Hello everyone ,
It seems that there are still some people are not getting posts from the new blog hence this post. All the email addresses that were returned to me were registered on the new Parentweb blog . If you are not receiving these , please let me have your preferred email address as soon as possible - if you're not registered you will not get the posts - this will be the last blog on the old blogspot .
A reminder that its the sunflowers SportsDay next week on Wednesday 17th June at 3pm . All sunflowers will be participating in this and all are welcome to attend . There will also be a short graduation ceremony for those children leaving us to start school after the summer . Please note that this is always a very well attended event with limited seating , so please bring along a rug/mat to sit on if needed- dont forget your camera/ipad and maybe some tissues! We look forward to seeing you all there
Thursday 11 June 2015
Wednesday 22 April 2015
Visitors
Hello everyone ,
we'd like to say a HUGE thank you to Thomas's parents who have just been here with two lambs from their farm - Mindy and Minty ran around the garden with the children and looked like they were having a great time! We saw them being bottle fed and looked at their hooves as well as just admiring them! Its was a wonderful experience for us all - thank you so much !
Carrying on with the nature theme , we are also charting the progress of the caterpillars (now in cocoons) and the frogspawn/tadpoles . And we have planted wild flower seeds in the growing area, along with some strawberry plants and tomatoes in the greenhouse. Joanne from Gardening4Kids will be here on Friday to help the children prepare the veg patch for potatoes , beans . carrots and lettuce...so its all go at Craigton.
Dont forget to come along to our Spring Fair 12-2pm this Saturday - keep you fingers crossed the good weather holds - if not we will still go ahead but indoors .........please get your raffle tickets for the hamper now - this will be drawn on the day .
You should all now be receiving the blog on the new Parentweb - if not please let me know asap as we'd like to close the old blogspot soon .
And finally a reminder that the nursery will be closed on Monday 4th May .
we'd like to say a HUGE thank you to Thomas's parents who have just been here with two lambs from their farm - Mindy and Minty ran around the garden with the children and looked like they were having a great time! We saw them being bottle fed and looked at their hooves as well as just admiring them! Its was a wonderful experience for us all - thank you so much !
Carrying on with the nature theme , we are also charting the progress of the caterpillars (now in cocoons) and the frogspawn/tadpoles . And we have planted wild flower seeds in the growing area, along with some strawberry plants and tomatoes in the greenhouse. Joanne from Gardening4Kids will be here on Friday to help the children prepare the veg patch for potatoes , beans . carrots and lettuce...so its all go at Craigton.
Dont forget to come along to our Spring Fair 12-2pm this Saturday - keep you fingers crossed the good weather holds - if not we will still go ahead but indoors .........please get your raffle tickets for the hamper now - this will be drawn on the day .
You should all now be receiving the blog on the new Parentweb - if not please let me know asap as we'd like to close the old blogspot soon .
And finally a reminder that the nursery will be closed on Monday 4th May .
Tuesday 21 April 2015
Spring Fair
Good morning everyone ,
Although we are all enjoying the lovely spring weather at the moment, I'm afraid that the forecast for the weekend is rain , rain and more rain! As you all know , we will be holding our Spring Fair on Saturday 12-2pm. We are hoping that the forecast is wrong , but are making indoor plans just in case. We will be going ahead whatever the weather so please still come along even if its pouring! We are all looking forward to seeing you all there - don't forget that you can bring along items for the Homebaking stall on Friday or bring with you on Saturday .
Although we are all enjoying the lovely spring weather at the moment, I'm afraid that the forecast for the weekend is rain , rain and more rain! As you all know , we will be holding our Spring Fair on Saturday 12-2pm. We are hoping that the forecast is wrong , but are making indoor plans just in case. We will be going ahead whatever the weather so please still come along even if its pouring! We are all looking forward to seeing you all there - don't forget that you can bring along items for the Homebaking stall on Friday or bring with you on Saturday .
Monday 20 April 2015
Congratulations
Huge congratulations to Natalie and Tony on the safe (if a little early) arrival of their son , Cooper at 6am on Saturday - he weighed in at 6lbs 1/2 oz and both he and Natalie are well. We cant wait to meet him!
Wednesday 15 April 2015
Health Notice
We have had a confirmed case of chicken pox in the schoolhouse today - please be aware of the symptoms - for full information see
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/chickenpox-in-children-under-12
Please note that children may not return to nursery until no new spots are appearing and existing spots have scabbed over - this is usually about 5 days from the arrival of the first spots .
In other news - a pair of Storm sunglasses were found on the driveway yesterday - if you've lost these I have them in my office.
You should all now be receiving these posts on the new Parent web - if you're not getting these , please let me know and we'll investigate!
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/chickenpox-in-children-under-12
Please note that children may not return to nursery until no new spots are appearing and existing spots have scabbed over - this is usually about 5 days from the arrival of the first spots .
In other news - a pair of Storm sunglasses were found on the driveway yesterday - if you've lost these I have them in my office.
You should all now be receiving these posts on the new Parent web - if you're not getting these , please let me know and we'll investigate!
