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Edition 22

Directors NewsSparkwellWoodlandsSchool ClubLee MillChaddlewoodMike's Meal - BrowniesMontessori Information - TheCreative AreaParenting Advice - SocialEmotional Development Staff NewsDates for your diaryFebruary News

The month of February has been filled with love! ithas been a delight to see the teams sharinghappiness, kindness and feelings activities with thechildren. As Directors, mothers and key workers wehave a huge appreciation for the challenges thathave come with the Covid 19 pandemic. We havemade a real effort to support the mental health ofboth our staff and the children in our care duringthis difficult time. We are ensuring that our nurseriescontinue to support your childrens emotional andsocial development while doing their utmost to keepthem safe We have signed up for Easy Fundraising to raisemoney for our outdoor spaces. This wonderfulwebsite allows you to make free donations whiledoing your online shopping. All you have to do ischoose to support us here, create a free accountand then shop online as you normally would! Everytime you make a purchase the retailer will give us asmall donation to put towards our gardens. Wecannot wait to see how they turn out! At our monthly board meeting we tasked themanagers of our nurseries to plan the developmentof their garden using the Mosaic Approach.This wasdevised by Peter Moss and Alison Clark as a way toallow everyone to contribute to a project We havecreated drawings of an 'ideal nursery', takenpictures of things the children enjoy, had verbalconversations about our gardens and some of youmay have even received a questionnaire. Thisapproach has allowed all children to contributetheir opinion on how our gardens should look andhas given us lots of ideas moving forward! Moreinformation about the Mosaic Approach can befound by following this linkhttps://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/say-your-piece Tracey and Caroline

Another month has passed and now we welcome March and hopefully some Spring weather will start toshine through these rather wet days. Throughout February the over 2's have been learning all about Space, the children have been so excitedto start this topic and have really engaged in all aspects of learning. They have explored the dark den andused torches to make the moon on the walls of the den, marble painting to create marks onto theirplanets, reading stories about astronauts and the planets and much more. The topic has been a huge hit! The baby room have been learning about different types of animals, sea animals, jungle animals, farmanimals etc. They have enjoyed playng with small world animals alongside story books and songs. Thebabies have watched their display board come to life with their very own artwork, it has definitely becomea talking point amongst the older babies. The older children have explored the ice in the garden on the particularly cold days. They enjoyedsmashing the ice, sliding objects across the ice and talking about where the ice comes from. The naturallearning environment presented us with some wonderful learning opportunities this month.Charlotte

Well February has flown by and what a busy month it was. The children were very excited to learn about the weather, we even had a fun experiment making aTornado in a bottle. This experiment didn’t go quite to plan and we had lots of bubbles spilling out, weall really laughed! We celebrated valentines day making cards for the ones we love and tasted pancakes on pancake day.Some of the children were little unsure about the taste of the lemon! We also Celebrated Chinese NewYear the year of the OX. The children enjoyed dressing up and looking at Chinese artefacts. This month we have been exploring Africa. We have tasted different African fruits and fruit juices andhave been reading Handa’s surprise. In one of the circle times we looked at different size eggs and wecompared the different sizes of a quail egg a chicken egg and an ostrich egg.We have enjoyed seeing all the squirrels and birds returning to the garden and the flowers are startingto bloom and we are looking forward to the spring.Hannah

There goes the fastest February ever! It has been a short month but the sun is starting to comeout, the mornings are brighter and the evenings are getting longer! This month we celebrated Valentine’s Day, we made bracelets, heart cards and some childrenmade a decoration out of clay! They were great! We also enjoyed lots of construction with ourmagnetic tiles and making the dinosaurs and zoo animals brightly coloured houses. I cannot wait to welcome back all the children we have missed over lockdown and we even havesome new starters that myself, the team and all the children are looking forward to welcomingand helping settle in. I hope you all have a lovely month! We can’t wait to enjoy lots of outdoor play and activities nowthe evenings are lighter. If you have any questions regarding your invoices please email Emily atadmin@littleorchardmontessori.co.uk Breakfast and After School ClubGemma

