Head of School's message
It is with mixed emotions that we say goodbye to Sam, who has been a valued member of our team for over five years. During this time, she has made a lasting impact on both colleagues and children alike. Many of our pupils will fondly remember their warm presence, especially through much-loved activities such as Rhyme Time, which brought so much joy and learning to our early years. We are incredibly grateful to Sam for her care and commitment. As she moves on to spend more time with her family, we wish her well.
At the same time, we would like to send our very best wishes to Natalie, another member of our Early Years team, who has undergone a long-awaited operation. We hope everything continues to goes smoothly and that the coming weeks of recovery and convalescence will allow her to rest and return to full health. We look forward to welcoming her back in due course.
Please join me in wishing both colleagues all the very best.
To those families who celebrate, we would like to wish you Eid Mubarak! May the magic of this day bring a smile to your face that lasts all year long. Wishing you a peaceful Eid-ul-Fitr.
Dates coming up:
Next Half Term we would like to invite parents/carers in to read a story in their home language - further details to follow.
Last Day of Spring Term - Friday 27th March. School Closes at 1pm.
Return for Summer Term Tuesday 14th April (Monday 13th closed for Inset Day)
Reminders:
Please do not use mobile phones in the playground whilst dropping off or collecting.
Join our nursery's social media pages to stay connected.
Book & Rhyme of the week
The next Structured Stories Book is "Rain Before Rainbows" by Smriti Halls and David Litchfield.
Next week the story will move into the imitation phase of Structured Stories, where children will focus on the story structure identifying the beginning, middle and end. This will involve activities such as retelling the story with actions, creating story maps and performing the text aloud. This phase is to provide a solid foundation through understanding and practising the language patterns and structure of the text.
Our key vocabulary of the text is "Daybreak", "Journey", "Duel", "Wise", "Stem" and "Promise".
Please see below link to story;
Bedtime Stories | Regé-Jean Page reads Rain Before Rainbows 🌈 | CBeebies
The Rhyme of the week for next week is "There's a worm at the bottom of the garden".
This Rhyme has a focus on listening carefully to sounds, recognising rhyming words and exploring initial sounds such as "w" for worm.
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 Bulgarian, which is spoken by a member of our teaching staff.
Please find below links of how to say "Hello" and "Goodbye" in Bulgarian. You can practise with your child/ren at home.
Learning at home
We have been exploring maths through shapes!
Go on a shape hunt around your home or when you are out and about. Can your child spot different shapes in the environment? For example:
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A window 🪟 (rectangle)
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A clock 🕒 (circle)
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A slice of pizza 🍕 (triangle)
👀 Challenge:
Encourage your child to talk about what they can see and explain their thinking. Use simple reasoning prompts such as:
👉 “How do you know it is a triangle?”
👉 “What makes it a circle?”
You might hear responses like:
💬 “I know it is a triangle because it has 3 sides.”
💬 “It is a square because all the sides are the same.”
Healthy me, Healthy world
We encourage families to provide healthy, balanced packed lunches that support children’s energy, concentration, and overall wellbeing throughout the school day. A good lunch should include a variety of foods such as whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, and a source of protein like lean meat, eggs, beans, or dairy, helping children stay fuller for longer and meet their daily nutritional needs. We ask that sugary snacks and confectionery are kept to a minimum. We provide fresh water and encourage children to drink, especially as the weather is becoming warmer.
For further ideas and practical tips, families may find the NHS guidance on NHS Healthier Families lunchboxes helpful, which offers simple suggestions such as including vegetables, choosing wholegrains, and swapping high-sugar snacks for healthier options.
Success story of the week
Last week, our Nursery children enjoyed a wonderful trip to Hemel Food Centre as part of our learning linked to the story The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This real-life experience helped bring our learning to life, supporting our understanding of healthy eating, exploring a variety of fresh fruits, practising counting skills, and learning how to use money.
We were incredibly proud of how sensibly the children walked to the shop. They showed a great awareness of how to stay safe by holding their partner’s hand, wearing their high-visibility jackets, and remembering to stop, look, and listen carefully when crossing roads.
At the shop, each child independently chose a piece of fruit to buy. They confidently took their fruit to the till, exchanged their money, and used lovely manners by saying “thank you” to the shopkeeper.
This experience not only supported our learning but also helped the children feel part of their local community. Well done, Nursery!
