Latest News

Nursery News 19th June 2023

Monday, June 19, 2023

NURSERY NEWS

19th June 2023 – Edition 301

Find out About:

A. An Open School Event: For Big Nursery Yellow Group Parents: Basic Skills.

B. Parent Consultations July 2023

C. End of term arrangements July 2023

D. What are the children learning about this week?

 

A. An Open School Event: For Big Nursery Yellow Group Parents: Basic Skills.

Miss Howe teaches some Big Nursery Yellow Group children ‘Basic Skills’ on a Wednesday morning. Mrs Cashmore teaches Some Big Nursery Yellow Group children ‘Basic Skills’ on a Thursday morning.

The children move to a quiet space in Room 5 where they work in small groups (approx. 8 children) to learn reading, writing, mathematical skills and problem solving.

We would like to invite Miss Howe’s Yellow group parents in to observe a 30 minute reading/writing activity on Wednesday 28th June.

We would like to invite Mrs Cashmore’s Yellow group parents in to observe a 30 minute reading/writing activity on Thursday 29th June.

A further invitation letter will follow to Yellow Group parents so that we can match up time slots, so parents can join their child’s small group. Green Group had their Basic Skills groups in the Autumn Term 2022 and Red Group had their Basic skills group in the Spring Term 2023.

 

 B. Parent Consultations July 2023.

We plan to have face to face parent consultations for all the children on 6th, 7th and 8th July 2023.  All consultations will be 5 minutes long. Your child’s keyworker will be in touch with you to arrange an appointment time.

Some staff work part time. Individual staff members will each have a designated block of time slots to meet with parents and discuss their Keyworker children.

So for Little Nursery:

Tuesday 4th July–

Miss Cashmore’s Catkins Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 4:05pm

Mrs Watson’s Blue Group Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 3:55pm

Wednesday 5th July–

Mrs McGrath’s Catkins Children. Five minute appointments available between 9:00am and 9:30am

Miss Gaffney’s Blue Group Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 3:55pm

Thursday 6th July–

Mrs Field’s Catkins Class Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 3:50pm

Mrs Brinkley’s Orange Group Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 4:15pm

 

So for Big Nursery:

Tuesday 4th July- 

Mrs Patterson’s Green Group Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 4:25pm

Wednesday 5th July-

Miss Skai’s Red Group Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 3:55pm

Thursday 6th July-

Miss Howe’s Yellow Group Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 4:10pm

Miss Cashmore’s Yellow Group Children. Five minute appointments available between 3:15pm and 4:00pm

 

C. End of Term arrangements July 2023

The last day of term in July 2023 for all children will be Thursday 20th July.

On Friday 21st July school will open only for the Big Nursery children that are leaving us. The session will be from 8:50 am to 11:50am. All Big Nursery leavers are invited to attend this session, regardless of your child’s normal attendance days. As children are attending for the morning only, no child will require a packed lunch. Children will require their water bottles. We are going to consult the children about what activities they would like to plan for their last day, and try to enable their ideas. There will be no charge for this session.

 

D. What are the children learning about this week?

The theme in Little Nursery is Aliens Love Underpants.

In Catkins Mrs Field will be reading the story of Aliens Love Underpants, then she will set up a washing line in the garden and provide the children with lots of (clean) underpants to wash and hang on the line. The children will work on their fine motor skills as they use the pegs to hang up their washing.

In the link, Miss Gaffney will be making alien hats with the children. They will use a range of resources to create their own alien hats, the children will be shown how to attach different materials to their work.

In Room 3, Mrs Brinkley will be reading lots of stories with the children. They also will work together to complete large floor puzzles. Mrs Brinkley will encourage the children to really look at their puzzles and think about where each piece goes.

Outside, Mrs Watson will have a matching patterns game for the children to play. They will be shown pictures of underpants that are different colours and have different patterns on. The children will look for a matching pair which they can show Mrs Watson and discuss the patterns and colours.

 

The theme in Big Nursery is London.

In Room 1, Mrs Patterson will be helping the children to create images of the King’s Guard. She will show the children how to attach split pins to the guards to allow them to move the arms and legs of their guardsmen. This activity will build upon their fine motor skills as they manipulate the pins with their fingers.

