistant
Babies
Babies made some decorations and crowns for the coronation party last month and enjoyed decorating their crowns, ready to party.
They also did some more baking and made some delicious treats.
The lovely Carolyne has kindly brought in a play house for the babies in their garden and so the babies have made the most of it while outside in the sunshine, thank you Carolyne.
Toddlers
Toddlers have been busy making bugs out of natural resources and recreated their own version of ladybirds, butterflies and such.
They also made some delicious smoothies using their favourite fruits.
Pre-school
Pre-school wrote a letter to King Charles and filled it with their pictures of everything royal, they then took a walk up the high street to post the letter. Good job pre-school.
Pre-school also helped with the coronation decorations and created some fantastic bunting using marbles and paint. They also enjoyed lots of coronation based activities.
One of the books of the week during May was ‘rain before rainbows’, pre-school loved this book so much that it inspired them to create their own rainbows. Some rainbows were made out of paint and paper while others were made out of playdough.
Coronation Party
Thank you to everyone that came to our coronation party, we hope you all had lots of fun and enjoyed the yummy food put together by our chef Owen, thank you Owen.
Dates for the diary:
Child Safety Week - 5th June-11th June
The King’s Official Birthday - 17th June
Father’s Day - 18th June
Make Music Day - 21st June
Eid-ul-Adha - 28th June-29th June
May Newsletter
A reminder that we are now closed on bank holidays and so the nursery will be closed on Monday 8th and Monday 29th May.
Now that the sun is starting to shine once again, can I please draw your attention once again to our extreme temperature policy:
Extreme Temperatures.docx (sharepoint.com)
Updates and what we have been up to this month
Staffing update:
We have two new staff members to introduce this month, a big warm welcome to Ellie and Amber. Ellie will be based in the baby room and Amber will be based in the pre-school room.
Babies
Babies have had a lot of fun with their new busy board and have enjoyed exploring the new sounds and movement of the objects on the board.
They have been making the most of the dry weather and getting out into the garden and using their bikes and outdoor resources.
On the days that the weather was not so great, the babies made full use of their climbing frame which created lots of laughter and fun.
The babies tested their cooking skills and created some lovely flapjack, mixing eveything all by themselves.
Babies have really enjoyed brushing their teeth together in the mornings with their very own toothbrush, all of the older babies are now teaching the new younger babies how it is done.
Toddlers
For national high 5 day, toddlers made their own hands and decorated them using feathers and tissue paper.
They made their very own hopscotch so they could have some fun during the rainy days and burn off some energy.
The toddlers became paleontologists for the day and created an excavation site. They used their brushes to discover what was hidden in the sand.
Toddlers always like to do some baking, this month they made some gingerbread to go with their story of the week which was The Gingerbread Man.
To make the most of the nice weather, the toddlers took a trip to the park. The practitioners managed to capture some lovely cheesy grins.
The vegetable patch had a little visit from our toddlers, they helped Alex to water the seedlings and plant some radish seeds.
Pre-school
The pre-school children were very busy last month. For Easter, they made some Easter egg shakers using lentils and easter egg shapes.
Now that the sun is starting to finally shine, some of the children were able to get out to the vegetable patch and pick some lovely herbs which they then added to their play dough to create some lovely natural smelling bugs.
In preparation for Space Day, pre-school made planets using card and tissue paper. Everyone chose their favourite colours to create their very own planet.
The children wanted to have a go at making their own snack and create some colourful fruit kebabs using lots of fabulous fresh fruit.
Vegetable patch
A big thank you to those that joined in for the vegetable patch session and helped Alex with weeding and planting, the vegetable patch is looking great. We hope you all enjoyed it, keep an eye out for our next invite.
Dates for the diary:
World Laughter Day - 3rd May
Star Wars Day - 4th May
Cinco De Mayo - 5th May
National Sun Awareness Week - 6th-13th May
Coronation Party - Friday 5th May
Coronation of King Charles lll - 6th May
Bank Holiday - 8th May - THE NURSERY WILL BE CLOSED
National Children’s Day UK - 14th May
National Numeracy Day - 17th May
World Bee Day - 20th May
World Turtle Day - 23rd May
Africa Day - 25th May
Elmer Day - 27th May
Bank Holiday - 29th May - THE NURSERY WILL BE CLOSED
May half term - 29th May-2nd June
April Newsletter
A reminder that we are now closed on bank holidays and so the nursery will be closed on Friday 7th and Monday 10th April.
