PORTLAND HOUSE NURSERY NEWSLETTER SPRING TERM 2023

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very ‘Happy New Year’ and best wishes for 2023. A big thank you for your kind and most generous gifts of gratuities and cards; they have been very much appreciated and enjoyed by the staff team.

We are currently wrapping up warm and cosy enjoying outdoor play sessions in this wonderful season, staff are planning lots of exciting outdoor adventures across the age groups and visits and outings within the community for this term.

Thank you everyone who joined us for the fun events last terms events, I look forward to meeting all the new families that have recently joined us. We have some exciting events and stay and plays planned for the year ahead that we would love for our families to join us, please see the diary dates for details of these events and also the nursery closure days for 2023.

A big thank you to the parents who have given some of their time to help enhance the children’s learning, kindly coming into the nursery to talk to the children about their important work in the community and how they help people or share with us information on their special celebrations and festivals and even bringing in their pets too.

If any parents/carers would be interested in coming into the nursery to participate in upcoming events, story times etc. please speak to your key person.

Nursery Closure Dates

Monday 1^st May (May Day Bank Holiday)

Monday 8^th May (Kings Coronation Bank Holiday)

Monday 29^th May (Spring Bank Holiday)

Friday 7^th April- Monday 10^th April Easter bank holiday

Thursday 6th April -Training Day Closure

We close the nursery for staff training on two occasions each year.

In order to provide a high quality service to parents and children we demand high standards of our staff. We encourage everyone to continue with training throughout their career and ensure that staff regularly update their skills and attend a number of relevant courses.

Training days have proved invaluable, especially when we want to embed new ways of thinking throughout the company.

Stay and plays/Events

Monday 30^th January – Monday 6^th February - National Story Telling Week.

*If you would like to come and read a story to the children please speak to your key person.

Tuesday 31^st January – Bobble hat sing along –

10.00-11.00am – Daisies/Buttercups

2.15-3.15pm -Poppies

4.30-5.30pm – Preschool

Monday 6^th February- Friday 10^th February Children’s wellbeing week

• Wellbeing Wednesday 8^th February

9.30-10.30am Babies

10.30-11.30 Toddlers

2.00-3.00pm Preschool

Thursday 2nd March – World Book Day (children to come to nursery dressed as a character from a book)

Monday 13^th – Friday 17^th March – Science Week

• Monday 13^th March - Daisies & Buttercups 4.30-5.30pm
• Tuesday 14^th March - Poppies 4.30-5.30pm
• Wednesday 15^th March - Preschool 4.30-5.30pm

Friday 17^th March – Red nose day Charity event

*Please note full details for all stay and play events will be emailed to families and put onto parent zone prior to the event dates.

Parents evenings

Tuesday 31^st January – preschool

Tuesday 28^th February – poppies

Thursday 30^th March - Babies

Fundraising

Thank you to all parents and relatives who have supported our charity fundraising events during the Autumn term, we have raised over £1,000 at Portland House to put into the charity pot for our nominated charity ‘The Yorkshire Children’s Charity’ .

A huge big thank you also to our parent who is the Director of the company TNS 365 he has generously matched our fundraising pot of £498.72 for ‘Children in need’ to make the total fundraising donation of £997.44.

Nursery Education Funding

All 3 and 4 year olds are already entitled to 15 hours of free early education for 38 weeks of the year. There is an additional 15 hours of free childcare available for families that meet the Government's eligibility criteria, this will also be for 38 weeks of the year.

More detail information can be found on the GOV.UK website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/482517/Childcare_Bill_Policy_Statement_12.03.2015.pdf

Application and funding process - You will need to apply online via HMRC they have a dedicated helpdesk to support parents apply if you are unable to apply online. The link to the website is below.

https://childcare-support.tax.service.gov.uk/par/app/applynow

Eligible parents will be given a code which will be valid for 3 months, you will be asked to re-confirm your eligibility towards the end of the 3 month period. HMRC will send reminders to parents.

Please be aware that if you would like to increase your child’s attendance with your eligibility for 30 hours we have limited places until September 2023

Spring term in Daisies

Over the next spring term, the children in the Daisy room are going to be focusing on the outdoors. We will be spending lots of time in the garden planting seeds, bulbs and plants. The children will all be able to have a go watering the crops and watching them grow before harvesting them. Please remember to let us know what you will be growing and planting at home.

