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Christmas Cheer
Parent update of the EYFS September 2021
Dear Parents, you may or may not be aware that the Early years foundation stage has been updated and new guidelines came into place on the 1st September 2021. With regards to our setting and how we deliver our curriculum and learning environment very little has changed. There is now a big emphasis on less paperwork, which is great as it allows all staff to spend more time playing with and teaching the children. Below I have enclosed our curriculum goals (These are changeable and will be tweaked to meet the needs and interests of our current cohort). Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to talk to myself, Charley or your child’s key worker. What Is the Early Years Foundation Stage? The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the stage of education for children from birth to the end of the reception year. It sets the standards for the learning, development and care of your child from birth to 5 years old and ensure that your child will learn and develop well and be kept healthy and safe. It is based on the recognition that children learn best through play and active learning and is the same curriculum as in reception classes in school. From September 2021 the EYFS has changed. What Will My Child Be Learning? The EYFS framework outlines seven areas of learning and development and educational programmes. There are three prime areas of learning, which are particularly important for your child’s development and future learning:
There are four specific areas of learning, through which the prime areas are strengthened and applied:
We will consider your child’s needs and interests to plan challenging and enjoyable activities and experiences. You can help us to do this by sharing your observations of your child’s interests at home. There are also three characteristics of effective teaching and learning: •Playing and exploring •Active learning •Creating and thinking critically These tell us about how each child learns not what they are learning Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, relate to others, set their own goals and solve problems. Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play which is guided by adults. The new curriculum gives us the opportunity to spend more time interacting and playing with your children. This means that we will not be completing as many written observations and putting them on Tapestry/in a Learning Journal/On Evidence Me (delete whichever applies to your setting). This does mean that we will know your children very well and be able to share observations verbally with you. It is important that we continue to listen you as parents regularly. What can you do to help your child?
There is a new focus on early language and extending vocabulary. You can help us do this by: •Having quality learning conversations and interactions with your child •Reading a range of stories, poems, rhymes and non-fiction texts •Teaching your child new words and vocabulary •Sharing what you are doing with your child at home Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to speak to your child’s key person. Thank you for your continued support. Heavitree Community Preschool Curriculum Goals Heavitree community Preschool encourages children to be inquisitive and curious learners, we provide children with an exciting and rich learning environment that encourages them to explore, expand their language and develop a positive sense of self. As a setting we have adopted the development matters 2021 as a programme to base our planning and learning. All children are supported to access a rich learning environment which fosters learning across the seven areas of learning and development within the EYFS. Alongside our continuous provision, adult led activities and, in the moment, planning we also work towards 4 curriculum goals based upon our cohorts needs and interests.
All our curriculum goals are reviewed continuously and will change based upon our cohorts needs, interest and ability. Our curriculum goals are set to stretch our children and whilst may seem ambitious, our early years practitioners will support the children to achieve the goals throughout our daily provision and planning. Our ethos of LEARNING THROUGH PLAY uses structured play activities to promote the development of fine and gross motor skills, the first step before children can use writing tools successfully. While playing and communicating, children are also socialising, learning about the world around them, appreciating and using number, shape and size and developing physical and creative skills. Most important, however, is that they never stop having fun and that they enjoy being children. The provision for children’s learning and development is guided by the Early Years Foundation Stage, and all children are helped to learn and develop skills in the three prime areas:-
And the four specific areas:-
08/03/2021
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3/11/2020
Newsletter
Newsletter
| Newsletter oct 2020 |
2/11/2020
Dear Parents,
We hope you had a lovely half term break and look forward to seeing you on Tuesday 3rd November.
I would like to update you all that Rachel will be leaving us on Friday the 13th November as she moves forward with her career to manage a large day nursery. I am sure you will all join me in wishing her the very best for the future but will agree that she will be a big loss and missed by us all at preschool. I am pleased to say that Charlotte a qualified teacher will be joining our team as playleader in early December.
With further restrictions in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic can I ask that you all continue to social distance when arriving and collecting your children. In order to support with social distancing we ask that you utilise the staggered drop off and collection between 9.15-9.30 and 2.45 and 3pm each day.
If your child or anyone in your household develops a temperature, persistent cough or looses their sense of taste or smell, you must remain at home until the end of the isolation period or the result of a negative NHS test result. We also ask that you notify us with any of the above symptoms and test results ASAP . Please ensure that all your emergency contact details are up to date in the event of an emergency closure.
Whilst we are not permitted to let parents into the setting I would just like to remind everyone that we are still available to talk to and still have an open door policy we just have to be more creative. Please please do contact us if you have any questions or information you would like to share with us.