Updates and what we have been up to this month
Staffing update:
A few updates for this month, all in the toddler room. Anais and Maisie have now left and so we wish them the best for the future. There will be a couple of new faces in the toddler room as Ellie G from the baby room has now joined the toddler team and we have a new member of staff and she will also be based in the toddler room, welcome to the team Amelia.
Babies
The babies have been up to a lot this month, starting with World Book Day. Everyone enjoyed dressing up as their favourite characters and making sure the porridge went to the bears rather than goldilocks.
The snow day didn’t stop our little explorers from getting outside, they wrapped up ready to play in the snow and enjoyed the texture and squelching of the snow under their feet.
We had a special visit from some Chicks last month, the babies loved stroking them and seeing all the different colours feathers.
A big thank you to all mums that came to our Mother’s Day Treat and enjoyed some lovely treats while they had a stay and play.
For World Downs Syndrome Day, we all came dressed in our best odd socks. The babies had their very own socks so they could coordinate the oddness.
Babies also put on their best hats for ‘wear a hat day’ in aid of Brain Tumour Research.
Toddlers
Toddlers baked some lovely biscuits last month, everyone took part in helping to make these and they really enjoyed wearing the bakers hat.
Toddlers also had a visit from our little chicks, the toddlers did really well when holding them and ensuring that they did not jump off their hands and escape.
Sensory paint is always a big hit in the toddler room, the toddlers explored the sensation of the paint under their hands as they ran their fingers through the paint. This is always a great activity as the paint swirls underneath their hands and not on them.
Another sensory activity last month involved some spaghetti. The toddlers helped to dye the spaghetti different colours and used the cones to help them scoop them all up.
Toddlers have already started preparing for Easter, they have been painting their own eggs and had a mini egg hunt in the tuff tray as they tried to find the eggs amongst the coloured paper. The bunny ears helped them find the eggs quicker and were a huge hit to the toddlers.
Pre-school
We had some fantastic costumes in pre-school for World Book Day including the staff members who dressed up as the characters from the colour monster book.
Pre-school took part in the Window Wanderland creativity and made a wonderful display for one of the high street windows with the help of one of our lovely pre-school parents.
Mother’s day was a big hit in the pre-school room as well. thank you to all mum’s that popped in for the stay and play.
Just like the babies, pre-school also put on their best hats for ‘wear a hat day’ in aid of Brain Tumour Research. The pre-schoolers got creative and all kinds of different hats.
Wild Club
Thank you to everyone that attended the Wild Club with us. Our forest school leaders did a great job and really enjoyed teaching your children some new skills. We will have more sessions in the future so keep an eye out to book in with us.
Dates for the diary:
Good Friday - 7th April - THE NURSERY WILL BE CLOSED
Easter Monday - 10th April - THE NURSERY WILL BE CLOSED
Siblings Day - 10th April
Eid-al-Fitr - 21st and 22nd April
St. George’s Day - 24th April (23rd)
Penguin Day - 25th April
International Dance Day - 28th April (29th)
March Newsletter
Updates and what we have been up to this month
Staffing update:
Hayley from the baby team has now moved down to the toddler floor. She is very happy to see some familiar faces in the babies that have just moved down and I’m sure they are very happy to have her down there with them.
Our chef Terri has now left and will be moving on to her next adventure, we wish her the best of luck in her new job. However, we welcome our newest member of the team, Owen. Owen has joined us from our Redland nursery and has many years of experience as a chef, we look forward to seeing what he can cook up in the kitchen.
You may notice some more new faces around the nursery as we welcome a few new staff members to the nursery, they will get a special welcome in the next newsletter.
Millie’s mark:
We have signed up to Millie's Mark which is a special endorsement for childcare providers that go above and beyond minimum requirements by having 100% of staff trained in paediatric first aid, and also ensuring that everything learned during the course is kept in the forefront of practitioners’ minds so that they are confident, ready and capable.
Millie’s Mark is named after Millie Thompson, who died after choking on food at nursery in 2012 when she was just nine months old. Read more about Millie’s legacy at www.milliesmark.com/about-us.
Babies
This month the babies have been on a bear hunt as part of national storytelling week. They went through the long wavy grass, a deep cold river, thick oozy mud, a big dark forest and a swirling whirling snowstorm, exploring the different textures along the walk. They then ended up in a narrow gloomy cave and read the story.
They also had a lovely trip to the park and enjoyed the slide and the swings, the staff had just as much fun as the babies.
For pancake day, babies made some lovely pancakes from scratch and topped them off with some lovely fresh fruit, it was very messy but a lot of fun.