Tuesday 14 April 2015
Safety notice
Hello everyone ,
We have had several reports of the gate to the car park being left open yesterday and today . Can I please remind you to close and chain the gates everytime you use them - this is particularly important at this time of year when we are outside - it only takes a second for a child to run into the carpark so please help us to keep all the children safe........and also please do not show your child/ren how to operate the chains(this means they can open the gates) thank you .
Talking of outside.....
Raffle tickets are now on sale in both buildings - 20p each or £1 a strip . The prize is a hamper and the raffle will be drawn during the Spring Fair next weekend - Saturday 25th April 1-2pm - we have had an excellent response to this and we are all really looking forward to seeing you all there!
We have had several reports of the gate to the car park being left open yesterday and today . Can I please remind you to close and chain the gates everytime you use them - this is particularly important at this time of year when we are outside - it only takes a second for a child to run into the carpark so please help us to keep all the children safe........and also please do not show your child/ren how to operate the chains(this means they can open the gates) thank you .
Talking of outside.....
Raffle tickets are now on sale in both buildings - 20p each or £1 a strip . The prize is a hamper and the raffle will be drawn during the Spring Fair next weekend - Saturday 25th April 1-2pm - we have had an excellent response to this and we are all really looking forward to seeing you all there!
Friday 10 April 2015
Spring at Craigton
Good afternoon everyone ,
we have been making the most of the lovely weather this week with all of the children spending a lot of time outdoors . We have been digging and feeding the growing areas with our own compost , planting seeds , building dens , more digging , finding worms and other assorted creatures ,playing campfires, watching the birds eat the grass seed on the new hill in the garden , more digging , running and jumping and climbing , learning about the caterpillars , walking along the lovely new path and running over the (bare) hill, sitting on the new benches and then off for more exploring and generally having a lot of fun!
As we are outside so much , we do need to make sure the children are properly protected , so please bring in sun cream and a hat - both clearly named - and also please take away any old suncream from last year as it will no longer be effective- thank you . And always bring a full change of clothes each day - thank you .
Can we also please remind you not to allow your children to bring toys or other treasures from home unless asked to do so for show and tell - we do appreciate that its very tempting to do this to avoid a battle in the morning , but it can lead to problems at nursery . These treasures often cause arguments , can be lost , broken or 'borrowed' and tears are usually the result . We'd really appreciate your co-operation with this .
A warm welcome to Maria Knap who joined the sunflowers this week - she's still here and smiling so we think she's enjoying it! We're very pleased to have you with us Maria :-)
And finally , thank you to everyone for your response to the Spring Fair - there has been an excellent uptake of tickets and we are looking forward to seeing you all on Saturday 25th April 12-2pm - we are still accepting donations for the raffle/tombola (tickets will be on sale next week) and we will ask for contributions for the homebaking stall either on the Friday before or bring along on the day . Watch this space !
Wednesday 1 April 2015
Books etc
Hello everyone ,
We have received the latest in the Ziggy Road Safety series of books . These are now in your children's files - these are for children in their ante pre-school and pre-school years and are issued by the Scottish Executive . We also have big book versions of these at nursery which are used to reinforce the message with the children . For more information and activities please visit
http://www.gosafewithziggy.com/
The children were very interested in watching our gardener , Tony, making a path through the garden this week . This is part of our outdoor improvements and will help to make a natural flow through the garden , marking and linking the activity zones in the garden . We are hoping that the weather will improve soon (or at least warm up a littel!)so that we can start getting the growing areas ready for planting.
The buttercups are really enjoying their new steps/seating area - they are now able to climb and lookout the window and are doing so at every opportunity! Our very busy handyman , Fred , has also fixed new catches on the gates - please make sure you close and chain these every time . Fred will be doing several more jobs for us over the next few weeks - we'll keep you up to date with any improvements .
The sunflowers welcomed some special guests today too - we have some tiny caterpillars which we will monitor as they grow bigger and then change into chrysalis and then finally butterflies when we will release them- the children love this every year- please be prepared for lots of questions on how and why this transformation happens!
We have been having some technical issues with the website which are being worked on just now . You should all be receiving this blog post twice - once through the new ParentWeb which goes out immediately , and once from the old blog which has a delay and will be received the following morning . I have registered all the email addresses I have on the new blog - please follow the instruction on the information/FAQ sheets to logon and reset your password to access the ParentWeb. If you are NOT getting notifications from the new blog , or are having trouble logging into this , please let me know and we'll look into it . I will continue to post on both blogs until we are sure that everyone is able to use the new one.
We've had a good response for the Spring Fair on Saturday 25th April so far . If you haven't already done so , please return your money or the ticket in the envelope provided as soon as you can. We'd also appreciate any donations for the raffle too .
A reminder that we have a 24 hr exclusion policy for children with high temperatures. This has been very effective in reducing illness/infection in the nursery over the winter months and we ask that this be adhered to - ot will help to keep everyone at the nursery healthy - thank you .
And finally.......I know its hard to believe that its Easter as we watch the snow today but , don't forget that we will be closed Easter Monday 6th April- that's next week- we know you love coming here(as do we) but please don't come that day as you wont get in!