We have had a lovely time at Lee Mill this month, our outdoor space has provided the perfectenvironment to utilise this gorgeous weather! The children have really enjoyed identifying UK gardenbirds, making bird feeders and scrubbing their wellies after lots of outside learning. Following World Child Mental Health week we've practised Makaton signs for feelings, singing "Howdo you feel?" at group time and also developed our Valentines 'Love' display board of photos sent inby families to show what their child loves. On Pancake day our under two's enjoyed lots of sensory play with pancake ingredients and the overtwo's had an outdoor pancake race! To celebrate Chinese New year the children enjoyed exploring ared rice sensory tray (this was particularly popular!) and our role-play area became a Chineserestaurant. We also challenged our Maths skills by learning about the Chinese Zodiac legend "TheGreat Race". This has encouraged links with numerals as we discussed which position each animal inthe race finished in. To expand our Literacy skills we have done lots of chalk mark-making outdoors on fences, walls andeven tractor tyres! The older children have started their Letter sounds books and are using themoveable alphabet to build words. Tracey

The Over 2’s have been focusing on Healthy minds as we celebrated Children’s Mental Health week. We have been reading books about feelings and talking about our emotions and how they make ourbodies feel. We have also been focusing on using kind words to each other. The children have alsomade their own bread with Jayne and eaten it for tea as we celebrated bread week and talked aboutour love for bread. Next month we are excited to be learning all about The Life Cycle of a frog. We have a nature table toset up and even have our very own frogspawn to watch grow and develop. We will be discussing whatfood they eat and what conditions they need to live in and when they are ready, they will go and live inGabi’s pond. I would like to start by say a huge thankyou to the families and children that attend Little OrchardChaddlewood for making me feel so welcome. I have loved meeting you all and I am sure there are stillsome of you I have yet to meet. This month we have celebrated so many of our children’s birthdays andhave enjoyed presenting them with their timelines of their lives so far. The babies have been having so much fun exploring paint, they even used their whole bodies one day! Itwas so wonderful to observe their happy faces. They have also been enjoying sensory activities and lotsof outdoor time.Tracy

180 grams dark chocolate 150 grams butter100 grams soft brown sugar 100 grams caster sugarTeaspoon vanillaTable spoon cocoa powder3 eggs 120 grams plain flourPinch saltMelt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a pan ofsimmering water. Once melted, set to one side to slightly cool. Meanwhile in another bowl add the eggs, beaten, to the sugarand then add the vanilla, pinch of salt and cocoa powder andthen give it a good whisk. Once the chocolate/butter mixture has cooled slightly fold itin to the egg mixture and then gradually add and fold in theflour. Bake at 175 for 23-28 minutes. For extra indulgence, just before baking, stir in a drop ofmaple syrup or some chocolate drops!Chocolate BrownieMike's MealsIngredientsMethod

The creative area is very important in a Montessori nursery and we hope to encourage yourchild to ‘think creatively’ not just with creative materials such as paint, clay or instrumentsessions but in all areas so your child can develop problem solving skills and have theconfidence to experiment. A child who is creative is a child who is able to express themselves and their thoughts.We believe that it is the creative process that is important not the end product. Oftenchildren say what a picture is because an adult has asked them, for the child the process wasmore important. We ensure there are plenty of creative materials freely available forexploration and expression such as paints, different size brushes, clay, playdough, paper ofvarious sizes, scissors, junk boxes, collage materials etc. Children are able to display their art work but more often than not choose to take their hardwork home or put it in their art scrap book in their tray at nursery. We have a role play area with a variety of props such as clothes, tool kits, babies, scarves, teaset or telephone to develop imagination. Teachers hold music sessions with instrumentswhich are left on the shelf for the children to explore on their own. We have drama sessionsoften linked to yoga when we imagine a journey such as rowing our boat and exploring thescenery or pretending that we are animals.At home you could have an area set aside with a supply of paper and mark making materials,a collection of junk for model making, or you could paint pictures together outside. Scarvesin a box for dressing up are always a favourite- a scarf can be anything! Montessori Information Creative Area

Social emotionalSocial emotionaldevelopmentdevelopment This past year has dramatically reduced our social interactions and we are aware that this cancause a lot of worry among parents of young children. Parents and caregivers (such as ournursery staff) have the biggest influence on children's social and emotional development as weoffer the most consistent relationships for the children. Here at Little Orchard we implementlots of strategies to ensure your children know how to express and manage their emotions,form positive relationships and engage with their environment. There are also some simplethings that you can do at home to continue to support this development. This includes: Reinforcing good behaviour Offering praise when children demonstrate good social behaviours allows them to feel goodabout themselves which in turn helps them develop a sense of empathy. This will also create apositive space encouraging children to become more generous and thoughtful. Encourage empathyThis can be done by firstly foccusing on how the children feel themselves. Ask them questionssuch as 'How did you feel when you lost your toy?'. Once they begin to express this confidentlyyou can ask them questions about other people. Such as, 'How do you think Alice felt whenyou took her toy?' or asking how other characters in a book/story feel when things happen tothem. This will encourage them to consider other peoples feelings and how their own actionsmay impact those around them. Teach cooperationThis can be done by playing turn taking games and involving other children in activities. Thiscan often take some time to encourage as children are naturally impatient but this willimprove as they grow. Playing with others also develops social problem-solving skills as theylearn to settle arguments by compromising and negotiating with each other. Model good relationships This is one of the main ways you can encourage your children's social emotional development.By witnessing you express emotions, discuss your feelings with others and nurture healthyhappy relationships your child will naturally copy your behaviour and learn to form healthyrelationships themselves. We know this must be a very worrying time for parents but please remember you are all doingan amazing job during this tough time!

