A note from the staff           January 2008

Welcome back! - hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year break.

A big thank you to the parents who kindly offered their services as ‘People Who Help us’. The children and staff enjoyed the talks and demonstrations and this formed an important part of our theme last term.

Also thank you to Heather from ‘Mini Stages’ who volunteered her services at both the Christmas Parties, entertaining us all with singing and music which had us all joining in!   ‘Ministages music for babies and toddlers' are at St Johns Church on Thursday mornings and Friday afternoons. For further information call Heather on: 01943 817414.

Our theme this half term is Jasper’s Beanstalk, we plan to teach the children about growing things and caring for them. We hope to ‘grow’ some beans and other small plants so donations of small clean plastic plant pots and seed trays gratefully received!

Letters of the week begin with ‘g’ this week and continue with ‘o,u,l, and f’.

Please may we remind parents/carers to arrive promptly to pick up their children at the end of the session. Some children can become upset if they are the only one’s left and their friends have gone home, also staff can then be delayed in setting-up for the next session, or for the arrival of the PlayStation staff in the afternoons.

A reminder - if someone, other than the person who usually collects them, is collecting your child on a particular day, and their name is not on the ‘Child Collection Form’ which we hold, then you must record this in the diary. If you are going to be delayed and have made other collection arrangements then please telephone and inform a member of staff. We are unable to allow your child to leave the premises without this information. you must record this in the diary. Please also don’t forget to update us if you move house or change mobile etc….

As usual at the beginning of a new term, forms have to be completed to claim the Nursery Education Fund. If your child was three years old before 31st December 2007, then he/she is eligible for the fund and parents must sign the form to claim.

We would like to remind all duty person’s to please ‘sign in & out’ in the diary and to add details of any siblings present. This is to ensure compliance with fire/evacuation procedures.

Your children’s records of achievement are here to be looked at, please make a comment or sign & date the sheet in the back of the scrapbook, this provides Ofsted with evidence that the records are shared with and are accessible to parents. 

If you have any concerns, worries, comments about your child at playgroup then please speak to their key worker or any member of staff – we usually have time for a quick word and are happy to arrange a convenient time for more detailed discussion where needed.

Children’s sweatshirts embroidered with the Playgroup logo (Camilla caterpillar) are now on sale, the price will be £8.50. If you would like one (or two!) – see staff for details of sizes and colours.

We are replacing the plastic ’kitchen’ unit in our home-corner with some new wooden furniture - would anyone like it? Please speak to a member of staff.

Playgroup are now looking to replace our old telephone. We would ideally like a cordless phone - this would be much more useful than our current phone as during quiet circle times, talking to callers can interrupt the group or during noisy dance/movement routines, it can be hard to hear the caller! Please see staff if you have a spare one that could be of use.

Sandra, Tricia, Peggy, Lana, Tracey, Imy, Alison & Chris