We have received the latest in the Ziggy Road Safety series of books . These are now in your children's files - these are for children in their ante pre-school and pre-school years and are issued by the Scottish Executive . We also have big book versions of these at nursery which are used to reinforce the message with the children . For more information and activities please visit
http://www.gosafewithziggy.com/
The children were very interested in watching our gardener , Tony, making a path through the garden this week . This is part of our outdoor improvements and will help to make a natural flow through the garden , marking and linking the activity zones in the garden . We are hoping that the weather will improve soon (or at least warm up a littel!)so that we can start getting the growing areas ready for planting.
The buttercups are really enjoying their new steps/seating area - they are now able to climb and lookout the window and are doing so at every opportunity! Our very busy handyman , Fred , has also fixed new catches on the gates - please make sure you close and chain these every time . Fred will be doing several more jobs for us over the next few weeks - we'll keep you up to date with any improvements .
The sunflowers welcomed some special guests today too - we have some tiny caterpillars which we will monitor as they grow bigger and then change into chrysalis and then finally butterflies when we will release them- the children love this every year- please be prepared for lots of questions on how and why this transformation happens!
We have been having some technical issues with the website which are being worked on just now . You should all be receiving this blog post twice - once through the new ParentWeb which goes out immediately , and once from the old blog which has a delay and will be received the following morning . I have registered all the email addresses I have on the new blog - please follow the instruction on the information/FAQ sheets to logon and reset your password to access the ParentWeb. If you are NOT getting notifications from the new blog , or are having trouble logging into this , please let me know and we'll look into it . I will continue to post on both blogs until we are sure that everyone is able to use the new one.
We've had a good response for the Spring Fair on Saturday 25th April so far . If you haven't already done so , please return your money or the ticket in the envelope provided as soon as you can. We'd also appreciate any donations for the raffle too .
A reminder that we have a 24 hr exclusion policy for children with high temperatures. This has been very effective in reducing illness/infection in the nursery over the winter months and we ask that this be adhered to - ot will help to keep everyone at the nursery healthy - thank you .
And finally.......I know its hard to believe that its Easter as we watch the snow today but , don't forget that we will be closed Easter Monday 6th April- that's next week- we know you love coming here(as do we) but please don't come that day as you wont get in!
Friday 27 March 2015
Staffing news
Good morning to you all ,
Natalie(snowdrops) will be starting her maternity leave next week to await the arrival of her baby in early May . I'm sure you'll all join is in wishing her a relaxing time before the baby comes , and a wonderful time when it does! Natalie will be back next year , along with her baby, but we're quite sure we'll see them both before then !
Alison will be taking over Natalie's management duties and will join the other deputies , Suzanne and Charlotte in the Craigton management team- glad to have you with us Ali and congratulations on your new role!
Holly will be joining the schoolhouse from next week also - she has spent most of her time since joining us earlier this year with the sunflowers , and is looking forward to working with the younger children .
The sunflowers will soon be welcoming a new member of staff - Maria Knap . Maria has recently moved from London where she was nannying whist studying for a degree in Early Childhood Studies - she completed this last year . We are looking forward to welcoming her after Easter .
A warm Craigotn welcome back to Jo from Gardening4KIds who has returned today after an absence of several months . Jo has been concentrating on gaining a Forest School Practitioner qualification , and we cant wait to benefit from all her hard work :-) great to have you back Jo and thanks for bringing the sunshine with you !
In other news , the sunflowers book sale raised £22.46 for BookAid
http://www.bookaid.org/ Thank you all for your donations to this , and well done to the sunflowers who created the book display , talked the adults into buying books , handled the cash and gave change - they had a great time operating their bookstall as well as having the opportunity to develop new skills.
Dont forget to return your money or tickets for the Spring Fair - Saturday 25th April 12-2pm .
A reminder that the nursery will be closed on Easter Monday 6th April and finally don't forget that the clocks go FORWARD 1 hour this weekend - its officially summertime!
Natalie(snowdrops) will be starting her maternity leave next week to await the arrival of her baby in early May . I'm sure you'll all join is in wishing her a relaxing time before the baby comes , and a wonderful time when it does! Natalie will be back next year , along with her baby, but we're quite sure we'll see them both before then !
Alison will be taking over Natalie's management duties and will join the other deputies , Suzanne and Charlotte in the Craigton management team- glad to have you with us Ali and congratulations on your new role!
Holly will be joining the schoolhouse from next week also - she has spent most of her time since joining us earlier this year with the sunflowers , and is looking forward to working with the younger children .
The sunflowers will soon be welcoming a new member of staff - Maria Knap . Maria has recently moved from London where she was nannying whist studying for a degree in Early Childhood Studies - she completed this last year . We are looking forward to welcoming her after Easter .
A warm Craigotn welcome back to Jo from Gardening4KIds who has returned today after an absence of several months . Jo has been concentrating on gaining a Forest School Practitioner qualification , and we cant wait to benefit from all her hard work :-) great to have you back Jo and thanks for bringing the sunshine with you !
In other news , the sunflowers book sale raised £22.46 for BookAid
http://www.bookaid.org/ Thank you all for your donations to this , and well done to the sunflowers who created the book display , talked the adults into buying books , handled the cash and gave change - they had a great time operating their bookstall as well as having the opportunity to develop new skills.
Dont forget to return your money or tickets for the Spring Fair - Saturday 25th April 12-2pm .
