Archive for October, 2024

Welcome to the start of the new school year and the start of our autumn term.

We would like to welcome all the new parents and children to the Brambles as well as our returning parents and children and hope you all had a great summer holiday. 

Holiday forms have already been sent out for the October half term. Please ensure they are returned to avoid disappointment of not securing a place. 

The menu for the term has also been emailed. Hot lunches are £2.00 or £2.50 if a pudding is included. These can be ordered on the day or in advance. 

Below is the topic each room is exploring this half term and the exciting activities your child/ren may be involved in. If you feel you can help in any way towards the topic/activities please see Linda, Lindsey, Louise or Debbie. 

Field mice room: Pre-school children

The topic is –ALL AROUND US/ ALL ABOUT ME:

Area of learning	Week 1 Settling in		Week 2 About me		Week 3 My home		Week 4 Out on a walk – autumn	Week 5 Harvest
PSED	Settle in and welcome new children. Establish routines and rules e.g. being kind, etc Learn morning / carpet songs Self-register Circle games ie freeze game FIRE DRILL		Discuss and share feelings – what makes us happy/sad…(scribe thoughts) Caring for our room, tidying away, thinking of others.  The colour monster book		Helping each other – ‘Helping’ by Shirley Hughes’		Take home margarine tub and find  5 ‘treasures’ in garden or outside    Talk about family trips and outings ie park, beach, country walk	Harvest time. Prepare for harvest and sharing –  ‘little red hen’   Snack – try and taste different breads e.g. chapatti,     pitta.
C&L	Name recognition games  Discuss routines and rules		Discuss skin/hair colour – similarities/differences (all unique and special) Discuss Colour monster story Discuss I am special because…. Happy to be me poem – discuss Share and discuss All about me books		Make little books in shape of a house, who lives in my house? Shared writing, compose a letter home about a walk next week (request for a margarine tub) Sounds around the home tape game.		Circle time – discuss treasures.  Listening – identify sounds from walk (see UTW)  Recognition of names, focus on initial sounds of names. Non-fiction books about Autumn – read ‘Percy the Park Keeper’ stories	Write shopping lists in role play Re-tell ‘little red hen’ story,  Talk about fruit and vegetables the you like/don’t like, read ‘Oliver’s Vegetables’.
PD	Fine motor skills –   putting on & taking off coats, aa apron Toilet practice independence Using knife & fork scuse scissors Catch a star – lg tweezers to pick up stars in rice Free draw and write Pencil control- pattern sheet		Use scissors – cutting playdough and cutting out features to glue onto a face template Trace over name and sound of the week		Responding to a signal, stopping and starting to music Fine : dressing dolls		Travel round the room in different ways – use space safely  Fine : collect small objects on walk	Magnets fine motor: prepare exotic fruit – wash/chop , etc. kneading and pushing of the bread dough.

Lit	What sound does your name begin with? Story – The gingerbread man (name parts of a book)		Share and discuss All about me books Trace name  Happy to be me poem S sound		A sound		Share “We’re going on a bear hunt” T sound	I sound
Maths	Song – 10 green bottles (counting & number recognition) 1,2,3 hoop game (collecting 1,2 or 3 objects) Size sorting bears		Number poem – all about me – counting and number recognition How many can you hold? Largest/smallest hand? How old are you? – counting candles & number recognition		Walk around setting collect shapes, feely bag game. Make house pictures using cut out shapes. Shape lotto game. Make gingerbread men – using numbers   when measuring ingredients		Make sets of treasures, count, and add number cards. Discuss shapes of natural objects found on walk e.g. leaves, stones (smooth, pointed, etc) Discuss, act out prepositions in story	‘five currant buns’ sing the song, count the buns. Count pennies to pay for things in role play shop How many buns can we fit on the round/square tray or in the large/small bag
KUW	Become familiar with routines and simple rules Take portrait photos – 2 each Colour sorting bears		Body tracing – label parts of the body (hand, elbow…) Are you L or R handed? Happy to be me poem		Talk about different kinds of homes.  Collect pictures and books about different kinds of homes.  Dolls house play, computer colour house in.		Go for a walk – observe trees, plants, etc, use senses.  Display our treasures on interest table, use magnifiers. Tape record sounds on walk, wear ‘ears’ to be more aware of sounds in environment	Make bread in small groups  Observe and discuss changes Look at wheat, grind your own flour.  Look at different kinds of flour. Visit St Just church/school to watch reception class at harvest festival
EAD	Play dough – face templates Paint brick wall and green bottles for display Sing songs		Draw/Paint self portraits (use mirrors) Handprints (L if left handed…) Head and shoulders action song Recognising and matching sounds of percussion instruments (Listening, Remember)		Free painting using a range of brushes  Music – listening and following  instructions (sticky kids) Autumn songs (see black folder) Decorate GBM		Explore colours, paint with autumn shades. Close observation drawings of natural treasures. Learn and sing songs about outdoors/autumn Act out story	Observational drawings fo interest table – use charcoal, pencils and pastels Sing harvest songs

