/ Jolly Rodgers Toddlers Newsletter March 2016 THIS MONTH’S THEME IS ‘ST PATRICK’S DAY, MOTHER’S DAY, EASTER & MINI BEASTS’ Our learning through play will continue to progress well throughout our monthly activities. The children will continue to build on new skills daily please encourage these at home. This month we will be exploring and celebrating the traditions of Mother’s Day and St Patricks Day. We will look at how it is celebrated in different countries and tradition associated. We will each be planting our own flowers in an individual pot and watching them grow on a daily basis.
THIS MONTH’S SONG’S (please encourage your child to sing these with you)
Happy Mother’s Day to you Mum Says April Showers The green shamrock I’m a little Leprechaun Chick Chick Chick chicken 5 little Easter Eggs 5 little Easter Rabbits Little Fuzzy caterpillar Insects all around
NUMBERS Each day we encourage the children with recognition of numbers. Please encourage your children to count with you, discuss how many they count e.g. how many cookies we bake, how many shamrock are in the sand etc. how many Easter eggs and bunnies and how many Easter chicks we have.
THIS MONTH’S COLOURS – YELLOW/GREEN The sand tray will be dry sand with insects & creepy crawlies & green shamrocks. During the month we will change and add Easter eggs, chicks & bunnies. The Water will be green also with creepy crawlies, green items with Easter items added during the month.
We will also be playing with green rice and soil using our spades, rakes & shovels.
THIS MONTH’S ARTS (we will send home children’s work for you to display) We will be using lots of different art & crafts to decorate pictures for our theme. E.g. crayons, felt tips, painting, sticking, junk art, foot prints, tissue paper, making pictures using glue & sand.
We will be making Mother’s Day artwork, and St Patrick’s Day artwork. We will also be making Easter pictures, Easter bunnies, decorating our own eggs and much more.
Free play art resources and junk art available throughout each week.
We will also be doing cooking activities this month which will include special cookies for mummies and Easter cupcakes & bird’s nests. We will also taste test different types of food for St Patrick’s Day e.g. potato bread, Irish stew, champ etc. and also be trying ‘hot cross buns’.
THIS MONTH’S CIRCLE TIME Within the Toddlers room we will use “Circle Time” to read stories, poems etc to develop each child’s love of books and language and knowledge.
We will read books and learn our new songs. Our songs & stories will all be theme related and will include the following:
I love my mummy Mother’s Day St Patricks Day Bunny my honey Hush little chick Butterfly Little Chick Ed’s Egg Little Bear and the butterflies
We will also use circle time to discuss: Our daily calendar Days of the week The colour yellow and green Experiences and knowledge gained from visits
THIS MONTH’S BIRTHDAY’S Each month we may have a birthday celebration; we will create a birthday chart and sing “Happy Birthday”. Each child will be added to this chart as their birthday occurs throughout the year. If you wish you may send a cake/or healthy option to celebrate during break. (All Cakes must be nut free).
Happy birthday: Patrick Jamie
PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES We will be outside every day, and if weather stays dry we might get to go for a walk so can you please ensure you have sent a warm coat, hats, scarves & gloves to nursery. We will also be going on an Easter egg hunt!! Could we please ask that you bring in a pair of ‘wellie boots’ (labelled with your child’s name on them) that we can keep in nursery for outside play & for walks. There are some boots in back hall with no names on them, could you please have a look and if any belong to your child could you label them. Many Thanks.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Can we ask that you please be extra cautious when driving around the car park area and always be aware of adults and children. We are sure you can appreciate that there are a lot of children within the nursery being collected at different times and it can be busy. Please always be attentive of this. Can we please remind you not to block the area where nursery vehicles are parked. This must be kept clear at all times so the vehicles can get in and out and we can safely off load the children. Thank you.
Can we please ask, if you know your child will not be attending nursery whether it be due to illness or holidays, that you let us know. Thank you. We have received our inspection report and have displayed it in main hallway and also in each room. If you would like a copy please speak to any staff member and we will arrange a copy for you.
This month we have a very special delivery coming into the Nursery: 8th March - incubator arrives with eggs 14th ish March - arrival of chicks 18th March - chicks leave to go to spring farm
This will be a very exciting project for all our children; we will update you with how we care for our eggs and our chicks when they arrive. Please discuss with your child how important it is not to touch the incubator and eggs and chicks without a staff member helping them, at all times. We will be making up a little area in main hall & if you could please encourage your child not to be moving any of the equipment around the incubator, eggs & eventually chicks this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Also this month we will be having a visit from BLACKBERRY FARM on Tuesday 8th March. We are excited about this as we just don’t know what treats we are going to see!!
This month we also look forward to welcoming Debutots to Toddlers for some special Easter stories & fun!! J Debutots is a unique blend of interactive storytelling and dramatic play for 1 to 7 years. In exploring the stories vocally and physically Debutots facilitate children’s literacy and communication development whilst having lots of fun. The children will get to speak, listen, observe, imagine and do. For more information www.debutots.co.uk
‘ BIG YELLOW FRIDAY’ -We are having a fundraising day on Friday 4th March in aid of Childhood liver disease. We are hoping everyone will come to nursery wearing something yellow. We will be having games and activities throughout the day. All we ask is a small donations towards this very worthwhile cause. THANK YOU.
Please note nursery will be closed on Easter Monday 28th March & Easter Tuesday 29th March and will reopen on Wednesday 30th March. We hope you all have a lovely Easter!
Busy month ahead!! Thank you – from all in Toddlers