22 Street Lane Nursery - May 2020

Newsletter May

Play • Discovery • Growth

May Newsletter

Dear Parents and Carers, Welcome to our May Newsletter!

We hope you are all well and staying safe during these uncertain times. We are missing the children very much, so thank you to everyone who has shown us what you’ve been getting up to at home. All the staff here have enjoyed seeing your posts on Tapestry! We hope that you can continue to post all your lovely updates whilst your child is away from the nursery.

May Newsletter STAFF NEWS

Current Staffing Situation Due to extremely low numbers, we are currently working on ‘skeleton’ staff in the nursery This means that there may not always be a staff member in from your child’s room, however it will be the same staff working on a rota basis which will be:

Chicklets Room / Assistant Deputy Manager Goslings Room Cygnets Room Cygnets Room Kitchen Finance Administrator

Sophie Connolly Holly Griffin Hayley Fryer Charlotte Baker

Chris Milner Kate Smith

The decision has been based on the best interests of our staff, for example, their health or those that they live with, and whether they travel by public transport. Please be assured that all other staff have been furloughed to secure their jobs. As you are aware, we are open for ‘Key Worker’ children, however, if you are at home and able to look after your child, we strongly advise that you keep your child at home. If you are classed as a ‘Key Worker’ and need to book your child in, please email sophie@22streetlanenursery.co.uk

Entry to the building Please note that if your child is still attending the nursery, we are asking you to use the side gate only from now on and where possible, drop your child(ren) off outside the room keeping 2 metres distance from our staff. Please can we ask all parents not to enter through the main door. Thank you.

Team Training Day Cancellation - June 3rd Please be aware that we previously scheduled a Team Training Day on Wednesday 3 rd June, which meant that the nursery would be closed on that day. Due to the uncertainty of when we will fully re-open, we have decided to cancel this training day and open the nursery as normal.

May Newsletter NEWS

Pictures for Sabourn Court and Pinderfields We have built a strong link with Sabourn Court Nursing Home, where the Cygnets and Swans usually visit once a week. We have also previously invited the residents to nursery before which the children and residents really enjoyed.

During these uncertain times we decided to spread some cheer to the residents by sending some pictures which the children had painted. The children really enjoyed painting with bright colours and making rainbows and flowers for the residents. We have also been painting pictures for Pinderfields Hospital, who will be decorating their wards with pictures of love hearts and rainbows from children who are at home during the lockdown.

Story Sessions We have introduced “Story of the Day” at the nursery, where one of our staff members reads a story and posts this on Tapestry for the children to listen to at home. We have been making our way through your requests and have currently read the ever-popular books “The Gruffalo”, “The Tiger Who Came to Tea” and “A Squash and A Squeeze”. If you have any requests for any stories your child would like to hear, please feel free to post them on Tapestry!

Sun Cream and Hats With the warmer months ahead, for those children who are still attending, please can you ensure you pack appropriate clothing for the warm weather and include sun hats and sun cream. We would recommend that you provide a sun cream which is ‘Factor 50’ and at least a 4-Star UVA Rating.

Squirrel Bench We have a new squirrel bench that has recently been added to the garden. The children are all excited to see if any squirrels visit the garden for a snack.

May Newsletter NEWS Our Summer 2020 Menu

With Summer approaching, we would like to introduce our new seasonal menu. We have had quite a few requests on Tapestry regarding ideas for meals at home. We hope that providing you with the menu in

advance can give you inspiration for some new dishes to make at home! You can see our new menu by clicking the image below or visiting: www.22streetlanenursery.co.uk/healthy-eating/summer-menu

Our Summer 2020 Menu

What we have been up to at the Nursery!

The children have had a very busy April, but we’re all missing the rest of our friends from nursery. Earlier in the month, we had a special visit from the Easter Bunny, who came to say hello to all the children and helped them on their Easter Egg Hunt in the garden. We also made our own Easter Bunnies using toilet roll tubes which we painted different colours and stuck on eyes and ears made of different materials. The children have enjoyed painting with different spices, smelling them first and describing the different aromas. We then mixed them with water and let the children create beautiful pictures with paintbrushes.

