Head of School's message
As we begin the final weeks of the school year, I have been incredibly proud to see the progress our children have made. It has been wonderful to watch their confidence and independence flourish.
Many of our older children have made fantastic progress in phonics. They can now recognise a wide range of letters, confidently identify the sounds they represent and many are beginning to blend sounds together to read simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. Alongside this, all of the hard work in our Busy Fingers sessions has really paid off, with children's fine motor skills developing so well that many are now confidently writing their names and beginning to write other words.
As we prepare for the transition to Reception, our focus is now revisiting and strengthening the practical skills that will help children feel confident and independent in their new classrooms. We are encouraging children to put on and take off their coats and jumpers independently, practise fastening zips and buttons, and take their shoes on and off by themselves. These everyday skills are just as important as their academic learning and will help them make a positive start at school.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support. The encouragement and practice children receive at home make a huge difference, and together we are helping them become confident, capable learners who are ready for their next exciting adventure.
Dates coming up:
There will be no catch up calls for the next two weeks due to end of year assessments.
Friday 17th July - The VOJO Soft Play Bus will be visiting the nursery for children attending on the day.
Monday 20th July - Family Picnic 12pm to 1:30pm, all welcome (please ensure that you complete and submit the online form)
Thursday 23rd July - 1pm finish for the Summer Holidays.
Friday 24th July to Tuesday 1st September (Nursery Closed) - Summer Holidays.
Reminders:
A number of parents have approached us to ask what gifts they can buy as end of term gifts for staff.
For those children and families leaving us the best gift you have given us is allowing us to be part of your child’s journey and helping them grow ready for their next chapter. We in no way expect nor request gifts. A card with a message is the most wonderful thing any of us can receive.
However, if this is your preference, we ask that gifts are purchased for the nursery and not for individuals, this could include pens, craft materials, pipe cleaners, pom poms, lolly sticks, glue, poster paint, coloured card, tissue paper etc. Such gifts then will benefit the next children who undertake adventures with us here.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Now that the weather is getting warmer - it is imperative that every child has sun lotion applied before their session. They must also have a summer hat (labelled with their name) with them every day - even if the day starts a little cloudy. Please refer to the recently emailed Sun Safety procedure for further guidance.
We’d be grateful for any outgrown, spare summer hats you can donate to help keep all children cool and protected during outdoor play.
Join our nursery's social media pages to stay connected.
Book & Rhyme of the week
Over the next two weeks, during Structured Storytelling, we will be moving away from our usual three-week story-learning cycle as we focus on poetry.
We will be using the book 'A Great Big Cuddle: Poems for the Very Young' by Michael Rosen. Our key vocabulary of the text is: "author", "poet", "rhyme", "poem", "illustration", and "illustrator".
Over the two weeks, each group of children will learn a poem from the book with the intention of performing it for parents at our end-of-year picnic.
Please see below link to story;
A Great Big Cuddle | POEM | | Compilation | Kids' Poems and Stories With Michael Rosen
The children have been continuing to practice their groups chosen poem, ready for their performance at the Leaver Picnic.
Language of the week
We are lucky to have a rich and diverse community with lots of different languages. Do you speak Bulgarian? Are you available next week on a Wednesday or Thursday? If your answer is YES, then we'd be delighted to have you reading a story in your home language to the children! They love a Secret Storyteller! We are flexible with the timing so please speak to us if you can come in another day/time.
Please look out for our next week's languages in the newsletter, it might be your home language next!
Learning at home
Help your child/ren to develop their self-help skills and become increasingly more independent. These everyday tasks help build confidence, resilience and prepare children for new challenges.
At home, please encourage your child to practise:
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Doing up and undoing buttons and zips.
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Putting shoes and socks on and taking them off independently.
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Washing their hands thoroughly and drying them well.
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Pouring their own drink carefully into a cup.
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Helping to set the dinner table.
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Clearing away their plate and cup after meals.
Remember to give your child plenty of time to have a go by themselves before offering help. Praise their effort and perseverance, even if they don't get it right the first time. Every little step helps to build their confidence and independence.
Thank you for supporting your child's learning at home!
Healthy me, Healthy world
This half term, our Healthy Me, Healthy World theme is all about healthy eating.
Through stories, play and everyday conversations, we'll be helping children explore different foods, develop positive attitudes towards eating, and learn about making healthy choices.
If you're looking for simple, fun ways to continue this learning at home, the BBC's Tiny Happy People website has some fantastic ideas, activities and advice for families of young children.
Find out more here: BBC Tiny Happy People – Healthy Eating
The activities are easy to fit into everyday routines and are designed to encourage children to enjoy talking, exploring and learning together through food.
Success story of the week
This week the children worked together as a team to create their own ball run outdoors.
They shared ideas, discussed where to place the ramps and supports, and enjoyed testing their designs to see if the balls would travel all the way to the end. When something didn't work, they showed great perseverance by making changes, trying again, and celebrating their successes together.
The children extended their learning by experimenting with different balls and adding water to explore how this changed the speed and movement. They made predictions, observed what happened, and talked about why some balls travelled differently, developing their early scientific thinking and problem-solving skills.
It has been wonderful to see the children's creativity, teamwork, resilience, and curiosity shine as they learned through hands-on exploration.
All absences must be reported daily either by leaving an absence voice message or emailing admin@heathlane.herts.sch.uk.
We politely ask that if you plan to take your child out during school time, you notify the Nursery office. For appointments, we ask where possible that these are not during the school day. If this is not avoidable, please kindly share the relevant information for this appointment in order for us to be able to authorise this.
Regular attendance at Nursery is very important, as it helps children build the foundational knowledge and skills they will need as they move through school. Establishing good attendance habits now supports a smoother transition into primary school and helps ensure children develop positive routines that will benefit them throughout their educational journey. Thank you for your continued support in helping your child attend regularly and on time.
