Weekly Bulletin 28 February 2024

28th February 2024

Dear Parents

We hope you have all had a good half term break.

We have a lot of nice events planned for the children and parents this half term. Please see the diary section below for more information and the dates for your diaries.

On Monday 4^th March we have some ‘Living Eggs’ arriving in an incubator so children can watch, and wonder at, the life cycle of a chicken. The eggs arrive on Monday and are with us for two weeks, so please do pop in to the Library area, with your children, either first thing in the morning, or at the end of the day, to see their progress as they hatch out and grow.  Classes visit the library to see them regularly over the two weeks that they are here, and there is a lot of opportunity for mathematical thinking as we count the eggs, seeing how many hatch daily, and how many are still to peck their way out of their shells. Children also have the chance to draw and hold the chicks in the second week, once they are a bit bigger.

Monday 4^th March we have a Faculty of Education Teacher trainee starting a 10 week placement with us.  Her name is Milly and she is going to be based in West Room, being supported by the West Room staff as she gradually starts to teach alongside them. Please do introduce yourselves to her.

Tuesday 5^th March we are holding a Maths workshop for parents 7.30pm-8.45pm – please do come along to this and find out all about how we teach maths, and what you can do at home to support your child’s development in this area.

Wednesday 7^th March is World Book Day – If your child would like to bring in their favourite story at some stage during the week beginning 4^th March, then we can share it with the class during the week. Please put your child’s name in any book that they bring in.

Sunday 10^th March is Mother’s Day. It is also likely to be the start of Ramadan, on either the 10^th or 11^th March, for our Muslim families who mark this period of fasting and reflection for the coming month.

We have parent consultations this half of term for parents in East, West and South rooms – please sign up for a 10 minute consultation slot with class staff on the sheets outside your classrooms.

The end of this week is St David’s Day – celebrating the patron saint of Wales, and the 17^th March it is St Patrick’s Day – celebrating the patron saint of Ireland.

Wednesday 20^th March we are holding our ‘Eggstravaganza’ celebration which focuses on Spring and New Life – this is an event for all parents and children to enjoy together in our garden at drop off time – 8.45am-9.30am.

The following Wednesday 27^th March is our Easter Raffle – please can you start donating prizes for this event, which Tracey is kindly organising for us – chocolates, books and smellies are very welcome donations.

I am attaching the Language of the half term information sheet, which this term is Italian – Carnevale this year was very early so has already passed, but there is a great recipe for you to try given to us by Stefania who is one of our Governors.

Davina, our music teacher, has asked me to attach some information about a local choir for older primary children, if anyone has children over 8 who might be interested in joining a choir.

I am also attaching the What’s On programme from the Local Authority which gives information about local events for families.

I have recently been sent a link to NHS services and on-line advice for parents on subjects such as toilet training and sleep which you may find very useful

cambspborochildrenshealth.nhs.uk

Here are a selection of photos from the week showing the wide variety of activities taking place across the Centre both inside and out.

Some of them feature our Core Book this half of term which is ‘My Granny Went to Market’, which is a lovely counting and rhyming book by Stella Blackstone and Christopher Corr.

             Our pirates collecting maps to find the hidden treasure….                                    

               Could it be in the sandpit?                

                     Children using the claves to keep a regular rhythm and beat         

Creating a number chart and then cutting up the individual numbers combining maths with fine motor skills

        West Room are off on the Magic carpet roleplaying the Core book ‘When Granny went to Market’

Exploring our stacking boxes – can you the children match the colours, find the correct lid sizes and stack them within each other from largest to smallest?

The Nest all took part in a drumming workshop accompanied by dancers in wearing their home made cardboard box lion costume. Angela our cook also joined in!

Now that Spring is arriving children have been doing some observational drawing of daffodils and blossom and using paint, tissue paper and a stick from our garden, to create their own versions of these Spring flowers

Tuesday 5^th March – 7.30pm-8.45pm Maths workshop – for parents led by Mitali Peckham our East Room teacher – please book a babysitter.

Wednesday 6^th March 9.30-10.30 – Coffee Morning with Bernie our special Educational Needs Coordinator and Victoria North our Specialist Support Teacher – please come along if you would like to hear more about our additional educational support provision, at Homerton, and also a chance to meet other parents.

Mid-March Parent Consultations for Nursery children in East, South and West Rooms – please sign up for a time slot on the sheet outside your child’s room.

Wednesday 20th March 8.45-9.30am – Eggstravaganza – Parent and child event focusing on life cycles held in the main Nursery garden for all parents and children to attend.

Wednesday 27^th March – Easter Raffle – Please donate a raffle prize for this event if you can, some ideas for this might be – Colouring books, Crayons, New Toys, Books, Eggs, Smellies. Please bring in your donations by Monday 11^th March – thank you.

Thursday 28^th March – Last Day of Spring Term

Monday 15^th April – Summer Term starts

Please can you save and bring in the clear plastic milk bottle tops for our making tables – thank you.