We will also be introducing a book of the month that we will be focusing on, for January our book is 'That’s not my penguin' and the children will have the opportunity to join in with lots of sensory based activities all around the book.

Spring term in Buttercups

Over this term, we will be concentrating on “New Life” where we will be planting bulbs to care for and watch grow. We will also be talking about animals and their offspring.

We will also create a variety of artwork as the season progresses.

Spring term in Poppies

We would like to give a big warm welcome to all our new children that have recently started their transition into the Poppy toddler room. We can't wait to have lots of fun with you all and watch you grow and learn along the way.

During the spring term we will be looking at planting and how things grow. As the weather becomes warmer, we will be planting various flowers and vegetables in our garden. This gives the children a great opportunity to care and look after the things we grow. We will be talking all about how to look after and care for our plants. As part of this we will also be looking at how we grow and what we need to grow big and strong. We might even get too try and taste the vegetables that we grow!

Also this season, we will be asking if our families could upload or print any photos of your child from when they were a baby up until now. We will be talking about how much we have grown and look at our differences.

Spring term in Bluebells

Younger Pre-School: over the coming term our younger pre-schoolers are going to be focusing on their PSED skills such as developing friendships and expressing emotions as new children transition into our room. We will be developing and re-enforcing boundaries and our new routine.

The children will be practicing their independence, putting on and taking off clothing, especially when going outdoors.

As we move into the warmer spring weather, we will also explore different habitats of the mini beasts.

Our topic for January is Winter and Fairy Tales so we will be talking about what we need to keep us warm when outside and exploring the changes to the outdoor environment. We will also be reading lots of different fairy tales.

Older Pre-School: over the term, we will be focusing on turn taking skills by playing small group games and discussions at group times with the help of our circle time bear. We will also develop our phonological knowledge further, taking part in daily phonic activities. We will be having maths and literacy focus weeks which will be on an alternate weekly basis.

Our monthly topic for January is Winter and Fairy Tales where we will be looking at the changes to our outdoor environment and take part in science and investigation activities, exploring some of the winter changes and why they happen such as ice and the effects it has in different environments.

As we move into the warmer spring weather, we will be observing life cycles and the changes that occur within the cycle.

We will also be reading different fairy tales and having a go at re-telling some of our favourites with the use of puppets.

Fun Club - Half Term Holiday club

The holiday club will be running during the half term week commencing Monday 13^th February to Friday 17^th February. We have some exciting activities, adventures and trips planned for our fun clubbers such as a trampolining trip, scientific fun experiments and a not to be missed a musical with workshop Aimee Goodwith who has just finished touring with Les Miserables as a member of the chorus and understudy for Eponine, there will also be the opportunity for the children to practise their culinary skills big cook little cook cooking session and many more activities. Booking forms will be available from the office, and will be shortly emailed to our enrolled holiday club families. Please let us know if you would like further information on either the holiday and afterschool club.

Staffing Changes

We will be saying a sad farewell to Vickie in the Poppy room. After 32 years working in nurseries of which 21 have been at Portland Nurseries Vickie is embarking on a new adventure becoming a foster carer. As a valued member of the Portland team she will be sorely missed by us all and we wish her all the very best for her new career path. Vickie’s last day will be on Monday 23^rd January, please feel welcome to pop in to see her. Debbie from preschool will be taking over the role of team leader in the poppy room and is looking forward to meeting all the families.

Finance

Please note that our childcare software ‘Connect’ have terminated their contract with Worldpay, so we can no longer accept payment by this method. Our preferred payment method is by bank transfer (please use your child’s name as reference), TFC and Voucher. Please be reminded that fees are due on or before the 1^st of the month and payment can take 3-4 days to clear, particularly TFC and Voucher payments.

Green Tree Award Silver

We are so pleased to announce that Portland House Nursery has been awarded Silver in the ‘Green Tree Schools Award’, a programme organised by the Woodland Trust.

The ‘Green Tree Schools Award’ as organised by the Woodland Trust, encourages schools and nurseries to take part in environmental projects. The ‘Green Tree Schools Award’ inspires children to learn about their own environment, how it impacts the local wildlife and what we can do to help.

You can find out more about The Woodland Trust here: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/