Newsletter – 1st half Autumn Term 2023
Newsletter – 1st half Autumn Term 2023
Dear Parents,
Welcome back for the Autumn term, we hope you all had a lovely summer. We would like to offer a very warm welcome to Olivia, Matéo, Ottilie and Cody-James who have joined us this term.
To start us off this term, we are exploring the theme of ‘All About Me’, which involves getting everyone settled back in and learning about what makes us all unique. We will also be talking about family and friendship, promoting positive relationships with peers and teamwork. For October we will be learning about Autumn, and looking forward to celebrating Halloween!
We are planning to hold a Halloween party for the children on Tuesday 31st October, from 9-11:30am. This will be open to all pre-school children, regardless of whether or not they would usually attend on a Tuesday morning. Children will be welcome to wear fancy dress, and we will supply some spooky party games and snacks! We will be speaking to those who would not normally attend, so that we can plan for numbers.
Christmas is coming! We are pleased to let you know that pre-school will be having a visit from Santa this year on Saturday 25th November as part of the Christmas Fair at the Village Hall. The pre-school office will be transformed into Santa’s grotto, complete with elves, for one afternoon only! Entrance will be £5 per child, which includes a gift and photo opportunity with Santa – we hope to see lots of you there!
Uniform – t-shirts and hoodies are available to purchase at pre-school should you wish to do so. T-shirts are £6 and hoodies £13 each. Please ask if you would like to purchase these, or if you would like to try one for size, and we will be happy to help.
Please could we request that if you need to contact us regarding your child’s session times, to report an absence or with any other queries specific to your child, please use the work phone number (07530 893773) or e-mail address (manager@thesombornespreschool.co.uk). Please do not use the parents Whatsapp group, or contact members of staff directly for this purpose. This will ensure that information is recorded and shared appropriately in order to safeguard your children – many thanks for your support with this.
Some general reminders:
Pre-school Committee – please be reminded that we are a committee-led pre-school, and are always keen to welcome new members. We rely on the involvement of parent volunteers to support us with fundraising activities, and to fill the key roles of Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. If you would like to find out more about how you could help, please speak to us for more information. Our next meeting will be held at pre-school on Weds 20th September at 8pm if you would like to come along, just let us know!
Snack time – please ensure your child brings a healthy snack for any morning sessions they attend. This should consist of a portion of fruit or veg, either fresh or dried fruit and can be accompanied by plain crackers or breadsticks if you feel they need anything extra, but please do not supply sweet or chocolate biscuits. Their snack should be labelled with their name, and will be placed in their trays for them to access at snack time. The children will be offered a choice of milk or water to drink. If you have any special dietary requirements or requests, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Spare clothing – each child should have a clearly labelled bag which can be left at pre-school, containing spare clothes should they need them. We often have messy activities on offer, so spare clothing is essential! Please could we also request that your child brings appropriate clothing for the weather, as the children have freeflow access to our outside area.
Lunchboxes – if your child is staying for lunch, please provide a packed lunch containing at least one portion of fruit or veg. We will encourage children to eat healthier items first, and are then happy for them to have crisps, chocolate biscuits or a small cake. You are welcome to provide a drink of juice for your child to have with their lunch if you wish, but we will always provide water for any children without one. Please do not include sweets or fizzy drinks in lunchboxes, as these will be sent home.
Nut-free pre-school – please be reminded that we are a strictly ‘nut-free’ pre-school, so please do not provide any snack or lunch items containing nuts. Please check ingredients if unsure. This is to keep any children with allergies safe whilst in our care at pre-school - thank you for your support with this.
Please make a note of the 'dates for your diary' below,
Best wishes,
Becky, Katie, Kelly and Siobhán.
Dates for your diary:
Half-term:
Monday 23rd October – Friday 27th October 2023
Autumn Term Events:
Halloween Party: Tuesday 31st October, 09:00-11:30 at pre-school
Santa’s Grotto: Saturday 25th November, 2-4pm at pre-school
Parents meetings with keyperson: Thursday 7th December 6-7:30pm
Christmas Show and last day of term: Friday 15th December
Christmas holiday:
Monday 18th December 2023 – Monday 1st January 2024
Inset Days:
Tuesday 2nd January 2024 – pre-school closed (Inset Day)
Return for Spring term:
Wednesday 3rd January 2024