Blog update – Friday 11^th October:

Baby Boy:

We are pleased to announce that Kim (from the Baby Room) has given birth to a baby boy! Baby Dexter was born at 6am on Thursday 10^th October, weighing approximately 7.5 lbs. Both Mum and Baby are doing very well. We look forward to meeting him very soon!

Halloween Party:

On Thursday 31^st October, we will be holding a Halloween Party. Activities for this day will include:

·        Fancy dress competition

·        Apple bobbing

·        Halloween crafts

·        Halloween baking

·        Party games

·        Party tea

If you would like to book your child in extra in order for them to participate in our Halloween Party day, then please speak to Louise (Manager) or Kelly (Deputy Manager).

Arriving early:

Can we please remind all parents not to drop their children off before their booked sessions, this is particularly important in the mornings. Please be aware that our staffing shifts, relate to the sessions booked for the children on a week-to-week basis. Therefore, if your child is not due in until 8.00am, please do not drop them off until this time.

We appreciate your cooperation with this.

Door Security:

Please be reminded of the need for security with regards to entering and leaving the premises. Please do not allow any other person through the doors with you unless clarified by a member of staff for familiarity. We hope you understand the importance of this procedure for maintaining the children’s safety.

We thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Louise and the team at Clover Court

Blog update – week commencing the 7^th October:

Macmillan Coffee Afternoon:

We would like to say a huge thank you to all of our parents and relatives for supporting our Macmillan Coffee Afternoon which we held on Friday 26^th September. We managed to raise a grand total of £150.73 through our raffle and cake sale.

Thank you all very much for your kind donations.

Photographer:

On Wednesday 9^th and Thursday 10^th October, we will be having a professional photographer coming to our setting to take photos of the children. If your child is booked in on one of the days when the photographer is here, then they will automatically be on the register to have their photo taken. If you specifically do not wish for your child’s photo to be taken, then please let Louise (Nursery Manager) or Kelly (Deputy Manager) know. If you would like to book an extra session for your child on these days in order for them to have their photos taken, then please let us know so that we can check the availability for you. A minimum booking of a four hour session is required.

Casey:

We would like to welcome Casey to our setting as a permanent bank member of staff. Casey is currently based in our Baby Room as maternity cover for Kim, but you will also see her elsewhere within the setting.

Family photos:

We asked you a while ago to bring in some family photos that we could use for displays within the environment. We have had very little response from this, so if you have not yet brought in some photos, please do so, as these will be used to promote children’s personal, social and emotional development.

Louise and the team at Clover Court

Macmillan Coffee Afternoon

Blog update: 6^th September 2013

Macmillan Coffee Afternoon

On Friday 27^th September we will be holding a coffee afternoon in support of Macmillan Cancer Research. In order to fund-raise money in support of the charity, we will be serving tea and coffee, and selling a selection of home-made cakes made by members of staff. We would like to invite our parents/carers and other family members along to this event which will run between 2pm and 4pm. We will also be selling raffle tickets for the chance to win a big speciality rainbow cake made by our cook; these will be handed out during the week (commencing 23^rd) and will cost 50p a ticket.

We hope to see you all there!

Louise and the team at Clover Court

September 2013

Pirate Day - Thursday 19^th September 2013

On Thursday 19^th September Clover Court will be having a Pirate themed day. The staff and children are invited to dress up for the day. We will be providing activities such as:

·        Plastic boat racing

·        Eye patch making

·        Pirate hat making

·        Creating large collages

·        Treasure hunt

·        Pirate flag making

·        Create treasure maps.

 

 

Chelsey

We would like to inform you that Chelsey has been promoted to Team Leader at Buttercup Barn. Therefore her last day with us here at Clover Court will be on Friday 20^th September. Chelsey is away on holiday from the 10^th-19^th September.

Chelsey has been an asset to Clover Court for the past 4 and a half years and has gained lots of experience with working with toddlers, pre-schoolers and also with the after school/holiday club. Chelsey will be sad to leave the staff, parents and children that she has got to know well here at Clover Court, but she is looking forward to taking on more responsibility in her new role as a team leader. We wish her the best of luck!

 

Kim

We would just like to inform you that as of Wednesday 18^th September Kim from our baby suite will be going on maternity leave. I am sure you will all join us in wishing her the best of luck.

