Good morning ,
We have had two more reported cases of chickenpox in the schoolhouse . Please see the link for information on symptoms and exclusion times - usually 5 days from spots appearing .
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/chickenpox-in-children-under-12#
Monday 29 September 2014
Friday 26 September 2014
Craigton update
Hello everyone ,
We have had a busy time at nursery recently . We are really making the most of the lovely weather and continuing to spend a lot of time outdoors . The children have had a great time watching the leaves change colour and fall from the trees - they've been trying to catch them as they fall , and have gathered piles of leaves which have been transported around the garden in wheelbarrows , trucks and pockets too! The sunflowers planted some new tress in the grassy area this week too, and are taking good care of them . The trees next to the digging area outside the Wendy House are willow , which we hope will grow into a lovely shelter - they've also planted some in the growing area which we can use for making all kinds of things once they have grown .
This term the sunflowers have been working in smaller groups with a dedicated member of staff - we hope this will encourage more opportunities for staff observation and allow children's contributions and ideas to be acted on - this is much easier to follow through with smaller groups . This will allow staff to focus more on each child's experience, and build closer bonds with the children and families Each group will be using floorbooks to record ideas and progress and we hope that parents will also contribute to these .
There will still be the opportunity for the children to all be together at mealtimes and during outdoor play .
The schoolhouse are currently reviewing their planning and there will be some changes here soon - I'll let you have more information on this soon . We are asking for all children in this building to please bring in photos of family/friends for display in the rooms - the children love being able to show the other children and staff people they know and this is often a great starting point for conversations , as well as comforting for children to see familiar faces whilst with us .
This building will also be reintroducing homebooks - once all organised we will ask you to take these home at the end of your nursery week and add anything of interest that happens at home - just a couple of lines a maybe a photo are all thats needed - this gives us valuable information on your child.
Many thanks to those of you who have contacted me saying that you like the blog posts :-) much appreciated! I will however try to keep them shorter though possibly more frequent .
Don't forget to tell us if there's anything you'd like posted on here - if you're involved in a charity event , or have some information you feel would be of interest to other parents please let me know .
And finally , Parents Evening will be on Wednesday 19th November 6-7:30pm . This is an informal evening where you can come along and talk to staff about your child's progress , have a look at the activities on offer to them , and also have the chance to meet other parents . There will be several reminders of this date so we hope you can all make it .
We have had a busy time at nursery recently . We are really making the most of the lovely weather and continuing to spend a lot of time outdoors . The children have had a great time watching the leaves change colour and fall from the trees - they've been trying to catch them as they fall , and have gathered piles of leaves which have been transported around the garden in wheelbarrows , trucks and pockets too! The sunflowers planted some new tress in the grassy area this week too, and are taking good care of them . The trees next to the digging area outside the Wendy House are willow , which we hope will grow into a lovely shelter - they've also planted some in the growing area which we can use for making all kinds of things once they have grown .
This term the sunflowers have been working in smaller groups with a dedicated member of staff - we hope this will encourage more opportunities for staff observation and allow children's contributions and ideas to be acted on - this is much easier to follow through with smaller groups . This will allow staff to focus more on each child's experience, and build closer bonds with the children and families Each group will be using floorbooks to record ideas and progress and we hope that parents will also contribute to these .
There will still be the opportunity for the children to all be together at mealtimes and during outdoor play .
The schoolhouse are currently reviewing their planning and there will be some changes here soon - I'll let you have more information on this soon . We are asking for all children in this building to please bring in photos of family/friends for display in the rooms - the children love being able to show the other children and staff people they know and this is often a great starting point for conversations , as well as comforting for children to see familiar faces whilst with us .
This building will also be reintroducing homebooks - once all organised we will ask you to take these home at the end of your nursery week and add anything of interest that happens at home - just a couple of lines a maybe a photo are all thats needed - this gives us valuable information on your child.
Many thanks to those of you who have contacted me saying that you like the blog posts :-) much appreciated! I will however try to keep them shorter though possibly more frequent .
Don't forget to tell us if there's anything you'd like posted on here - if you're involved in a charity event , or have some information you feel would be of interest to other parents please let me know .
And finally , Parents Evening will be on Wednesday 19th November 6-7:30pm . This is an informal evening where you can come along and talk to staff about your child's progress , have a look at the activities on offer to them , and also have the chance to meet other parents . There will be several reminders of this date so we hope you can all make it .
