Newsletter - January 2019

Welcome back we hope that everyone had a lovely Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Important Dates for your Diary
w/c 11th February - Cake Sale Week
Friday 15th February - End of Term
Monday 25th February - Start of Term
Friday 22nd March - Risley Fashion House Show
Tuesday 26th and Thursday 28th March - Parent Evenings
Friday 5th April - Spring Fair
Friday 12th April - End of Term

Session Fees
Invoices for fees have been issued; all invoices are issued for the term up to the 15th February and should be paid in full by Wednesday 23rd January 2019. Late payment of fees will automatically incur a penalty fee and continuous failure to pay fees could result in the removal of your child’s place from pre-school. Please speak to Jayne regarding any payment issues so that this can be avoided – many thanks.

Primary School Applications
If your child was born between 1st September 2014 and 31st August 2015 they will be due to start Primary School in the academic year September 2019 – August 2020. Applications for your child's place at Primary School need to be made through Derbyshire County Council (for those living in Derbyshire) and Nottinghamshire County Council (for those living in Nottinghamshire) by midnight on 14th January 2019. If anyone has any questions please speak to Jayne.

Christmas Fair Success
A big, big thank you to everyone who helped make our Christmas Fair a huge success; we raised an amazing £1063! WOW!

Spring Term Topics
We start our new term with the topic of ‘Winter Wonderland’ where we will be looking at different countries, animals and environments. We will then finish by celebrating Chinese New Year. During the week starting 21st January we will be having a ‘Show & Tell’ activity and invite all children to bring in a small item from home to talk about. Please ensure whatever item they bring in it will fit in their tray!

Independent Skills
Learning to be independent is a vital part of any child’s development and especially so for those who will be starting primary school . In order to help your children can parents please make sure that clothing is practical, suitable for the weather (remember we go outside in ALL weathers) and easy for your child to handle. So please think about fastenings that your child can manage by themselves, perhaps use mittens rather than gloves that they can put on easily. Being able to get dressed and undressed by themselves is a key skill and one that we will be focusing on here at pre-school.

Red Book Bags
Please remember to bring your child’s book bag to school every day, this ensures that all items can get home safely including newsletters as well as your child’s work. If you need a book bag please see Jayne, they are just £3 each - thank you.

Lunchtime
For those children who stay for their lunch can parents please ensure that their packed lunch is sent in a separate lunch bag, that is clearly labelled on the outside with their name. Please ensure that all bags are kept clean and that plastic/carrier bags are avoided at all cost. Thank you.

Beginning & End of Sessions
Please make sure that all children are dropped off and collected on time. Late arrivals can be upsetting for some children as well as disruptive to the running of our sessions. Likewise children who are collected late can become upset unduly. Please be aware that the gate to the property will be locked as soon as possible after the beginning of a session to ensure the safety of all, therefore if parents are late they will need to knock on the window to the right of the gate to gain entry; please be patient as it may take us a while to get to the gate. We thank you for your co-operation with this. Please remember that late collection will incur a charge of £15.

End of Session Collection - If your child is to be collected by another person please remember to let us know as we are unable to release your child without prior notification.

Safeguarding & Social Media
Following a review of our Safeguarding policies and procedures parents are reminded that staff are not allowed to ‘follow’ or be ‘friends’ with parents on social media platforms unless individuals are friends/relatives prior to their child attending pre-school. We appreciate your understanding with regard to this matter.

General Reminders......
Name Labels - Please ensure that all of your child’s possessions are clearly labelled with their full name. All bags, including lunch bags, should be labelled on the outside as we have a number of children that have the same style bag and the lack of a name can cause confusion for both child and staff alike! If items are found unlabelled we will write names on with a black marker pen.

Clothing – It is imperative that children are sent to school in appropriate clothing. Children should be sent prepared for the weather with appropriate outdoor clothing as we always try to get outside – whatever the weather! Footwear should enable children to climb and move with confidence; ill-fitting shoes can spoil their fun when pursuing outdoor activities as well as cause unnecessary accidents. Indoor clothes should enable a child to be as independent as possible, especially when using the toilet when time may be short! So please avoid using tricky belts or dungarees that could hinder a child’s attempts to get to the toilet on time. Thank you.

Absence – Any absences from pre-school should be notified in writing in advance if known i.e. holidays, or by 9.15am (morning sessions) or 12.15pm (afternoon sessions) in the case of sickness.
All absences must be confirmed in writing.

Children’s Bags - Your child should bring a small bag with a set of spare clothes; please ensure that the bag is of a size that your child can carry themselves and is clearly labelled.

Uniform – All children are required to wear a red top or jumper whilst at pre-school. Tops with the pre-school logo are available at reasonable prices, please see Jayne should you require any items.

Changes - Please remember to let us know of any changes relevant to your child and their circumstances. We need to know if your contact details have changed, of any allergies or medical conditions and any other circumstances which may affect your child during their time with us.

Policies & Procedures – pre-school operating policies & procedures are available for all parents to read at any time and are located near the children’s drawers. Key policies are also available on our website www.springfieldpreschool.co.uk

Useful Websites – www.foundationyears.org.uk has been developed specifically for parents of children aged 0 – 5 and provides lots of useful information and advice. For information relating to funding, child benefit and more please visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

How to Contact Pre-School
Our phone number is 07960 983423 or email us at; springfieldpreschool@hotmail.co.uk and check our website www.springfieldpreschool.co.uk and Facebook page for up-to-date information.