Toddlers
For national storytelling week the toddlers took their books outside to enjoy their stories in the fresh air. Everyone sat patiently waiting to see what would happen next.
The toddlers also enjoyed a trip to the park and got some fresh air while they ran off lots of energy.
For Valentine’s Day toddlers made some hearts and decorated them by hand (literally). They really enjoyed dipping their fingers in the paint to create their designs.
Toddlers also enjoyed making their own pancakes and added some lovely toppings.
Pre-School
For children’s mental health week, pre-school learnt about emotions. They learnt the Makaton signs for ‘happy’, ‘sad’ and ‘cross’. They also practiced drawing the different emotions using some cards to help. Pre-school then talked about being kind to each other and made some friendship potions and ‘kind hands’ pictures. Pre-schools favourite part of the week seemed to be reading the books ‘my shadow is pink’ and ‘my shadow is purple’, everyone enjoyed the books and then discussed and drew their shadow colour.
As part of Thinking Day, pre-school learnt about girl guides and scouts around the world. They looked at different cultures around the world and made Swedish alpine hats and hot air balloons from Europe. They also sang “Alice the camel” from Africa, decorated their own paper dolls from Africa, took part in some Bollywood dancing for Asia, and played a game called “llama, llama, pyjama” from South America. Charlie was also kind enough to bring in her girl guide blanket and show the children all the badges.
Pre-school completed a shape hunt and found lots of different shapes around the environment and categorised them using the shapes on the floor. This got everyone thinking about the different shapes and sizes of the objects in their room.
Pancake day was a success in the pre-school room as well. Everyone tucked into some yummy pancakes.
Dates for the diary:
St David’s Day – 1st March
World Book Day – 2nd March
Food Waste Action Week – 6th-12th March
International Women’s Day – 8th March
Holi Festival of Colour – 8th March
Science Week – 10th-19th March
Wild Club - 16th March
St Patrick’s Day – 17th March
Red Nose Day – 17th March
Mother’s Day Treat - 17th March
Global Recycling Day – 18th March
Robot Day – 18th March
Mother’s Day – 19th March
World Frog Day – 20th March
Downs Syndrome Awareness Week - 20th-26th March
Wear a Hat Day (in aid of Brain Tumour Research) – 31st March
International Day of Trans Visibility – 31st March
February newsletter
What have we been up to this month?
Babies
Babies have had a very relaxing start to the year with a spa treatment day. It was hard to resist trying to eat the cucumbers but they managed it in the end.
They then had a big stretch with some gymnastics and had a go at doing a Roly Poly with a little help from their adults.
All the babies had a go at brushing their teeth using their very own nursery toothbrush. They then had a go at brushing away all the food from their tooth pictures, well done babies!
The babies joined in with the Zebra Day painting and made their very own ears to wear, this took a lot of concentration to make sure they got more paint on the paper than on their hands.
Toddlers
New Year means a new mess and a big pile ended up in the toddlers water tray alongside their animals. It was their job to rescue the animals from the gloop and make sure they had a nice clean home. This was a lovely sensory activity for the toddlers as they felt their way around the gloop with their hands finding the hidden animals they needed to save.
We have recently had some lovely new instruments to use in the nursery and so toddlers pulled out all their instruments to discover what different instruments they had and the different sounds thy make. Some where very much louder than others.
Lastly, toddlers had a go at making their own masks for Zebra Day, some stuck black stripes to a white mask while others stuck white stripes to a black mask. The children then though about whether zebras are white with black stripes or black with white stripes, what do you think?
Pre-School
Pre-School have been very busy this month. During the month they made some delicious porridge to go with their story of the week which was Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The children decided for themselves whose porridge was the best.
They then made a bus using their chairs and plates, they decided that they wanted to go on holiday and get some sunshine.
Pre-School now have a lovely book reading tent, perfect for when they need a quiet moment to themselves to enjoy a good story with the favourite teddy bear by their side. The children have enjoyed this very much, especially with the starry pattern making it feel like they are reading under the stars at night.
To celebrate Chinese New Year Pre-School made some fabulous lanterns and Chinese dragons. They had a go at cooking some lovely stir fry as well to eat at snack time. We had lots of colours dragons flying around the Pre-School room with lanterns to light their way.
Lastly, everyone got into the Zebra Day spirit and Pre-School transformed into a dazzle of zebras for the day. The children made their own ears to wear and had their faces painted by their adults. They also made some zebra foot prints by dipping some of their zebra toys in paint to represent some muddy prints.
