Issue 24
Early Years
Newsletter
How to get involved in your child’s learning...
There are many ways that you can support and promote your child’s learning while they
are at nursery.
January/February 2014
Points of Interest
Getting Involved
Fundraising
Staff are available to give resources and
support to families wishing to use the ‘Family
Garden’, allowing you and your child time to
explore outdoors. We have no expectations
or required outcomes for your time outdoors,
knowing that we can provide an area for our
children to enjoy quality time with their families
is all we need.
In-Service Day/
Holidays
Activity of the Month
Playroom news
As the curriculum states that children should have access to outdoor play every day and
with the development of our new outdoor learning environment, our children are
much more active outdoors therefore if you could ensure that your child (2-5 years)
brings the following to nursery; this would help us continue to promote your child’s
outdoor learning:
Wellie Boots (their name written on the inside of both wellies)
Appropriate outdoor clothing (Jacket, Trousers, Hat)
Change of shoes for indoors
Spare change of clothes
Our Family Garden: Most of our Family Garden is now up and running however we still
require some resources:
Mud Kitchen: Two old full size baths (self standing)
Music: Pots and Pans (that can hang)
Heuristic and Treasure Basket Resources:
At our last parent’s evening we informed you of
the benefits of these sessions, in order to ensure
that we continue to provide high quality sensory
development we must ensure that our natural
resources are replenished; as these resources
are mainly household objects, we ask if you have
any at home you could donate, items can include pots and pans, pegs, ribbons, kitchen
utensils, bags, costume jewellery, zips etc. Staff
from our 0-2 and 2-3 playrooms can advise you
of other resources they may need.
Congratulations to Dawn
(Sunlight Room at 29) who
gave birth to a beautiful
baby girl Jessica and to Ellis
who became a big sister.
Good Luck to Nicola
(Admin) who is now on
maternity leave.
Happy 21st Birthday to
Chanelle (Moonlight Room
at 123)
Outdoors & The Environment
We have now submitted our end of grant report to the
Big Lottery’s Communities and Families Fund. Over the past
year we have been working to develop our outdoor ‘Family
Garden’ in both bases, purchasing and installing outdoor
equipment has helped us to develop our children’s learning
through natural play. The garden is available to all our children
and families and we would encourage families to ask staff for
more details on how they too can enjoy our outdoor learning
environment.
Developing Literacy
The Sunlight Room at 123 have been developing their literacy
through reading ‘The Three Little Pigs’. The children have been
able to get involved by making straw, brick and stick houses
using collage materials, participating in role play using puppets
and costumes relating to the story. These experiences help the
children to become familiar with various sounds and words
extending their vocabulary and early literacy.
Responsible Citizens
.Ramp up the Red - Fighting for Every Heartbeat
We will be holding a ‘Wear it Red’ day on Friday 7th February to
raise money for the British Heart Foundation, over the past year this
has become a very special charity to the staff and children within
the nursery and we would like to do something fun for the children
whilst raising money for the charity in memory of our little Paddy
Rouse. You can participate by wearing something red and donating
to the charity, on the day the children will have fun face painting
each other red and making some red themed treats to share.
Donations can be made in the nursery or online (we will repost the
link on our facebook page)
www.rampupthered.org.uk/donate
Dates to remember
Our Early Years In-Service will be held on Wednesday 12th February (both our bases will be closed on that day)
Public Holidays (Statutory Children ONLY) - The service will be closed 10th & 11th February
Please remember the dates of all our 2014 closures can be found on our website
www.indigogrp.com
Activity of the Month
Valentine’s Day Cookies
Ingredients
100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
100g/3½oz caster sugar
1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
275g/10oz plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
To decorate
400g/14oz icing sugar
3-4 tbsp water
2-3 drops food colourings
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.
Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, cream the butter and sugar together in a
bowl until combined.
Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, a little at a time, until well combined.
Stir in the flour until the mixture comes together as a dough
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1cm/½in.
Using biscuit cutters, cut biscuits out of the dough and carefully place onto the baking
tray.
Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.
Set aside to harden for 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.
For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir in enough water to
create a smooth mixture. Stir in the food colouring, carefully spread the icing onto the
biscuits using a knife and set aside until the icing.
Information specific to
Information specific to
Early Years at 29 Dunagoil Road
Early Years at 123 Castlemilk Drive
Please ensure that your child’s purple bag has spare
clothes and that they have soft shoes for indoors.
Can you ensure that your child has nappies while at
nursery unfortunately we do not have spare nappies
within the playroom for your child to use.
As Winter is upon us please ensure children have
appropriate clothing and footwear to allow them to
participate in outdoor play.
Can parents ensure that they change their child into
soft shoes before entering the playroom
Could you please return Children’s Interests sheets to
enable us to incorporate your suggestions into our
planning.
Could parents ensure that they fold their prams/
buggies and put them in the pram store as neatly as
possible to allow other parents access.
Due to weather, can you please ensure your child has
appropriate outdoor clothing and shoes to allow your
child to explore their natural environment.
Can you ensure that you sign your child in/out of the
playroom.
Could you please return Children’s Interests sheets to
enable us to incorporate your suggestions into our
planning.
Playroom News
3-5 Playroom have been exploring their emotions and how to express themselves.
The children have been involved in making clay faces, participating in transient
art and playing games to relate to various emotions and feelings. The book they
have been learning about is ‘If your happy and you know it’ by Jan Ormerod.
Starlight Playroom have been learning about Space, exploring the vastness of the sky,
learning how to recognise the sun, moon and stars while linking them to daily patterns of
life for example day and night. They have been involved in activities such as making
rockets, role play and promoting numeracy through counting planets. The book they have
been learning is ‘Whatever next’ by Jill Murphy.
Moonlight Room (at 29) have been getting involved in National Bird Day, exploring
the various birds we see in our own garden as well other British Birds, they have been
involved in activities such as painting a bird house, making bird feeders, collage
pictures of birds and making binoculars to go on a bird hunt in our garden. The book
they have been learning was ‘How high is the sky’ by Anna Milborne.
Sunlight Room (at 29) have been learning all about Scottish culture through Rabbie
Burns, they have been exploring textures through tartan, participating in sensory tasting
experiences by trying haggis and feeling wet and dry porridge oats whilst also expressing
themselves through listening to Scottish music. The book they have been learning is
‘Rabbie’s Rhymes: For wee folk’
Moonlight Room (at 123) have been focusing on Dinosaurs and Rabbie
Burns. The children have been marking making using cars and coloured
paint. The book they have been reading is ‘Noddy - Look and Learn Colours’,
learning about colours and using their experiences to contribute to their wall
displays.
Sunlight Room (at 123) have been exploring experiences relating to Rabbie
Burns, the children have had the opportunity to make tartan collage pictures and
develop their senses through tasting haggis, neeps and tatties.