In Room 2, Miss Skai will provide the children with images of famous London landmarks to look at so they can paint their own interpretations. She will talk to the children about what makes these landmarks so iconic, i.e. the colour red on a London Bus or the way Tower Bridge lifts to let boats pass. There will also be some pictures of the Royal family for the children to use as reference if they decide they would like to paint a portrait.

Outside, Miss Howe and Mrs Cashmore will both be working with the children to improve their personal, social and emotional skills. They will support the children with conflict resolution and explain why it is so important that we are kind to each other. They will be teaching the children that their actions have consequences which is why we must follow the rules to stay safe.

 

 

Nursery News 12th June 2023

Monday, June 12, 2023

NURSERY NEWS

Monday 12th June 2023 – Edition 300.

Find out About

A. Summer Heat and Nursery.

B. What are the children are learning about this week?

 

A. Summer Heat and Nursery.

We now find ourselves in the last six weeks of the Summer Term. Higher temperatures have now arrived. Staff are bracing ourselves, as the Summer extreme hot weather brings its own problems.

Across the school, children respond differently to the heat. Some children can take the heat in their stride, and are happy and content. Some children really struggle with the heat, they get too hot, become flushed and sweaty. The intense heat can sap children’s energy. Some children can become extremely grumpy and tired in the hottest part of the day. Staff spend most of their time worrying about keeping everyone safe.

So to help:

  • Please keep the donations of fruit and vegetables coming in for snack time. These help to keep the children hydrated, and snack time inside is a restful pause away from the heat.
  • Donate some Ice Pops, again these can create a reason to pause and sit quietly. The ice also helps the children to cool down.
  • Ensure children have their water bottles with them every day.
  • Provide a hat for your child, please put their name on it somewhere.

 

 B. What are the children are learning about this week?

The theme in Little Nursery is The Tiger Who Came To Tea

In Catkins, the staff will be talking to the children about patterns in nature. They will help the children to recreate images of the tiger we have been learning about by creating stripy patterns with paint. There will be some patterned animal dressing up outfits for the children to wear which the staff will use to promote mathematical language.

In Room 3 Mrs Brinkley will be reading The Tiger Who Came To Tea. The children will be encouraged to look at the pictures as she reads and think about what might happen if a tiger came to their own house. She will set up a café role play for the children to act out the story they have listened to with their friends.

In the link, Miss Gaffney will encourage the children to get messy. She will make cornflour for the children to explore using their sense of touch. Miss Gaffney will be showing the children how the consistency of the cornflour changes as the children investigate it.

Outside, Mrs Watson will use crates and tables to set up a kitchen area for the children to sit at. They will have toy food, plates and utensils to act out their own versions of the story. There will also be an area with lots of natural resources available for the children to examine, while Mrs Watson models lots of descriptive language.

 

The theme in Big Nursery is We’re Going On A Bear Hunt

In Room 1, Mrs Patterson will be re-enacting the story ‘We’re Going On A Bear Hunt’. She will provide sensory props to support the children’s re-enactment, including water, soil and grass. It will be a really immersive experience for the children which I am sure they will enjoy sharing with you at home.

In Room 2, Miss Skai will support the children with making ‘bear hunt’ maps. She will encourage the children to think about the story we have been reading and what landmarks they might need to add. They will also have the opportunity to make binoculars to use when following their maps.

Outside, Miss Howe will be playing a variety of physical games with the parachute. She will focus on the children’s listening skills when explaining how to use the parachute safely and when explaining to the rules.

Mrs Cashmore will have a bear hunt prepared for the children. There will be laminated pictures hidden around the garden for the children to find, they will be asked to identify the colour of the bears and how many are on each laminate, the children will then write down the amount on their paper.

 

 

Nursery News 5th June 2023

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

NURSERY NEWS
Monday 5th June 2023 – Edition 299.

