The Children's House Montessori School
Newsletter
January 2012
Dear Parent
Firstly a very Happy New Year to all, and a warm welcome to parents and children who are new to us this term. We hope that you all had a great Christmas break. As always we will do our utmost to settle new children as sensitively as possible.
Many thanks to all parents for the lovely gifts and cards to our staff at Christmas, they are always greatly appreciated.
This term we will be looking at the Winter Time, Mardi Gras, the Chinese New Year, Spring and Easter. Should you have any books or items related to these subjects we would be very grateful if we could borrow them on a loan basis. We would also greatly appreciate any parent who would be willing to come in to give the children a small talk if you have a particular interest in any of this term’s topics, or indeed any subject that would be of interest to our children.
On an important note, I have once again been asked to point out by the Headteacher of Rushcombe School that some of our parents are still accessing the nursery either on foot or in a vehicle via the staff entrance and steep slope. This practice is strictly prohibited and I have been asked to insist that it ceases immediately. Also can parents please try to prevent their child from pressing the ‘entrance button’ to the school reception area. Please assist us to maintain our good relationship with Rushcombe First School. I attach a copy of the School Rules for your information.
Please permit me to offer a gentle reminder on a couple of points which are very important as follows:
Illness: Please avoid bringing your child to nursery with any contagious illness e.g. Chicken Pox, conjunctivitis, sickness and diarrhoea or if your child is clearly not well.
Please ensure that 48 hours elapses prior to any attendance after your child has either suffered diarrhoea or sickness to avoid the spread of germs within the school.
Labelling: Would you please ensure that all your children’s coats, hats, gloves etc. are named and also lunch boxes and drink containers etc.
Nut Allergies: Please avoid enclosing nut products or sandwich spreads within your child’s lunch box as severe nut allergies are relatively common and even the slightest contact with nut foodstuffs can be dangerous to those children affected.
Children leaving the Nursery: Whilst our prospectus states that four weeks notice period is required of your intention to withdraw your child from the School or reduce sessions, it is extremely useful if you could let us know as early as possible if your child will be leaving, say, next term to start school or for any other reason. This enables us to effectively plan places for other children as they become available.
The following dates for your diaries:-
| For children attending on a term time basis: | |||
| Half Term: | Monday 13th February - Friday 17th February 2012 incl. | ||
| Easter Holiday: | Monday 2nd April – Friday 13th April 2012 incl. | ||
| Return to school: Monday 16th April 2012. | |||
| Public holiday: | Monday 7th May 2012 – May Day (School closed) | ||
| Half Term: | Monday 4th June - Friday 8th June 2012 incl. | ||
| Summer: | Monday 23rd July 2012 - Friday 31st 2012 incl. | ||
| Return to school: Monday 3rd September 2012. | |||
| For children attending on a full time basis: | |||
| The school will be open at all times apart from the following Public Holidays:- | |||
| Friday 6th April 2012 | Good Friday | ||
| Monday 9th April 2012 | Easter Monday | ||
| Monday 7th May 2012 | May Day Bank Holiday | ||
| Monday 4th June 2012 | Late Spring Bank Holiday | ||
| Tuesday 5th June 2012 | Queens Royal Jubilee Bank Holiday | ||
| And the school will also close for the 2 week summer break:- | |||
| Monday 20th August - Friday 31st August 2012 incl. | |||
| Return to school: Monday 3rd September 2012 | |||
As always the school will be open for all full-time attendees and term-time children who would like to take advantage of extra sessions during the holidays, apart from the public holidays as shown and the two week closure during the last two weeks of the summer holidays. Please let Kirsty or myself know as soon as possible but not later than the 3rd February if you wish your child to take advantage of extra sessions during the next half term holiday.
It is also worth remembering that funded children can uplift their number of sessions up to the funding limit of 15 hours at any time during the term.
If you have a request for any additional sessions this term please be sure to speak to me as soon as possible. This should be of particular interest to those of who you have children with third birthdays this term as you will be entitled to funding next term. Sessions are allocated on a first come first served basis. We like to do our best to meet the needs of our existing parents and therefore strongly advise that any siblings are registered now to ensure a place is reserved for when you need it.
We will be having a Parents Evenings next term for children that are leaving us in July to go on to school in September - further information will follow. This term we will also be holding a Parents Evening for
children who have been attending since January 2011 who will not be going to school this year. This was identified in our latest Parental Questionnaire as something that parents would find useful to enable us to discuss your child’s progress and how well new children have settled into the nursery. Further information will follow in due course.
We would also like to remind all parents that in our hallway there is provision for your comments / ideas / opinions about the nursery education that we offer your child. If you would like to make any comments or suggestions using the ‘post-it’ notes or Suggestion Envelopes provided, we would be very happy to receive them. It is an important part of the initiative under the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum that parents and nurseries work closely together to provide the very best of learning opportunities for the children in our care.
Finally, please remember that we are always available to talk to you over any matter whatsoever in connection with your child’s progress and wellbeing.
Regards
Catherine.