 

Area of learning	Week 6 Our basic skills Shape & colour	Week 7 Our basic skills Counting & numbers		Week 8
PSED	Sharing, turn taking in games & when listening to each other	Play number games cooperatively, help your friends		All about me activities Staying safe during Halloween and Bonfire night
C&L	Describe m2D shapes – name, number of edges, corners (vocab) Guess the shape – feely bag	Discuss counting stories- vocab/rhyme		Talk about the sounds the fire works make Discuss dressing up at Halloween
PD	Use large apparatus to move through, under, etc. – river, grass, cave, etc. Draw around shapes Make shapes using playdough sausages Shape sensory tray ie. circles/spheres-balls, buttons, discs, pompoms.. Cornflour play and coloured ice cubes	Thread correct number of beads onto pipe cleaner flags Scissors – cut a stick Sensory writing trays (flour/rice) draw numbers and sounds Use tweezers to pick up pom- poms (cake cases with numbers on base)		Activities centred around Halloween – spiders webs, carving pumpkins
Lit	Discuss vocab in “The shape of things” Brown Bear Brown bear story P sound	N sound		Meg and Mog – Halloween
Maths	Simple repeat patterns 2D & 3D shapes Find shapes around the room and match Sort shapes onto a matching shape Game – I have a square, who has a circle?	Action counting songs Thread correct number of beads onto pipe cleaner flags Roller ball numbers   Number puzzles Counting bears Find your partner (numbers on plastic spoons buried in the sand) Treasure hunt – numbers in the sand – match to number line
KUW	Colour matching games – dominoes… Autumn leaf colour – matching and sorting Coloured bears and matching cards	How old are yo? (candles on a cake) Who is the eldest/youngest?
EAD	Print with 3D shapes to make 2~D shapes Create shape person Mixing colours using hand prints Making rainbows

Rising threes: 

The topic is All about me with a focus book of The Gruffalo: 

All About Me

Focus book: The Gruffalo

Events:

September:

   6th-Read a book day      8th-International Literacy Day    9th-22nd-Fairtrade Fortnight 9th-Teddy Bear Day 

19th-Talk Like a Pirate Day   27th-National Doodle Day   29th-World Rivers Day   

October:

1st-31st-Black History Month    1st-World Vegetarian Day    2nd-4th-Rosh Hashanah-Jewish New Year Festival   

4th- 10th-World Space Week   6th-Grandparent Day UK    16th- 22nd -Recycle Week  19th- World Singing Day   21th- Trafalgar Day   31st-Halloween

Week One 2nd-6TH 

PSED: Introduce the Colour Monster and create a self-portrait.

C+L: Start the Gruffalo story and introduce Makaton.  6th-Read a book Day-Encourage parents to read a book with their child, sending in photos and their child’s response to the book. 

Physical: Introduce the terms ‘Wake and shake’

Literacy: The children will be able to re-enact the Gruffalo story, through the terms Gruffalo story tray. 8th is International literacy Day. The children will practice mark making in the tuff tray with sticks and shaving foam.