Finally a reminder that our AGM will be held virtually this year on Thursday 12th November a zoom link will be sent out by text and email later this week.
Kindest Regards
Georgina Maddocks
Operations Manager
Heavitree Community Preschool
Dear Parents,
We hope you had a lovely half term break and look forward to seeing you on Tuesday 3rd November.
I would like to update you all that Rachel will be leaving us on Friday the 13th November as she moves forward with her career to manage a large day nursery. I am sure you will all join me in wishing her the very best for the future but will agree that she will be a big loss and missed by us all at preschool. I am pleased to say that Charlotte a qualified teacher will be joining our team as playleader in early December.
With further restrictions in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic can I ask that you all continue to social distance when arriving and collecting your children. In order to support with social distancing we ask that you utilise the staggered drop off and collection between 9.15-9.30 and 2.45 and 3pm each day.
If your child or anyone in your household develops a temperature, persistent cough or looses their sense of taste or smell, you must remain at home until the end of the isolation period or the result of a negative NHS test result. We also ask that you notify us with any of the above symptoms and test results ASAP . Please ensure that all your emergency contact details are up to date in the event of an emergency closure.
Whilst we are not permitted to let parents into the setting I would just like to remind everyone that we are still available to talk to and still have an open door policy we just have to be more creative. Please please do contact us if you have any questions or information you would like to share with us.
Finally a reminder that our AGM will be held virtually this year on Thursday 12th November a zoom link will be sent out by text and email later this week.
Kindest Regards
Georgina Maddocks
Operations Manager
Heavitree Community Preschool
20/10/20
Christmas cards
Please look out for Christmas card templates being sent home this week. To raise funds for preschool we have decided to do a design a Christmas card activity. If you wish to partake then please complete the template and return to preschool the first week back after half term.
The design can be made into cards, gift tags, tea towels, mugs or fabric shopping bags. Prices start at £ 2.25.
£1.30 from each pack of cards goes straight to preschool and £ 1.80 from a mug, tea towel or bag.
Of course it doesn’t have to be a Christmas design so let your imagination run free! Outside of preschool there will be a poster with some ideas of different design ideas. You should not use glitter, fluorescent colours, metallic paper or 3d objects on the drawing templates as they give varying results on the final cards. Your design needs to be completely within the black border.
As fundraising activities are obviously limited in the current climate, we hope that many of you will feel able to support the preschool with this project. If you have any questions please message me -Lizzie Johns on 07773 362121.
Please put completed templates into a clearly labelled folder outside of preschool. Spare templates will be kept in there too.
All designs must be returned by FRIDAY 6TH NOVEMBER at the very latest.
Many thanks,
Lizzie Johns
Chair person.
19/10/20 - AGM
Dear parents
It’s time for our annual AGM, this year we are going to have to hold our meeting virtually through a platform called zoom. Once you have downloaded the zoom app compatible with Apple Android and Windows it’s easy to join.
The AGM is a really important event for the preschool and it would be lovely to ‘see’ as many of you virtually as possible so please save the date Wednesday 11th November 7.30 pm. An email will be sent out with joining instructions by Monday 9th November.
Thanks
George
Georgina Maddocks
Operations Manager
Heavitree Community Preschool
16/10/20 Facebook update
In the last few weeks, we have been foraging for leaves and sycamore seeds in both gardens, we used them to look at colour as well as making them into leaf people, adding eyes and limbs. We used leaf bordered paper and glue to stick the items on. The children really enjoyed every part of this activity. We have also had the beams, bikes, stilts and see-saw outside in the garden.
We have been making up stories of our own as well as reading fairy tales and using the fuzzy felt to act the story out and make pictures of the scenes within the book. We read Goldilocks and the 3 bears and made up a story about a clown playing and dancing in the garden with a lady and balloons.
We have been talking about our family, looking at our family pictures and drawing our family within a house the children made using square and triangular pieces of paper. You could do this at home but make Pre-School, ask your children, “Who’s at Pre-school?” and draw them together; talking about hair colour, features and how tall the people are. If you have not already it would be lovely if you could bring in a family photo to go on our board, it is a lovely talking point in small groups, especially with the newer children.
We have been painting with stamps, using the vehicle stamps to make pictures, also using our hands, the children can not resist! We also used pinecones and conkers to make marks with the paint. We have been colouring scarecrow pictures, mark making on the white boards and using stencils too.
We have been practicing our cutting skills, cutting up cooked spaghetti with the scissors. The cooked spaghetti was a the hair of a person drawn on to a tough tray.