We have also been exploring frozen flower ice play. The children used different objects such as sticks to try and break the ice to get the flowers out. The older children spoke about the different types of flowers in the ice whilst the younger children enjoyed filling the broken pieces of ice into plant pots. The children have also been doing lots of painting and creating pictures of rainbows and flowers, which we have hung outside in the garden. We have also created our own rainbow which has been put in the nursery window for people to admire at as they walk by! The children have been busy in the garden collecting different objects such as leaves, flowers and sticks. We then added these objects to cling film and wrapped them up to create a sun catcher which we added to our garden.

May Newsletter

Dish of the Month

Blueberry Muffins See our past selections on: 22streetlanenursery.co.uk/dish-of-the-month/

Ingredients

• 100g unsalted butter softened, plus 1 tbsp, melted, for greasing • 140g golden caster sugar • 2 large eggs • 140g natural yogurt • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 tbsp milk • 250g plain flour • 2 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda • 125g pack blueberries (or use frozen)

Method 1. Heat oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Beat the butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat in for 1 minute, then mix in the yogurt, vanilla extract and milk. 2. Combine the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl with 1/4 tsp fine salt, then tip this into the wet ingredients and stir in. Finally, fold in the blueberries and divide the mixture between the muffin cases. 3. Bake for 5 mins, then reduce oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and bake for 15-18 mins more until risen and golden. Insert a cocktail stick into the center to make sure they come out clean. 4. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then carefully lift out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. These muffins will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container - after a day or two, pop them in the microwave for 10-15 secs on high to freshen up.

May Newsletter Chicklets Home Learning Ideas

Here are some home learning ideas you can do at home: • Make an edible farmyard - You can use any dry food you have at home in your cupboards, such as oats and cereal. Add this to a container and fill with any farmyard animal toys you have. Whilst your child explores the farmyard, you can sing ‘Old MacDonald Had a Farm’ and encourage them to copy the animal sounds. • Make a fabric treasure basket - You can use any items you have at home such as scarves and add them to a basket. • Shredded Paper Play - If you have any paper at home such as old newspapers or left-over wrapping paper. Tear this into pieces and place it into a container for your child to explore. To challenge your child further, you can hide items within the paper for them to find. • Water Play - Fill a container with water and add some bubbles. Allow your child to have fun splashing in the water. You can even add bowls or pots which allows your child to fill and empty. • Make your own Paint - Mix food colouring, flour, and water together until it forms a paste. Add a paintbrush and allow your child to paint on a piece of paper. • Making Marks - If you have any flour at home, you can add this to a surface or a tray. Collect some sticks from the garden and allow your child to make different marks in the flour. • Story Time - Read stories together and try find props at home that can be included in the story. • Music Time - The children love music sessions at nursery. You can hold your own music session and sing your children’s favourite songs and encourage them to copy the actions.

CHICKLETS ROOM

May Newsletter Ducklings Home Learning Ideas

Here are some home learning ideas you can do at home: • Table Den - Use different materials to make an under-the-table den. Fill this with cushions, blankets, toys, and books to make it cosy. • Painting with Mud - Add water to mud and make your own pictures using sticks and leaves. • Can you make a musical instrument? Find an empty container and fill this with any dry food you have, such as rice or pasta. You can then decorate the instrument with any materials you have such as paper and paints. • Looking after babies - The children enjoy looking after the dolls at nursery and enjoy being able to bath the babies, feed and dress them. • Water Play - Add water and bubbles to a container and allow your child to explore. You can even add items such as pots, pans, or sieves for your child to fill and empty. If you have any toy animals at home, you can add these to the water play so the children can wash them. • Story Time - Read stories together and try to find props at home that can be included in the story. • Spice Painting - Can you find any spices that are not been used at home. Mix the spices with water until it forms a paste. Dip paintbrushes or sticks into the mixture and make marks on a piece of paper. • Music Time - The children love music sessions at nursery. You can hold your own music session and sing your children’s favourite songs and encourage them to copy the actions.