Find out About
A. Willow Nursery School Ofsted Inspection Report
B. We are now enrolling two year olds, to begin at Willow Nursery School, in September 2023
C. Fees Increase from September 2023
D. Ice Pops
E. Mud Kitchen Ingredients
F Things to bring to school, Things to leave at home.
G. What the children are learning about this week?

A. Willow Nursery School Ofsted Inspection Report
As you are all aware, we had an ungraded Section 8 inspection on 21st April 2023. Our Inspection Report has been made available to us today. I have attached the report to this email for you to read. Ofsted Inspections are important. Ofsted Inspectors are experienced educators. Myself and the Senior Team respected the Inspectors findings, but remember they were here for just one day. Their aim is to help with school improvement and development, as well as measuring schools against standardised criteria. The standards required of schools is ever increasing. The bar is constantly being raised. The Lead Inspector told us that for schools to maintain an Outstanding grading moving forward, they would have to be functioning as a beacon school, with other schools visiting from far and wide to see the very best practice. We have always worked extremely hard, as a team, to provide the very best education we can for the children in our Local Community, and we still continue to do so. We have listened to the Inspectors about what the school needs to do to improve, and we have already started working on new ideas.

B. We are now enrolling two year olds, to begin at Willow Nursery School, in September 2023
Children who already attend Willow Nursery School in our two year old class do not need to do anything. If there are any younger brothers or sisters that you wish to enrol in the Little Nursery in
September 2023 speak to Mrs Davies. We are looking to enrol children who will be aged two by 30th September 2023. (Children with dates of birth from 1/9/20 to 30/9/21) Please ensure you have put your younger children on our contact list. If you have any friends or family who are looking for a two year old nursery space, please do tell them to get in touch.

 

C. Fees Increase from September 2023
We have not increased our fees since 2016. We have always tried to charge as low fees as possible to help our families. We have looked at what other similar settings charge and discussed this with School Governors. Our fees from September 2023 will be: £15.00 for a three hour session in Big Nursery 3+, and £18.00 per session in Little Nursery 2+. Children who receive 15 or 30 hours free funding do not pay fees for their free funded sessions.

D. Ice Pops
We are moving swiftly towards the hottest part of the year in school. To help keep the children cool and hydrated we like to offer children ice pops when it is very hot. We also use the ice pop snack break as a way to encourage children to sit quietly inside or in the shade for a few minutes. We would ask all parents to consider buying a box of ice pops to donate to school for us to share with the
children. We have a freezer in the classroom to store them in.

 

E. Mud Kitchen Ingredients
We have a wonderfully messy mud kitchen in the garden. During the summer months, children are encouraged to get creative, mixing muddy mixtures. We provide soil and water, and children add grass, leaves or anything else they can find outside. Mrs Patterson has asked if parents have any out of date herbs or spices that they would like to donate to the mud kitchen. Please nothing sweet though, if we start playing with sweet substances we will attract ants!

F. Things to bring to school, Things to leave at home.
Please can we remind parents to provide spoons or other necessary cutlery for your child’s lunchbox. Our spares in school disappear over time. We have seen an increase in the number of children
bringing toys to school. Please encourage your children to leave personal toys at home. Children become upset if they get lost or broken, and personal toys can often cause arguments between children

G. What the children are learning about this week?

The theme in Little Nursery is The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

In Catkins, Mrs McGrath will read The Very Hungry Caterpillar to the children. The children will then create their very own caterpillars. Mrs McGrath will support the children as they count out and stick down circles to create their caterpillar, they will then add eyes and legs to their artwork. In Room three, Miss Gaffney will be helping the children to make name caterpillars. They will work hard to write out some of the letters in their name and focus on holding their pencils in an effective way. Miss Gaffney will support children by modelling how to write the letters in their names. In the link, Mrs Watson will use inflated balloons to create caterpillar paintings. She will support the children with dipping the balloons in different coloured paints and then pushing them down gently onto paper. The finished effect should look like a colourful caterpillar. Mrs Watson will talk
to the children about the different colours that the children are using. She will also explain that the caterpillar changes into a butterfly over time. Outside, Mrs Brinkley will be teaching everyone how to transport items safely from one area to another. She will encourage the children to think about safety and working as a team. They will transport large urns filled with water to the sandpit. The children will be shown that the sand changes consistency when water is added and is better for building and creating sandcastles.

