HANHAM TODDLERS PRE-SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER AUTUMN/WINTER 2015
GROUPS 4, 5 AND 6
Dates For Your Diary
Monday 7th September
Tuesday 8th September
Wednesday 9th September
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W/C Monday 28th September Wednesday 30th September Wednesday 30th September
Monday 5th October
Wednesday 14th October
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Monday 5th October to
Wednesday 21st October
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Term 1 begins – Group 4
Term 1 begins – Group 6
Term 1 begins – Group 5 and remaining children in
Groups 4 and 6
Parent rotas commence
Outside Play rota commences – please refer to the
typed sheet given to you by your Group Leader
Bedtime Story presentation – details to follow
Cookery sacks to commence
Provisional date for Annual General Meeting and
Auction fund raising event for Christmas – details
to follow
Parents to meet children’s Key Person for a
settling in meeting – more details to follow
th
Friday 16 October
Walk to Pre-school – details to follow
st
Wednesday 21 October
Term 1 ends
nd
Monday 2 November
Term 2 begins – Group 4
Tuesday 3rd November
Term 2 begins – Group 6
th
Wednesday 4 November
Term 2 begins – Group 5 and remaining children in
Groups 4 and 6
th
Wednesday 4 November
Christian Shoe Boxes – details to follow
All groups to visit Magpie Bottom as follows:
Friday 6th November
Group 4
th
Wednesday 11 November
Group 6
th
Friday 13 November
Group 5
Details will follow
All parents invited to a ‘Sharing Session’, dates as follows:
Group 4
25th November
Group 5
18th November
Group 6
27th November
Details will follow
Monday 23rd November to
Friday 3rd December
Lorraine Bunting and Sally Rouch to review
children’s progress and share a summary with
parents in the Prime Areas of Learning. Details
will follow in a letter.
th
Friday 27 November
Walk to pre-school day
th
Monday 30 November and
Wednesday 2nd December
Learning Journals out to parents
th
Sunday 6 December
Family Christmas Disco at the Community Centre details to follow
th
Wednesday 9 December
Parents and children come together to sing songs
from the Christmas Song Sack. Details to follow.
th
Friday 11 December
Christmas Party – details to follow
th
Friday 11 December
Term 2 ends
th
Monday 4 January
Term 3 begins – Group 4
th
Tuesday 5 January
Term 3 begins – Group 6
th
Wednesday 6 January
Term 3 begins – Group 5 and remaining children in
Groups 4 and 6
Health and Safety
Please ensure that your child wears suitable footwear and no jewellery, and that they
are prepared for all weather conditions as we do not want to disappoint your child by
excluding them from outdoor play, playing games and going on the climbing equipment.
All of the children enjoy coming to pre-school, not only to learn the basics but to be
able to explore and experiment with the environment. In order for this to happen at a
high activity level, your children need to be dressed appropriately for play. With this in
mind I would please request that your children come to pre-school in old clothes
(including their coats) and that you bring in a pair of inside shoes or outdoor shoes that
your child can change into. (Please let your Group Leader know which shoes are to be
used for which purpose). We would like each child to have a waterproof coat and
trouser set (in addition to the Wellington boots which we already ask you to bring in)
and we are asking all parents to supply these for their children. If you do not already
own these they are available locally and we can get them as a bulk order for £11 each.
(If your child is likely to be going on to Samuel White’s Infant School they will need one
of these sets anyway).
We cannot accept liability if clothes get messy as young children need to have
opportunities to explore their environment and we do not wish to stop them from
becoming creative and critical thinkers.
As a pre-school we are required by law to provide you with information concerning the
14 major allergens. Therefore on every class noticeboard there will be a list of these
allergens and a list of the snacks planned for terms 1 and 2. There will also be a list of
the things the children will be cooking during these terms and details of the ingredients
they contain.
Key Person System
All children are observed and assessed during their time at pre-school. This is achieved
through the implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory
Framework. All observations are stored in a folder and will celebrate the achievements
and the learning journey of each child. Observations will take the form of Learning
Stories, short observations, photographic evidence and examples of the child’s work. In
addition to this children will be observed throughout the year to inform our planning. In
order for you as parents to contribute to your child’s learning please return the Planning
for your Child’s Interests and Needs form that you will be given by your child’s Group
Leader.
Welcome
The staff and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your children to
their new groups. During these initial few weeks our main task is to help the children
settle into their new class and their new Key Person groups. The pre-school’s main
door and classrooms will open from 8.55am and both the main door and the
classroom doors will close at 9.10am. It is important for all children that they
are in and settled ready to commence registration and “Playdough Disco”. Our aim
is to make this a happy and enjoyable time for the children, allowing them to feel safe
and confident in our care and to enable them to become confident individuals and
independent learners.
