Kirk o’Shotts Nursery Newsletter
September 2015
Staffing
We are delighted for Mrs Longyear who has now started her maternity leave and is looking forward
to the arrival of her new family member. We wish her the best of luck at this exciting time and look
forward to welcoming her back in the future.
There have been a number of changes to the nursery staff. We currently have 3 Early Years
Practitioners and 1 Additional Support Needs Auxiliary working in the nursery. We still have one
further member of staff to join the nursery team. In addition to the nursery class staff we also have
the regular planned support of external agencies. The staff are committed to ensuring that the
children enjoy varied planned learning experiences within a safe and happy environment.
The Nursery Team
Mrs Shanks
- Head Teacher
Mrs Towers
- Principal Teacher
Miss Hardie
- Early Years Practitioner
Mrs Higgins
- Early Years Practitioner
Miss Finlayon - Early Years Practitioner
Mrs Grant
- Additional Support Needs Auxiliary
Session Timetable
To ensure all parents are informed of existing practice within nursery the daily session timetable,
the planned learning experiences and staff rota will be displayed in the nursery cloakroom area.
You, as the first educator of your child/children, will be consulted through having access to
suggestion post-its to further enhance the planned learning taking place in the nursery.
To ensure all nursery children are settled there will be, for a period of time, a more structured
nursery session as the children become familiar with a change in the learning environment, new
children and new staff. This session structure is on display in the nursery cloakroom.
Nursery Bags
The clerical staff have ordered one nursery bag for each nursery child. This will contain work to go
home, information sharing letters, possible homework activities etc. It is important that children
bring this bag with them to nursery each day and take it home at the end of the session. Please
check the bag regularly. If the bag is lost then further bags can be ordered through ScotCrest.
Change of Clothing
Nearly all children at some stage in their nursery life may have an accident where it is necessary to
change the child into dry clothing. The nursery currently has a very small supply of spare clothing.
We would ask for each child to have a full change of clothing that should be kept in their soft
drawstring bag on their peg in the cloakroom area. Your child’s early years practitioner will inform
you if your child has needed a change in clothing and we would ask that a fresh set of clothing is
provided the following day.
We would appreciate it if you have any spare clean clothing that you can donate to the nursery in
order that there is an emergency stock of clothing. This can be handed for storage to your child’s
early years practitioner.
Footwear
Please support the nursery in encouraging the children to become independent in changing their
shoes. Velcro fasteners are much easier for young children to use and support staff in changing
children’s shoes. Laces can take considerable time to unknot, re-tie, keep tied and in wet weather
can be particularly challenging.
Outdoor Play
Each day all the children are given the choice to participate in outdoor learning. The nursery
provides outdoor waterproof ‘over clothing’. We do however need for your child to have an
appropriate jacket with them on a daily basis.
Currently there are a significant number of wellingtons in the nursery cloakroom area. Could you
please pass your child’s wellies to their early years practitioner so that they may sort out which
wellies are spare and may have been left in the nursery. It is very important that each child has
their own set of wellies so that they can access the grassed area beside the nursery to further
enhance their outdoor learning experiences.
Donations
The local authority provide all necessary tools for nursery children. The nursery though is able to
provide wider learning experiences, choice of snacks, trips and buses and additional resources
through the generosity of parental donations. We would like to thank the parents/guardians who
are able to support the nursery through these donations. It is important that we are able to track
the donations for accountancy purposes. A donation is the choice of each individual. As a nursery
we would propose a donation of £1-£2 per week per child, preferably at the start of the week. This
could be popped in the new nursery bag and your child’s early years worker will record this
donation for accountancy purposes.
Toothbrushing
NHS have now trained all existing staff in the hygiene and tooth brushing protocol for nursery
children. Each child will have the opportunity to brush their teeth once during nursery hours. If
you require further information on this initiative please speak to your child’s early years
practitioner.
Snacks
Although we receive fruit from ‘High 5 for Fruit’ the nursery provides all other snacks. We would
ideally like to issue parents, on a rolling rota basis, with a snack slip. This would clearly state the
snack that you could provide to ensure variety of choice for the children. This would be e.g. a
sealed shop purchased packet of rich tea biscuit, bag of snack a jacks etc. If you object to this
initiative please let a staff member know and we will remove your name from the parental list. We
will ensure that you have at least one week’s notice for purchasing the snack.