The theme in Big Nursery is science week.

In Room one, Miss Howe will be making popcorn with the children. They will watch how the heat changes the kernels into popcorn. Miss Howe will let everyone make their own bag of popcorn and they will be allowed to sit down at the table to eat it. Mrs Cashmore will set up a dark tent for the children to be able to explore light and dark. She will provide some letters, numbers and
shapes for the children to explore on the walls of the tent and on top of a light box. Children will be encouraged to take turns in the dark tent, with only two children using the tent at a time and a timer to help them share. In Room two, Mrs Patterson will encase some toys in ice and allow the children time to figure out how to free the toys. She will urge the children to think about how they might get the toys out of the ice in a safe manner and discuss things such as the temperature of the ice, how it is different to room temperature and what might happen because of these changes.
Outside, Miss Skai will be using buckets and paintbrushes to teach the children about evaporation. She will model how to write and draw using the water and brushes and watch the
effects of the sun on the water. While outside, Miss Skai will also use the sun to explain how shadows are made. She will encourage everyone to look at their own shadows and any other
shadows they may find in the playground

Nursery News 22nd May 2023

Monday, May 22, 2023

NURSERY NEWS
Monday 22nd May 2023 – Edition 298.
Find out About
A. Term Dates. Bank Holiday Dates A reminder.
B. Houghton Regis Dental Centre now accepting new patient children.
C. Chicks and Butterflies have hatched!
D. Sun Safety
E. What the children are learning about this week?

A.Term Dates. Bank Holiday Dates. A reminder
I plan to leave this information in the newsletter for the next few weeks as there are a number of Bank Holidays coming up….
Monday 29th May to Friday 2nd June 2023, Half Term Week, School Closed
(29th May is a Bank Holiday)
Thursday 20th July 2023 will be the last day of term for all children. School opens for normal
hours.
Friday 21st July 2023 school will be open only for the Big Nursery children that are leaving us.
The session will be a morning only session from 8:50am to 11:50am

B. Houghton Regis Dental Centre now accepting new patient children.
Anyone under the age of 18 is now welcome to register with Houghton Regis Dental Centre for NHS dental Care. This can either be done online, over the phone (01582 865001) or by completing a form at the practice.(105-111 High Street, Houghton Regis, Dunstable LU5 5BJ)

C. Chicks and Butterflies have hatched!
During the summer term we learn about things that grow. We introduce the children to the idea of ‘lifecycles’. We have been observing the lifecycle of some caterpillars. We have watched
them grow from small caterpillars to big, fat caterpillars. We watched as they spun cocoons around themselves. Four butterflies have hatched successfully in our butterfly house.
We have also provided a ‘Living Eggs’ experience for the children. Living Eggs is a company that provides everything we need to enable our pupils to see eggs hatch successfully into
chicks.
Our eggs arrived last Monday, and since then we have cared for them in an incubator. They began to hatch last Thursday. After a few hours we moved the newly hatched chicks to their
new home, a light clean box with a warming lamp, with a big clear window so that the chicks can look out and our pupils can look in. We have ten chicks.
The chicks will be with us until Friday. They begin to grow rapidly and their wing feathers start to develop. At this stage they become more difficult for us and the children to handle as they start
to flap around. The lady from Living Eggs will return and take the chicks back to the farm.

D. Sun Safety
We are moving swiftly towards the hottest part of the year in school. I have been doing some research online to ensure I can give parents good advice about Sun Safety.
I have taken some information from Cancer Research UK’s website:
 The best way to enjoy the sun safely and protect your skin is to use shade, clothing and sunscreen.
 Shade and clothing are better than sunscreen at protecting your skin.
 Sunscreen shouldn’t be used to spend longer in the sun. But they can be useful for protecting the parts of skin not covered by clothing or shade.