 

Nursery Self Registration board:

Nursery has recently introduced the new self-registration board. The children should be encouraged to find their own photo on the self-registration board and place it on a peg of their choice. The purpose of this process is to support the children’s Self-awareness and provide them with a sense of belonging.

 

Current interests

We have recently noticed that the children have become interested in different types of music. We would like to encourage the children to listen to the music using a variety of technology. We are looking for:

·        IPods

·        Docking stations

·        CD players

·        Unwanted children’s CD’s

If you have any of the above items that you do not use anymore, they would be greatly appreciated to further the children’s knowledge and development.

 

A huge thank you to all the parents and children for all your kind words and gifts that have now left to go onto school. We wish you much happiness and success, please do pop back to say hello.

We would also like to say a huge welcome to all the children that have recently joined us here at Clover. We are all very excited you have begun your learning adventure with us.

Chelsey:

We would like to inform you that our Chelsey has been promoted to Team Leader at Buttercup Barn. Therefore, her last day with us here at Clover Court will be on Friday 20^th September. Chelsey is away on holiday from the 10^th – 19^th September.

Chelsey has been an asset to Clover Court for the past 4 and a half years and has gained lots of experience with working with toddlers, pre-schoolers and with the after school/holiday club. Chelsey will be sad to leave the staff, parents and children that she has got to know so well here at Clover Court, but is looking forward to taking on more responsibility in her new role as team leader. We wish her the best of luck! 

If your child’s Key Person is currently Chelsey, then we will let you know nearer the time who her replacement will be. We appreciate your patience with this.

Nursery – self-registration board:

As of week commencing the 19^th August, the nursery children will be encouraged to find their photo on the ‘self-registration’ board and place their photo on a peg with their bags and coats. The ‘self-registration’ board is situated on the left, just inside the entrance door. The purpose of this process is to support the children’s self-awareness and provide them with a sense of belonging.

Sports Day:

We would like to say a big thank you to all of our parents of our over two’s and pre-schoolers for supporting the staff and the children with our annual sports day. We were really proud of how hard the children worked, and the involvement of the parents. We hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did!

Open Evening reminder:

We have our termly open evening on Tuesday 20^th August. If you have not yet put your name down to attend, but would like to come, then please ask a member of staff to add you onto the schedule.

 

Louise and the team at Clover Court

 

Blog update w/c 22^nd July:

Room transfers:

We would just like to inform you that Kelly. C (from the Nursery Room), will be transferring into Pre-school, and Sarah (from Pre-school) will be transferring into the Nursery Room. Letters will be sent out regarding the assignment of new Key Persons.

As a setting, it is good practice to encourage the staff to have a swap around with rooms and age groups for their own personal development.

We appreciate your understanding and support of the staff through this process. Any questions, please feel free to speak to Louise (Manager) or Kelly (Deputy Manager).

Open Evening:

We have scheduled our next Open Evening for Tuesday 20^th August. Please remember that your attendance at these evenings is not compulsory, but it allows you as parents who know your children best, to have an input into the planning for their learning and development and to share the progress that they are making.

The evening will be organised according to timeslots of 10 minutes. Schedules for timeslots will be put up in each room (Babies, Nursery and Pre-school) for you to assign your names if you would like to attend.

Sport’s Day:

Every year we like to organise a sporting event for our over two’s and pre-schoolers, this year, this will be held on the afternoons of Tuesday 13^th and Thursday 15^th August (13.45-14.45). Parents and carers are invited along to watch and cheer for their children during the activities which include;

·         Sack race

·         Egg and spoon race

·         Running race

·         Balancing the bean bag on the head

·         Hurdles

There will also be an obstacle course for the parents to take part in.

Attendance tables will be put up by the end of the week in Nursery and in Pre-school. If your child is booked in on that day and you would like to attend, please put your name down, and the amount of people that will be coming (max. of 3 per child).

If your child is not yet booked in, and you would like them to take part, then please speak to Louise (Manager) or Kelly (Deputy). Equally, if your child is only booked in for the morning session, then it may be possible to extend it, in order for them to join in.

Communication Books:

The nursery team have re-introduced the use of communication books. Each child will have their own communication book that will be written in on a regular basis by your child’s key person. If you would like to write in the communication book in return, there are baskets on the shelf in Beach room for you to place the communication book.