Dates for the diary:
National storytelling week - 28th January-5th February
Children's mental health week - 6th-12th February
Safer internet day - 7th February
Valentine day - 14th February
Random act of kindness day 1- 7th February
Pancake day - 21st February
Polar Bear day - 27th February
January Newsletter 2023
Welcome Back!
Welcome back to all of our children and families, and welcome to all of our new children and families that have joined us this January. We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year and hope you all have a happy and healthy 2023!
Your Management Team…
Please let us introduce ourselves as your management team.
My name is Jenna and I am the Nursery Manager. We look forward to welcoming our new parents to the nursery from January and it is so lovely to be back from my maternity leave to see all of our existing children and parents. If you have anything you’d like to discuss, please do not hesitate to contact me on: jenna.schroeder@snapdragonsnursery.com
My name is Suzanne and I am the Deputy Manager/Head of Early Years Practice. Many of you know me as the Head of Toddlers, however I am covering Jess whilst she is on maternity leave. I look forward to a fun year with all of the children in 2023! If you have any questions or queries, please contact me on: suzanne.atkinson@snapdragonsnursery.com
Welcome to the world Lily….. Congratulations Jess!
As some of you may know, Jess (Deputy Manager/Head of Early Years Practice) has had her baby! Lily was born in October. Jess and Lily are both doing well, and pop in throughout the week, so hopefully you will see them both soon!
Look who came to visit us in December….
We had a special visit from Father Christmas. The babies loved Father Christmas and gave him a cuddle!
He also delivered us some presents to put under our Christmas tree…. however some of them were opened quite quickly!
Staffing Update!
We have had a few staffing changes in the last couple of months that some parents are aware of, however we thought it would be helpful to confirm these for you.
We have welcomed Ellie and Alison into our baby team. Ellie is a fantastic apprentice and Alison is our wonderful lunchtime assistant. We also have Julie who is now in our baby room as well, however you may see Julie around the nursery as an Early Years Support Assistant.
We also have some great news! Fay has now taken on the Deputy Room Leader in Toddlers with the support of Suzanne who is currently our Deputy Manager/Head of Early Years Practice whilst Jess is currently on Maternity Leave. Well done Fay!
In pre-school, we are delighted that Izzy is now the Pre-school Room Leader. Izzy and the team have been implementing a new routine in pre-school, and we are excited about what is to come for our pre-school in 2023!
Please take a look at our staff board next to the reception desk for a full update on who is in what room!
We hope you all have a wonderful 2023, and we look forward to achieving some great things this year!
April Newsletter
Goodbye Taylor and Amelia
We are so sad to be saying this but our gorgeous Taylor and Amelia have both decided to take their careers in different directions. Taylor has worked in our baby rooms for the last few years and has become such an asset to the team, we will miss her smiley face but we wish her the best in her new adventure. Amelia has been working in our preschool room for the last year, we have all grown to love her so much so it will be sad to see her go but we wish you all the best Amelia.
UNICEF - Rights Respecting:
Last week, the article of the week was Article 31: Leisure, Play and Culture. This is the right to relax, play and take part in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities. Now here at Snapdragons Shirehampton we are always carrying out artistic activities throughout the day and getting truly messy. As a nursery we are really working towards celebrating more cultural festivals, especially the ones that we reflect in our nursery. We are inviting parents of any children to come in to nursery and share stories, share activities, share experiences from their backgrounds and cultures. If you would be willing to do this then please do contact me as we would love to welcome you in.
Preschool will also be starting a topic of ‘people who help us’ over the next few weeks. We would love to arrange some local police officers, fire fighters, ambulance crews, doctors, vets, dentists in to take a circle time with out preschoolers. If you have any connections or know anyone who may be able to do this for us please get in contact with myself or Jessica.
Dates for the diary:
Monday 3rd May - Eid al Fitr: As Ramadan comes to an end we will be celebrating Eid in style with lots of different arts and crafts to celebrate this Islamic holiday.
W/C 9th May - Mental Health Week: This week is all about promoting good mental health, we will be carrying out lots of activities such as yoga, meditation and special exercises to keep our blood pumping and endorphins flowing. We also want to take this time to let you know, please don’t struggle in silence, if you need a chat, just pop in, Jess and I would be happy to put the kettle on.
Thursday 19th May - Lag B’omer: This is known as the happy day. According to medieval tradition the plague took over but on the 33rd day of the Omer the sadness was interrupted by one whole 24 hours of happiness. We would like to invite you to dress your child in yellow for this day to celebrate happiness.
