22 Street Lane Nursery - June 2024 Newsletter

Newsletter June Play • Discovery • Growth

June Newsletter

Dear Parents and Carers, Welcome to the June Newsletter, and as always, a warm greeting to the new families who have joined us recently. We have had another busy month at the nursery learning all about Vietnam, which has been our Country of the Month. We celebrated World Bee Day, and enjoyed a week focusing on one of our favourite stories ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’. Later in the month, we welcomed all our lovely Grandparents for our Stay and Play event and celebrated National Children’s Gardening Week! We also enjoyed a visit from the mobile farm where we met lots of animals such as goats, Guinea pigs, alpacas, pigs and rabbits. Throughout June, we will be celebrating Healthy Eating Week and Great Big Green Week, making lots of healthy treats, learning all about which foods are good for our body and give us lots of energy, and thinking of ways we can help look after our planet. We will also be learning about Eid al Adha, and have our annual Father’s Day events. To find out more, please read on...

June Newsletter NEWS

Nursery Closure - Staff Training Day: Tuesday 4th June Please be aware we will be holding a Team Training Day on Tuesday 4th June, which means that the nursery will be closed on that day. We look forward to re-opening and seeing the children back at the nursery on the following day.

Country of the Month, June 2024: Spain Throughout June, we will be exploring Spain as our Country of the Month! We will be creating our interpretations of the Spanish flag, sampling some of the local cuisine and having a go at Flamenco dancing! We will also be learning how to say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ in Spanish and our older children will be continuing their Spanish classes and practising counting up to 10! Did you know? The Spanish language is one of the most popular in the world and is spoken in many countries, such as Mexico and Argentina due to the early influence of the Spanish Empire. If any parents have any resources that support our country of the month, we would be most grateful!

June Newsletter NEWS The Very Hungry Caterpillar Week During May, the children enjoyed delving deeper into one of our favourite core stories, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, as we spent a week focusing on the book, with lots of exciting activities throughout the Nursery! This included: making some healthy fruit salads using the fruits from the story, exploring a variety of themed tuff trays containing playdough, sand and rice, and seeing if we could move like a caterpillar and a butterfly! The children also enjoyed learning all about the life cycle of a caterpillar, watching their caterpillars emerge out of their cocoons and have now set the beautiful butterflies free!

World Bee Day Celebrations In support of ‘World Bee Day’ the children learnt all about why Bees are so important and how we can take care of bees to encourage biodiversity. Chef Oli also made a delicious honey loaf for everyone to enjoy! Did you know? • As well as honey, royal jelly, and pollen, bees provide products used in healthcare. • A third of the entire world’s food production depends on bees. • Bees are a good indicator of warmer weather and it’s common to spot bees buzzing around beautiful flowers during the summer months. Bees play an important role in pollinating trees and flowers, helping to provide habitats for wildlife. They also pollinate the food we need to survive.

June Newsletter NEWS

National Children’s Gardening Week & Peter Rabbit Week To celebrate National Children’s Gardening Week the children enjoyed learning all about the importance of plants in our ecosystem, planted some more flowers and herbs in our Nursery Allotment, and even took a trip to Oli’s allotment near Roundhay Park! Also, to tie in with the theme we also focused on Peter Rabbit throughout the week, with the children exploring the different characters in the range of Peter Rabbit stories.

Grandparents Stay and Play Sessions Thank you to all of our Grandparents who attended our Stay and Play sessions. We hope that you all had as much fun as we did!

June Newsletter NEWS

Petting Farm Visit: Wednesday 29th May The children had such a fantastic day seeing all of the animals at the Nursery. They were able to pet and feed the animals including goats, sheep, an alpaca and many more!

June Newsletter NEWS

Healthy Eating Week and Great Big Green Week: W/C Monday 10th June We will be supporting ‘Healthy Eating Week’ from 10th-14th June, where we will be teaching the children about what foods keep us healthy and what foods we should not eat too much. Each of the rooms will be making their own healthy snacks and will have a chance to visit the nursery allotment and Oli’s allotment near the park to see where our food comes from! The Great Big Green Week is during the same week and is the UK’s biggest celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. The children will therefore be learning all about how we can protect our planet, going on lots of walks in the local community, collecting litter and learning about saving our oceans! The Cygnets and Swans will also be doing some junk modelling using recycled materials, focusing on the importance of recycling and reuse

Parents Evening Parents are invited for a 10 minute parent consultation; this will be an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress and their next steps with their key person. There will be a Tapestry post in due course to book your time slot. If you would prefer a telephone call, please let us know and we can arrange this on another day. Wednesday 19th June, 6-7:30pm - Chicklets, Swans & Ducklings Wednesday 26th June, 6-7:30pm - Goslings and Cygnets

Eid Al Adha Celebrations: Monday 17th June The children will be learning the customs and traditions of Eid Al Adha. Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Adha on the last day of the Hajj. The children will also have the opportunity to take part in Eid-inspired activities such as making their own Eid Mubarak pictures consisting of stars and moons, as well as creating Henna Hands by copying some beautiful henna patterns. The older children will be able to make their own Eid Biscuits, using a range of traditional Asian spices.