A reminder that the nursery will be closed on Easter Monday 6th April and finally don't forget that the clocks go FORWARD 1 hour this weekend - its officially summertime!
Tuesday 24 March 2015
Spring Fair and more
Hello everyone ,
We have today distributed tickets to all Craigton familes for the Spring Fair . This will be on Saturday 25th April 12-2pm . This is our main fund-raising event of the year and lots of fun! We all really enjoy this day as its the only time that all the children , parents and staff get together . There's lots to keep the children entertained and we'll even treat you to a bbq lunch!
So please all come along and join in the fun . Tickets have been put in your child's file today . These will admit your immediate family(parents and children) for only £5.00 . If you wish to come along , please return your money in the envelope provided , or the ticket if you cant make it . If you'd like extra tickets for anyone else , pleas let us know - everyone is welcome .
We are also appealing for donations for the raffle which will be held on the day....and last but not least the return of the Culter famous homebake stall means that any homebaking offerings will be greatly appreciated - the children make lots of items for this but mums and dads(and perhaps grandma's) contributions are always very welcome - but please leave this til Friday 24th or bring along on the day .
All proceeds from this event go to the Staff Development Fund which was set up to ensure that staff can undertake qualifications to meet registration requirements when they are unable to access other funding . An SVQ Level III currently costs around £3K , so this fund is vital for some staff . In joining us on the day , you will be helping the entire nursery - so please come along .We promise you'll have a great time!
You may have noticed that we are experiencing some technical difficulties with the website and new Parentweb(which includes the new blog) please bear with us while we address these , and until then , the old blog will still going so you shouldn't miss anything !
And finally a reminder that the nursery will be closed on Easter Monday 6th April .
We have today distributed tickets to all Craigton familes for the Spring Fair . This will be on Saturday 25th April 12-2pm . This is our main fund-raising event of the year and lots of fun! We all really enjoy this day as its the only time that all the children , parents and staff get together . There's lots to keep the children entertained and we'll even treat you to a bbq lunch!
So please all come along and join in the fun . Tickets have been put in your child's file today . These will admit your immediate family(parents and children) for only £5.00 . If you wish to come along , please return your money in the envelope provided , or the ticket if you cant make it . If you'd like extra tickets for anyone else , pleas let us know - everyone is welcome .
We are also appealing for donations for the raffle which will be held on the day....and last but not least the return of the Culter famous homebake stall means that any homebaking offerings will be greatly appreciated - the children make lots of items for this but mums and dads(and perhaps grandma's) contributions are always very welcome - but please leave this til Friday 24th or bring along on the day .
All proceeds from this event go to the Staff Development Fund which was set up to ensure that staff can undertake qualifications to meet registration requirements when they are unable to access other funding . An SVQ Level III currently costs around £3K , so this fund is vital for some staff . In joining us on the day , you will be helping the entire nursery - so please come along .We promise you'll have a great time!
You may have noticed that we are experiencing some technical difficulties with the website and new Parentweb(which includes the new blog) please bear with us while we address these , and until then , the old blog will still going so you shouldn't miss anything !
And finally a reminder that the nursery will be closed on Easter Monday 6th April .
Thursday 12 March 2015
New Blog
Hello everyone ,
welcome to the new Craigton blog . This will be how you recieve blog posts from now on . Those of you who returned preferred email addresses – thank you . For the others I have used the email address I have on file – these may have changed so if you wish these sent to an alternative email , please let me know asap .
You will have been emailed a password – please log on to your account and change this to one that you will remember . You have all been issued with guidance on using the new Parentweb area along with FAQ’s – please refer to these if you have any issues . One important point to note – please do not share your log in details with anyone else . This is a private area for parents and staff only – please help us to keep it secure – thank you .
Id like to take this opportunity to thank Carl for all his practical advice and very hard work on this project – its very much appreciated !
Thank you for your book donations on World Book Week – the sunflowers have now set up a book shop in their room and will be very happy to sell you these . They are giving advice on which books to purchase , operating the cash transactions and working on their customer service skills! So please come along to see whats on offer . All the books donated so far are children’s books ,but please bring along adult ones too if you’re having a clearout! Baby books are 30p , all others 50p . All proceeds will go to BookAid which provided books to children in Africa. Please se this link for further information
Please don’t forget that it is Mothers Day this Sunday -the children have all been very busy creating some special goodies to celebrate this so please check your child’s file this week.
And finally a reminder that we will be closed on Easter Monday 6th April
Thursday 26 February 2015
World Book Day
Hello everyone ,
Its World Book Day next week - Thursday 5th March , and to celebrate we are inviting the children to bring in their favourite story to share with us at nursery next week (please make sure the books are named so they can be returned to the right person!)
We're also organising a second hand book sale . So please bring along any books in good condition that you no longer want , or come and browse next week to buy some for your home . The sunflowers will be operating the stall all next week , so please clear out your old books and buy some more! All proceeds will go to Book Aid , a charity that supplies text books to children in Africa .
http://www.bookaid.org/
http://worldbookday.com/
You will also find a scholastics book catalogue in your child's file - you can use your World Book Day token towards this - please have any orders back to us by Friday 6th March.
If you come across anything else while clearing our your old books , don't forget we have a charity(British Heart Foundation) wheelie bin at the entrance to the Sunflowers building where you can donate old toys , clothes etc .
