22 Street Lane Nursery - January 2019 Newsletter

January Newsletter

Dear Parents and Carers, We hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and we would like to wish you all a Happy New Year. On behalf of all the staff, we would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you for all the lovely cards, gifts and kind words we received before the Christmas holidays, we were all very touched by the generosity of our children and their families. Please share your Christmas holidays on Tapestry so that we can see your child’s current interests and they can talk about their Christmas adventures.

January Newsletter

Country of the Month: ICELAND

Throughout January, we will be exploring the country of Iceland, and will be continuing to explore animals that live in cold conditions such as puffins, white beaked dolphins, grey seals, European rabbits, humpback whales, artic foxes and the Icelandic dogs. We will be exploring ice and frozen objects, and then think of ways to melt the ice to get them out. We will explore Iceland’s famous sights such as the Blue Lagoon and the golden circle.

Thank you to those who took the time to vote for December’s Employee of the Month. We have had lots of input and would like to thank the winners for their continued hard work and professionalism - we thank you for your vote! Staff News: Employee of the Month goes to…

Congratulations to this month’s winners:

Troy Kimmings

Deirdre Millar

Charlotte Baker

We really do value your opinion and need your continued help to recognise the amazing work that our staff undertake each day. If you would like to nominate a member of staff for Employee of the Month, please click on the link below and help pick next month’s winner: www.22streetlanenursery.co.uk/employee-of-the-month-vote/

NEWS January Newsletter NEW STARTER: Charlotte Mortin (Swans) We would like to welcome Charlotte Mortin who has joined our Swans Room as Apprentice Practitioner. Charlotte has previously worked at a solicitors as an apprentice but has always had a passion for working with children. “I am an enthusiastic, hardworking, dependable, reliable individual who is passionate about being part of a child's journey to flourish into independent individuals. To work with children is my main goal in life. I believe that the early years of a child's life is the most important stage in their life as this is where they develop new skills to give them the best start in life. I am excited to become part of such a passionate team at 22 Street Lane Nursery and build relationships with all the children. This is a great opportunity to pursue my career, and it is my dream job to work at an ‘Outstanding’ nursery where I can learn alongside some amazing practitioners.” Severe Weather It is highly likely that we will have some snow throughout Winter, and if this is the case please call the nursery to check that we are open. We will always do our best to open but there may be the possibility of closure, but we will communicate this to you via Tapestry.

Mini First Aid We have still have a couple of places left on our mini First Aid courses which will be held on Saturday 26th January and Saturday 2nd February. The two-hour course (9.30-11.30am) will cover the following: • CPR Baby and Child • Burns, bleeding, choking

• Meningitis awareness • Febrile convulsions • Head-bangs • Broken-bones

The cost of the course is £20.00 and there is limited availability (12 places), this will be offered on a first come first served basis. If the course is successful, then we will look to provide additional dates. If you are interested in attending, please contact Alex by email at alexandra@22streetlanenursery.co.uk

NEWS January Newsletter Christmas Jumper Day: Save The Children The children had lot of fun dressing up in their festive jumpers to support Save the Children. Thank you for all your donations, we raised a total of £12.00.

Visit from Santa On Thursday the 13th December, we had a very special visitor from Santa! Santa flew all the way from the North Pole to visit the boys and girls of 22 Street Lane Nursery. Santa’s elves told him that the children have been such good boys and girls and so gave them all a gift to take home. We hope that he comes back next year to see us!

Christmas Dinner Thank you to our amazing kitchen team for making the children a yummy traditional Christmas dinner! The children enjoyed roast turkey, roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, sprouts, pigs in blankets and gravy... yum!

Lakeside Playground Thank you to the parents that supported the Roundhay playground appeal, a total of £159K was raised and the playground is now open to the public.

January Newsletter

Chicklets - Tips to settle your child at nursery

We would like to welcome the new Chicklets to our room; we are looking forward to getting to know you and your families. As nursery is new to many of you, we thought that we would share some top tips to settle your child: 1. Give yourself plenty of time in the morning before dropping off whilst you adapt to new routines, especially in the first few weeks to ensure that you don’t feel flustered. 2. If you can: make plans and keep busy while your child is settling in. Where possible, try and have some time on your own before you go back to work. 3. Do something you enjoy and un-parent. 4. Remind yourself that this is another parenting stage and it will be just as rewarding as the previous stages. Your child will be having fun as they play and learn, in an environment where they are safe and cared for. 5. Bring your child’s favourite teddy or comforter with them if they have one. This can be especially helpful for your child to have during sleep times. 6. Family photos are also a good way of keeping familiar elements in the new environment. 7. Don’t be afraid to tell the nursery team what your child likes and dislikes, and their home routines. Even if it seems trivial, it will help the team better understand your child’s personality. 8. Keep upbeat and don’t try to sneak out. Have a chat with us, and leave your child with a smile and a kiss. 9. Remember that you are not on your own. We are as keen as you are for your child to settle into nursery. 10. And don’t forget, it’s only a first for you. We have many years’ experience and expertise. You are in safe hands, it’s what we do!