DUCKLINGS ROOM

May Newsletter Goslings Home Learning Ideas

Here are some home learning ideas you can do at home: • Can you make a musical instrument? Find an empty container and fill this with any dry food you have, such as rice or pasta. You can then decorate the instrument with any materials you have such as paper and paints. • Table Den - Use different materials to make an under-the-table den. Fill this with cushions, blankets, toys, and books to make it cosy. • Create your own jungle - You can do this by collecting natural resources from your garden, such as sticks and leaves. Whilst making the jungle, you can play ‘Walking through the Jungle’ and make the noises of the different animals. • Make your own music - Find any items at home such as pots and pans. Use a wooden spoon to bang on the items to make different noises. • Playing Shops - A common interest in the Goslings Room is playing shops. Provide your child with a little bag and allow them to fill the bag with items at home, such as toys. • Looking after babies - The children enjoy looking after the dolls at nursery and enjoy being able to bath the babies, feed and dress them. • Story Time - Read stories together and try to find props at home that can be included in the story.

GOSLINGS ROOM

May Newsletter Cygnets Home Learning Ideas

Here are some home learning ideas you can do at home: • Create a Sensory Soup - Add oranges, limes and lemons to a large container and mix it with water and any leaves you can find to create a sensory soup. Count how many items you have put in the container. • Spring Flower Playdough - Create playdough by mixing flour, water, and oil until it forms a dough. Add any flowers you have found in the garden and allow the children to explore by making different shapes. • Ice Paints - Make paint, pour this into ice moulds and freeze. Use ice pop sticks to paint lovely pictures in the garden. • Paint Pebbles - Can you find any pebbles in the garden or on your walk? Collect these and paint them with different designs and let them dry. • Spice Painting - Can you find any spices that are not been used at home? Mix the spices with water until it forms a paste. Dip paintbrushes or sticks into the mixture and make marks on a piece of paper. To expand this further, you can discuss what the spices smell of, and what it looks like. • Can you make a musical instrument? Find an empty container and fill this with any dry food you have, such as rice or pasta. You can then decorate the instrument with any materials you have such as paper and paints. • Natural Ice Block - Can you find different natural resources from the garden or whilst on a walk? Collect these and then add them to an ice cube tray and freeze them. You can extend this activity by using different tools to try and break the ice.

CYGNETS ROOM

May Newsletter Swans Home Learning Ideas

Here are some home learning ideas you can do at home: • Create a Nature Mobile - Collects sticks and use twine or wool to wrap around the sticks and create a triangle shape. Thread more sticks or flowers through the nature mobile and hang it in the garden. • Natural Portraits - You can design your own self-portrait using natural resources or loose parts. You can use any items you have found in the garden or even anything you may have at home. • Dance Time - Can you make up a dance routine with 6 different dances moves? • Minibeast Hunt - Go into your garden or whilst on your walk, can you spot any minibeasts. You can even design your own home for the insects. • Natural Ice Block - Can you find different natural resources from the garden or whilst on a walk? Collect these and then add them to an ice cube tray and freeze them. You can extend this activity by using different tools to try to break the ice. • Grass Heads - Can you grow your own grass head by sprinkling grass seeds into a cup of soil? Decorate the cup as a face. When the grass begins to grow, cut the hair. • Vegetable Printing - Use any leftover vegetables at home and make some paint (choose which colours you would like) and ask an adult to cut the vegetable in half. Dip the vegetable in the paint and make different shapes on a piece of paper. • Can you find any objects beginning with the letter “S” at home? • Spice Painting - Can you find any spices that are not been used at home? Mix the spices with water until it forms a paste. Dip paintbrushes or sticks into the mixture and make marks on a piece of paper. To expand this further, you can discuss what the spices smell of, and what it looks like.

SWANS ROOM

May Newsletter

*ATTENTION* Important Information - Please Read

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. 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. Upcoming Events

Friday 8th May May Bank Holiday, Nursery CLOSED W/C Monday 18th May Eid Celebrations Monday 25th May Spring Bank Holiday, Nursery CLOSED

CONTACT US 0333 043 22 22

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