Return to flip book view

Edition 7

November News Directors News Sparkwell Woodlands Ivy Town School Club Mike s Meal Harvest Soup requested after Harvest lunch with families Staff News Montessori Information Colour Boxes Forest School Dates for your diary

This month we carried out health checks Mocksteds in all our nurseries and school club to help identify ways we can further improve our settings Although it was not supposed to make everyone nervous it inevitably did but all the teams supported each other and were determined to do their best We found this such a useful exercise and were pleased with what we saw from the activities on offer the enthusiasm from the team and their knowledge for the children they care for We do also have an action plan of areas we would like to develop further which have already begun Your opinions matter to us and we would appreciate your input You should have received a request to complete a question on Survey Monkey regarding parent information sessions we are planning from January Each month we will have a question on Survey Monkey which will enable us to know your views and help us to provide a service which supports you and your family in the best way we can This month we have visited Naturally Learning in Cornwall with a focus look at their outdoor learning and baby areas which were inspirational We also visited Folly nurseries looking at their kitchen menu s and takeaway home cooked meals service Both visits gave us food for thought and ideas to develop our nurseries in the future We attended Plymouth University to listen to a lecture from Professor Cathy Nutbrown on Respectful Learning in the Early Years which we both believe we offer in our settings Tracey and Caroline

Laura We are very lucky to have had yet another successful open afternoon It is always lovely to see all of our families coming in to see what their child has been enjoying when they are here We had some fantastic baking that was made by the children for the event and as always this went down well with everyone who attended In our under 2 s area they have been exploring our practical life activities it is lovely to see our older babies preparing for when they move up as these activities encourage them to focus and use their coordination for skills they will need as they get older These skills include pouring scooping and posting and will eventually move onto more complex skills such as threading and pinching tongs together They really enjoy these independent activities Our forest school group had so much fun on their first wet session and what started with making boats to sail ended up with us sliding down the muddy banks into the stream This was a huge hit with the children and Laura We would like to welcome George Harver and their families to our Sparkwell setting We are now starting to prepare for Christmas and will be practicing our Nativity which this year will be We re going on a baby hunt We have also started to make our amazing Christmas goodies to go home in our shoe boxes at the end of term Digging in the mud

Vicki I feel very fortunate to be given an opportunity to work with some of your wonderful children on a Tuesday and Thursday morning to lead Forest School sessions I currently lead Forest School sessions at Sparkwell Primary for children in Reception as I m a qualified Forest School Leader and Level 4 Early Years Advanced Practitioner This week on the Tuesday session we had so much fun We called ahead to let Laura and Sarah know that we would be getting very wet and muddy When we ve had a heavy rainfall something amazing happens in the woods a wonderful stream appears and provides a diverse range of learning opportunities But first before we set out on our adventure we read a story called Mr Grumpy s Outing by John Burningham a story about a boat that tipped over because it had too many passengers Next we discussed the boats we could make and the concept of sinking and floating The children all checked that they were Forest School Ready and off we went The stream provided so much learning the children especially enjoyed sliding down the muddy bank into the stream collecting scooping pouring stomping and splashing Last week on the Thursday session the weather was perfect to explore What is a Kelly Kettle We first had a little chat about fire safety we do this every week as we want to embed good practice every week to build knowledge and understanding In my big bag this week we had a Dragon Sneeze this is a lovely wooden handled fire steel that when the child strikes it with the flint it makes a spark like a dragon s sneeze Each child in the group had a go at sparking the flint and steel Then we did some magic and poured some water into the secret chamber of the Kelly Kettle The children all had a go at chopping the kindling with a knife and mallet All the children listened really well and even the youngest children were mesmerised by the fire inside the kettle We used the hot water to make yummy hot chocolate and we ate a biscuit too

Hannah We have been very busy at the woodlands nursery The children took part in their harvest assembly singing songs and participating with arts and crafts activities which had been set up for families and children to enjoy together Families were also invited to join us for Harvest Lunch enjoying a delicious soup and homemade rolls We have also celebrated Diwali the festival of lights The children made their own lanterns spice plates and tried different types of food The display board in the main room has supported children s discussions and learning For Remembrance day the children decorated poppies to display at our nursery We had a lovely couple of days raising money for children in need the children and staff dressed in their pajamas and made lovely cakes to sell We are now looking forward to Christmas and have been busy learning Christmas songs in preparation for our nativity on Friday 14th December 10 00 We will also be making lots of lovely things to go in the children s individual Christmas boxes Diwali display We would like to welcome Frankie Freddie and their families to our Woodlands setting

Hannah Breakfast and After School Club What a fun filled month we have had at school club We have really enjoyed putting on the fairy lights each night when it starts to get dark Some days the children just want to chill and relax after a long day at school so this month we have been doing yoga in the dark and learning how to relax when breathing this has been a favourite The children like to share the different yoga positions they know already We have enjoyed making firework pictures for bonfire night and of course lots of dancing Last week the school had their school discos and before the school children went across we had to let out their excitement by having a good boogie before hand even us adults like to join in The children are already asking to decorate the hut for Christmas so we are very much looking forward to December to start our decorating We would like to welcome all our new starters to school club We are delighted you have joined us Halloween Fun