We have just started creating accounts for the new Parent area on the website , which will include this blog . If you haven't yet done so , please return your email address slip to us asap so we can get everyone registered - thank you .
Don't forget that our Spring Fair will be on Saturday 25th April 12-2pm - more information on this will follow nearer the time , but please keep this date free!
Its World Book Day next week - Thursday 5th March , and to celebrate we are inviting the children to bring in their favourite story to share with us at nursery next week (please make sure the books are named so they can be returned to the right person!)
We're also organising a second hand book sale . So please bring along any books in good condition that you no longer want , or come and browse next week to buy some for your home . The sunflowers will be operating the stall all next week , so please clear out your old books and buy some more! All proceeds will go to Book Aid , a charity that supplies text books to children in Africa .
http://www.bookaid.org/
http://worldbookday.com/
You will also find a scholastics book catalogue in your child's file - you can use your World Book Day token towards this - please have any orders back to us by Friday 6th March.
If you come across anything else while clearing our your old books , don't forget we have a charity(British Heart Foundation) wheelie bin at the entrance to the Sunflowers building where you can donate old toys , clothes etc .
We have just started creating accounts for the new Parent area on the website , which will include this blog . If you haven't yet done so , please return your email address slip to us asap so we can get everyone registered - thank you .
Don't forget that our Spring Fair will be on Saturday 25th April 12-2pm - more information on this will follow nearer the time , but please keep this date free!
Thursday 19 February 2015
Health Notice
We have had one child affected with a tummy bug today in the Sunflowers building . Please note that the exclusion time for this is 48 hours from the last symptoms . Please collect your child as soon as possible if we call you as this is highly contagious.
We have also had one reported case of headlice - there is no exclusion time for this , but please check your child's head regularly and treat if required . For more information please see the following link
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/head-lice-and-nits
We have also had one reported case of headlice - there is no exclusion time for this , but please check your child's head regularly and treat if required . For more information please see the following link
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/head-lice-and-nits
Thursday 12 February 2015
Health Notice
We have had several reported cases of a tummy bug in the schoolhouse . A reminder that this is highly contagious so please collect your child as soon as possible if we call you , keep them at home if they have any symptoms , and for 48 hours after the last symptoms. This is the exclusion time recommended by NHS to all schools and nurseries .
Please also be extra vigilant with your hygiene , especially handwashing . Thank you
Please also be extra vigilant with your hygiene , especially handwashing . Thank you
Tuesday 10 February 2015
Safer Internet Day
Today is Safer Internet Day , something I'm sure you'll all be interested in .
Recent figures show that 1 in 3 children now have a smart phone/tablet so keeping them safe online is more important than ever. Please see the link below for information and technology that you can access to help do this
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/how-to-stay-safe-on-any-online-device-105026138.html#IXsUWRu
Recent figures show that 1 in 3 children now have a smart phone/tablet so keeping them safe online is more important than ever. Please see the link below for information and technology that you can access to help do this
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/how-to-stay-safe-on-any-online-device-105026138.html#IXsUWRu
Thursday 5 February 2015
Spectra Festival of Lights
SPECTRA, ABERDEEN’S FESTIVAL OF LIGHT RETURNS!
Union Terrace Gardens
Thursday 19th – Sunday 22nd February
17.30-21.30 daily
Aberdeen City Council are proud to present the return of
SPECTRA Aberdeen’s Festival of Light (SPECTRA) to Union Terrace Gardens and
city centre from the 19th to 22nd
February 2015.
This year’s festival will be even bigger and better,
SPECTRA 2015 will include a variety of light installations from fire drawings
to light projections and sculptures, as well as music and performance. The
programme will feature artists from the UK, Norway, Iceland and Finland and
aims to engage with communities from Aberdeen city and beyond. This
year’s festival promises to be a unique spectacle and a fun event for all the
family!
FREE COMMUNITY SPECTRA SESSIONS – All Welcome
In addition to the main festival at Union Terrace Gardens,
SPECTRA will also host a full week of Tagtool Sessions by the Vienna based
company OMAi. Tagtool PLAY is a free iPad app that allows you to paint, animate
and share with everyone by projecting on facades of buildings www.tagtool.at
Tagtool Urban Interventions
All are welcome to these projection events which are being
held at the following locations, either outdoors or inside if it rains. Come
along to either try Tagtool PLAY or be part of the audience and enjoy seeing
the spontaneous artwork with a hot coffee or tea!
Times 6-8 pm
•
17th February at Northfield Community Centre, Byron Square.
•
18th February at Seaton Primary School, School Road.
•
19th February at Northfield Academy, Granitehill Place
Tagtool Workshops
If you would like to join a free workshop with the Tagtool
Artists -
1-4 pm
17 February, Northfield Community Centre, Byron Square.
10 – 3pm
21
February, The LightBox, 9 East Terrace, Union Square – next to Hobby
Craft
SPRING FAIR and other news
Important date : SPRING FAIR - this will be held on Saturday 25th April 12-2pm . This is our main fundraiser in the year and the one time that the entire nursery gets together- its always a great event so please keep this date free - we will give more information nearer the time .
