November
Month in Pictures
Teaching Toolkit
Each month we focus on a theme from the Snapdragons curriculum, the teaching toolkit. Our curriculum covers ten themes of learning. This month we have ‘thrived through secure attachments’.
Babies know that their key person will help them to become soothed and calmed when needed
Toddlers know that their adults will be there to support their different emotions through patience and kindness
Pre-school can confidently make and maintain positive relationships with adults and children and begin to form friendships
Spooky S’mores
After our Jessie May fete we heard you asking for s’more and couldn’t resist another chance to open our doors. We hope those of you who attended had a wonderful time toasting marshmallows and sipping on hot chocolate.
We look forward to hosting you at the next nursery event!
Chef’s Corner
In celebration of Thanksgiving why not enjoy a delicious pumpkin pie?
Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
25g/1oz unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium pumpkin (prepared weight about 850g/1lb 14oz) deseeded and roughly chopped
1 medium-sized floury potato, such as Maris Piper, roughly chopped
1 litre/1¾ pint vegetable or chicken stock, a little extra may be needed
100ml/3½fl oz double cream
3 tbsp pumpkin seed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Put the onion, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, butter and half the olive oil into a large pan. Cook over a low–medium heat for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender but not coloured.
Add the squash and potato, mix to combine and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Pour in the stock, season well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, half cover the pan with a lid and continue to cook for about 40 minutes until the squash is really tender when tested with the point of a knife.
Pick out the bay leaf and blend the soup until smooth using a stick blender.
Add the cream and a little more stock if the soup is on the thick side, taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper as required.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the pumpkin seeds and fry quickly until the seeds start to pop. Remove from the pan.
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with a swirl of cream and the toasted pumpkin seeds.
Dates for your Diary
Pre-school leavers Nativity - Wednesday, December 4th
Babies Christmas party - Wednesday, December 11th @ 15:00 until 16:30
Toddlers Christmas party - Thursday, December 12th @ 15:30 until 17:00
Pre-school Christmas party - Tuesday, December 10th @ 15:00 - 17:00
Christmas closures - Wednesday, December 25th. Reopening Thursday, January 2nd
RSV Infections
As always, at this time of year, we are seeing coughs and colds coming into the settings with both children and staff having time away from nursery due to illness. While we would not exclude children from nursery for a minor cough and cold I did want to share some further information regarding respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
RSV is a common cause of coughs and colds and infections usually get better by themselves, however, RSV can lead to severe lung infections like pneumonia and bronchiolitis. It is the main cause of children’s hospital admissions in winter.
RSV infections are particularly common in young children. Symptoms may include:
a runny or blocked nose
a cough
sneezing
tiredness
a high temperature
younger children may be more irritable and have less appetite
We understand that children do pick up colds when they are at nursery and this is made more difficult as RSV is spread airborne by coughs and sneezes. In a nursery environment, where social distancing is almost impossible, these illnesses can spread quickly. The staff members at all the nurseries are making sure they actively clean their play rooms and all toys are sterilised on rotation. Where there are cases of illness in a room the whole area is deep cleaned. Hand washing (with soap and hot water) is carried out throughout the day, particularly before and after care routines – nose wiping, nappies, meals.
Please can we ask that you do your part by closely monitoring your child’s wellness to reduce the risk of spreading infection to our more vulnerable children, their families and the Snapdragons staff.
You can find more information on the NHS website: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Snappy Shoutouts
A warm welcome to Tunde in Puffins
Barakallah Freya (lunch cover) and her husband Abid on recently celebrating their nikah
Happiest of November birthdays to Daiehza (babies), Jasmine (Parrots), Sharon (babies), and Mark (housekeeper). Cheers to another year!
Nominate your Superstar
We love to hear from our families across Snapdragons about excellent service they have received. If someone at the nursery has impressed you, please fill in their details below and submit to the nursery. We run a rewards scheme for our teams and they can earn gifts by receiving nominations!