Mathematics: We will begin to focus on the numbers 1,2 and 3, Developing on their counting and number recognition.

Understanding the world: Card board cut outs will be created of the Gruffalo, these will then be used in a shadow show. How shadows are made will be discussed with the children.

Expressive Art and Design: The children will create a paper plate Gruffalo using different shapes-this can also be linked to Mathematics.

Week Two 9th- 13th 

PSED: We will look at and discuss our families. The children will be asked to bring in a picture of their family, as well as create their own family portrait.

C+L: Gruffalo story stones will be introduced, so the children can tell their own story of the Gruffalo. 9th is Teddy Bear day, the children will be encouraged to bring in their favourite bear that will be used in ‘Show and Tell.’

Physical: The children will be assisted in cutting up different materials and creating a meal for a Gruffalo.

Literacy: Children’s name cards will be added to the morning registration to encourage them to recognise their own name.

Mathematics: Using different shapes the children will create different Gruffalo animals. The children will be supported in recognising shapes.

Understanding the World: 9th-22nd is Fairtrade Fortnight. We will discuss fairtrade products and farming.

Expressive Art and Design: Using sticks that the children have collected themselves, they will create a log pile house.

Week Three 16th-20th 

PSED: Introduce The Huge Bag of Worries. The children will have an opportunity to talk to us about any worries they have.

C+L: 19th of September is talk like a pirate day. During the week we will practice talking like Pirates.

Physical: A Gruffalo trail will be made in the garden, where the children will be able to walk through the woods, meeting the different character and climbing through obstacles. Combined in this is a treasure hunt for the children.

Literacy: To celebrate speak like a pirate day, the children will make treasure maps.

Mathematics: The children will be learning measurements to make a Gruffalo crumble.

Understanding the world: The different homes of where woodland animals live will be explored. How do the animals make their homes? Why do they make their home where they are?

Expressive art and design: Paper plate snakes will be made.

 

Week Four 23rd-27th 

PSED: Den building as a group will be done in the garden, to create the homes of animals. The children will look at working as a team and sharing.

C+L: During den building, the children will be encouraged to talk amongst their peers, while working as a team. It will be discussed the benefits of talking about what you are doing and how this promotes good team work.

Physical: The children will create a dance to woodland music.

 Literacy: The 27th is national doodle day. The children throughout the week will create some of their best doodles.

Mathematics: The number 4 will now  be explored. How do we identify the number 4? What makes it unique?

Understanding the world: 29th is world rivers day. The children will explore different rivers around the world.

Expressive Art and Design: The children will create instruments, that can be played along side the woodland music, while they dance.

Week Five 30th-4th

PSED: The 5th is world smile day. We will discuss the things that make us smile and how it is good to make people smile.

C+L: I spy with my little eye, colour game. The children will be encouraged to find different things in the nursery of a certain colour and to bring it back to the adult, so it can be talked about what they have found.

Physical:  The eye spy game will be extended, by the children going to find objects, moving like an animal.

Literacy: Rosh Hashanah pencil control activity worksheet.

Mathematics: The children will work on measuring making Rosh Hashanah honey biscuits.

Understanding the World: 2nd-4th is Rosh Hashanah-Jewish New Year Festival. The children will explore how the celebrate this. 

Expressive Art and Design: Learn a Rosh Hashanah dance.

Week Six 7th-11th

PSED: Introduce nature breathing activity to the children. This can be done in groups or individually.

C+L: The 6th is Grandparent Day. We will talk about our grandparents and what makes them special.

Physical: We are going to be spacemen for the week. The children will practice getting into their space suits and flying to the moon.

Literacy: The children will have a range of space pencil control activities to choose from, they will be supported in learning how to hold the pencil. Cards will be made for grandparents. 

Mathematics: Space Number dough mats will be available, with support the children will use the dough to shape the numbers. Still looking at what makes each number unique.

Understanding the World: the 4th-10th is world space week. We will use the week to explore space.

Expressive Art and Design: The children will make junk model space ships.

