Newsletter
Spring Summer Newsletter
We would like to extend a warm welcome to the children and families who have joined us recently. We hope you will quickly begin to feel a sense of belonging within this community and will play your part in ensuring it’s continued success. The team here at Thornlaw strive to ensure that we provide the same standard of care which we would expect for our own children and grandchildren, ensuring your time here with us at Thornlaw Nursery is happy and productive.
STAFFING UPDATE
There have been some changes to our staff team recently, Amanda has been successful in gaining a new post as Family Support Worker with Aberlour, she will take up this new post on Monday the 20th of April, we wish her well in her new role.
Joanna one of our Support for Learning Workers recently went on maternity leave; she has since welcomed a healthy baby girl into her family, we wish her and her family well and will welcome her back when she returns from maternity leave next year.
We have some staff absences due to ill health and so we have Michelle from Eastwood nursery in supporting us for now. Michelle has been working well to get to know our children and families. We wish our absent staff members well and a speedy recovery.
UPDATED STAFF TEAM
Claire Morrison Head of Nursery
Linda Norwood Child Development Team Leader (Maternity leave)
Lauren Mitchell Acting Child Development Team Leader
Kimberley McConville Lead Practitioner Attainment
Judith Yuile Child Development Officer (Part Time) (Yellow Group)
Christina McDermott Child Development Officer (Part Time) (Yellow group)
Nicola Fahey Child Development Officer (Part Time) (Red group)
Ronda Cheng Child Development Officer (Part Time) (Red group)
Helen Conway Child Development Officer (Red group)
Gail Brannigan Child Development Officer (Green group)
Lyndsey Watson Child Development Officer (Green group)
Stephanie Collins Child Development Officer (Purple group)
Rebbekah Gallacher Child Development Officer (Purple group)
Marie Stuart Child Development Officer (Blue group)
Laura McKinnon Child Development Officer (Blue group)
Basharat Hanif Support for Learning Worker
Joanna MacDonald Support for Learning Worker (Maternity leave)
Kiren Singh Support for Learning Worker
Jane Gunn Clerical Support Assistant
David Adam Janitor
Michelle McLeod Day Assistant
UPCOMING HOLIDAYS
May
- Friday 3rd May (In-service day)
- Monday 6th May (May holiday)
- Friday 24th and Monday 27th May (May weekend)
June
- Nursery closes 1pm on Wednesday 26th June
August
- Children return Wednesday 14th August
NURSERY FUND RAISING
As you are all aware we have been busy raising funds for our upcoming summer trip to Blairdrummond safari park. So far, we have raised £1836.70 from selling football cards, home baking, our Easter raffle and from donations. Thank you to all our children and families have participated by buying and selling raffle tickets, football cards and our baking. We still have £2498.30 to reach our total of £4315.80.
Our next fund-raising event is our sponsored ‘mini mudder’, parents are invited to join their child in nursery to complete our ‘mini mudder’ course, raise funds for the trip and have some fun! See dates below;
|
Date
|
Group
|
AM session
|
PM session
|
|
Monday 29th April
|
Blue & Yellow
|
10.30
|
2.30
|
|
Tuesday 30th April
|
Red
|
10.30
|
2.30
|
|
Wednesday 1st May
|
Purple
|
10.30
|
2.30
|
|
Thursday 2nd May
|
Green
|
10.30
|
2.30
|
Please note we will be hosting a bake sale during the ‘mini mudder’, so please bring some change to ensure you can buy some tasty treats.
If anyone is interested in selling a football card, cards are available from Jane at reception.
EASTER EGG DONATION
A big Thank You to Helen and Arshad, who own the local shop and also have a child in the nursery, they very kindly donated all of our Easter Eggs this year, so thanks to them all our children received an egg.
TOY FUND
Toy Fund is a voluntary suggested contribution of £2 per week, however you may pay more or less if you wish. Toy Fund helps us provide extras that we wouldn’t normally be able to do such as outings, celebrations and gifts, all children benefit from the toy fund, so please try to contribute when you can. If we have no Toy Fund then we will be unable to continue with seasonal shows or seasonal / birthday treats for the children and outings, there will be no baking or cooking activities.
Toy fund can be paid weekly on a Tuesday in nursery to Jane Gunn, Clerical Support Assistant or by bank transfer, please speak to Jane Gunn, Clerical Support Assistant if you wish to pay via bank transfer.
Toy Fund contributions are banked each week and the books and receipts are always available for inspection. The toy fund is audited annually according to the council’s financial regulations.
UPCOMING NURSERY EVENTS
Bookbug sessions – Helen will be continuing Bookbug sessions. Bookbug Sessions are a great way for parents to spend time bonding with their child and meet other parents within the nursery. Bookbug Sessions can also help to build children’s social skills and support their speech and language development. Most importantly, Bookbug Sessions are fun! Keep an eye out on SeeSaw for dates and times for these sessions.