Hello everyone,
We have been very busy at Craigton recently - the children celebrated Burns Night last week by making their own tartans and tasting haggis , neeps and tatties- with mixed results!
They had lots of fun in the snow yesterday building two enormous snowmen and making all kinds of wonderful shapes with all that snow - we even brought some inside to see what happened to it when it warmed up.
We are looking forward to yet more things to celebrate soon - its Valentines Day on Saturday 14th (dont forget!) , Shrove Tuesday(Pancake day) on Tuesday 17th and Chinese New Year on Thursday 19th when we shall celebrate the Year of the Goat .
Also coming up is World Book day on Thursday 5th March - you will all find a book token in your child's file to mark this , and the children will be invited to bring their favourite book to nursery to share with their friends - more info on this nearer the time .
The schoolhouse have made a new noticeboard in the conservatory area - this will be updated monthly with information about the nursery and any new information/guidance we get from other bodies - eg NHS , Care Inspectorate , Scottish Executive , Aberdeen City Council etc
The sunflowers have introduced 'quiet time' at the beginning and end of the day . The children will be encouraged to relax in the book bothy with staff , looking at books or their folios, acting out stories with puppets , catching up with news with their friends or just having a rest - because its hard work being at nursery and we all need some quiet time in the day!
A reminder that the orthoptisit will be visiting on Thursday 12th Feb at 2pm to carry out sight tests for those children on their pre-school year . These children will have already received information on this - if your child does not normally attend then , please bring them along at 2pm . Please also ensure that you return the consent form for this asap- they will not carry out the test without consent. This is a Scottish Executive initiative and replaces the P1 sight tests . If your child attends a school nursery , they will be tested there .
We will soon be moving this blog onto the newly created parent area on the website . This area is password protected so only parents and staff can access this . You will soon be given an information sheet and a form asking for your preferred email addresses for this so we can create an account for you . Please return this so we can begin the transfer . There will be a short period where both blogs will be active , so you may receive duplicate copies for a time. If this becomes annoying you can easily unsubscribe from this blog at anytime - the link for this is at the bottom of each email . You will also be able to choose your preferences on the new blog indicating which posts you would like to receive .
Huge thanks to Carl for all his hard work on this - and to the members of the Parent Forum for being our guinea pigs!
I will not be at nursery on Friday 6th and Monday 9th Feb(that's this weekend) so emails will not be replied to on those days - please call us on 01224 733980 if you need to tell us anything - thank you .
A reminder that the nursery will be closed on the following dates this year :
Easter Monday - 6th April
MayDay - 4th May
Aberdeen holidays - 13th July and 28th September
We will close at 6pm on Wednesday 23rd Dec and reopen 8am on Tuesday 5th Jan 2016
Tuesday 3 February 2015
Winter !
Hello everyone ,
We do hope you are all managing to stay warm at the moment....and its not over . Weather warnings continue to be issued for the next few days with snow and ice expected .
Please note that if there is heavy snow/ice we may need to close the carpark so please approach very slowly in case the chain is across the entrance area (there is an alternative foot entrance a little further up the hill on the LHS by the wheelie bins)- please also be careful on the driveway and paths - we are gritting/salting these , but with freezing temperatures , they may still be slippy .
This time of year also brings all manner of illnesses - if we call you because your child is unwell , please arrange to have them collected as soon as possible , and to keep them at home until fully recovered. We'd really appreciate your co-operation with this as this helps to keep everyone at the nunnery as healthy as possible - thank you .
Can we also please ask that you ensure your child/children do not bring anything into nursery that could potentially harm another child . We have children attending with allergies, in some cases potentially life threatening, and we take great care to ensure that the nursery environment is safe for them(as for all children) . This includes bringing any food/drink into nursery(or arriving eating/drinking) and at this time of year lip salves/chapsticks etc - these can cause reactions, so please leave them at home .
The report on our recent inspection has now been published and is on display in each department or you can view it on the Care Inspectorate website here
http://www.scswis.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7644&Itemid=489&bereNextPageId=ReportDataDetails_action.php&action=displayReport&repId=CS2003001752
We do hope you are all managing to stay warm at the moment....and its not over . Weather warnings continue to be issued for the next few days with snow and ice expected .
Please note that if there is heavy snow/ice we may need to close the carpark so please approach very slowly in case the chain is across the entrance area (there is an alternative foot entrance a little further up the hill on the LHS by the wheelie bins)- please also be careful on the driveway and paths - we are gritting/salting these , but with freezing temperatures , they may still be slippy .
This time of year also brings all manner of illnesses - if we call you because your child is unwell , please arrange to have them collected as soon as possible , and to keep them at home until fully recovered. We'd really appreciate your co-operation with this as this helps to keep everyone at the nunnery as healthy as possible - thank you .
Can we also please ask that you ensure your child/children do not bring anything into nursery that could potentially harm another child . We have children attending with allergies, in some cases potentially life threatening, and we take great care to ensure that the nursery environment is safe for them(as for all children) . This includes bringing any food/drink into nursery(or arriving eating/drinking) and at this time of year lip salves/chapsticks etc - these can cause reactions, so please leave them at home .