January Newsletter

Chicklets We introduced Christmas to the Chicklets children through many different sensory activities such as exploring the oats (reindeer food), snow (shaving foam), tinsel and baubles, and much more! We also had a very special visitor…Santa! The children were not too sure of him as he looked a little scary with his big red coat and white beard. Hopefully as they get a little older they will begin to understand that he is a jolly man who is very kind to the girls and boys. They have also wrapped up warm and spent lots of time enjoying the outdoors riding the little balance bikes, filling up the pots and pans in the mud kitchen, and listening to stories in the Tepee. We would like to officially welcome the new Chicklets to our room - we are looking forward to getting to know you and your families.

CHICKLETS

January Newsletter

Ducklings This month, the Ducklings have been exploring Hanukkah through sensory play and looking at family photos celebrating Jewish traditions - they tasted latkes, which are made of shredded potato and onion. Alongside this, they have been very busy preparing for Christmas, making lots of Christmas crafts. They have used a variety of mark-making tools from sticks to brushes, and even their hands and feet to paint their Christmas cards. They have also been making marks in different ways, and exploring how to roll and splatter balls to make their own festive pictures. We have been exploring the language of shape, space and measure this month, having lots of conversations about how big or little something is, and investigated different-sized containers to fill and empty. The Ducklings have also been helping to measure each other for our Christmas crafts! Another favourite activity has been scooping, emptying, filling and pouring the porridge oats, or crushed cornflakes, to make some food for Santa’s reindeers. This has helped the children develop their fine motor skills and demonstrating control with tools to mix, pour and fill! Finally, the Ducklings have been learning lots of songs from Happy Hanukkah to Jingle Bells - copying our actions to the songs, and initiating their own singing and dancing sessions.

DUCKLINGS

January Newsletter

Goslings The Goslings have had a fun-filled festive month! On the first week of December, the Christmas fairies worked very hard decorating the room for the Goslings; the children were very happy playing with baubles and tinsel, and were mesmerised by the shining fairy lights. Santa came to visit the Goslings one Thursday and they all received a little gift - It was very lovely to see all the excitement towards Santa! All the children worked as hard as Santa’s elves preparing beautiful crafts for all their loved ones. We hope that you liked our Christmas cards, salt dough baubles, advent calendar to celebrate the New Year, Christmas cracker with a little surprise inside, as well as other wonderful crafts. The room was set up with fabulously festive activities such as decorating the Christmas tree, painting a huge Christmas bauble, wrapping and unwrapping presents, and singing Christmas songs. We also celebrated Hanukkah at the start of this month: the children joined in with a roleplay party, painting menorahs, playing with little match sticks dipped in red and orange paint, counting candles, and listening to Hanukkah music.

GOSLINGS

January Newsletter

Swans Nativity Our most senior bunch swanned into St Andrew’s Church on Wednesday the 19th of December, garbed in a delightful array of fabulous fabrics as it was time to perform this year’s wonderful Nativity Play. Parents and children alike got to sit back and learn all about why we celebrate Christmas, accompanied by some tear-jerking renditions of nursery rhymes with lyrics that told the Christmas story. All the children took their dramatic roles very seriously: Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, Shepherds, Angels, Stars and various barn animals all mesmerised their audience with adorable smiles and sweet dance moves. All of us at 22 Street Lane Nursery are very proud of our Swans for their hard work. Here are some of the great pictures from the Nativity, can you spot your little one?

January Newsletter

January Newsletter

Cygnets The Cygnets have had a month of celebrations, starting with Hanukkah. The children counted how many candles were on a menorah, and made their own using their handprints, whilst discussing the celebration of Hanukkah. We have also been exploring Lapland, finding out who and what animals lives there. We discovered that snow dogs live in Lapland, and we watched some videos of them: they have thick fur coats to keep them nice and warm. The Cygnets really enjoyed making their Christmas crafts including reindeer cards, tree decorations and calendars. Please share your child’s Christmas on Tapestry so we can talk to them about it and find out about their interests. We will be continuing to focus on shapes throughout January starting with ‘Oval’ and ‘Semi Circle’; we will look for things in the environment that resemble these shapes. We will be focusing on the numbers 1-10, matching the correct number of objects to the correct numbers, and learning their correct order. Finally, The Cygnets have been thoroughly enjoying their weekly cooking classes which we have introduced. So far the children have made Apple and Cinnamon Muffins and Cranberry Oatcakes! We will continue with this on a different day every week so that all children have a chance to cook!