Wednesday 24 September 2014
Health notice
Good morning everyone ,
We have had two confirmed cases of chickenpox in the schoolhouse . For information on the symptoms and exclusion times please see the following link
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/chickenpox-in-children-under-12
We have also been issued with posters and leaflets from NHS in preparation for the possible arrival of the winter vomiting virus - these remind everyone that you should allow a minimum of 48 hours after last symptoms before returning to nursery/school/work .
You will no doubt have seen Gerry the painter over the past few days being very busy - he has painted the sunflower classrooms and entrance as well as the outdoor woodwork - he will continue with other areas over the coming weeks- so please look out for wet paint!
At the recent Parent Forum meeting (minutes on display in all departments) it was noted that the blog posts may be too long for people to read them thoroughly so I shall try to keep them shorter! We are currently working on merging the website and blog so hope to be able to post meeting minutes on there .
There will be another post later this week keeping you all up to date with the activities your children have been enjoying at Craigton
We have had two confirmed cases of chickenpox in the schoolhouse . For information on the symptoms and exclusion times please see the following link
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/chickenpox-in-children-under-12
We have also been issued with posters and leaflets from NHS in preparation for the possible arrival of the winter vomiting virus - these remind everyone that you should allow a minimum of 48 hours after last symptoms before returning to nursery/school/work .
You will no doubt have seen Gerry the painter over the past few days being very busy - he has painted the sunflower classrooms and entrance as well as the outdoor woodwork - he will continue with other areas over the coming weeks- so please look out for wet paint!
At the recent Parent Forum meeting (minutes on display in all departments) it was noted that the blog posts may be too long for people to read them thoroughly so I shall try to keep them shorter! We are currently working on merging the website and blog so hope to be able to post meeting minutes on there .
There will be another post later this week keeping you all up to date with the activities your children have been enjoying at Craigton
Tuesday 9 September 2014
Update
Good afternoon everyone ,
Following the success of the photocards in the schoolhouse , these have now been introduced in the sunflowers . When you sign in , please help your child to find their card on the entrance board and transfer it to the display in the main room . This helps all the children, staff and parents know who will be attending each day , and we hope it will encourage more discussion between parents , staff and children on what we are doing each day whilst at nursery .
We will also be making more use of floorbooks - these are a good way of recording (and acting on ) children's ideas and contributions , and we hope that this will also encourage contributions from parents . Floorbooks are used to consult with the children , record their thoughts and evaluations and can chart the progress of their interests . Please have a look at the current floorbook and feel free to add your own suggestions/observations .
Kelly has accompanied the children who have moved to the sunflowers this week to provide a familiar face and support during their settling in period . She will be returning to the buttercups next week , and Julie will be back in the sunflowers.
Our handyman Fred has been busy recently and has built a new area in the bluebells room to encourage group activities and more interest for the children - this has different levels to allow exploration too.
Even though we have harvested quite a lot already , we are still seeing some new tomatoes appearing on our plants , and are having great success with the cabbage and broccoli plants in the growing area.
We will continue to spend as much time as we can outdoors , so please ensure your child has suitable outdoor clothing every day .
Next week we will be welcoming Linzy back for dancing sessions with all the children on Monday mornings. Linzy came several times over the summer and the children loved her sessions so we hope to make this a regular feature .
I will not be in the nursery from this Thursday 11th September , returning on Wednesday 17th September . Please note that emails will not be monitored during this time , so please call us on 01224 733980 if you need to tell/ask us anything.
And finally , don't forget that we shall be closed on Monday 22nd September for the local holiday.
Following the success of the photocards in the schoolhouse , these have now been introduced in the sunflowers . When you sign in , please help your child to find their card on the entrance board and transfer it to the display in the main room . This helps all the children, staff and parents know who will be attending each day , and we hope it will encourage more discussion between parents , staff and children on what we are doing each day whilst at nursery .
We will also be making more use of floorbooks - these are a good way of recording (and acting on ) children's ideas and contributions , and we hope that this will also encourage contributions from parents . Floorbooks are used to consult with the children , record their thoughts and evaluations and can chart the progress of their interests . Please have a look at the current floorbook and feel free to add your own suggestions/observations .
Kelly has accompanied the children who have moved to the sunflowers this week to provide a familiar face and support during their settling in period . She will be returning to the buttercups next week , and Julie will be back in the sunflowers.
Our handyman Fred has been busy recently and has built a new area in the bluebells room to encourage group activities and more interest for the children - this has different levels to allow exploration too.
Even though we have harvested quite a lot already , we are still seeing some new tomatoes appearing on our plants , and are having great success with the cabbage and broccoli plants in the growing area.
We will continue to spend as much time as we can outdoors , so please ensure your child has suitable outdoor clothing every day .