The report on our recent inspection has now been published and is on display in each department or you can view it on the Care Inspectorate website here
http://www.scswis.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7644&Itemid=489&bereNextPageId=ReportDataDetails_action.php&action=displayReport&repId=CS2003001752
Friday 30 January 2015
Staffing News
A very warm welcome back to a couple of familiar faces .
I am delighted to tell you that Melissa will be returning to the bluebells next week - she's only been away since Christmas but we've all really missed her . She will be taking up the same role of EY Practitioner from Monday 2nd February .
And Adina who was with us last year during her uni summer break , will now be joining the sunflowers on Thursdays and Fridays , also from next week . We're really pleased she can spend some time with us as she's in her final year and is very , very busy!
Its great to have you both back at Craigton!
I am delighted to tell you that Melissa will be returning to the bluebells next week - she's only been away since Christmas but we've all really missed her . She will be taking up the same role of EY Practitioner from Monday 2nd February .
And Adina who was with us last year during her uni summer break , will now be joining the sunflowers on Thursdays and Fridays , also from next week . We're really pleased she can spend some time with us as she's in her final year and is very , very busy!
Its great to have you both back at Craigton!
Tuesday 20 January 2015
Weather and Inspection report
Hello everyone ,
well it looks as if winter has arrived with a vengeance! We are making the most of this though - the older children have been out in the garden today playing in the snow and the babies are investigating some snow which has been brought into them - they are having a great time with this! Thank you to you all for ensuring that the children have suitable outdoor clothing- they are all warm and cosy in their suits! Please remember though that all children will also need soft soled shoes or slippers for indoors and a full change of clothes each day - thank you.
This weather is not all fun and games though - Please be aware that if there is heavy snow or very icy conditions we may need to close the carpark - if this happens it will be posted on here so please check the blogspot rather than waiting for the email notification. If we do close it , the chain will be across the entrance so please slow down if the conditions are bad . Given the traffic chaos across the area last night and this morning , it looks as though many journeys may be affected for a few days- if you think you may be late , please arrange to have someone else pick up your child(and call to tell us) . We'd appreciate closing on time as we do need to ensure that all staff get home safely too.
Over the next month or so , we will be moving the blog onto a new parent area on the website and you will then be notified immediately of any new posts/content . We will need to create accounts for this gradually before we abandon the old blog entirely , so there will be a crossover period when you will get the notifications twice - please bear with us while this process is happening . More information on this will be issued soon .
A big Craigton welcome to Holly Whitehouse and Orla Greensmythe who both joined us in the schoolhouse this week . Holly has just left school and will be part-time initially - she is hoping to gain some experience with us before going to college later this year to study Early Years . Orla is with us on a 13 week work placement and will be here Tuesday to Friday afternoons .
We have a parent forum meeting scheduled for next week, so please let any member know if you wish to raise anything - Names and photos of the forum members are on display in each building .
We have now received our inspection report from the Care Inspectorate . We were inspected on 8 of the 16 Quality Statements and graded on each of these -grades range from 1(unsatisfactory) to 6(excellent) . Anecdotal evidence suggests that in the past year since the closure of several nurseries , the grading criteria has been tightened and that 6's are very unlikely to be awarded . We are therefore happy to have been graded at 5 for 7 of the QS's and 4 for 1. Once this has all been fedback to staff at a meeting this week , and the Parent Forum next week , the full report will then be on display in each department , and a link posted to view online . Thank you to all of you who returned questionnaires , replied to emails or spoke to the inspector over the two days of the inspection- its very important that your views on the nursery are represented and we all appreciate your support in this .
But most of all a huge thank you to all the staff - Im sure you will agree that they are what makes Craigton such a special , warm , welcoming and fun place , and how hard they all work to ensure that your children(and you) have the best possible experience whilst with us. Thank you all :-)
And finally please note that the nursery will be closed on the following dates this year:
Easter Monday - 6th April
MayDay - 4th May
Local holidays 13th July and 28th September
well it looks as if winter has arrived with a vengeance! We are making the most of this though - the older children have been out in the garden today playing in the snow and the babies are investigating some snow which has been brought into them - they are having a great time with this! Thank you to you all for ensuring that the children have suitable outdoor clothing- they are all warm and cosy in their suits! Please remember though that all children will also need soft soled shoes or slippers for indoors and a full change of clothes each day - thank you.
This weather is not all fun and games though - Please be aware that if there is heavy snow or very icy conditions we may need to close the carpark - if this happens it will be posted on here so please check the blogspot rather than waiting for the email notification. If we do close it , the chain will be across the entrance so please slow down if the conditions are bad . Given the traffic chaos across the area last night and this morning , it looks as though many journeys may be affected for a few days- if you think you may be late , please arrange to have someone else pick up your child(and call to tell us) . We'd appreciate closing on time as we do need to ensure that all staff get home safely too.
Over the next month or so , we will be moving the blog onto a new parent area on the website and you will then be notified immediately of any new posts/content . We will need to create accounts for this gradually before we abandon the old blog entirely , so there will be a crossover period when you will get the notifications twice - please bear with us while this process is happening . More information on this will be issued soon .
A big Craigton welcome to Holly Whitehouse and Orla Greensmythe who both joined us in the schoolhouse this week . Holly has just left school and will be part-time initially - she is hoping to gain some experience with us before going to college later this year to study Early Years . Orla is with us on a 13 week work placement and will be here Tuesday to Friday afternoons .
