Head of School's Message
A Wonderful Half Term!
What a lovely half term it has been! The children have enjoyed so many fun experiences, making memories, exploring and learning together. Thank you to everyone for your hard work, energy and enthusiasm in making it such a positive and happy start to the year. It really is appreciated.
We still have some places available in our nursery, so please continue to spread the word among friends, family and the wider community. We would love to welcome more families to Heath Lane Nursery School!
In the meantime, I hope you all have a well-deserved and restful half term break. Enjoy the time to recharge, and I look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for another busy and exciting half term.
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Dates coming up:
Week commencing 2nd November -
There will not be any catch up calls this week due to Parent Consultations taking place.
Friday 23rd October - Inset Day - Nursery is closed.
Week commencing Monday 26th October - October Half Term - Nursery is closed and will reopen on Monday 2nd November.
Reminders:
The School Photographer attended on Wednesday to take individual photographs - details on how to order etc will follow after half term.
Join our nursery's social media pages to stay connected
Book & Rhyme of the week
The next Structured Stories Book is "Rosie's Walk" by Pat Hutchins.
We will start with the immersion phase of Structured Storytelling, where the children will explore the story through various engaging activities. They will learn about prepositions through participating in physical activities outside. This phase is crucial when developing understanding and language.
Our key vocabulary of the text is "Across", "Around", "Over", "Past", "Through" and "Under".
Please see below link to story;
Rosie's Walk | By Pat Hutchins | Joyful Soul Story Time | Read Aloud Book | Children's Book |
The next 's Rhyme of the week is "Doctor Foster went to Gloucester".
This rhyme has a focus on phonics and environmental sounds.
Language of the week
We are lucky to have a rich and diverse community with lots of different languages. Our next language of the week is Romanian, which is spoken by some of our children and their families.
Please find below links of how to say "Hello" and "Goodbye" in Romanian. You can practise with your child/ren at home.
Learning At Home
During the second week after half term, the children will be visiting the Water Gardens Playground to develop their understanding of prepositions linked to our Structured Story, Rosie’s Walk.
Over half term, it would be lovely if you could visit the playground with your child, perhaps even walking the journey from Nursery to the playground together. This will help familiarise your child with the route and provide opportunities to talk about what they can see along the way.
Here are some simple ways to practise prepositions at home:
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🐻 Toy adventures: Help your child move a favourite toy over a cushion, under a table, around a chair or through a tunnel.
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🛝 Playground fun: Talk about going up the steps, down the slide, across the bridge or around the climbing frame.
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🚶 On your walk: Notice things you pass, such as walking past a tree, going under a branch or stepping over a puddle.
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🧸 Where's the teddy? Hide a teddy in, on, under or behind a box and encourage your child to describe where it is.
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📖 Retell Rosie's Walk: Use toy animals or your fingers to act out the story, talking about where Rosie goes and what she walks over, under, around and past.
Remember, the best way to learn these words is through playful conversations during everyday activities. Encourage your child to listen, join in and have a go at using the words themselves.
Thank you for your support, and have a lovely half term!
Healthy Me, Healthy World
This half term, our Healthy Me, Healthy World theme focuses on healthy eating. The words we use when talking to children about food matter more than we may realise. Much of our language is inherited from our own childhoods and often comes from busy family routines and the best of intentions.
Phrases such as "finish everything on your plate", "that's a treat" or "you can have pudding if you eat your dinner" can seem harmless, but they may influence how children think and feel about food. Over time, children internalise the messages they hear and these can become the blueprint for their lifelong relationship with eating.
It is important to avoid labels such as "fussy", "greedy" or "good eater", as children can begin to see these as part of their identity. Instead, using neutral, non-judgemental language helps children listen to their own hunger and fullness cues, explore new foods without pressure and develop a positive relationship with eating.
Success Story of the Week
This week, the children have been extending and developing their interest in junk modelling by learning how to use Sellotape dispensers and scissors safely.
They have explored a range of materials, including masking tape, coloured craft tape and Sellotape, discovering how to join different materials together to bring their creative ideas to life.
The children have shown fantastic creativity, concentration and perseverance, keeping on trying even when faced with challenges.
It has been wonderful to see them experimenting with different techniques, solving problems and taking pride in their creations.
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.