The activities that the children will be focusing on will be Autumn, Seasonal Festivals
and Celebrations.
As a pre-school we follow the guidelines as laid down by the Early Years Foundation
Stage Statutory Guidance and the non-statutory guidance material in Development
Matters. The four guiding principles within the Early Years Foundation Stage shape
practice within the pre-school. These are as follows:
A Unique Child, Positive Relationships, Enabling Environments and Learning and
Development. The majority of learning within the pre-school takes place through
planned, purposeful play and positive communication with the child, key person and
parents. The Early Years Foundation Stage consists of seven areas of learning and
development. These are split into two areas; firstly there are three Prime Areas which
are: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language and
Physical Development. These three areas are crucial in enabling children to thrive and
learn and reflect the key skills and capabilities that all children need. The three Prime
Areas are then strengthened and applied to the four Specific Areas which are as
follows: Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and
Design.
Finally the pre-school will also reflect on how children learn and this is broken down into
the three characteristics of Teaching and Learning. These are as follows: Playing and
Exploring, Active Learning and Creating and Thinking Critically.
For all children between the ages of 2 and 3 the pre-school will provide parents with a
written summary of their child’s development in the three prime areas as stated in the
Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. A separate letter will be sent to parents in
the forthcoming weeks.
The areas of Learning and Development are as follows:
Prime Areas
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
This is an important area within Pre-school. We aim to allow the children to separate
from their main carer, with the support of their Key Person and by the end of the term
to do so with confidence. We will provide opportunities for the children to play and
learn, sometimes alone and sometimes in groups of varying sizes, and to begin to give
them the independence to choose and select activities. We will support and foster
children’s self esteem and confidence when understanding the rules and boundaries of
the setting.
Communication and Language
The pre-school’s aim is to provide an environment that is rich in signs, symbols, words,
rhymes, books and pictures. Children will be able to communicate verbally and to sign
using Makaton, especially when sharing the Song Sack. The songs in the Song Sack will
be: “Five Little Leaves”, “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom”, “Roly Poly”, “Incy, Wincy Spider” and “Baa,
Baa Black Sheep” (using Makaton). Song sheets will be available from your Group
Leader.
Staff will spend time speaking with children and giving them time to put their thoughts
into words. To support children to speak at Circle Time we will be introducing a class
toy. The children will take turns to take the toy home and you and your child are
encouraged to draw pictures and write in the toy’s diary. This can then be shared with
the class.
Physical Development
Throughout the session opportunities will be provided for children to be active and
interactive; to develop their co-ordination, control and movement. Time will be given to
children to engage with equipment such as scissors within both adult led and child
initiated activities. Children will be encouraged to develop their existing skills and to
acquire new skills through the use of the climbing frame, A frame, parachute, balls and
bats. Each group is allocated a day per week for the outside play area. Please ensure
that your child has appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear according to the weather
for these days.
Specific Areas
Literacy
Children will be supported and encouraged to distinguish their marks when they paint
and draw. Children will engage with stories within the Book Corner and at Circle Time.
Some will be stories that are familiar to children enabling them to repeat words or
phrases. Children will be able to explore stories through the use of puppets, for
example, “Three Little Pigs”.
Mathematics
Children will be introduced to numbers through stories, songs and rhymes such as “Five
Little Leaves” and the use of interactive number lines. Through planned opportunities,
both indoors and outdoors, children will begin to use the language of size such as “big”
and “little” when comparing small and large blocks. Planned opportunities will enable
children to categorize objects according to their shape or size.
Understanding the World
Children will be given the support and encouragement within their play to turn on and
operate some ICT equipment such as torches and CD players. Children will be given
opportunities to relive past events about their friends and family. This may include
visits to farms, zoos, bonfire parties and special occasions. Children will begin to
explore the outside environment when visiting Magpie Bottom.
Expressive Arts and Design
As a pre-school we will encourage and support the children to use their imagination
through the use of songs, body movements, role play areas such as the Home Corner,
shop, office and through dressing up. The children will be given opportunities to use and
explore paint, gloop, play dough, wax crayons, chalks and junk modeling. The children
will be able to work together as they decorate the class notice board.
Circle Time
This is an important part of the session, where we come together as a group to share a
range of views and experiences, plus giving us the scope to promote all areas of learning.
The children will gain confidence and self esteem enabling them to come forward and
freely express their own views and comments within the group. The children are
welcome to bring items from home that are special to them, to share and communicate
with the children and adults.
Snack Time
This is a sociable time where the children share their experiences during the week and
independently drink from their milk cartons or beakers of water and share healthy
snacks. A table with a water jug and beakers will be available throughout the session
for children to independently pour their own drinks when needed.
If you would like to discuss anything regarding your child’s progress or the pre-school
the Group Leaders and I are available at the end of each session.
Thank you
Lorraine Bunting