Newsletter
Term 2
November 2014
School Admissions
Children born between 01/09/2010 and 31/08/2011 should be receiving packs now to apply for a
place in primary school in 2015.
The deadline for returning applications is 15th January 2015.
Please remember, DO NOT just put St Mary’s School down. Every year we have serious
disappointments because children are placed in schools that parents do not want to attend. If you
only put one school down and you don’t get in, you will be placed in a school with available places
that may not be what you wanted. Being at Playgroup has no influence on gaining a place at the
school. They have only 30 places and each year well over double that apply for a place. So be careful.
Put down more than one choice of school.
AGM
Our Annual General Meeting will be held on 11th November at Playgroup from 7.30pm. We will be
electing our new committee for the year. All families are encouraged to attend. The committee are
parents who run the playgroup for your children. If we have no volunteers, we cannot keep the
Playgroup open. So please come along and support your playgroup. No Committee, no Playgroup!
There will be drinks and nibbles on offer to ensure this is a social event as well.
Term 2 topics
Term 2 always offers lots of opportunities for different topics to be covered and is always very busy.
We currently have a ‘den corner’ in Playgroup for all the hibernating creatures! The children will be
making firework pictures and talking about firework safety. Christmas will feature heavily, with the
children making cakes and decorations as well as preparing for our Nativity. At this busy time of
year, all parent help is very welcome. Please speak to Belinda to arrange a suitable time if you would
like to come and help baking, singing or generally getting stuck in!
St Mary’s Playgroup
Registered Charity Number: 1097701
Ebola Virus
We have received advice from Public Health England (PHE) which contains a flowchart to help us
assess the risk of a child or parent bringing Ebola into the Playgroup. The risks are extremely low but
please be assured we are aware of procedures to take if we are concerned.
PARENT HELPERS
Although we don’t have a set parent rota, parents are always welcome to join in on a session, and
especially if you have a special skill you could bring to the group! Do you sing or play an instrument,
speak another language, creative with the glue and scissors or just want to chop the fruit and play in
the garden? If you would like to help at a particular session, please speak to a member of staff.
Helping at a session enables you to see what the day-to-day life of the Playgroup is like and to join in
helping the children to get the best out of their activities.
Spare Clothes
Sometimes whilst your children are with us they need a change of clothing. Unfortunately clothing
isn’t always returned to us and for this reason we are in need of spare clothes. If your child has
outgrown their clothes or you are having a sort out we will be very grateful if you could donate them
to us.
Morrison’s’ Let’s Grow’ VOUCHERS
Let’s Grow vouchers are no longer available when you shop at Morrison’s. We are collecting these so
please bring in all your remaining vouchers and pop them in the box. We have a nice amount this
year so we can apply for some lovely gardening equipment. A few more would mean we can get a
mini green house or other equipment for the children to use in our planting area. So please have a
look in your bags and ask your neighbours and bring them in ASAP!
St Mary’s Playgroup
Registered Charity Number: 1097701
Sickness
Please do not send your child if they are unwell. If a child needs Calpol, they should not come to
playgroup.
If your child is poorly, please ring into the playgroup and leave us a message to let us know what is
wrong with your child. If your child has been unwell in the night and required medicine, please keep
them at home. Diarrhoea and vomiting means stay away for 48 hours, even if it was only one
episode. One sick child means several sick children and also sick staff!!
Invoices
Invoices have been issued for the new term. Please pay promptly. Any issues please contact
Sharon who can arrange a payment plan with the Treasurer. The Hours Over Entitlement
invoices will be issued in the middle of December. We accept payment from childcare
vouchers, so please contact Sharon if you need details.
Pantomime Trip
This is a trip organised by Playgroup for our families but is not a Playgroup outing.
Therefore the Playgroup will be open for any children not going with their parents.
You need to arrange your own transport and meet together there. A member of staff
will be there to meet you and collect the tickets. Please put your name down in
Playgroup. Tickets are £10 each.
Xmas Fayre
The Christmas Fayre is being held on Thursday 4th December, from 5 – 7 pm in the
main school. The Playgroup has a room on its own to hold its events. Helpers are
desperately needed as well as donations of cuddly toys and chocolates/sweets. We
will be closing at 12pm that day in order to prepare but will stay open until 3pm on
the next day, Friday 5th, for those children who would normally have stayed all day.
Please speak to the staff if you can help either in the afternoon preparing or at the
event. This is for fundraising for your children and should not be run wholly by the
staff. Thanks in advance for your help.
St Mary’s Playgroup
Registered Charity Number: 1097701
Pre-Schoolers Christmas Party.
Each year we hold a small party for the pre-schoolers on the last day of term. This
year, our last day is Thursday 18th December. We will be closed on the Friday. We
will however, open all day on the previous Friday so that funding hours can still be
met. Please let staff know of you would like your child (Pre-schoolers only) to stay all
day on the 12th December.
We will have an entertainer and some party food. A donation of £4 towards the cost
of the party is requested. Please leave at Playgroup. Normal session times apply.
Nativity Play
We will be holding our Nativity experience in the Church on Tuesday 16th December
at 2pm. All are welcome. Coffee and mince pies will be served in the Hall afterwards.
Please make sure you only take photographs of your own child, not anyone else’s.
Thanks.
Diary Dates
Term Two Ends
-
Thursday 18th December 2014
Term Three Begins
-
Monday 5th January 2015
Term Three Ends
-
Friday 13th February 2015
Inset Day
-
Monday 23rd February 2015
Term Four Begins
-
Tuesday 24th February 2015
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our families a very Merry Christmas and
a Happy New Year!
St Mary’s Playgroup
Registered Charity Number: 1097701
Contact details
St Mary’s Playgroup
Cheltenham Road East
Churchdown, Gloucester
GL3 1HU
Tel: 07749 713742
Website:
www.playgroupstmarys.org.uk
Email address:
[email protected]
St Mary’s Playgroup
Registered Charity Number: 1097701