CYGNETS

January Newsletter

Swans The Swans have had a very busy month celebrating both Hanukkah and Christmas. First, we transformed the role-play area into a family home to celebrate Hanukkah: lighting the menorah each day, and learning all about traditions that take place during the festival. We even made our own potato latkes which the children thoroughly enjoyed, and they tasted yummy too! We believe it is extremely important to teach children about a variety of cultures and religion, in addition to their own. Next month we will be celebrating Chinese New Year, the year of the Pig. The following week we turned the home corner into our very own Santa’s Workshop. Whilst playing within it the children have been using prior experience and knowledge to create their own narratives. We have also been very busy with all sorts of Christmas crafts - making everything from their own reindeer food, to calendars, and decorations for the tree! We have been developing writing skills by writing Christmas cards to our friends, and letters to Santa. This month we will be focusing on the letters O, U, L, F.

Swans

January Newsletter

Recipe of the Month

Ingredients Serves: A family of 4 • 4 carrots

• 1 large onion • 4 garlic cloves • 2 large potatoes, diced • 1 handful chopped fresh parsley, rosemary and thyme • 4 chicken thighs • 4 bay leaves • salt and pepper to taste • 40g pearl barley • 20g split peas • 20g marrow fat peas • 600ml (1 pt) chicken stock

Chicken Stew

Method

Prep: 10min › Cook: 4hr › Ready in: 4hr 10min 1. Chop carrots, onion and garlic, and add to medium hot pan for 5 minutes. Add diced potatoes and herbs, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add to slow cooker. 2. Place the chicken in frying pan for 5 minutes. Add to slow cooker. 3. Add the bay leaves, salt and pepper, barley, split peas, marrowfat peas and stock to the slow cooker. Cook on a high heat for 3-4 hours or on a low heat for 8 hours. 4. Serve with roast puddings, stuffing or bread and butter.

January Newsletter - 2019 Events

January Newsletter

*ATTENTION* Important Information - Please Read

Car Park As you are aware, there are double yellow lines outside the nursery which have been put there for the safety of the children. Please can we ask that parents do not park on them, and also be mindful of parking over more than one space in the car park. As you can appreciate we have very limited parking, and so the car park can become very busy. High Temperatures & Fevers Please can we remind parents that children cannot attend nursery if they have a high temperature (over 38 ° C). If a child develops a temperature whilst at nursery, parents will be called to collect them, as supported by our policies and procedures. We can administer non- prescribed Calpol for a temperature, although we must first receive permission in writing. HMRC Additional Funding Code (3 & 4 year old - 30 hours) If you are eligible and in receipt of additional 3 & 4 year-old funding, look out for a prompt every three months from HMRC to reconfirm your details so that your eligibility can be re-assessed. If you do not do this, please note that we are unable to claim the funding on your behalf. Winter Clothing With the cold months ahead, please can you ensure that your child has appropriate clothing labelled with their name to play outside. Children can play out and explore in all weathers, but a warm coat, waterproof trousers, hats, gloves and scarves would be most suitable for Winter. Could we please suggest that your child have 2-piece outdoor waterproofs if they are toilet- trained, as it can be tricky for them to get them on and off. Thank you for your support. Christmas Closure This nursery will close at 12pm on Monday 24 th December (Christmas Eve) and will re-open on Wednesday 2 nd January. If your child will NOT be attending on Christmas Eve, please can you notify us so that we can plan staffing accordingly. Thank you.

January Newsletter ~ Housekeeping

Absence Please note that we are unable to swap days or offer an alternative day if your child is absent from nursery. We are now extremely busy and it is impossible for us to do this for all children. This is stated in our terms and conditions. Thank-you for your cooperation. Parents Suggestions We continue to welcome all feedback from parents. If you would like to make a suggestion then please post this in our ‘Parents Suggestion Box’ which is based on reception. Alternatively, you can speak to a member of staff. Drop Off and Collection Can we kindly remind you that we open at 7.30 a.m. and cannot accept children into the nursery before this time. We close at 6.00 p.m. and any parents that pick up after this time will be charged. Thank-you for your cooperation. Labels in Clothing To avoid items being lost, please can you ensure that your child’s uniform is clearly labelled including their coats, hats, scarves and wellies. If your child brings gloves to nursery we strongly advise for these to be attached and threaded through their coat to avoid any gloves going missing . Contacting the Nursery Please can we kindly ask parents to try and only call the nursery rooms if necessary. It can be very difficult for the staff to keep coming to the phones when they are trying to look after the children and take appropriate breaks. Please note if ever we have a concern we would always call so please be assured that they are having a good day unless we call you. Thank-you for your understanding. Wipes Please note that although we provide nappies as part of our offering, wipes are not included in this. It has been noted that lots of children are coming to nursery without nappy wipes. Can we kindly remind parents to ensure that there is always a supply available for your child. Your child’s key person will remind you when they are running low. Moving forwards, we will be charging £15.00 per month to any parents that fails to bring wipes.

CONTACT: 03330 43 22 22 info@22str eetlanenur ser y.co.uk 22 Str eet Lane, Roundhay, Leeds, LS8 2ET

ONLINE: www.22str eetlanenur ser y.co.uk