Newsletter – 1st half Summer Term 2024

 Newsletter –1st half Summer Term 2024 

Dear Parents, 

Welcome back for the summer term, we hope you all had a lovely Easter break. We would like to offer a very warm welcome to Isabella and Benjamin who will be joining us this term. 

We’re hoping that the weather will begin to improve, so please could we request that all children have a named sunhat that can be kept at pre-school, and that suncream is applied before arriving at pre-school in the morning on warmer days. We are happy to top-up with our own suncream after lunch for the children that stay all day, and we will be putting out a permission form for you to sign if you are happy for us to do this. Alternatively, if you have any specific requirements regarding suncream, you are welcome to supply your own labelled bottle for us to use for your child. 

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 visiting the primary school for stories in the library every Wednesday this term, starting from Wednesday 8th May, and these visits should 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.  

On 27th 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 your child does not normally attend pre-school on a Thursday and you would like them to have their photo taken, or 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 20th 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. 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 our next meetings with parents on the evening of Thursday 27thJune from 5:30-7:30pm. 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 nearer the time. 

Our proposed end of term trip will be at Frankie’s Fun Factory on Thursday 18th July, and this will be confirmed with further details nearer the time. 

Some general reminders: 

Reporting absence - 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 Whatsappgroup, 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. 

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. 

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 free-flow 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 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 break: 

Monday 27th May 2024 – Friday 31st May 2024 

Summer Term Events: 

Sports Day: Thursday 20thJune, 2pm (all parents must collect your child from pre-school just before 2 and sign them out) 

Parents meetings with keyperson: Thursday 27thJune 5:00-7:30pm 

Proposed End of Term Trip and last day of pre-school for children: Thursday 18thJuly (TBC, pre-school will be closed on this day) 

Graduation Ceremony for pre-school leavers: 

Friday 19th July, 9:00-10:30 children’s party, parents return for graduation ceremony 10:30-11:00. 

This will be an inset day, pre-school will only be open for the children who are graduating. 

Inset Days: 

Monday 22nd and Tuesday 23rd July 2024 – pre-school closed. 

Return for Autumn term: 

Monday 2ndSeptember 2024