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Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to Autumn term 2-we have a busy half term ahead with preparations for Christmas activities!
New Starters this half term
Welcome to our new children this half term
- Ayron
- Hallie
- Jack
- George
- Rayya
A few reminders
Please please please name your children’s belongings! We have up to 24 children each session and remembering who’s coat/water bottle/lunchbox/bag etc belongs to is very time consuming for staff and often results in children going home with the wrong items!
Illness-Please keep your child at home if they are unwell. I understand that they may ask to come in but this will only delay them getting better and will spread germs to other children and staff. If your child needs paracetamol/ibuprofen to get through the day they are generally not well enough to attend nursery.
If your child has sickness and/or diarrhea then they cannot return to nursery until 48 hours after their last episode.
Drop-off and collection
Our session times are:
- 8.50am to 11.50am
- 11.50am to 2.50pm
- 8.50am to 2.50pm
Please do not let your children climb on the equipment outside at the beginning and end of the day. Children remain the responsibility of their parent/carer until nursery opens and after collection
We like to have the door closed by 9am in the morning and 12pm for afternoon sessions so we can start our day. Please drop off promptly when possible.
Snacks and Lunchboxes
Please note that we cannot have nuts in nursery-so please no peanut butter, Nutella or such like foods.
Please remember to provide a healthy snack for your child if they attend a morning session. This is to be left in their tray in the morning for them to find at snack time.
Contact details
Please make sure we have an up to date email address for you so you receive our weekly activities emails and reminders. You can email [email protected] with your child’s name to be added to the list.
Garden
You will have noticed our garden is developing! We have a planting area where the children have enjoyed planting seeds. This will help to support your childs knowledge of the world as they continue to care for their plants. We will continue to develop this area over the coming months.
Our Mud Kitchen is up and running and very exciting for the children! Your children may become muddy so please provide spare clothes and outdoor shoes.
Thank you to all the parents who donated items for our planting area and mud kitchen.
Christmas
Christmas is only around the corner! The children’s party will be on Wednesday 19thDecember 10-12pm at Roffey Millennium Hall. We will be asking for a small donation of £5 per child this year to go towards the cost of hiring the hall, entertainer and gift. We will be asking families to provide a plate of food for the party-a list will go up the week before.
Christmas Fayre
Please remember to save and fill your jars with sweets/small toys for our stall at Leechpool’s Christmas Fayre on Friday 30th November from 3pm. Please bring jars in from Monday 19th November.
Childrens Christmas Concert
The children will be holding a Christmas Concert for parents and families to watch on Friday 7th December at 2pm. We will be rehearsing our songs daily and a copy of songs will be sent home next week.
A letter with details about party and concert will be sent home in the coming weeks.
Big run
Caterpillar nursery children will be joining in with Leechpools school half termly Big Run! The Big Run is on a Friday morning and encourages awareness of good health. The Big Run takes place in the school grounds and is a walk/run around the wellbeing walk. Staff will take the Friday morning children on their Big Run at 9.15am on the following dates.
Big Run Dates:
- Friday 16th November
- Friday 1st February
- Friday 8th March
- Friday 3rd May
- Friday 14th June
Celebrations and festivals
To support our children in learning about the wider world we would like to talk to them about celebrations and festivals which you celebrate at home or in your community. If there are celebrations or family traditions both religious or non-religious which you would like us to talk about and celebrate with your child please talk a member of nursery staff.
WOW Moments
We will shortly be sending home WOW moments notes. These are for you to write your childs achievements on and bring to nursery for your child to share with everyone and to display on our WOW board. These achievements can be anything which made you go WOW! Such as toileting, sleeping, jumping into the pool for the first time, eating new foods, crossing the road carefully, getting dressed all by themselves……!
Starting school
If your child was born between 1st September 2014 and 31st August 2015 you can now apply for a school place for September 2019. Apply online at www.westsussex.gov.uk/admissions Deadline for applications is 15th January 2019.
From Leechpool School
Leechpool School are now showing families around the school ready for admission to the Reception Class in 2018. To make an appointment families should telephone the school on 01403 210233. Tours last about 40 minutes and are with the Head teacher Nicola Davenport.
The school entrance and driveway is looking smarter after an upgrade over half-term.
From the committee
Chartwells meals
We are exploring the idea of supplying hot meals from Chartwells to nursery children. Please indicate on the attached slip if you would be interested in this. The cost is currently £2.35 per meal and these are to be ordered a at least 1 week in advance.
Ofsted news
We had our Ofsted inspection on 13thSeptember and were awarded a GOOD rating which is fantastic! A copy of our report is available on the Ofsted website.
Our dedicated staff team are
- Miss Kate Summerhayes (Manager)
- Mrs Maria Gwynn (Key person) (Deputy job share)
- Mrs Hannah Broadbridge (Key person) (Deputy job share)
- Mrs Bev John (Key person)
- Miss Kayleigh Hill (Key person)
- Mrs Jakki Maybank (Key person)
- Mrs Lucia Urden (Nursery assistant)
- Mrs Trina Matheson (Nursery assistant)
- Mrs Ali Corpez (Nursery assistant)
- Mrs Liz Groves (Administration)
Kind Regards,
Kate Summerhayes