Treasure Bags:

We are currently implementing a sensory area within our Ash Room (physical room). As part of this we are putting together treasure bags which will contain different sets of sensory items; for example, metals, woods, natural objects, etc. We would like to ask the parents to help us collect objects for these bags;

·         Paper / cardboard objects: Egg boxes, notebook, sturdy cardboard tubes, greaseproof paper.

·         Wooden objects: Door wedge, small turned bowl, dolly pegs, egg cup, wooden egg, spoons, curtain rings, coaster, bracelet, block, napkin rings, dowel, empty salt and pepper cellars.

·         Leather, textile, rubber, or fur objects: Small knitted toy, bean bag, piece of flannel, velvet powder puff, bags of herbs, bag of lavender, leather key ring, coloured ribbons, leather purse.

·         Rubber objects: Ball, bath plug with chain, soap holder, door stop, coaster.

·         Metal objects: Honey drizzler, an egg cup, curtain ring, egg poacher, measuring spoons, tea strainer, whisk, powder compact, bells, lemon squeezer, small bowl,

·         Natural objects: A lemon or orange, coconut shell, grass rope, sheepskin, pumice stone, loofah, shells, pine/fir cones, driftwood, avocado stone, large pebbles.

·         Brushes: Scrubbing brush, pastry brush, baby's hair brush, nail brush, makeup brush, paint brush, shaving brush, wooden toothbrush.

·         Other objects: small vanilla essence or food colouring bottle, hair rollers, small mirror, scent bags, bone shoe horn, ceramic bowl

We would really appreciate your support with this.

Lost Property:

We are missing a pair of shorts from the pre-school room. The shorts are from Next, sized 3-4, and are brown/khaki green. If you think your child may have gained a pair of shorts which match this description, could we please ask you to return them to the pre-school room. Thank you!

Louise and the team at Clover Court

June 2013

Blog update – W/c 24^th June:

Lost Property:

We have a substantial amount of lost property (clothes) in preschool, in particular hooded jumpers. If you think your child may have left an item of clothing at preschool, then please speak to a member of staff as we will be more than happy for you to rummage through our collections!

End of Term:

Just to remind parents that our end of term in relation to the free entitlement for three year olds is Friday 12^th July. Therefore, unless you have asked for your child to be booked in as ‘term time’ only, then sessions will be charged at full cost. If you wish to make any amendments to your child’s sessions during the 6 week school holiday, then please speak to either Louise (Manager) or Kelly (Deputy).

School Leavers:

Clover Court Pre-school will be holding an open evening for our school leaver’s parents to attend on Thursday 11^th July. The evening will provide you with a 10 minute slot with which to spend with your child’s key person. You will be presented with their Learning Journal containing an end of term development summary in preparation for the transition to ‘big school.’

On Thursday 25^th July, Clover Court Pre-school will be holding a party afternoon in celebration of our school leavers. The afternoon will consist of a mini-disco session, party games; pass the parcel and a party tea.  If you would like to book your child in extra for this session, then please speak to Louise (Manager) or Kelly (Deputy).

 

 

Drop-offs:

Can we please remind parents/carers, that unless your child is booked in with us before 8.00, not to drop them off until your child’s session starts, otherwise this impacts on our staffing and adult: child ratios. If you do require your child to be dropped off before 8.00, then please speak to Louise (Manager) or Kelly (Deputy) about possibly extending the session. We appreciate your understanding of this.

Baby Room:

We are very proud of our babies who have recently found their feet, and those who are making great progress in rolling and crawling.

The babies have been enjoying participating in outdoor activities; playing with the large cars and road map, experimenting with the trikes and push along toys, and crawling through the new tunnel maze.

Nursery:

In nursery last week, the children really enjoyed playing with their new outdoor tunnel maze, they used this to role-play fireman Sam, rescuing each other from the tunnels. The children also enjoyed using the recycled materials to create models; in particular, they focused on different modes of transport.

New Resources:

We have recently been given a grant with which to purchase resources to develop our outdoor learning environments in Nursery and Pre-school. With this grant, Nursery has purchased a tunnel maze, a road map for their cars, a secret den hideaway, sand toys, a water tray and water toys. Pre-school have purchased a new tricycle, a new scooter, a story mat and cushions, a tuff tray unit for sand, water and messy play and a mini basketball net. You may start to see some of these resources coming in within the next few weeks.

As always, please feel free to add any comments!

Louise and the team at Clover Court