Week Seven 14th-18th

PSED: The children will learn turn taking, during our recycling relay race.

C+L: The children will learn The Messy Magpie’s I Recycle song.

Physical: The children will run a recycling relay race. The recycling bins will be set in the garden. The children will take turns in picking up rubbish from a pile and putting it into the correct recycling bin.

Literacy: Peppa pig, pencil control recycling activity. Again the children will be given support in how to hold a pencil.

Mathematics: Earth Day counting game done in small groups, matching the number to the picture.

Understanding the World: We will explore the benefits of recycling and the impact it has on the planet.

Expressive Art and Design: The children will make a recycle monster, using different recyclable materials.

Week Eight 21st-25th

PSED: Introduce balloon breathing activity, to allow the children to self-regulate.

C+L: We will be discussing Trafalgar Day and Admiral Nelson.

Physical: We will be joining the navy and sailing the seas. The children will also be pumpkin carving as a group. The children will talk bout the pumpkin and look at the shapes made. 

Literacy: The Funny Bones books will  be introduced. 

Mathematics: The children will be measuring and pouring and making chemical reactions in a fizzing cauldron.

Understanding the World: We will look at Trafalgar Day and discuss Halloween.

Expressive Art and Design: Skeletons will be created using paper straws.

 

Dormouse room:

We would like to say a big welcome to all the children in the Dormice Room. We are all looking forward to the term ahead. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be focusing on putting foundations and bonds into place with all practitioners and we will be letting all parents know whom your child’s key person will be.

We will be covering the 7 areas of learning within our topic of ‘Autumn’.

Personal, Social & Emotional Development: Our main focus will be to settle all the children returning or joining us for the first time. This will allow the staff and children to have time to get to know each other and for the staff to become accustomed to the children’s personal routines and interests.

Communication & Language: We will be creating autumn treasure baskets with lots of natural treasures for the children to explore and vocabulary to be introduced, playing peek-a-boo with autumn animals and encouraging the children to wave, babble or say ‘hello’ and ‘bye’.

Physical Development: We will be waving coloured scarves/ribbons and watching them move and float around. We will be encouraging the children to use their fine motor skills as they use purple, green & orange balls, passing the ball from one hand to another or using their feet to move them. We will be playing lots of Christmas music for us to move around making a variety of movements.

Literacy: We’ll be singing lots of autumn songs and looking at the ‘That’s not my books’ including that’s not my badger, fox and bat. Celebrating fireworks – we will be creating our own pictures by using our hands, feet or chunky paintbrushes. We will have books with a Halloween theme with puppets, soft toys such as cats, bats and pumpkins.  Together we will sing twinkle twinkle little star under the fairy lights.

Mathematics: There will be a variety of fruits, vegetables of all different shapes and sizes in a treasure basket for them to explore, feel and hold. We will hide a selection of Halloween soft toys under cauldrons for the children to find the hidden objects and then re-hide them.

Understanding the World: We will be going on little autumn walks to collect sticks, leaves. Feel free at home to go on an autumn walk and bring your treasures into us at nursery. We will have a small tray available filled with orange water, apple slices and cinnamon so the children can splash around and explore with their senses.

Expressive art & design: We will be getting messy and exploring a variety of media such as mash potato, cereals, spaghetti, apples, blackberries, pumpkin seeds to feel their different textures. We’ll be dancing with music and instruments celebrating the sparkles and glitter of bonfire night and Christmas along with making lots of crafts for the children to bring home.

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News:

Our next trustees meeting is being held on Monday 11th November @ 1.30pm. This will be @ Brambles. If any parent is interested in joining the trustees, please see Debbie. 

If any parents have changed their address or phone number can you please let the staff know so they can change the admission form to reflect this. If there are, any changes to pickups these will also need to be altered on the forms. 

Brambles has a closed Face Book page – please send a friend request if you are not already a member. If your FB name is unusual please let Debbie know (some parents do not put their name on their account due to the nature of their jobs). Updates for the nursery are posted and may include; upcoming events, requests, photos of trips out, photos of children eating produce from the garden, lunch menus…

We would like to welcome Sinead into the Dormouse room as a new practitioner. We are sure she will quickly settle in to the routines of the room and form great attachments with the children as well as parents. She has taken over from Carol who unfortunately had to leave us in the summer holidays.