We have a parent forum meeting scheduled for next week, so please let any member know if you wish to raise anything - Names and photos of the forum members are on display in each building .
We have now received our inspection report from the Care Inspectorate . We were inspected on 8 of the 16 Quality Statements and graded on each of these -grades range from 1(unsatisfactory) to 6(excellent) . Anecdotal evidence suggests that in the past year since the closure of several nurseries , the grading criteria has been tightened and that 6's are very unlikely to be awarded . We are therefore happy to have been graded at 5 for 7 of the QS's and 4 for 1. Once this has all been fedback to staff at a meeting this week , and the Parent Forum next week , the full report will then be on display in each department , and a link posted to view online . Thank you to all of you who returned questionnaires , replied to emails or spoke to the inspector over the two days of the inspection- its very important that your views on the nursery are represented and we all appreciate your support in this .
But most of all a huge thank you to all the staff - Im sure you will agree that they are what makes Craigton such a special , warm , welcoming and fun place , and how hard they all work to ensure that your children(and you) have the best possible experience whilst with us. Thank you all :-)
And finally please note that the nursery will be closed on the following dates this year:
Easter Monday - 6th April
MayDay - 4th May
Local holidays 13th July and 28th September
Monday 12 January 2015
Heath notice
We have a reported case of chickenpox in the Sunflowers building this morning .
Please see the following link for information
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/chickenpox-in-children-under-12
The following is from the advice given on the above link
Please see the following link for information
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/chickenpox-in-children-under-12
The following is from the advice given on the above link
A person with chickenpox is infectious from two days before the spots first appear until they have all crusted over (commonly about five days after onset of the rash). A child with chickenpox should stay off school or nursery for five days from the onset of the rash.
Thursday 8 January 2015
Primary 1 and nursery enrolment
Hello everyone ,
just a short post today to let you know that if your child will be starting school or school nursery this coming academic year(2015/16) you need to enrol them now .
P1 enrolment is 8th to 16th January , and nursery 19th to 30th January for Aberdeen City schools .
You need to go to the school you wish your child to attend with their birth certificate in order to enrol - you will be asked to complete a form and return it before the closing date .
If you need anything further , please contact the school as we do not have any more information .
just a short post today to let you know that if your child will be starting school or school nursery this coming academic year(2015/16) you need to enrol them now .
P1 enrolment is 8th to 16th January , and nursery 19th to 30th January for Aberdeen City schools .
You need to go to the school you wish your child to attend with their birth certificate in order to enrol - you will be asked to complete a form and return it before the closing date .
If you need anything further , please contact the school as we do not have any more information .
Monday 5 January 2015
Happy New Year
Welcome back everyone!
I hope that you all had a wonderful time over the festive period , and are now probably glad to be back into the normal routine!
A warm Craigton welcome to two new staff members - Kerrie Darlington joins the buttercups this week fulltime , and Flora McDowell will be joining us in the schoolhouse part-time next week . We will also be joined soon by Orla Greensmythe on an extended work placement starting very soon , also on a part-time basis . Please make yourselves known to them - it can take sometime to get to know everyone. We also welcome Katie our cook back next week after her maternity leave- I've enjoyed being the cook for the past few weeks but am looking forward to getting back to my 'real' job!
Gerry the painter has been busy in the schoolhouse while we have been closed , and will continue to work in this building over the coming week- there's a lot to be done and this takes time!
We are looking forward to 2015 at Craigton so please watch this space for information on what we'll be doing here . We will also soon be changing the blogspot and incorporating this into our website , along with a new parent area that will only be accessible to parents and staff . We will issue more information on this once we are ready to go , which we hope will be this month . Our thanks to Carl for all his hard work and useful advice on this - its very much appreciated!
For the organised amongst you who are already planning holidays, please note that the nursery will be closed on the following dates this year :
Easter Monday - 6th April
Mayday - 4th May
Local holiday - 13th July
Local holiday - 28th September
I hope that you all had a wonderful time over the festive period , and are now probably glad to be back into the normal routine!
A warm Craigton welcome to two new staff members - Kerrie Darlington joins the buttercups this week fulltime , and Flora McDowell will be joining us in the schoolhouse part-time next week . We will also be joined soon by Orla Greensmythe on an extended work placement starting very soon , also on a part-time basis . Please make yourselves known to them - it can take sometime to get to know everyone. We also welcome Katie our cook back next week after her maternity leave- I've enjoyed being the cook for the past few weeks but am looking forward to getting back to my 'real' job!
Gerry the painter has been busy in the schoolhouse while we have been closed , and will continue to work in this building over the coming week- there's a lot to be done and this takes time!
We are looking forward to 2015 at Craigton so please watch this space for information on what we'll be doing here . We will also soon be changing the blogspot and incorporating this into our website , along with a new parent area that will only be accessible to parents and staff . We will issue more information on this once we are ready to go , which we hope will be this month . Our thanks to Carl for all his hard work and useful advice on this - its very much appreciated!
For the organised amongst you who are already planning holidays, please note that the nursery will be closed on the following dates this year :
Easter Monday - 6th April
Mayday - 4th May
Local holiday - 13th July
Local holiday - 28th September
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