Someone kindly donated some kinetic sand, so we explored that for a day, the children used lids to make micro-sandcastles. They made structures too, we managed to get 2 to stand on top of each other. The children really enjoyed exploring how the sand stuck together. We also had arctic animals in shaving foam, the children adored finding the animals under the ‘snow’.
In line with our country of the month we have been looking at The monkey puzzle story, we have monkey masks in a tough tray and looked at a monkey festival in Thailand, where people bring fruit and vegetables for the monkeys.
We have been exploring playdough, making faces using googly eyes and making features on the face playdough mats.
Just to remind you that half-term is coming up, we break up on Friday 23rd and come back on Tuesday 3rd November 2020.
11/10/2020
Dear Parents,
We regularly add home learning and some activities you may enjoy doing with your child at home to the website. We hope you find them useful.
Many Thanks
George
5/10/2020
Christmas cards
Please look out for Christmas card templates being sent home this week. To raise funds for preschool we have decided to do a design a Christmas card activity. If you wish to partake then please complete the template and return to preschool the first week back after half term.
The design can be made into cards, gift tags, tea towels, mugs or fabric shopping bags. Prices start at £ 2.25.
£1.30 from each pack of cards goes straight to preschool and £ 1.80 from a mug, tea towel or bag.
Of course it doesn’t have to be a Christmas design so let your imagination run free! Outside of preschool there will be a poster with some ideas of different design ideas. You should not use glitter, fluorescent colours, metallic paper or 3d objects on the drawing templates as they give varying results on the final cards. Your design needs to be completely within the black border.
As fundraising activities are obviously limited in the current climate, we hope that many of you will feel able to support the preschool with this project. If you have any questions please message me -Lizzie Johns on 07773 362121.
Please put completed templates into a clearly labelled folder outside of preschool. Spare templates will be kept in there too.
All designs must be returned by FRIDAY 6TH NOVEMBER at the very latest.
Many thanks,
Lizzie Johns
Chair person.
19/10/20 - AGM
Dear parents
It’s time for our annual AGM, this year we are going to have to hold our meeting virtually through a platform called zoom. Once you have downloaded the zoom app compatible with Apple Android and Windows it’s easy to join.
The AGM is a really important event for the preschool and it would be lovely to ‘see’ as many of you virtually as possible so please save the date Wednesday 11th November 7.30 pm. An email will be sent out with joining instructions by Monday 9th November.
Thanks
George
Georgina Maddocks
Operations Manager
Heavitree Community Preschool
16/10/20 Facebook update
In the last few weeks, we have been foraging for leaves and sycamore seeds in both gardens, we used them to look at colour as well as making them into leaf people, adding eyes and limbs. We used leaf bordered paper and glue to stick the items on. The children really enjoyed every part of this activity. We have also had the beams, bikes, stilts and see-saw outside in the garden.
We have been making up stories of our own as well as reading fairy tales and using the fuzzy felt to act the story out and make pictures of the scenes within the book. We read Goldilocks and the 3 bears and made up a story about a clown playing and dancing in the garden with a lady and balloons.
We have been talking about our family, looking at our family pictures and drawing our family within a house the children made using square and triangular pieces of paper. You could do this at home but make Pre-School, ask your children, “Who’s at Pre-school?” and draw them together; talking about hair colour, features and how tall the people are. If you have not already it would be lovely if you could bring in a family photo to go on our board, it is a lovely talking point in small groups, especially with the newer children.
We have been painting with stamps, using the vehicle stamps to make pictures, also using our hands, the children can not resist! We also used pinecones and conkers to make marks with the paint. We have been colouring scarecrow pictures, mark making on the white boards and using stencils too.
We have been practicing our cutting skills, cutting up cooked spaghetti with the scissors. The cooked spaghetti was a the hair of a person drawn on to a tough tray.
Someone kindly donated some kinetic sand, so we explored that for a day, the children used lids to make micro-sandcastles. They made structures too, we managed to get 2 to stand on top of each other. The children really enjoyed exploring how the sand stuck together. We also had arctic animals in shaving foam, the children adored finding the animals under the ‘snow’.
In line with our country of the month we have been looking at The monkey puzzle story, we have monkey masks in a tough tray and looked at a monkey festival in Thailand, where people bring fruit and vegetables for the monkeys.
We have been exploring playdough, making faces using googly eyes and making features on the face playdough mats.
Just to remind you that half-term is coming up, we break up on Friday 23rd and come back on Tuesday 3rd November 2020.
11/10/2020
Dear Parents,
We regularly add home learning and some activities you may enjoy doing with your child at home to the website. We hope you find them useful.
