Newsletter - 1st half Summer Term 2022
Newsletter – 1st half Summer Term 2022
Dear Parents,
We hope you all had a lovely Easter break. We hope that the weather will continue to improve, and with that in mind, please could we request that all children have a named sunhat that can be kept at pre-school, and that sun cream is applied before arriving at pre-school in the morning. We are happy to top-up with sun cream after lunch for the children that stay all day. We would like to offer a very warm welcome to Josie, Noah, Darcie and Rupert who have joined us this term.
This term, we will be learning about the lifecycle of the caterpillar – we have our own caterpillars at pre-school, and we will be watching their progress as well as using the story of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ to help us learn. We will also be thinking about health and fitness, and the children will be practising races for Sports Day to tie in with this theme.
We are pleased to be returning to the primary school for library visits this term, and will be going over for story time every Wednesday morning. We hope these visits will help the children who will be transitioning to school in September to feel more comfortable when they get there, and get them used to their new surroundings.
We have lots of exciting events to look forward to this term. Firstly, we are proposing a ‘Sponsored Jubilee Bike-a-Thon’, in order to raise funds for pre-school resources. This will take place over three days, Tuesday 24th – Thursday 26th May, so that every child will have a chance to have a go during their normal pre-school sessions. We will give out Jubilee Crowns for the children to decorate at home, which they will get to wear during the Bike-a-Thon, and we will give prizes for the best decorated! A sponsor form will be given out soon so that you can start to collect whenever you can, and we look forward to seeing their creations!
On 15th June, we have booked a photographer to come into pre-school to take photos of the children, which you can then purchase if you wish. In addition, if you have siblings that you would like to be included in any photos, please let us know and we can arrange times for you to bring them along too. As well as individual photos, the photographer will also be taking a group photo of all the children who will be graduating to primary school at the end of this term.
Our Sports Day this year will be held on Thursday 16th June at 2pm on the field. This will be open to all children and their families, regardless of whether or not they would normally be at pre-school at this time. We ask that all parents come to the pre-school door and sign their child out before starting at 2pm. This is because the staff will be organising the races, so you will need to take responsibility for your child during the event. This has always been a very popular event, and a good opportunity for everyone to get together and cheer the children on, so we really hope everyone can make it!
We are planning to hold meetings with parents on the evening of Thursday 23rd June from 6-8:30pm. This is something that we have previously done during the pre-school day, but because we have a record number of children attending this term, this will not be possible. This is an opportunity for you to have a catch-up with your child’s keyperson, look through their Learning Journals, and discuss any concerns you may have. We hope you will all be able to attend, and we will be putting a schedule of appointments together soon.
Our end of term trip has been booked at Frankie’s Fun Factory on the morning of Monday 18th July, and everyone is invited! Each child will need to be accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult, and we will meet you at the venue. Unfortunately, staff are unable to transport children to the trip for insurance reasons, so you will need to arrange your own transport. Please note that pre-school will be closed on this day. We will put out further details, including times, nearer the date.
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:
Snack time – please ensure your child brings a healthy snack for any morning sessions they attend. This can 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 any 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.
Nut-free pre-school – please be reminded that we are a ‘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.
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!
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.
Uniform – this is optional, but if you wish to purchase uniform for your child, it is kept in stock at pre-school – please just ask! We have t-shirts for £6, sweatshirts for £12 and hoodies for £13 in a range of sizes.
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 30th May – Friday 3rd June 2022
Summer Term Events:
Sponsored Jubilee Bike-a-Thon: Tuesday 24th – Thursday 26th May
Pre-school photographer attending: Wednesday 15th June
Sports Day: Thursday 16th June, 2pm
Parents meetings with keyperson: Thursday 23rd June 6-8:30pm
End of Term Trip to Frankie’s Fun Factory and last day of pre-school for children: Monday 18th July
Graduation Ceremony for pre-school leavers:
Wednesday 20th July – Children to be at pre-school from 9:00-10:30, parents to return for the ceremony from 10:30-11:00. Further details nearer the time.
Inset Days:
Tuesday 19th July – pre-school closed
Wednesday 20th July – Open for Graduation ceremony for leavers only
Thursday 21st July – pre-school closed
First Day of School Summer Holiday:
Friday 22nd July – pre-school closed
Covid-19 – Keeping Safe
Respiratory infections including coronavirus (COVID-19)
Children and young people should not attend if they have a high temperature and are unwell.
Children and young people who have a positive test result for COVID-19 should not attend the setting for 3 days after the day of the test.
Children with mild symptoms such as runny nose, and headache who are otherwise well can continue to attend their setting.
This is in line with information on the GOV.UK website which can be found using the link below:
Exclusion table - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
This exclusion table also details all other infectious diseases that require exclusion from pre-school, so please take a look if you are unsure of when you can bring your child to pre-school and when to keep them at home.