Briony This month has been so busy and we have loved it We have been so lucky to have so many people in for our careers week including the police mechanic dancers and we visited the fire station We learnt so much and made some lovely friendships and memories for everyone For our families we baked bread and were delighted to share it at our harvest lunch So many family members came it was lovely to see everyone come together As a group we have been talking about why the leaves are changing colour and why it is getting colder outside We had a lovely Halloween day where we all dressed up and had Halloween sensory games arts and crafts For Bonfire night we made a very bright picture which all the children loved taking part in Then we had Remembrance Day we spoke about what it means why we have this day about poppies and made our own The children seemed to have a lot of interest in it and enjoyed making their own poppies The under two s have loved being able to explore the garden especially the mud kitchen and making their own ramps for the balls to go down They have also have recently started working with the big children to do some baking and make some yummy desserts for everyone Some of our younger children have been trying really hard to use open cups with support from Sheridan and Saisha Exploring balls and ramps

Mike s Meals Harvest Soup Ingredients 2 Onions Half a pumpkin 1 Butternut squash 1 sweet potato Oil to cook Tumeric Cumin Veg Stock Cube Method Peel and remove seeds from the pumpkin and squash and rough cut in to edible chunks Peel the sweet potatoes and onions and cut the same way Put a pan on the hob and get it hot then add in some cooking oil Wait a few seconds for the oil to heat then sweat off all the veg together for a few minutes Just cover the vegetables with water and bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer until the veg is soft Add in a veg Oxo cube tea spoon of Turmeric and Cumin or Coriander simmer for a little while longer Cool slightly then blend Serve with fresh bread rolls

Staff News This month we would like to welcome Tegan to our Sparkwell team Tegan has joined as their apprentice and has settled in so well even managing to answer questions on our Mocksted day Well done Tegan We are very proud to be sponsoring Hannah and Dylanie who are currently on maternity leave when they take part in a sponsored walk for the NCT The NCT campaign Give loneliness The Big Push is raising funds to help combat perinatal mental health Caroline and Tracey attended perinatal mental health training earlier this month and this cause is very important to them Perimental health is so important to not only the mother and her partner but also for the development of the baby Sarah from Sparkwell and Hayley from Woodlands recently attended first aid training It is very important to us that all team members are first aid trained and can react in an emergency situation All three current managers attended level three safeguarding training to ensure they understand our local safeguarding boards procedures and how to keep children safe All other team members are completing their level two Featured staff member Irina My name is Irina Huluban and I have been working within Little Orchard Woodlands Nursery since April 2017 Born and raised in Romania I moved to England with my husband after getting my Social Work BA Hons degree My journey with Montessori began nearly 10 years ago while volunteering in a Montessori nursery in West Sussex After completing my CACHE Level 2 and 3 qualifications in Childcare and Education and impressed by the caring and nurturing Montessori environment the whole child approach and the multi sensory sequential and self correcting materials I was motivated to learn more about this wonderful teaching philosophy In 2014 I gained my Diploma in Montessori Pedagogy at Montessori Center International in London I am passionate about Montessori I am absolutely inspired and fulfilled working in Montessori I see my job like planting seeds that can grow and bring results that last beyond a person s lifetime At Woodlands together with my colleagues we are working towards providing the children the best possible environment where they can develop self esteem self control and have better opportunities for concentration which will help them become great human beings I enjoy being a part of shaping a child into a well rounded individual I just love being a Montessori teacher Away from the nursery I enjoy reading dancing and photography but most of all spending time with my husband and my son who s been my buddy in this journey for more than 6 years

Montessori Information The Colour Boxes In the Sensorial area of our nurseries we have our colour boxes one two and three As a Montessori teacher these are one of my favourite activities in the environment as they offer so many opportunities and I just love colour The children learn how to recognise and distinguish between colours through initially pairing the colours in the smallest colour box 1 then in colour box 2 Colour box 3 encourages a child to organise the colours by shade starting with the darkest to the lightest Initially only one colour is graded but eventually a glorious coloured sun is created using all the colours This takes so long to create but looks stunning and all the children who have created with me have been so proud of what they have created Games can be played with the colour boxes where one of each colour tablet is placed on a mat and the child finds objects to match the colour from the environment This is played individually or in a group It is so interesting watching which objects the children bring back Ideas for home Why not have a colour hunt at home ask your child to help sort the washing by colours pair socks sort beads Take a colour chart form a diy shop and see what colours you can see on a walk or in the garden Have discussions about colours shades patterns What do you like about patterns you see

Dates For Your Diaries Term Dates Autumn Term 3rd September 14th December Christmas Closure 24th Dec 1st Jan inclusive Spring Term 7th January 5th April Half Term 18th February Easter Bank Holiday 19th and 22nd April Summer Term 23rd April 19th July May Bank Holiday 6th and 27th May Half Term 27th May Summer Bank Holiday August 26th We are closed for all Bank Holidays and for approx a week at Christmas Contact Details Director Caroline caroline lucas littleorchardmontessori co uk Zara Invoice queries admin littleorchardmontessori co uk Tel 07549066082 Please contact managers direct regarding changes to sessions extra days and holiday notice Sparkwell Laura sparkwell littleorchardmontessori co uk Tel 837883 Woodlands Claire woodlands littleorchardmontessori co uk Tel 658567 Ivy Town Gail ivytown littleorchardmontessori co uk Tel 893498 Jumper T Shirt Purchases 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 95 Jumper 8 95