We would also like to welcome Kerris to The Brambles team. She joins us an apprentice to complete her Early Years qualification and will be working mainly within the field mouse room. 

 

Hours:

If any parents would like to change their children’s hours and or days for the Autumn term please see Debbie. Please be aware the days are filling up and there is not  a lot of flexibility left – especially in the Dormouse room.

Coffee morning:

Thank you to all the parents and grandparents who made a cake for our coffee at the farmers market on Saturday and visited for coffee/tea and cake. We raised over £200 which the Dormouse room will be spending on new resources.

We hope to run 2 more over the school year to raise funds for the Rising 3’s and Preschool groups.

Library: This will reopen on Thursday 26th September.

The library has been a big hit with the children and it is lovely seeing them eagerly arriving on a Thursday morning wanting to change their books. The library will be open on Monday mornings as well but if you wish to change the books on another day please see Debbie. We are aware there are many children who do not come in on a Monday or Thursday therefore please see Debbie to become part of this great initiative. The books are being well looked after and we appreciate this hugely – additionally we hope it will teach the children to respect and look after nursery’s other books as well as their own books. 

Funding:

The government has introduced new funding from September 2024 for all working parents whose children are aged 9 months +. If your child is, 9 months before the 1st December 2024 and you and your partner both work a minimum of 16 hours/wk you may be eligible for funding. 

Please visit https://cornwall.cloud.servelec-syngery.com/SynergyWeb/ , search for working families funding and complete the forms to see if you are eligible. You should then be given an 11 digit number beginning 500/501 which Debbie will need to validate on the funding portal. Once you have a code you will receive an email every 3 months where you will need to go back to the .gov website and re-validate your details. Please be aware this email can go into your junk mail! If the code is not re-validated it stops and will only reactivate when you reapply. If you have any questions please see Debbie. This needs to be completed as soon as possible to avoid being charged for hours you may have been able to have funded. 

Funding for all 2 year olds (if eligible) began in April 2024 and parents need to visit the following website; https://cornwall.cloud.servelec-syngery.com/SynergyWeb/ to check if they are eligible. If your child turns two by the 31.08.2024 you may be eligible for the new 15 hours of funding being introduced by the Government. If you are eligible, please see Debbie who will have the necessary forms to fill out.

Children who turned 3 by the 31.08.2024 may be eligible for 30 hours of funding per week. If you and your partner both work 16+ hours/wk, you may be eligible. Please visit www.cornwall.gov.uk to check your eligibility. 

Many parents will also be eligible for ‘Childfree Tax Care’ with the government scheme – for children aged up to 11 years. Again, this can be found on the government website and could help towards your childcare costs and it can be used for fees/lunches/snacks….Please look to see if you are eligible – the nursery is registered with the scheme already and you just need to add our name to your account. The government will put 25% of the amount you put in into your account, which you then transfer to Brambles. Please see Debbie or Hanri if you need help with this system. You could receive over £2,000 from the government towards your childcare fees using this method. 

Unfunded week:

The Government funding covers 38 weeks of the year and there are 39 weeks within the 3 terms which leaves 1 week unfunded. This will be the week beginning 16th December. If you are banking hours they can be used for this week.

If you do not bank hours and use all of your hours during the 38 weeks you can either keep your child at home or bring them in and the hours you attend will be charged at £5.75/hour. 

Medication:

The Brambles has an emergency bottle of Calpol for children who may suddenly develop a temperature, whose parents cannot collect them quickly and we feel it is required. If your child is teething or you feel requires a dose of Calpol during the day a bottle must be brought in with them. We are finding when we require ours it is empty due to parents not supplying their own. If they do require Calpol for anything other than teething, it may be they are too poorly for nursery and need to stay home. 