Many Thanks
George
5/10/2020
18/9/2020 - Facebook post
warm welcome to the new parents, from all of us at Pre-School.
In the last 2 weeks we have been settling back into the new normal of Pre-School life. The older children have come into the setting wonderfully and the new children have been settling in well.
We have been exploring the garden, we have a new mud kitchen, which was kindly made by a member of staff and her husband. We have some new plants and a new height measure, so we can see how many leaves tall we are. Lots of the children have grown over the summer. We have had the pirates and pirate ship in bubbly water. We were also kindly given a little tikes petrol pump, so we had the bikes and cars in the garden.
We have made ‘I am special’ mirrors, we have been drawing and painting our faces – looking at our features in a mirror. We have made listening ears, so that we can do our good listening in the Pre-School.
We have been doing puzzles, playing with the train track and farmyard as well as sorting and counting penguins, counting from 1-10. We have also explored with the magnets, items that attract and repel. We have been designing pictures with the tap-a-shape activity. Using the hammer to secure the shapes with pins to the cork board. We have investigated the gloop, making it out of cornflower and water, maybe adding a colour too.
Don't forget to look at our website for information and home learning.
16/9/2020
Dear Parents
We hope the children are enjoying being back at preschool. We are still adjusting to our new ways of operating and are very aware of the importance of communication between staff and our families. We will ensure that the website stays up-to-date and contains copies of all the recently communicated information:- please visit the news and information tab. Throughout the pandemic we will continue to support families by sharing a mixture of stories and home learning ideas on the website:- visit the home learning tab.
As always if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me
George
Dear Parents
We hope the children are enjoying being back at preschool. We are still adjusting to our new ways of operating and are very aware of the importance of communication between staff and our families. We will ensure that the website stays up-to-date and contains copies of all the recently communicated information:- please visit the news and information tab. Throughout the pandemic we will continue to support families by sharing a mixture of stories and home learning ideas on the website:- visit the home learning tab.
As always if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me
George
15/9/2020
Dear Parents, it is lovely that we are still able to enjoy some sunny weather. In order to minimise contamination, we ask that all chikldren arrive at preschool wearing once a day sun-cream. Many Thanks for your cooperation.
14/9/2020
We have had a lovely first week welcoming back existing and meeting new families. Thank you everyone for working with us and adapting to the changes we have made during these continuing difficult times.
We want to reassure families that whilst we are having to operate differently at drop off and collection, all staff are still available to talk to.
If we can not come out and chat immediately we will arrange a mutually convenient time and method to ensure that we meet our high levels of communication.
Dear Parents, it is lovely that we are still able to enjoy some sunny weather. In order to minimise contamination, we ask that all chikldren arrive at preschool wearing once a day sun-cream. Many Thanks for your cooperation.
14/9/2020
We have had a lovely first week welcoming back existing and meeting new families. Thank you everyone for working with us and adapting to the changes we have made during these continuing difficult times.
We want to reassure families that whilst we are having to operate differently at drop off and collection, all staff are still available to talk to.
If we can not come out and chat immediately we will arrange a mutually convenient time and method to ensure that we meet our high levels of communication.
Letter dated 6/9/2020
Dear Parents
We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back, We will continue to take advice from the department of education but are hopeful that we will be able to function almost as normal. However there will be a number of changes to be aware of which will be reviewed regularly.
Our setting will close at 3pm due to the increased cleaning of equipment and resources. If your child is booked in until 3.30 they will able to resume this time as soon as is safe to do so.
We will not be operating a single setting policy, in order to try and accommodate our families needs and wishes. However where possible it is advised that you only send your child to one setting. If your child will be attending two settings including a childminder it is essential that you let me know the setting and what days they will be attending
Adults will not be allowed to enter the setting in order to protect staff and other children. Therefore children will need to be dropped off and collected at the entrance of the building. We understand that this may make drop off difficult for some children, but we do need to adhere to guidelines.
Only one adult is permitted to drop off or collect children
Whilst waiting to enter or collect your child please be aware of the current social distancing guidelines. Please leave the grounds as soon as you have dropped off your child in order to avoid congestion.
In order to minimise the amount of time you need to queue outside we have extended our drop off time between 9.15 and will lock the doors to begin a morning routine at 9.30 prompt. We politely ask that you work within these time scales to allow us to be able to focus upon your children.
We ask that you arrive at 12 and 1 promptly as normal.
At the end of the day you are welcome to collect your children anytime between 2.45 and 3 pm, please ring the bell on arrival.
Due to hygiene and cross contamination we ask that children bring both a morning and afternoon snack daily. Please send these in your child’s bag and not in their lunch box.