Next week we will be welcoming Linzy back for dancing sessions with all the children on Monday mornings. Linzy came several times over the summer and the children loved her sessions so we hope to make this a regular feature .
I will not be in the nursery from this Thursday 11th September , returning on Wednesday 17th September . Please note that emails will not be monitored during this time , so please call us on 01224 733980 if you need to tell/ask us anything.
And finally , don't forget that we shall be closed on Monday 22nd September for the local holiday.
Friday 5 September 2014
Pre-school funding
Hello all ,
We have finally received the application forms for pre-school funding . All children who are eligible have today been issued these , along with some information about the funding .
All children in their preschool year and all ante pre-school children eligible for three terms of funding( dob 1st March 2011 to 31st Aug 2011) need to have the applications submitted very soon- please complete part A of the form only and return to me along with a copy of your child's birth certificate/passport as soon as possible .
Other ante-pre school children do not need to be returned so urgently , but please do return promptly so there is no delay in processing .
The funding criteria can be confusing , so please call me if you have any questions .
I understand that you have been given a very short time to return these applications, and that the delay in receiving funding has been very frustrating - this issue has affected all partner providers in the city and has been totally out with our control.
Aberdeen City Council have told us that the delay was due to changes that had to be made to meet the increase in free pre-school provision .
Please note that if your child attends a school nursery/playgroup or if you are applying for funding at another setting , you will not be eligible for further. If you think you should have an application but haven't received one please let me know
We have finally received the application forms for pre-school funding . All children who are eligible have today been issued these , along with some information about the funding .
All children in their preschool year and all ante pre-school children eligible for three terms of funding( dob 1st March 2011 to 31st Aug 2011) need to have the applications submitted very soon- please complete part A of the form only and return to me along with a copy of your child's birth certificate/passport as soon as possible .
Other ante-pre school children do not need to be returned so urgently , but please do return promptly so there is no delay in processing .
The funding criteria can be confusing , so please call me if you have any questions .
I understand that you have been given a very short time to return these applications, and that the delay in receiving funding has been very frustrating - this issue has affected all partner providers in the city and has been totally out with our control.
Aberdeen City Council have told us that the delay was due to changes that had to be made to meet the increase in free pre-school provision .
Please note that if your child attends a school nursery/playgroup or if you are applying for funding at another setting , you will not be eligible for further. If you think you should have an application but haven't received one please let me know
Wednesday 3 September 2014
New Weaning Guidelines
The following information has been issued by the Infant and Toddler Forum
We have updated our guidance on complementary feeding (commonly known as weaning). The advice is now broken down into sections relevant to your child's age. This new layout offers revised recommendations on what foods to offer and avoid, when to start weaning, and how to progress between age 6-9 months and 9-12 months and thereafter.
https://www.infantandtoddlerforum.org/weaning#.U-yKTeNdUeg?utm_source=emp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=itf-sep2014
This site is a useful resource for information on young children's diet and nutrition with helpful tips and is well worth a visit.
We have updated our guidance on complementary feeding (commonly known as weaning). The advice is now broken down into sections relevant to your child's age. This new layout offers revised recommendations on what foods to offer and avoid, when to start weaning, and how to progress between age 6-9 months and 9-12 months and thereafter.
https://www.infantandtoddlerforum.org/weaning#.U-yKTeNdUeg?utm_source=emp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=itf-sep2014
This site is a useful resource for information on young children's diet and nutrition with helpful tips and is well worth a visit.
Tuesday 2 September 2014
Craigton Round up
Good afternoon everyone ,
we are making the most of the lovely late summer sunshine at the moment and spending as much time outdoors as we can. Be warned though that this wont last long so please ensure that your children are suitably equipped for more autumnal weather - that means waterproof suits and footwear please(once it gets colder they will need hats and gloves too). Each child also needs a full change of clothes and soft soled indoor shoes or slippers every day . We are very low on nursery clothing stocks so please make sure your child has these- all clearly named too!
Last week we had a visit from Zoolab , so the sunflowers and buttercups met all kinds of creatures - there were spiders and giant centipedes and frogs and cockroaches , rabbits and rats and loads more . They learned how the animals use their senses in their lives and had the opportunity to handle them too- not everyone was keen!
And they wer not our only visitors - Joanne form Gardening 4 Kids came on Friday and oversaw the harvesting of our garden produce - we have already had tomatoes and strawberries and this time it was potatoes(a bumper crop!) and wildflowers that have been used to bring the outdoors into the rooms as well as for some activities . Jo is currently undertaking some Forest School training and is looking forward to sharing her new skills with us - please watch this blog for further infromation on this .
