22 Street Lane Nursery - January 2018 Newsletter

Newsletter January

Play. Discovery. Growth.

January Newsletter

Dear Parents and Carers,

Happy New Year and a very warm welcome to all the children, parents and new families who have joined 22 Street Lane Nursery. We hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas break and we look forward to hearing about the children’s Christmas adventures.

We have a very busy spring term to look forward to starting with our Icelandic winter wonderland activities.

January Newsletter

Country of the month; Iceland

This month we will be celebrating ‘Iceland’ as our country of the month to tie in with our Winter wonderland theme. The children will be exploring Icelandic animals, ice caves, the blue lagoon and the Northern lights!! The children will be taking part in lots of activities such as ice play, creating their own lagoon using jelly and using different materials to create their own small world for the Icelandic animals! If you have any materials such as photographs, souvenirs, maps, winter animals which would support our country of the month then we would be most grateful if we could use these.

Thank you to those who took the time to vote for December’s Employee of the Month, we had a total of 67 votes this month! Staff News; Employee of the Month - December

Congratulations to this months winners;

JADE CAMP

KATIE NOHILLY

LEILA EWEN

Place your VOTE for next month’s winner;

We value your opinion and need your 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;

www.22streetlanenursery.co.uk/employee-of-the-month-vote/

January Newsletter

Staff News; Changes to our Management Team

We would like to welcome Bec and Holly to the management team...

Bec Boxall Joint Assistant Deputy Manager & Strategy and Implementation Manager.

Bec has recently taken on a new role in the setting where she has been supporting both the rooms and the management team. Bec has recently been supporting the Cygnets room and has been working along side our new room leader Ariana Ballalari to ensure a smooth transition. As from January, Bec will be working in the office until she goes on Maternity leave on 26 th January, she will continue with her role when she returns. We wish Bec the best of luck with the birth of her baby girl.

Holly Craven Joint Assistant Deputy Manager.

Holly will continue to lead the Ducklings room alongside working in the office one day a week as part of the management team. Shamyla Ahmed will lead the room in Holly’s absence. Good luck in your new role Holly!

To read more about our management team, please visit;

www.22streetlanenursery.co.uk/management-team/

Congratulations; Laura Green…

We would like to congratulate Laura Green who has recently passed her Level 3 Early Years Educator course. Laura has worked extremely hard over the past year completing various modules which cover all aspects of childcare and education. Well done Laura!

January Newsletter

Room News; Cygnets Room

You will notice that we are currently in the process of developing our Cygnets room, the decorator has been in over the festive period to reinvigorate the room and we have ordered many new resources to enhance our provision. We are very confident that there will some very positive changes over the next few weeks. Thank you for your support.

Room News; Our Uniform

Here at 22 Street Lane we encourage our Cygnets and Swans children to wear a uniform. Wearing a uniform helps to prepare children for school, helping them to understand that when they wear a uniform it is a school/ nursery day. Your child will be used to wearing a uniform when they move on to school. 22 SLN uniform is available from Rawcliffe’s uniform shop in Oakwood.

Room News; Age Brackets - Restructure

We would like to inform you that we have slightly adapted the age brackets of the rooms which will mean that the children will have less transitions throughout their time at 22SLN. The age brackets are not restricted and are dependent on the child’s age and stage of development and availability in the nursery.

SWANS 3-4 years

CHICKLETS Under 2’s

DUCKLINGS Under 2’s

GOSLINGS 18 – 30 months

CYGNETS 2-3 years

January Newsletter

Chicklets Winter Walk;

The Chicklets enjoyed a winter walk to Roundhay park. They wrapped up all snug before heading of for a crisp walk around the lake. On their travels they met some dogs and stopped to watch the ducks and the swans.

After a delicious snack of bananas and oranges the Chicklets found some Ice which they explored using their hands, it melted very quickly!! On the way back, they enjoyed a lovely nap before arriving back at the nursery.

CHICKLETS

Free Flow Garden System;

Learning outside supports the development of healthy and active lifestyles by offering children opportunities for physical activity, freedom and movement. It also helps in promoting a sense of well-being. We operate a ‘free flow’ system in our Goslings, Cygnets and Swans room which means that the children can choose to play outside during certain periods of the day. The Chicklets and Ducklings will also be enjoying some winter walks so please can you ensure that your child has appropriate outdoor clothing such as a warm waterproof coat, wellies, hats, gloves and a scarf.

January Newsletter

Benefits of outdoor play;

1. Learning outside the classroom gives children contact with the natural world and offers them experiences that are unique to outdoors, such as direct contact with the weather and the seasons.

2. Playing and learning outside also helps children to understand and respect nature, the environment and the interdependence of humans, animals, plants, and lifecycles.

3. Outdoor play also supports children’s problem-solving skills and nurtures their creativity, as well as providing rich opportunities for their developing imagination, inventiveness and resourcefulness.

4. Children need an outdoor environment that can provide them with space, both upwards and outwards, and places to explore, experiment, discover, be active and healthy, and to develop their physical capabilities.

5. The outdoor environment offers space and therefore is particularly important to those children who learn best through active movement. Very young children learn predominately through their sensory and physical experiences which supports brain development and the creation of neural networks. 6. For many children, playing outdoors at their early years setting may be the only opportunity they have to play safely and freely while they learn to assess risk and develop the skills to manage new situations. Benefits for Early Years of Learning.

7. Learning that flows seamlessly between indoors and outdoors makes the most efficient use of resources and builds on interests and enthusiasms.