Open Door Policy
Kirk o’Shotts Nursery Class operate an ‘Open Door Policy’. Please be aware that the care of the
children is our first priority. If you wish to speak to an early years practitioner this would be best at
the end of the session when the children have left. If you would like more time with an early years
practitioner or would like to speak to a member of the management team, please arrange an
appointment through the office.
Birthdays
We will happily make your child’s birthday an extra special day in nursery. If you wish to provide a
birthday cake it must be shop purchased, sealed and unopened in it’s original wrapper/box and be
nut free. Unfortunately, in relation to parties, due to data protection, we cannot provide a list of
children’s names. We can though pop invitations to parties etc. into the new nursery bags. Please
let the early year’s practitioners know if you would prefer for your child to not receive e.g. birthday
cake.
Changes for your child
All children on starting nursery and at the start of each year thereafter should complete an updated
contact information form and any changes to medical information. We are aware that some
children may develop allergies over the course of the academic year or there may be a change in
address or mobile numbers. Please ensure that your early years practitioner is notified of this
immediately and that the nursery records are reissued for completion.
Medication
We are unable to give the children any medication unless an ‘Administration of Medication’ form
has been completed (available from the school office), the medicine has a pharmacist label on the
actual medicine registered to the named child and the first dose has already been administered by
the parent/guardian.
Illness
We are once again coming into the season of winter bugs etc. In order to minimise the spread of
infection it is important that if your child has diarrhoea or sickness, they must not attend nursery
until 48 hours after their last incident.
Please use your judgement as to whether you think your child will gain the maximum learning
benefit from the nursery. Although nursery is not mandatory it is important that we track the
children’s attendance and as part of our duties we are responsible for the care and welfare of
children in our charge. Please contact the school office to let the nursery staff know if your child is
unwell or will not be attending nursery.
Toilet Training
All young children go through a period of toilet training. The nursery staff aim to support children
and their parents to achieve success at this important stage of a child’s independence. There are
always a number of children within nurseries who require this support. Nursery staff spend time of
the nursery floor supporting the training and changing children. Ideally the children should have
their nappies/pull-ups changed in a standing position. The staff and children find it easier to
change pull-ups particularly if the child is wearing soft shoes and e.g. tracksuit bottoms/leggings
that they can remove independently. Please ensure that if your child is experiencing this transition
period that they have spare pull-ups in their changing bag. Thank you for supporting your child
and staff at this stage of toilet training.
If you would like further advice in relation to toilet training please complete the slip on the
following page regarding ‘Workshop Consultation’.
Workshop Consultation
We would like to consult with parents if they would like any workshops to be provided during the
nursery session. Exemplars may be toilet training, healthy lunches, tooth brushing, supporting
reading skills etc. Please complete the tear off slip below indicating any workshop that you believe
may be of interest and we will aim to support this.
Holiday and known Important Dates as at 11th September 2015
Holidays and In Service Days
2015
September
- Friday 25th and Monday 28th
October
- Monday 12th to Friday 16th (inc.)
November
- Monday 16th
December
- Wednesday 23rd to Tuesday 5th (inc.)
2016
January
- Children return Wednesday 6th
February
- Monday 8th to Wednesday 10th (inc.)
March
- Friday 25th and Monday 28th
April
- Monday 4th to Friday 15th (inc.)
May
- Monday 2nd
- Thursday 5th
- Friday 27th and Monday 30th
June
- School closes Wednesday 29th
Kirk o’ Shotts Nursery Class – September 2015 – Workshop Consultation
I ________________________ parent of _____________________ would like to
propose the following workshop be available for all parents:
Signed: ______________________
Date: ______________________
Please return by Monday 21st September 2015
Kirk o’ Shotts Nursery Class – September 2015 – Workshop Consultation
I ________________________ parent of _____________________ would like to
propose the following workshop be available for all parents:
Signed: ______________________
Please return by Monday 21st September 2015
Date: ______________________