What did we get up to this month?
Babies:
Babies have been practicing their fine and gross motor skills this month. The babies have been using large equipment such as walkers, soft play and toy units to practice their cruising and walking. Some babies have then been able to use their fine motor skills to move cars around a masking tape track on the floor. Babies also went on two trips this month, they went on a local trip to the park with toddlers and went to Lawrence Weston Community Farm.
Toddlers:
This month toddlers have been exploring their local surroundings. They went on a trip to a local park with babies and they have been making the most of our forest garden. They used vegetable peelers to de-bark some sticks, and used a drill to create holes in a wooden disk. Babies have also been working on their independence in our mini kitchen. They made some flapjacks and shortbread this month.
Preschool:
A very busy one for preschool this month! They went on two trips, one to the farm, and one to Blaise Castle. Preschool really enjoyed getting on the bus and having a chance to practice their road safety. Preschool have explored their new garden toys with great enthusiasm, all whilst still having time to make some yummy treats too. Preschool have been trying to rhyme this month, silly soup seems to be one of their favourite rhyming games.
Newsletter
Welcome
Welcome to Katrina and Carolyne. Katrina is our new lunch cover and will be based in our baby rooms she has worked in nurseries and schools before and has children of her own. Carolyne will be helping to support a child in our baby room, she has experience in a local school and has most recently been a 1:1 carer. Please make them both feel welcome and say a big hello when you get a chance!
We also now have our twitter page up and running again and our staff can update this throughout the day to let you know what your children are getting up to - please give us a follow on @shiresnap.
UNICEF - Rights Respecting:
The article of the week last week was about the role of the parents and carers in the upbringing of children. Article 5 and 18 discuss the importance of parental guidance, the evolving capacities within children, and the state capacities too. Within nursery this month we will be discussing at circle time all the things that parents and carers do for their children. We will also encourage the children to utilise their home corners to try and role play being parents with our teddies and dollies.
Things you could do at home?
Your child ask your child to write a thank you card to one of their parents or carers (we can include grandparents). See what meanings they give to the marks they make.
You could discuss things we are grateful for before we go to sleep.
Dates for the diary:
2nd April - First day of Ramadan
16th April - First day of Passover
17th April - Easter Sunday
18th April - Easter Monday: We would love to welcome the children to dress up in their spring outfits. We will also be engaging in our own unique Easter Egg Hunt.
23rd April - Last Day of Passover
22nd April - St George’s Day celebrations: We are inviting children to dress up in their own white and red outfits ready for a day of story telling and role playing. Weather dependent, children will also be having a tea party in the garden.
23rd April - St George’s Day.
28th April - Yom Hashoah: Otherwise known as International Holocaust Remembrance Day we will be promoting Articles 2, 19, 37 and 38 of the UNCRC. Article 2 is The convention applies to every child without discrimination. Article 19 is Protection from violence, abuse and neglect, Article 37 is no child should be tortured and Article 38 is no child under the age of 15 should join the army and should be protected in war. Yom Hashoah is a recognised national holiday in Israel therefore we will be tasting some Israeli food as well as holding a 2 minute bell ring at 10am.
28th April - Laylatul Qadr: Also known as the Night of Power we will be embracing this by taking part in some calming activities such as yoga and meditation.
Special events this Month:
Red Nose Day and Holi:
We have celebrated Red Nose Day and Holi all in one day. The children (and staff) all enjoyed coming to nursery in their pyjamas, and preschool thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with coloured sand for Holi.
Mothers Day afternoon tea:
It was so lovely inviting some of you back in to celebrate Mothers Day with us last week! We are so excited for all the other events we can celebrate with you across the rest of the year, so keep your eyes peeled because we have some great things planned!
What have we done this month?
Babies:
Babies have had a busy month like always! They have enjoyed exploring their new books and have had great fun getting messy in the water, playdough and shaving foam. Babies have also been looking at simple positional language such as behind, next to and under, you can see their experimenting of this with the many tunnels in their room.
Toddlers:
Toddlers have been making the most of the lovely weather with a trip to the local charity shop and park. We love getting out into the local community and hope with the weather getting better we can do this more often. Toddlers have also enjoyed creating some pictures with paint and blowing through straws, we are always thinking of new and inventive ways to get children mark making.
Preschool:
Preschool have been exploring their environments to their full extent this month no matter what the weather. They have been enjoying their use of large risky items as well as watching and observing insects in their magnifying pots. Preschool have also been working on their mathematic language and their identification of numerals.