Clothing
Clothing should cover your shoulders and have long sleeves. The more skin that’s covered by your clothing, the better the protection.
Choose clothing that’s loose-fitting and darker in colour
Look for materials with a close weave- as a guide you can hold the material up to the light tocheck you can’t see through the fabric

Hats
Choose a wide-brimmed hat that shades your face, ears and neck for the most UV protection.

Shade
Spending time in the shade is one of the best ways to protect your skin from the sun’s UV rays.
So what does this mean for us at Willow?
We still go outside everyday, but we do limit how long children can go outside if it is very hot.  We encourage all children to drink plenty, reminding them that their water bottle is always
available. We do encourage children to come inside for a rest in the shade. At some points in the day we completely close outside, so that we know all children have had a break from the
sun. We are very lucky in that our school remains fairly cool in the summer, with lots of windows for ventilation.
You know your child best!
Some children are more vulnerable to the sun than others. I have red hair and freckles, which means that I can burn very easily, (Sometimes in very strong sun, in as little as 20 minutes).
Some children are less likely to burn than others. People with naturally dark or brown skin burn less easily. But people with darker skin can still burn – it might feel itchy or tender rather than
changing colour.
So, I can give advice, but you must make day to day decisions regarding your child’s sun safety.

How can you help us?
Dress your child appropriately. Try to avoid too much bare skin. A t-shirt gives much more protection from the sun than a strappy sundress or a vest top. Think about children’s feet.
Exposed skin in sandals may burn. nWe would ask you to apply sun protection cream to your child before they attend morning or afternoon sessions. We will assume that all pupils will have
had sun protection cream applied at home. If your child attends all day and you wish your child to have additional cream applied at lunchtime, please send a bottle of sun protection cream into school (please pass it to their Keyworker) and we will store it safely in the classroom, out of the children’s reach. This cream should be left in school. Ensure their name is on it. Staff will assist
children to apply sun protection cream at lunchtime. We will help pupils to apply sun protection cream to their face, neck and arms. Please do not leave sun protection cream in your child’s
bag. We do not want children sharing their cream with their friends. One year we found a pair of children applying it to their teeth to use as toothpaste! Please provide your child with a hat with their name on when the weather is sunny. A hat with a broad brim is better than a cap for sun protection. A cap is better than no hat. Remember 2, 3,and 4 year olds cannot always remember the whereabouts of clothing that they have taken off. Put their name on it if you want it to return home!

More information regarding the summer term:
Consider what you would like your child to wear at school for safety. Children are still climbing and riding bikes so long sundresses and strappy sandals are not always practical!
Messy Play: As the weather improves we take more and more activities outside. More water is used and play can become much messier. Please ensure clothes are play friendly and send in
spares as children can become soaked if they pour water down their clothes, even with aprons on!

 

E. What the children are learning about this week?
The theme in Little Nursery is the flower shop.
In Catkins, Mrs Field will be working with the children on developing their fine motor skills. They will have the opportunity to look at some daffodils in a vase and be shown how to recreate this image as a painting using cotton buds and appropriate colours. In the Link, Mrs Watson will set up a flower shop role play for the children to use. She will model language and counting skills for the children to learn. They will experiment with numerals, symbols and marks as they use clipboards to write down lots of orders for customers. Outside, Mrs Brinkley will have music playing as she shows the children how to move around the nursery in different ways. She will praise the children for trying to hop, skip, balance and dance to the music.

The theme in Big Nursery is ‘Chicks’.
This week our chicks have hatched in Room 1. Miss Howe will be teaching the children about caring for them and keeping them safe. All children will be offered the chance to hold the chicks and they will be encouraged to sit sensibly as they hold them on their laps. Children will be shown how to hold the chicks without hurting or scaring them and praised for taking such great care of them while they are at our school. Staff will talk to the children about the life cycle of a chick and discuss how they have already seen part of that cycle as the chicks have hatched from the eggs.
The chicks will spend some time in Room 2 with Mrs Patterson to enable the children to observe them. The children will look at the features of the chicks, including their beaks, feathers
and wings. After spending some time observing the chicks, the children will try to paint still life images of them, including as many details as possible.
Outside, Miss Skai will support the children in making kites that they can fly around the garden. She will be teaching from a science point of view, talking about the weather conditions we may
need to make our kites fly and where might be the best place to fly them outside of school.