June Newsletter NEWS

Nursery Leavers Reminder Just a reminder that if your child is leaving the nursery, we require six weeks’ notice. If you already know the date that your child is leaving, please can you let us know so that we can plan accordingly. Please email kate@22streetlanenursery.co.uk with this information. Thank you

Funding Update From September 2024, the Government’s new 15 hours childcare support will be extended to eligible working parents of children from the age of 9 months to 3-year-olds. Your child must be 9 months old by the 31st of August to apply. For more information and to apply for this and Tax- Free Childcare please visit the Government website: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ . If your child is turning 3 before 31st August, please also visit this website to check your eligibility for 30 hours of funding. You should apply for the funding from the 1st of June onwards and forward your eligibility code and NI Number to kate@22streetlanenursery.co.uk by the 9th of August for your funding to be included on your September invoice. The final deadline for funding applications for the Autumn term is 31st August 2024, any codes generated or received after this date will not be valid for the Autumn term.

June Newsletter

Dish of the Month

Lamb Koftas with Pomegranate Salad

• 500g lamb mince • Sprig of fresh mint • Handful of pomegranate seeds • 2 cloves of garlic • 1 tablespoon turmeric • 1 tablespoon garam masala • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika • 1 large white onion • Half a teaspoon of maple syrup • 1 bunch coriander • 1 lemon zested and juiced • Half a cucumber • 4 tablespoons of coconut (dairy-free) yoghurt • Salad to garnish See our past selections on: 22streetlanenursery.co.uk/dish-of-the-month/ Ingredients

Method

1. Start by grating your white onion in a large mixing bowl with the lamb mince and add a little salt and pepper. Zest the lemon and save the juice for the dip. Add smoked paprika, turmeric and garam masala. 2. Finely dice the fresh coriander and mint (save some mint for the coconut yoghurt dip). Then, finely chop the coriander and add it to the rest of the ingredients. Give it a very good mix to make sure the ingredients are completely combined. 3. Roll your koftas into uniform shapes and bake at 180c for around 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Once baked, leave them to rest on a cooling rack. 4. Roughly cut the cucumber and remaining mint into a clean mixing bowl and combine with the coconut yogurt and maple syrup and set aside. 5. Cook the couscous following the packet instructions, adding some vegetable stock and extra turmeric for flavour. Once cooked and cooled, fluff it up with a fork and add your pomegranate. 6. Assemble your dish with fresh salad leaves and serve.

June Newsletter Father’s Day Breakfast: Monday 10 th June - Friday 14 th June

We would like to invite someone special to attend our Father's Day Breakfast at the Nursery this June. Please note that this event is weather dependent, and spaces are limited, so if you would like to attend, please leave a comment on the Tapestry post for your child’s name and room, as well as your name. We are looking forward to it and hope you are able join us!

Chicklets 9 - 10:00am Ducklings Thursday 13th June 9 - 10:00am Goslings Monday 10th June 9 - 10:00am Cygnets Tuesday 11h June 9 - 10:00am Swans Wednesday 12th June 9 - 10:00am Friday 14th June

June Newsletter Beach Party Week: W/C Monday 24th June

We will be holding our annual Beach Party on the week starting Monday 24th June (weather permitting). The children will have the opportunity to take part in lots of beach-inspired activities such as volleyball, sandcastle competitions and water play! Oli will be cooking up a seaside tradition of ‘fish 'n chips’ and serving some homemade ice lollies.

June Newsletter Swans Graduation Ceremony: Thursday 18th July

We’ve already started planning for this big day as it’s always such an exciting day in our annual calendar. So make sure to pop this very important date in your diary, as it’s not one to miss. Our Swans Graduation is always a special event and we hope to make this year's ceremony bigger and better than ever before, with tons of fun activities, big performances and yummy food. We’ll be looking back at the time our Swans spent at 22 Street Lane and wishing them lots of luck in Big School!

June Newsletter Chicklets Room News May has brought lots of fun and sunshine to the Chicklets Room!

This month, we celebrated World Bee Day, where the children explored the colours black and yellow and practised their buzzing. The Chicklets have made the most of the sunshine too, spending lots of time outside in the garden- we took some of our messy play outside too! We spent lots of time concentrating on ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ book this month. The Chicklets enjoyed sharing the story with their friends and exploring fun, themed messy play activities based on caterpillars, butterflies and healthy eating. Next month is going to be another busy month for the Chicklets with our Father’s Day Stay and Play event. We can’t wait to welcome all the Chicklets Daddies in to explore. We will also enjoy more trips out as the weather is getting warmer- including walks to the park and going to the shops. Have a lovely June everyone!

