Head of School's message
I would like to draw your attention to some important points regarding packed lunches to keep all children safe and well while in our care.
Nut Aware Setting – Please Do NOT Include:
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Nuts or nut-based products in any form in packed lunches or snacks (e.g. peanuts, peanut butter, Nutella, pesto containing nuts, almond/other nut bars).
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These pose a serious allergy risk to other children in the setting
Choking Prevention – Please Prepare Food Safely:
To keep mealtimes safe, please chop and prepare foods at home before bringing them in. Young children are at higher risk of choking, and we must minimise that risk wherever possible. Examples include:
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Cut grapes, cherry tomatoes or berries lengthways or into small pieces before putting them in lunchboxes.
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Avoid foods that are known choking hazards such as popcorn, whole nuts, whole grapes, raw jelly cubes or similarly shaped items.
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If sending sausages or other more risky food, please cut them into thin strips rather than small round chunks.
These steps are consistent with EYFS safer eating and food safety guidance, which highlights that early years settings should prepare and serve food in a way that reduces choking risk.
We appreciate your understanding and support in keeping our school a safe and inclusive environment for all children. If you need ideas for packed lunches or have questions, please ask a member of the team.
Further Guidance
For more detail on safe food preparation and EYFS food safety/nutrition requirements, please see the government guidance here:
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EYFS food safety / choking prevention guidance: Help for Early Years Providers – Food Safety (DfE) - Help for early years providers : Food safety
Thank you for your cooperation.
Dates coming up:
February Half Term - week commencing 16th February to 20th February.
Nursery back open Monday 23rd February.
Reminders:
Please check that your child/ren have the correct coat and that all items of clothing are clearly marked with your child/ren's name. We have a child's coat that has gone missing and trying to locate it.
Can we please remind parents/carers that use of the disabled bays is strictly limited to those displaying the appropriate badge.
Join our nursery's social media pages to stay connected.
Book & Rhyme of the week
The next Structured Stories Book is "Three Little Pigs" by Mara Alperin and Ag Jatkowska.
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 "teeny-tiny", "cottage", "beware", "bricks", "boiling" and "chimney".
Please see below link to story;
THE THREE LITTLE PIGS 🐷🐷 🐷 Mara Alperin | Read aloud #storyoftheweek #traditionaltales
The Rhyme of the week for next week is "Polly Put The Kettle On".
This Rhyme has a focus on maths, and capacity.
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 Twi, which is spoken by some of our children and their families.
Please find below links of how to say "Hello" and "Goodbye" in Twi. You can practise with your child/ren at home.
(91) How to say "Hello" ? Greetings in Twi - Learn Twi with Efia BAE #6 - YouTube
Learning at home
This week we have been using the Nursery's weatherproof outdoor wear
At home, you might like to encourage your child to get themselves dressed/un-dressed, along with putting on and taking off their own coat and shoes/wellies, giving them time to try zips, buttons and fastenings. This supports their independence and sense of pride in what they can do for themselves.
Healthy me, Healthy world
Recent research and government-linked reports have highlighted growing concerns about screen time in children under five, showing that screen use is now nearly universal among toddlers and preschoolers and often exceeds expert recommendations. In a study of two-year-olds, 98 % were reported to use screens daily, and those with the highest screen time (around five hours a day) had significantly smaller spoken vocabularies compared with children with lower screen exposure. This evidence of an association between higher screen time and weaker language development has prompted the Department for Education in England to plan new guidance for parents and carers of under-fives to support healthy device use alongside essential early-years activities like talking, playing, and reading.
Success story of the week
This week, the children have embraced the wet weather by making great use of our weatherproof suits and wellies in the outdoor area. They have been jumping in puddles, exploring mud, and investigating how the rain changes their environment, all while learning how to keep themselves safe and dry.
We have also been focusing on developing independence and confidence through getting dressed and undressed in their wet weather gear. The children have been practising putting on their own waterproofs and wellies, having a go at zips and fastenings, and supporting each other where needed.
These experiences are not only great fun, but also support their Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) – building resilience, confidence, and a sense of pride in what they can do for themselves, as well as understanding how to play safely in different types of weather.