This month Jess has moved from our Woodlands setting to our Lee Mill setting to work with theUnder Two's. We have been really impressed with her work at Woodlands and think she will be agreat addition to our growing Lee Mill team. Briony left our Lee Mill setting this month to follow a new career path. We have thoroughly enjoyedhaving Briony as a part of our team for the past few years and wish her all the best for her newcareer! We would like to send a massive congratulations to Zara, Chris and Eliza on the birth of Chester.Chester was born 26th February, weighing 8lb 14oz and is absolutely gorgeous! Hello everyone! I'm sure I have emailed or messaged you all atsome point but very few of you have met me in person! I'mTracey's youngest daughter and even attended Little OrchardSouth Brent when I was much younger. Throughout the years Ihave helped at the nurseries, worked as a cleaner at Woodlands,and worked at Before and After School Club. In August Tracey and Caroline hired me as their PersonalAssistant, a job which involves wide range of responsibilities fromgeneral paperwork to designing adverts, cards and the monthlynewsletter. In January I took on the role of Financial Administratoras maternity cover for Zara. My role in the company is constantlygrowing and (although daunting at first) I have really enjoyedexpanding my skill set.As well as working at Little Orchard I teach at PlymouthPerforming Arts Academy and love bringing that into thenurseries! I often share the poems/songs I teach with Tracey andAlicia (my sister who works at Sparkwell) who then share themwith the children at nursery. At Christmas Gabi and I played Fluteand Violin duets for children during their Christmas lunch and,more recently, I have been teaching the Lee Mill children all aboutBallet.In the future I am looking to move away and pursue a career inActing, though I am thoroughly enjoying working at Little Orchardin the meantime! Staff NewsFeatured staff member -Emily

Spring Term 4th January-1st April Half term - Monday 15th February Bank Holiday 2nd April and 5th April Summer Term 19 April-27th July (Chaddlewood 16th July) Half Term - Monday 31st May Bank Holiday 3rd May and 31st May Autumn Term 6th September - 17th DecemberHalf term - Monday 25th October We are closed for all Bank Holidays and for approx a week at Christmas.Stretched funding at Chaddlewood does not cover the weeks beginning 5th April and23rd August.. Would you like to order a jumper or T shirt for your child in purple with our logo on? Please letus know via email or message on FamlyT Shirt; £6.95Jumper; £8.95Dates For Your DiariesLee Mill - Tracey: leemill@littleorchardmontessori.co.uk Tel: 01752 893498 Term Dates for Devon/PlymouthContact DetailsJumper/ T Shirt PurchasesPlease contact managers direct regarding changes to sessions, extra days andholiday notice:Sparkwell- Charlotte: sparkwell@littleorchardmontessori.co.uk  Tel: 01752 837883Woodlands -Hannah:woodlands@littleorchardmontessori.co.uk Tel: 01752 658567Director Caroline:caroline.lucas@littleorchardmontessori.co.ukEmily:Invoice queries:admin@littleorchardmontessori.co.uk Tel:07549066082Chaddlewood - Tracy : chaddlewood@littleorchardmontessori.co.uk Tel: 01752 202193

Little Orchard is busier than ever! All four of our nurseries are quicklyfilling up so we are looking to hire four new staff members to fill avariety of roles at our Sparkwell, Woodlands and Chaddlewoodsettings:At Sparkwell we are looking for a Deputy Manager /Montessori Teacher to support the manager andensure the Montessori way of learning is implementedwithin the setting. We are really excited about the growth of our company and cannotwait to welcome lots of new staff to our settings! Send us an email formore information at pa@littleorchardmontessori.co.uk At Woodlands we are looking for a Cook to prepareour delicious meals.At Chaddlewood we are looking for a Full Time level3 Practitioner and an Apprentice to join our growingteam.