 

Lunches:We discourage juice at lunchtime unless there is a reason – please see Debbie if this is the case. We have a water cooler, which the preschool children are able to freely access and water/milk is provided during snacks and lunch times.

Please cut grapes into QUARTERS – these are one of the biggest choking hazards for children and many parents are not cutting them small enough or at all. There is not always the time for practitioners to cut them for the children and therefore they may not be given during the lunch hour.

Due to a nut allergy within the setting there are to be NO NUTS in packed lunches. We will be changing our policy to reflect this. 

We promote healthy eating and would like parents to support us with this when providing packed lunches. A healthy packed lunch should contain; a sandwich/crackers/wrap, yogurt, packet of crisps, fruit and maybe one biscuit or piece of cake.  We are able to reheat food from yesterdays ‘tea’ or make beans/spaghetti on toast if you would like to provide this in a packed lunch. 

Clothing:

Now the weather is cooler please ensure the children’s rucksacks contain suitable clothing and that children have a fleece/jacket or coat on their peg. We are still utilising the outside areas and the wind can be chilly here at Brambles. Many children prefer their own clothes and are reluctant to wear Brambles items. 

Wet wipes:

Can ALL children who are not in nappies please bring in a named packet of wet wipes to leave in the bathroom. There are times an accident occurs or the children need to clean their faces after lunch and we do not always have wipes available. If we do use Brambles wipes these will be added to your account. 

Late collections:

A reminder to ALL parents that a late collection will result in £50 being billed to your account. If you are going to be late please phone Brambles and let a practitioner know. Late collections impact on practitioners leaving to collect after school club children from school, meeting appointments, collecting their own children  and having the correct ratio of staff in the building. 

Family support:

Jessica Legrys is the Family Support Worker for our area and she is keen to meet with our families to see if there is anything, she can help with. This may be eating, sleeping, behaviour, finances, support…..Please let me know if you would like to speak to her. Drop in sessions are due to be arranged. Her number is 01736 759058 if you would like to speak to her directly. 

INFORMATION FOR THE TERM:

PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN:

On the 21st October, the children will be visiting the Minack @ 10 am to take part in a Minack Magic Movement drama workshop. We hope to have the school mini buses and will leave Brambles at 9.20 am and return by 12pm for lunch. The workshop is for 90 minutes and parents are welcome to attend with us or watch on the live webcam. 

The team will be starting an Emotion coaching course and you should have received an email with a form to complete if you would NOT like to be included in the evaluation. 

Provisionally the NATIVITY will be held on Tuesday 17th December at the Town Hall. The dress rehearsal will be on Monday 16th December. More details will follow.  

Can all parents please send in a photo of the front of your homes and a family photo (just immediate family).

 

Rising 3’s 

Please can the children bring in their favourite teddy to share with the group.

At bedtime (or during the day) when you are reading a story with your child could you please take a photo and email it to Debbie @ manager@brambles-nursery.org.uk . Within the email could you add any comments your child may have responded with during or at the end of the story. 

On the 19th of September the children may like to dress up as pirates as it is “Talk like a pirate” day and Lindsey and her team will be involved in all things piratey!!!

Dormouse room:

Please can ALL pots, boxes, cups, bottles, lunch bags…..be labelled. At this time when there are lots of new children it can become confusing when there are lots of different belongings and it is not always the same practitioner who sets up for snack/lunches or packs everything up at the end of the day. 

If changing bags/rucksacks and their contents can also be labelled it makes organising and ensuring the right belongings go home with the right owners a lot easier. 

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Term dates:

AUTUMN TERM DATES: 02.09.2024 – 20.12.2024

02.09.2024 – 25.10.2024 first half of the autumn term

OCTOBER HALF-TERM: 28.10.2024 – 01.11.2024

PLEASE REMEMBER A PLACE NEEDS TO BE BOOKED FOR THESE 4 WEEKS

FEAST: Monday 4th November BRAMBLES WILL BE CLOSED.

05.11.2024 – 20.12.2024 Second half of the autumn term

UNFUNDED WEEK – 16TH – 20TH December.

 

Thank you.