Newsletter – September 2018
***OFSTED***
Following on from our Ofsted inspection on the 10th July 2018, I am pleased to announce we retained our GOOD rating. There is a link on Tapestry or on our Buckden Preschool Playgroup Facebook Page to the Ofsted report.
Preschool roundup
Welcome back everyone! We hope you all had a super summer holiday. We’d love to hear what you’ve been doing, so please complete the slip in your child’s drawer and hand this to the keyperson. Please remember that all children need to bring in a labelled bottle of water and a bag with a change of clothes in, plus nappies and wipes if your child is not yet toilet trained.
We have water available all day on the water tray, alongside their bottles. Please label everything: clothes, coats, bottles etc.
Some new points for September onwards…
Please remember to leave all toys at home, as it is hard for children to understand what toys belong to preschool and what toys belong to another child – so to avoid upset, please keep them at home.
All the children will have a name card in their drawer. They will need to collect this on arrival and place it into the basket next to the drinking bottle tray. They will then use this later in the day to self-register for snack time.
We have placed a new parent partnership board up in the foyer, as we love our parents to be involved with the learning that takes place here. To improve on this, we will show you what your child will be learning during the week they are at playgroup and will offer some suggestions for things that you can do at home or whilst out so you can continue their learning and build on their experiences.
We have put up a new key person board by the coats and bags, so please familiarise yourselves with your child’s key person.
Staff news
We’d like to welcome back Miss Sam and Miss Cori, who took some personal time last term and are now back and ready to go.
Our theme/topic
We shall be starting the term with ‘Getting to know you’. We’d like to learn as much as possible about the children when they start back with us, so to help the children talk about this can ALL parents/carers please bring in a labelled photograph of your child and the family, so they can share this with the key person and their friends.
We shall be exploring the local community and taking photographs to make our very own Playgroup street.
Our Committee
Chairperson – Becky Milne
Secretary – Christopher Scotney
Treasurer – Debby Beachus-Wells
Parent Liaison – Mel Burns
Marketing – to be filled
Fundraising/Vice-Chair – Tizzy Pape
We are currently running at the minimum number of committee members. We do need more members on the committee, so if any parents know of anyone (it doesn’t have to be a parent – it can be a grandparent or village member) that would like to join us, please come and speak to Sam. Next year will be the 50th year of the playgroup being open, so it will be a very exciting time to join, but we need a committee to keep running. If you’d like more details of what’s involved you can speak to our Parent Liaison – Mel.
As a setting, we have decided that at the end of every half term and term we shall be closing at 12pm to allow the staff valuable time for staff meetings/training to take place.
Term dates can be found on our website.
Fundraisers
Please remember we are a charity run provision and need all our fundraisers to be successful to keep running. We will be holding exciting fundraisers to raise money for the playgroup, so watch this space.
Term dates
School year 2018-2019
Autumn term
Autumn term opens: Monday 3rd September
Close for half term holiday: Friday 19th October at 12:00 – no afternoon session
Half term holiday: Monday 22nd – Friday 26th October
Inset day: Monday 29th October Closed
Autumn term ends: Thursday 20th December at 12:00 – no afternoon session
Spring term
Spring Term opens: Monday 7th January
Close for half term holiday: Friday 15th February at 12:00 – no afternoon session
Half term holiday: Monday 18th – Friday 22nd February
Spring term ends: Friday 5th April At 12:00 – no afternoon session
Summer term
Summer term begins: Tuesday 23rd April
May day: Monday 6th May Closed
Close for half term holiday: Friday 24th May at 12:00 – no afternoon session
Half term holiday: Monday 27th May – Friday 31st May
Summer term ends: Thursday 18th July at 12:00 – no afternoon session