Calendar and News

Special Information

If your child is leaving Nursery at the end of the Spring Term term notice needs to be given in writing by Friday 28th February 2020

Term dates

Existing children start back Monday 6th January 2020

Half-Term Monday 17th to 21st February 2020

Term Ends Thursday 2nd April 2020

Summer term starts on Monday 20th April 2020

Dates for the Dairy

Week commencing 3^rd March Children's mental health awareness week with lots of activities.

Open mornings will take place Week commencing 23^rd March 2020

Thursday 2^nd April End of Term event to be confirmed

Chatterbox Colours and Rhymes Spring term 2020

Week commencing	Colour	Rhyme
O6/01	Blue	Tommy Thumb is up
13/01	Green	Tiny Turtle
20/01	Red	The Farmers in the Den
27/01	Black	Peter Hammers
03/02	White	Little Peter Rabbit
10/02	Yellow	Monkey Swinging in the trees
Half Term
24/02	Orange	Leo the Lion
02/03	Pink	This Little Piggy
09/03	Purple	Wheels on the Bus
16/03	Childs Favourite colour	Frere Jacques
23/03	Brown	Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
30/03	Grey	Row Row Row the Boat

Makaton

We will be continuing teach the children new Makaton signs every week. Makaton is a language programme using signs, symbols and speech to help people to communicate. It is designed to support spoken language and the signs and symbols are used with speech, in spoken word order. This helps to slow down the pace of talking and provide extra visual clues about the meaning of words.

Today over 100,000 children and adults, use Makaton symbols and signs. Children with language or learning difficulties and children with English as an additional language benefit from using these Signs and Symbols. However, all children will be involved in learning this new skill, as it promotes inclusion and supports interaction and friendships between children.

Children will be introduced to the signs and symbols by visual clues and actions. These will be used throughout the session in daily routines, in songs and stories. The word, symbol and sign can be found on the nursery notice board. We will also put the sign of the week on our Facebook page weekly update. A member of staff will be happy to demonstrate it to you. Please support your child with learning this new skill. A great way to learn new signs is on The CBeebies TV Show “Something Special” with Mr Tumble or on “Singing Hands” Website.

Nursery Policies

It is important that you read and contribute to policies of the setting, these policies are regularly reviewed and a folder containing them all is available for all parents to read, if you are unsure about anything contained in them, please do not hesitate to ask questions.

Suggestion Box

We are constantly reviewing our practice and welcome suggestions from parents, if you or your children have any suggestion you would like considered these can be placed in the ‘suggestion box’ in the entrance hall. Suggestions made can be anonymous if you so wish. A note book and pen are provided for your use.

Parents as Partners

As part of our Parents as Partners initiative we would ask that all parents contribute to your child’s Learning Journey with photographs and comments. Also when you go on a visit to theme parks, farms etc can you bring in a leaflet that can be placed in your child’s learning journey, and that your child’s key worker can talk about it with them. Thank you to those parents who have already contributed, we have enjoyed receiving your contributions. We are also planning introduce some home learning activities which we hope you will enjoy with your children. You are also important to us we can always make ourselves available if you need to talk to someone.

The notice board in the entrance hall will inform you what your child is having for snack that day, what the rhyme of the week is (words can be provided if you do not know the songs). Also it will have details of a challenge we will set the children, to do at home. Please encourage your child to do these challenges themselves, as this will encourage their independence and thinking skills.

Reminders

A reminder to all parents not to put food, drink or medication (inhalers etc.) in children’s bags. Any medication needs to be handed to a member of staff on arrival. Please do not put food or drink or sweets in children’s bags or pockets this is very unfair on the other children especially those with intolerances or allergies if they discovered them.

Uniform

We are pleased to announce you are able to purchase clothing with our logo direct from: https://myclothing.com/rectory-lane-nursery/9887.school, uniform is optional.

Mobile phones

Please can all parents carers and anyone accompanying parents do not use your mobile phone in the building. Do not enter the building until you have finished and please do not take any calls until you are out of the building.

Facebook

Please like our Rectory Lane Nursery page on Facebook we will post relevant information and reminders on there.

Chatterboxes

Please encourage your son or daughter to bring in something for their chatterbox. The item needs to be the colour of the week, which is listed both on this newsletter each term and as a reminder, on the notice board each week. The chatterbox is the plastic box in their drawer, which needs to be left in this drawer and the item placed in it. The item can be left in the box for the whole week (if this makes it easier) as the “chatter” can be extended, during group time. The item needs to be small enough to fit in this box, as your child will just take this box from their drawer, when it is needed for group time.

It is important to encourage your son or daughter to bring an item in as this will enable them to participate, as they are learning to sit and listen to others and would be more interested if they also had something to show and talk about. It is much easier for them to sit and listen, knowing that they will have a turn at speaking.

Absence from Nursery

If your child is not attending nursery on their set day for whatever reason could you please notify us by 9.30 am so that we can mark the register accordingly. If they contract certain illnesses we also have a duty of care to notify other parents. A return has to be made to the local education authority each term indicating the level of absence for each child and if we are not notified of the reason then this has to be recorded as unauthorised absence; if the level of unauthorised absence is high then this could affect the child’s entitlement to funding. We also care about the children and plan activities for them, so we like to know if they are not attending and that they are al right. If we do not hear from you the key workers will ring you, just like the schools already do. If texting is easier the Nursery mobile number is 07930878133

Clothing

Please do not put your child in their ‘best clothes’ to come to nursery as a child gets most out of their learning experience when they are allowed to get messy. The ideal clothing is tops, trousers / jogging bottoms and closed in footwear that enables them to be able to run, jump etc; please note that as some activities involve the removal of shoes can children please wear socks. We request that children wear shoes with a velcro fastening.

Also can you please ensure that your child has a coat etc on their peg – we do go out to play in all weathers. A bag with a spare set of clothes on their peg is also useful in case they get wet through play or have a toileting accident. If your child comes into nursery wearing Wellington boots can they please bring a pair of shoes to change into.

If your child has pierced ears can you ensure that they only wear small studs to school; there has been evidence lately in other schools where children who wear other kinds of earrings have had accidents to the ear lobe when the earrings have been caught on clothing.

Rectory Lane Nursery School