Nursery News Tuesday 9th May 2023

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

NURSERY NEWS
Tuesday 9th May 2023 – Edition 297 (sent Friday 5th May 2023).

Find out About
A. Term Dates. Bank Holiday Dates A reminder.
B. The King’s Coronation.
C. Holiday forms and pupil absence
D. What the children are learning about this week?

A.Term Dates. Bank Holiday Dates. A reminder
I plan to leave this information in the newsletter for the next few weeks as there are a number of
Bank Holidays coming up….
Monday 8th May 2023 Bank Holiday Monday for King’s Coronation, School Closed.
Monday 29th May to Friday 2nd June 2023, Half Term Week, School Closed
(29th May is a Bank Holiday)
Thursday 20th July 2023 will be the last day of term for all children. School opens for normal
hours.
Friday 21st July 2023 school will be open only for the Big Nursery children that are leaving us.
The session will be a morning only session from 8:50am to 11:50am

B. The King’s Coronation.
There has been lots and lots of talk in the school this week about the King’s coronation. Our aim
was for the children to become aware of, and understand, some of the words they will hear
linked to the coronation. There have been a wide variety of activities going on, but we wanted
to share with you the coronation role play created by Mrs Brinkley. The children took it in turns
to be a King or Queen and sit on the very special throne. Children dressed up in ‘fine clothes’,
and some chose to bow to the King or Queen. One child also chose to give birth on the throne,
and a baby princess popped out of her dress. Everyone was very happy that there was now a
princess. We have had lots of images around the school. We hope the children will have some knowledge about
what they may see or hear about the coronation. We hope everyone has an enjoyable Bank Holiday Weekend.

C. Holiday forms and pupil absence.
We are at the point in the year when some families begin to take holidays. If you have a
planned holiday during term time, please ask a member of staff for a holiday form. We ask that
you fill in this very short form so that we can update attendance registers correctly.
Please can we also remind parents that if your child is absent for any other reason please
telephone the school office and let us know. The school telephone does have an answering
machine which is regularly monitored, so do please leave a message letting us know the reason
for their absence and again we can update registers.

D. What the children are learning about this week?
The theme in little nursery is mini beasts.
In Catkins, Mrs McGrath will be focusing on maths with the children.
They will be creating paper plate lady bugs and counting the spots as
they add them. The children will be encouraged to count as high as
they can and Mrs McGrath will continue counting from where the
children left off to model mathematical language for the children.
In the Link, Mrs Brinkley will be exploring different paint techniques, she will show the children
how to paint using their fingers, brushes, cotton buds and sponges. She will discuss the
outcomes of painting with different equipment with the children and ask them which is their
favourite.
In Room 3, Mrs Watson will be counting toy insects. She will show the children that it is
important to touch each item as they count because this helps to highlight the link between item
and number name.
Outside, Miss Gaffney will be investigating the garden with the children. They will be using
magnifying glasses and viewing pots to observe any insects that they find. They will discuss
where they found the insects and learn their names.
The theme in big nursery is life cycles.
In Room 1, Miss Skai will ask the children to take part in a shared
read. She will have The Very Hungry Caterpillar book ready and a
sequencing activity for the children to complete to show their
understanding of the story. Miss Skai will also provide books on life
cycles of frogs and caterpillars.
In Room 2, Mrs Cashmore will be talking to the children about the
life cycle of a frog. They will be supported in creating a life cycle
wheel, which will show the different stages from frogspawn to adult frog. The children will have
access to an I-Pad to look at images and information about frogs and their stages of growth.
Outside, Mrs Patterson will be encouraging children to take turns playing in the mud kitchen.
She will provide aprons for the children to wear to protect their clothes and explain to the
children that they must wait for their turn. Children will know it is their turn when an apron
becomes available.
Please remember there will be no Nursery News on 15
th May 2023. The next edition will be
published on 22nd May 2023, due to Mrs Davies attending Jury Service.