8. Anyone who takes children outside regularly sees the enjoyment, and sense of wonder and excitement that is generated when children actively engage with their environment.

January Newsletter

Swans Magical visit to St Andrews Church;

The Swans children had a magical visit to St Andrews Church to listen to the story of Christmas and sing Christmas Carols in December; to make this day even more special we invited Father Christmas himself, and two of his reindeer’s!

We have created a page on the 22 Street Lane Nursery website where you can read more about our special day, the page allows you to read our order of service, and view videos of the children singing Christmas Carols.

Click here to view : http://www.22streetlanenursery.co.uk/carol-service/

We hope all parents/carers and the residents from Richmond house enjoyed sharing this special day and we thank you for joining us.

Carol Service; St Andrews Church

January Newsletter

Swans Cookery Lessons;

In the next couple of weeks, we will be introducing cookery lessons into our Swans room. Zoe McVeigh our Kitchen Assistant will be sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for food and will be teaching the Swans children how to cook delicious healthy snacks! Cooking provides practical experience with many essential skills such as reading, following directions, and measuring. Getting involved in cooking also helps children to develop fine motor skills, eye hand coordination, and even early concepts of maths and science as well as learning the importance of eating healthily. We will be aiming to hold the classes on alternate Mondays and Wednesdays.

Zoe Mcveigh;

“Studying Psychology at University fueled my interest in the importance of nutrition on the developing brain.

My dissertation focused on the childhood obesity epidemic and highlighted that both parents and schools have to take responsibility. The edible garden engages the children’s curiosity into the plantation and production of real foods. Integrating my interest in childhood nutrition with my passion for creative cooking will hopefully aid the children’s physical and mental development even further”.

Recipe of the Month January Newsletter

Homemade locally sourced fresh fish risotto with seasonal vegetables;

• 1 onion, finely chopped • 1 Fennel bulb • 1 tbsp olive oil • 300g risotto rice • 500ml fish stock or vegetable stock • 300g mixed fresh fish (Salmon, haddock, cod) • 100g frozen peas • 3 tbsp grated parmesan • 1 lemon • handful parsley • leaves, roughly chopped

Method;

1. Tip the onion and chopped fennel into a pan with the olive oil and fry for a couple of minutes.

2. Stir in the rice, pour over the stock, cover the bowl with a plate and continue to boil on High for 10-15 mins more or until the rice is just on the verge of being cooked.

3. Add the fish and peas, cover and continue to cook rice and fish is cooked.

4. Stir in the parmesan and lemon juice and leave to stand for a moment while you mix the parsley with the lemon zest.

January Newsletter

Lunchtimes; Can we kindly ask parents not to call the rooms during lunch time (11.30am – 1.30pm) unless it is urgent. It is an extremely busy time with staff supporting children with their meals and sleep times. Staff also have their lunch breaks Absence; P lease 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. Parking; Please can we politely ask you NOT to park outside the nursery on the double yellow lines or outside the nursery front door . This is to ensure the safety of the children. Glass Door; For safety of the building, please can you ensure that when you are entering and leaving the building that you close the glass door behind you. Thank you. Lost Property; We have lots of items of ‘lost Property’ which will be displaying in our parent’s room over the next couple of weeks. Please can parents take the time to visit the parents room and see if anything belongs to your child. Anything which isn’t collected but Friday 22 nd will be given to charity or used as nursery spare clothing. 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 you’re child brings gloves to nursery we strongly advise for these to be attached and threaded through their coat to avoid any gloves going missing .

January Newsletter 2018 Events Calendar;

Month

What’s on this month

Tues 2nd - Nursery RE-OPENS for the NewYear! All Month -WinterWonderland

January

Tue 13th - Shrove Tuesday Wed 14th - Valentines Day Celebrations Fri 16th - Chinese NewYear Celebration

February

Thur 1st -World Book Day/St David’s Day/Holi, Colour Festival Fri 9th - Mothering Sunday Tea Party, 3-4pm Sat 17th - St Patrick’s Day Mon 26th - Easter Bonnet Parade & Egg Hunt, 2:30-3:30pm Fri 30th - Good Friday, Nursery CLOSED

March

Mon 2nd - Bank Holiday, Nursery CLOSED Fri 27th - Visakhi Celebrations Mon 7th - May Bank Holiday, Nursery CLOSED Mon 28th - Spring Bank Holiday, Nursery CLOSED From Mon 11th - Eid Celebrations, all week Fri 15th - Father’s Day Picnic, 3-4pm Thur 28th - TeamTraining Day, Nursery CLOSED

April

May

June

July

*GRADUATIONTO BE ANNOUNCED*

August

Mon 27th - Bank Holiday, Nursery CLOSED

September

Mon 10th - Rosh Hashanah Celebrations

*TBA* - Grandparents Day Tea PartyWeek, 3-4pm Wed 24th - TeamTraining Day, Nursery CLOSED Wed 31st - Halloween Fancy Dress Day

October

Mon 5th - Bonfire Activities Wed 7th - Diwali Celebrations *TBA* - Children In Need Day

November

*TBA* - Swans Christmas Carol Concert *TBA* - Christmas Jumper Day Thur 12th - 22SLN Christmas Dinner Fri 21st - 22SLN Christmas Party Mon 24th - Nursery Closing at 12pm for Christmas

December

CONTACT.

03330 43 22 22 info@22streetlanenursery.co.uk 22 Street Lane, Roundhay, Leeds, LS8 2ET

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