Crann Support Group Preschool Parent Pack 2014 On Behalf of: Ballivor Community Childcare, Ballivor, Co. Meath (Giggles) Duleek Community Childcare, Duleek, Co. Meath (Liag Na n’Óg) Laytown Resource House, Laytown, Co. Meath (Lilliput's) Navan Community Childcare, Navan, Co. Meath (Daoine Óga) Navan Travellers Workshop, Navan, Co. Meath (Little Angels) Simonstown Childcare Facility, Navan, Co. Meath (Le Chéile) Summerhill Community Childcare Ltd., Summerhill, Co. Meath (The Hive) Trim Community Childcare, Trim, Co. Meath (Coiscéimeanna) The Crann Support Group Preschool Parent Pack 2014 - 2015 A Welcome Note from the Chief Executive Officer A very warm welcome to our returning children and our new children for Preschool 2014-2015. Like all other years our staff have been working hard putting together a programme that will enusre your child has a fun filled learning experience and memories to last a lifetime. In addition to our full-day care and afterschool services the Crann Support Group now operates 15 Preschools in Co. Meath and caters for 208 preschool children on a daily basis. Our Preschools vary from English Speaking to Irish Speaking and from Indoor Preshools to Outdoor Preschools. Our first Irish Speaking Preschool (Naíonra) was introduced in 2010 as a pilot scheme with its aim being to give a child the encouragement to learn and improve the Irish language in a natural environment thus gaining a huge advantage going into primary school. This initiative has been extremely successful and as a result other Naíonras have been set up within the Crann Support Group. Our first Outdoor Preschool was launched in our Navan Centre, Daoine Óga in May 2010 by the Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald. The inspiration for this project came from a visit to Copenhagen and to the first Outdoor preschool in Ireland which is located in Donegal. In our Outdoor Preschools, the children spend most of every day in the outdoors and the environment has been designed to ensure that the children have a challenging play environment which enables them develop and acquire skills through play. Services of this kind have been developed on the basis that there is nothing inside which cannot be replicated outside - however, it is very difficult to replicate inside what is outside. Regardless of the type of preschool your child joins in the Crann Support Group our main aim is to ensure every child’s needs are met at all times and therefore our programs are adaptable to each child. Each child is encouraged to progress at his/her own pace. Our staff facilitate a holistic approach to early childhood education and development and our programs change weekly and are displayed daily in each room. We encourage outdoor play and risky play in all centres every day no matter the weather and we have an all weather play area in each centre. The Crann Support Group enjoy working with parents and we encourage parents to share ideas for the daily program of the classroom their children attends. We promote an open door policy that allows parent’s to come into the centre to observe there child’s progress throughout the day. Our staff facilitate any parent wishing to enquire about children’s progress with parent /staff meetings. A playbus has been purchased for the Group which visits the different centres regularly so the children have somewhere different and unique to play. As an innovative idea we are considering hiring the bus to parents at each centre for childrens birthday parties. Costs are The Crann Support Group Preschool Parent Pack 2014 - 2015 currently being considered with affordability being the key factor. On behalf of the Crann Support Group I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing our service for your child and look forward to working with you over the coming year. Should you have queries or require any futher clarification please do not hesitate to contact our centre Supervisor directly on the numbers overleaf. Yours sincerely, Marie Daly ________________________ Marie Daly Chief Executive Officer The Crann Support Group Preschool Parent Pack 2014 - 2015 General Information (Compulsory Read) Please note that our car park has a speed limit of 5 mph please observe this as it is in the best interest and safety of your children. Please do not park in the disability space or in front of the Fire Assembly point. Our building meets necessary fire and safety regulations and staff are trained accordingly. All Company policies and procedures are available to view at reception. A copy of the 1991 Childcare Act and a copy of the Pre-School Services Regulations 1996 are also available to view at reception. We are notified to the North Eastern Health Board. Our fees are paid every Monday in advance irrespective of your child missing days. If payments are not maintained your child’s place cannot be guaranteed. A late collection fee will be imposed for late pick-ups. Only a designated adult may collect your child. All authorised collectors must have the correct