Please bring bags and coats as normal.
Children will not be allowed to bring toys from home into the setting, in order to minimise cross contamination.
During the day we will encourage the children to follow good hygiene and hand washing.
It has been recommended that children’s clothes are washed daily after attending the setting in order to minimise contamination.
These are unprecedented times and the guidelines are continuously changing. This is all new to us so please be aware that there may be further changes in order to keep both families and staff safe.
In order to protect everyone if your child is unwell please keep them at home. If your child or anyone in your household has a continuous cough, temperature, loss taste and smell you will need to isolate at home for 14 days in line with government guidelines.
Should any child or member of staff test positive we will contact trace and it is possible that the setting may close.
Please also be aware should staffing levels become compromised, this may also result in a short-term closure.
We thank you for your co-operation during these times and very much look forward to welcoming you back to the setting. Should you have any questions and concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.
Term Dates 2020/2021
Autumn 2020
First Day Tuesday 8th September
Half term 26th – 2nd November
First Day Tuesday 3rd November
Last Day Thursday 17th December at 12pm
Spring Term 2021
First Day Wednesday 6th January
Half Term 15th – 19th February
First Day Monday 22nd February
Last Day Thursday 1st April
Summer Term 2021
First Day Tuesday 20th April
Bank Holiday Monday 3rd May
Last Day Friday 28th May
Half Term 31st May – 7th June
First Day Tuesday 8th June
End Term Friday 16th July 12pm
*We try not to make changes to our term dates, but please be aware they are subject to change.
Dear Parents
We are looking forward to welcoming everyone back, We will continue to take advice from the department of education but are hopeful that we will be able to function almost as normal. However there will be a number of changes to be aware of which will be reviewed regularly.
Our setting will close at 3pm due to the increased cleaning of equipment and resources. If your child is booked in until 3.30 they will able to resume this time as soon as is safe to do so.
We will not be operating a single setting policy, in order to try and accommodate our families needs and wishes. However where possible it is advised that you only send your child to one setting. If your child will be attending two settings including a childminder it is essential that you let me know the setting and what days they will be attending
Adults will not be allowed to enter the setting in order to protect staff and other children. Therefore children will need to be dropped off and collected at the entrance of the building. We understand that this may make drop off difficult for some children, but we do need to adhere to guidelines.
Only one adult is permitted to drop off or collect children
Whilst waiting to enter or collect your child please be aware of the current social distancing guidelines. Please leave the grounds as soon as you have dropped off your child in order to avoid congestion.
In order to minimise the amount of time you need to queue outside we have extended our drop off time between 9.15 and will lock the doors to begin a morning routine at 9.30 prompt. We politely ask that you work within these time scales to allow us to be able to focus upon your children.
We ask that you arrive at 12 and 1 promptly as normal.
At the end of the day you are welcome to collect your children anytime between 2.45 and 3 pm, please ring the bell on arrival.
Due to hygiene and cross contamination we ask that children bring both a morning and afternoon snack daily. Please send these in your child’s bag and not in their lunch box.
Please bring bags and coats as normal.
Children will not be allowed to bring toys from home into the setting, in order to minimise cross contamination.
During the day we will encourage the children to follow good hygiene and hand washing.
It has been recommended that children’s clothes are washed daily after attending the setting in order to minimise contamination.
These are unprecedented times and the guidelines are continuously changing. This is all new to us so please be aware that there may be further changes in order to keep both families and staff safe.
In order to protect everyone if your child is unwell please keep them at home. If your child or anyone in your household has a continuous cough, temperature, loss taste and smell you will need to isolate at home for 14 days in line with government guidelines.
Should any child or member of staff test positive we will contact trace and it is possible that the setting may close.
Please also be aware should staffing levels become compromised, this may also result in a short-term closure.
We thank you for your co-operation during these times and very much look forward to welcoming you back to the setting. Should you have any questions and concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.
Term Dates 2020/2021
Autumn 2020
First Day Tuesday 8th September
Half term 26th – 2nd November
First Day Tuesday 3rd November
Last Day Thursday 17th December at 12pm
Spring Term 2021
First Day Wednesday 6th January
Half Term 15th – 19th February
First Day Monday 22nd February
Last Day Thursday 1st April
Summer Term 2021
First Day Tuesday 20th April
Bank Holiday Monday 3rd May
Last Day Friday 28th May
Half Term 31st May – 7th June
First Day Tuesday 8th June
End Term Friday 16th July 12pm
*We try not to make changes to our term dates, but please be aware they are subject to change.
