Head of School's message
It is with a mixture of sadness and gratitude that we announce the departure of Vanessa, a cherished member of our team, who has dedicated nearly ten years to making a significant difference in the lives of many children.
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Her commitment, compassion, and expertise have left an indelible mark on our community, and she will be greatly missed.
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Throughout her time with us, she has gone above and beyond, enriching the learning experiences of countless children and inspiring colleagues with their dedication. As Vanessa embarks on this new chapter, we wish her all the best and hope she carries with her the knowledge of the profound difference she has made.
I know you will want to join me and the Heath Lane team in thanking Vanessa for her contributions and for making our community a better place. Hopefully you will be able to catch her next week to say goodbye.
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It was lovely to see so many children and their families at our Winter Light Festival last night. I hope, like us, it helped you to feel suitably festive!
Dates coming up:
Friday 19th December - Last day of term and the Nursery will be closing at 1pm.
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Monday 5th January - Stay and Play 1.30pm to 3pm, all families welcome.​
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Tuesday 6th January - Nursery open.​​​​
Reminders:
Please be advised that there will not be any catch up calls next week.
When sending your child/ren in wearing wellies, please ensure that you provide a change of footwear so that they are more comfortable indoors.
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Donation Station - thank you for the plastic bottles - we now have enough. If you have any swatches of fabric, we would welcome your donation.
The deadline for on-time Primary School Applications is 15 January 2026.
​​​Join our nursery's social media pages to stay connected.
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Book & Rhyme of the week
This week, the children have been exploring a range of special festivals. Sharing stories and learning about the Christmas Story, the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, and Diwali, the Hindu festival of light.
Through books, songs, small-world play and creative activities, they have been talking about family traditions, celebrations and the different ways people give, share and show kindness. This supports their Understanding the World as they begin to notice similarities and differences between their own experiences and those of others, while also developing rich Communication and Language as they learn and use new words linked to these celebrations.​​
Next week's Rhyme of the week is going to be "Jingle Bells".
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This Rhyme supports Communication and Language through rhythm and repetition, and Expressive Arts and Design as they sing, move and make music together.
Language of the week
We are lucky to have a rich and diverse community with lots of different languages. Our language of the week is Sinhala, which is spoken by some of our children and their families.
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Please find below links of how to say "Hello" and "Goodbye" in Sinhala. You can practise with your child/ren at home.
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How to speak “Hello” in Sinhala
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How to say “goodbye” in Sinhala | How to speak “goodbye” in Sinhala
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Learning at home
This week in Nursery we have been focusing on being a calm listener and focusing ourselves.
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At a very busy time of year for some we often need to find a calming activity to help ourselves remain regulated.
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What calming activity can you do at home?
Healthy me, Healthy world
We remain firmly committed to keeping pupils safe online. We know the digital world can feel like a minefield for families, with new apps, trends, and risks appearing quickly.
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To support you, we’ve attached an Online Safety Newsletter, which offers clear, practical advice to help you guide your child’s online activity. Our staff continue to teach safe and responsible digital behaviour in school, and we are always here if you need further guidance.
Success story of the week
The children have been busy creating beautiful Christmas tree decorations using recycled paper and seeds, linking closely with our commitment to sustainability and caring for our planet.
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These special decorations will be displayed at the Christmas Tree Festival at St John's Church, which runs from 12th–16th December.
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We’d love for you to go along, explore the wonderful trees on show, and see if you can spot ours!
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Once the festival has finished, the decorations can be taken home and planted. The embedded seeds will grow into plants that help support bees and other pollinators – a lovely way for the children to see how their creativity can have a positive impact on the environment.