NHS Scotland are reminding us all that the Childhood Flu immunisation is now under way . This is being offered to all children aged 2-5 years through their GP practice , and school aged children through their school . Please visit link below for more information
http://www.immunisationscotland.org.uk/vaccines-and-diseases/seasonalflu/childflu.aspx
As we are approaching the season for all manner of nasty bugs and viruses , can I please remind you not to bring your child to nursery if they are unwell . Children will recover much more quickly at home . We do not have the facilities nor are we trained to care for ill children . Viruses and other bugs spread very quickly amongst young children so please help us all to stay as well as we can by not returning to nursery until fully recovered- we'd really appreciate your co-operation with this.
Our updated medication policy will be issued shortly to all parents- there have been some changes in guidance issued by the Care Inspectorate , one of which is that settings should not administer non prescription medication except in specific circumstances , and should not keep stocks of these medications in the setting( basically that means Calpol etc) we are looking closely at this and will issue a new policy soon . Be aware that this means we may not be able to give your child Calpol or similar if they have a fever , so it is even more important that children who are unwell not attend nursery.
We still have not received our partnership agreement/application forms for pre-school funding from Aberdeen City Council - this affects all partner provider settings in the city - its not just us! We have been told that the delay is due to the increased provision and that they will be issued soon . Until we get these and send in the applications , we are unable to deduct PS funding - I'll let you know as soon as we receive them .
We will soon be joined by some new faces in the schoolhouse - Tanya Iesipova and Kathleen Cooper will both coming part-time . Tanya has teaching experience and is currently studying Early Years care and education at college- she will be starting this week . Kathleen has many years experience in the care sector , and she will be starting towards the end of the month - a big Craigton welcome to you both!
And finally , please dont forget that the nursery will be closed on Monday 22nd September for the local holiday
we are making the most of the lovely late summer sunshine at the moment and spending as much time outdoors as we can. Be warned though that this wont last long so please ensure that your children are suitably equipped for more autumnal weather - that means waterproof suits and footwear please(once it gets colder they will need hats and gloves too). Each child also needs a full change of clothes and soft soled indoor shoes or slippers every day . We are very low on nursery clothing stocks so please make sure your child has these- all clearly named too!
Last week we had a visit from Zoolab , so the sunflowers and buttercups met all kinds of creatures - there were spiders and giant centipedes and frogs and cockroaches , rabbits and rats and loads more . They learned how the animals use their senses in their lives and had the opportunity to handle them too- not everyone was keen!
And they wer not our only visitors - Joanne form Gardening 4 Kids came on Friday and oversaw the harvesting of our garden produce - we have already had tomatoes and strawberries and this time it was potatoes(a bumper crop!) and wildflowers that have been used to bring the outdoors into the rooms as well as for some activities . Jo is currently undertaking some Forest School training and is looking forward to sharing her new skills with us - please watch this blog for further infromation on this .
NHS Scotland are reminding us all that the Childhood Flu immunisation is now under way . This is being offered to all children aged 2-5 years through their GP practice , and school aged children through their school . Please visit link below for more information
http://www.immunisationscotland.org.uk/vaccines-and-diseases/seasonalflu/childflu.aspx
As we are approaching the season for all manner of nasty bugs and viruses , can I please remind you not to bring your child to nursery if they are unwell . Children will recover much more quickly at home . We do not have the facilities nor are we trained to care for ill children . Viruses and other bugs spread very quickly amongst young children so please help us all to stay as well as we can by not returning to nursery until fully recovered- we'd really appreciate your co-operation with this.
Our updated medication policy will be issued shortly to all parents- there have been some changes in guidance issued by the Care Inspectorate , one of which is that settings should not administer non prescription medication except in specific circumstances , and should not keep stocks of these medications in the setting( basically that means Calpol etc) we are looking closely at this and will issue a new policy soon . Be aware that this means we may not be able to give your child Calpol or similar if they have a fever , so it is even more important that children who are unwell not attend nursery.
We still have not received our partnership agreement/application forms for pre-school funding from Aberdeen City Council - this affects all partner provider settings in the city - its not just us! We have been told that the delay is due to the increased provision and that they will be issued soon . Until we get these and send in the applications , we are unable to deduct PS funding - I'll let you know as soon as we receive them .
We will soon be joined by some new faces in the schoolhouse - Tanya Iesipova and Kathleen Cooper will both coming part-time . Tanya has teaching experience and is currently studying Early Years care and education at college- she will be starting this week . Kathleen has many years experience in the care sector , and she will be starting towards the end of the month - a big Craigton welcome to you both!
And finally , please dont forget that the nursery will be closed on Monday 22nd September for the local holiday
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