CHICKLETS ROOM

June Newsletter

Ducklings Room News

This month has been full of fun and endless opportunities in the Ducklings Room. We started the month by welcoming our caterpillars and watching them grow day by day. We used playdough to talk about the shape of a caterpillar and ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ Week to look closely into the life cycle. Our caterpillars are currently in their second week inside their cocoons, and we have monitoring them closely waiting for them to hatch into beautiful butterflies. We also looked at the fruits in the story of the Hungry Caterpillar book and incorporated this into our activities as well as blending some to make a delicious fruity smoothie. Also, this month we introduced Makaton into our daily routine, we started with some simple basic signs e.g.’ Hello’, ’Goodbye‘, and everyone’s favourite, ‘Snack!’ All of the children did amazingly well, and it has been great to hear that your children have been doing Makaton at home. The children are learning more and more signs, for example; ‘More’, ‘Butterfly’, ‘Flower’ and even ’Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’. Having the ability to use Makaton signs as well as to communicate verbally has given some children the feeling of accomplishment and something they most definitely should be proud of. It's been a wonderful month and June is looking just as fun, we will be celebrating Father’s Day, Beach Party Week and Eid Al Adha. We will also be introducing more signs to the children and their families with our ‘Makaton Sign of the Week’ and exploring more of our local community.

DUCKLINGS ROOM

June Newsletter Goslings Room News

The Goslings have had a very busy few weeks recently. We started with enjoying a few days of sunshine with plenty of ice and water play. The children even enjoyed having a picnic on the balcony which was lots of fun. In the Goslings Room, the children have shown lots of interest in jungle animals and sea animals. We have therefore had lots of fun tuff tray setups with sharks, whales and more. A few of the children even visited Tropical World to see the animals there. They loved seeing the fish and the cheeky meerkats! We also have been showing lots of interest in the Hungry Caterpillar book, so we have been baking all things inspired by the book such as healthy banana muffins and fruit salads. The Goslings have been super at listening to instructions and waiting for their turn. With it being World Bee Day and National Children’s Gardening Week, the children have been busy in the nursery and at home going to the local park and making bug hotels for shelter which are fantastic. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking forward to more trips such as going to the supermarket and library. We will also be working on our fine motor skills, by encouraging the children to use their cutlery independently during lunch and teatime, as our Goslings always show an interest in doing things all by themselves!

GOSLINGS ROOM

June Newsletter Cygnets Room News

In the Cygnets Room, we have been exploring Vietnam as part of our Country of the Month celebrations. The children have been learning all about the culture by learning some new words during carpet time and creating their Vietnamese baskets and hats. During these activities, we created traditional patterns and the children practised their weaving skills. To enhance our recall skills the children have been playing snap and matching games over in the finger gym, this has supported their memory as well as their thinking skills! We have witnessed some lovely turn-taking during these games too. We investigated space and attempted to create our own Aurora plates using watermark colours, as some of the children were lucky enough to see the northern lights in the sky and were excited to come to the nursery and share this with their peers. As it has also been National Children’s Gardening Week, we have continued our planting and potting around. The children have already used all the relevant gardening materials and resources to plant wildflower seeds into their pots which they then took home and are going to take care of and track the progress of in their booklets. We can’t wait to hear all about how they grow. We will be participating in more outdoor activities & focusing on healthy eating, linking to Healthy Eating Week. The children will be introduced to the eat well plate and we will have regular discussions and creative activities based on this. The children will also be provided with opportunities to handle food themselves and make healthy treats.

CYGNETS ROOM

Swans Room News June Newsletter

Throughout May the Swans have loved connecting with our community by going on trips and visits to the charity shop, bakery and local coffee shops. A group of children went on the bus to travel to Little Leeds, a local coffee shop which also offers a space for the children to play. The Swans children had so much fun playing before enjoying a babycino. We can’t wait for another visit soon! We have also been focusing on one of our core nursery books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The children have had lots of opportunities to explore the book in all areas of the room. In the creative area, we made some beautiful pictures of butterflies using oil pastels and flower petals. In the Finger Gym Area, the children used their fine motor skills to mould playdough into balls to create their caterpillars. Recently lots of the Swans have been on some lovely holidays to different countries around the world and have loved sharing these experiences with their friends. To follow on from, this we decided to have our own day filled with exciting activities where the children got to relive these memories. The children created their own boarding passes, made playdough ice creams and had fun in the sand. We can’t wait for another fun-filled month in June. We are especially looking forward to our trip to Stockeld Park!

SWANS ROOM

June Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Tuesday 4 th June Team Training Day, Nursery CLOSED W/C Monday 10 th June

Father’s Day Breakfast Monday 17 th June Chicklets, Goslings and Swans Parents Evening W/C Monday 24 th June Beach Party Week Wednesday 26 th June Duckling and Cygnets Parents Evening Thursday 18 th July Swans Graduation Ceremony

June Newsletter

*ATTENTION* Important Information - Please Read

Car Park Please can we kindly ask that parents ensure they are only parking in a single car parking bay. As you are aware, we have very limited space, and it is very busy a peak times. Thank you for your support. HMRC Additional Funding Code (3- & 4-year-olds - 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. 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 co operation. 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. Drop Off and Collection Can we kindly remind you that we open at 7.30 am and close at 6.00 pm and any parents who pick up after this time will be charged.

CONTACT US 0333 043 22 22

www.22streetlanenursery.co.uk info@22streetlanenursery.co.uk