password. Sick children should not be brought to Pre-School (see our illness policy), if your child contacts an infectious illness you are obliged to notify the centre. All children are required to bring a healthy lunch (no sweets, juice, crisps or biscuits) and a small drink (milk or water). Parents and Guardians are encouraged to contribute to activities in areas that suit their interests and skills however, Garda Clearance forms must be complete before a parent participates in pre-school activities. Fire Drills are practised monthly and we have smoke detectors and Fire Extinguishers/ Blankets that meet the EU Standard. All accidents on the premises during Pre-School hours are noted and Parents are notified accordingly. Personal toys are not permitted in the pre-school as they can get broken easily and cause unnecessary confrontation. All centres encourage risky play with the children. For little mishaps please leave a spare set of clothes with your child’s name clearly marked on them. For children attending indoor preschools we would be grateful if you could send in some indoor shoes and boots for outdoor play. For those children attending the outdoor preschool please ensure children are dressed in appropriate weather clothing. For insurance purposes children cannot received into the preschool before the appointed time. Prior to children being checked into the role book they remain the responsibility of the parent/guardian. Full details of our Company Policies and Procedures are available on www.crannsupportgroup.ie The Crann Support Group Preschool Parent Pack 2014 - 2015 Directory of Childcare Services Preschool: Address: Contact Details: Supervisor Giggles Ballivor Community Tel: 046 956 7801 Alice Kelly Morning: 9:00am-12:00pm Childcare, Ballivor, Email: Co. Meath [email protected] Liag Na n’Óg Duleek Community Tel: 041 988 0100 Sarah Morning: 9:00am-12:00pm Childcare, Duleek, McKenna Email: Afternoon: 12:15pm-3:15pm Co. Meath [email protected] Lilliput's Laytown Resource Tel: 041 982 8588 Donna Brazier Morning: 9:15am-12:15pm House, Laytown, Email: Afternoon: 12:30pm–3:30pm Co. Meath [email protected] Daoine Óga Navan Community Tel: 046 907 5379 Sinead Morning: 9:00am-12:00pm Childcare, Navan, Conlon Daly Email: Co. Meath [email protected] Little Angels Navan Travellers Tel: 046 902 7801 Marie Morning: 9:15am-12:15pm Workshop, Navan, McDonagh Email: Co. Meath [email protected] Le Chéile Simonstown Tel: 046 903 1519 Martha Hanily Morning: 9:00am-12:00pm Childcare Facility, Email: Navan, Co. Meath [email protected] The Hive Summerhill Tel: 046 955 8617 Michelle Morning: 9:30am-12:30pm Community Conlon / Anne Email: Childcare Ltd., thehive@crannsupportgroup .ie O’Neill Summerhill, Co. Meath Coiscéimeanna Trim Community Tel: 046 948 3161 Maura Barrett Morning: 9:00am-12:00pm Childcare, Trim, Co. Email: Meath coisceimeanna@crannsupportgr oup.ie The Crann Support Group Preschool Parent Pack 2014 - 2015 The Preschool Curriculum Framework All Preschools within the Crann Support Group operate from the National Curriculum Framework Aistear and Siolta the quality assurance programme concerned with improving the quality of early childhood experiences for all children aged birth to six years. Early childhood is a time of great opportunity for learning and development. In these early years children within the Crann Support Group learn through loving, trusting and respectful relationships, and through discussion, exploration and play. They learn about languages and how and when to use them; they learn to think and to interact with others and the environment. They learn to be creative and adventurous, to develop working theories about their world, and to make decisions about themselves as learners. Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework celebrates early childhood as a time of being, and of enjoying and learning from experiences as they unfold. This early learning also lays important foundations for later learning. Because early childhood marks the beginning of children’s lifelong learning journeys, this framework is called Aistear, the Irish word for journey. Aistear is the curriculum framework for children from birth to six years in Ireland. While Siolta covers all aspects of quality within an early years setting, the Aistear framework focuses specifically on children’s learning through their interactions with their environment, the adults caring for them and other children within the setting. Aistear describes the types of learning (dispositions, values and attitudes, skills, knowledge, and understanding) that are important for children in their early years, and offers ideas and suggestions as to how this learning might be nurtured. The Framework also provides guidelines on supporting children’s learning through partnerships with parents, interactions, play, and assessment. Each preschool classroom is laid out in 7 sections, 6 indoors and 1 outdoor. These 7 sections are designed to encourage dialogue between the child and the teacher.