Garden Development group – We are hoping to create an allotment patch, where we can grow our own vegetables and herbs. We need some green fingered volunteers to help with this, if you are interested and able to volunteer please speak to Claire.
Big Chef / Little Chef – Ronda will be leading our Big Chef / Little Chef sessions. Parents will be invited to come along and make a healthy meal with their child to then take home, along with the ingredients to try at home with the whole family. These will begin when we return from the Easter break, our first session will be Friday 26th April at 2.15pm
Parents meetings – Parents meetings have scheduled for week beginning 10th of June. Individual appointments will be sent via SeeSaw.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Monday 29th April – Blue & Yellow group ‘mini mudder’ 10.30am or 2.30pm
Tuesday 30th April – Red group ‘mini mudder’ 10.30am or 2.30pm
Wednesday 1st May – Purple group ‘mini mudder’ 10.30am or 2.30pm
Thursday 2nd May – Green group ‘mini mudder’ 10.30am or 2.30pm
Tuesday 11th June – Whole nursery outing to Blairdrummond Safari Park
Friday 21st June – Pre-school Graduation (Pre-school children only)
PARENTS GROUP
Our parents’ group help in areas such as raising nursery funds, helping to plan nursery events, give suggestions as to what kind of parent partnership events would be useful for parents and being part of our self-evaluation processes, ensuring we provide the best possible quality care and education for our young people whilst supporting families.
Our next meeting will be on Friday 26th April at 10am, refreshments will be provided, hope to see you there.
PRE-LOVED CLOTHING RAIL / FOOD DONATIONS
In our corridor you will find a pre-loved clothing rail, you will also find a selection of sanitary products, nappies, wipes and other useful items, please feel free to have a look and take anything that you would have use for.
We also have regular donations of food products, these are normally on display in the nursery corridor, please feel free to take any of the food products you would like.
SICKNESS AND ILLNESS POLICY REMINDER
Children suffering from sickness and diarrhoea must be clear for 48 hours before returning to nursery to reduce the spread of infection. If your child becomes sick or has diarrhoea at nursery, families will be contacted and advised to collect their child and they should remain at home until 48 hours clear of symptoms.
Families will be contacted if children appear unwell or complain of being unwell, for any reason, and unable to cope with nursery.
If your child is unwell at home and is unable to attend nursery, it is important that you let us know as soon as possible.
REMINDERS
Clothing - As part of our curriculum we play outside in all weathers so please make sure your child comes to nursery suitably dressed in a warm coat with appropriate footwear. If possible, could you provide a pair of wellington boots that your child can leave in nursery. It is advisable to bring a change of clothes for your child to leave at nursery. We do not have any spare clothes, so this is essential, as learning can be a messy business.
Children should also have shoes that they can manage to take on and off by themselves, ideally Velcro straps are best.
Children’s Trays – Each child has their own allocated tray, located opposite the Head of Nursery’s office. Please ensure that you check your child’s tray on a daily basis, as you will find important information here.
Home Links – Please remember to return your Play Along Maths, Library books and Science Bears on time, this allows another child and family to experience these.
BRINGING TOYS TO NURSERY
We understand that some children may wish to bring their own toys to nursery, however we would appreciate if you encourage your child not to bring toys to nursery. This can often cause upset for your child when other children want to play with their special toy and toys can often become lost or broken. We are not responsible for any toys that your child brings to nursery. Please speak to a member of staff if you have any concerns regarding this.
Attention all Parents and families
Please refrain from using mobile phones in the nursery.
It is nursery policy that mobile phones are not used within the nursery. This helps to ensure the privacy and respect of the children and families using the centre. Your child will also be keen to talk to you about their day, and will want to know you are listening to them and able to respond. Please make your calls or texts before or after you enter the building.
NURSERY ARRIVAL AND COLLECTION TIMES
Unless you have been given different instructions from your child’s key worker – sessions are as follows;
MORNING SESSION
08.00-12.30
AFTERNOON SESSION
13.00-17.30
MORNING CHILDREN
Please ensure your child is in nursery no later than 09.15. This ensures that your child’s and other children’s learning is not interrupted.
AFTERNOON CHILDREN
Please ensure your child is in nursery no later than 13.15. This ensures that your child’s and other children’s learning is not interrupted. Please note that the nursery door is not manned between the hours of 13.15 and 14.00, due to staff lunches as such there will NOT be a member of staff available to let you into nursery after 13.15 therefore you must have your child in nursery before 13.15 for their afternoon session.
Collection time is between
15.00-15.30
and
16.30-17.30
WEB PAGE FACEBOOK & TWITTER
We have our own web page which can be found at www.thornlaw-nursery.glasgow.sch.uk
Twitter Facebook
@ThornlawNursery Thornlaw Nursery
CONTACT DETAILS
Nursery contact can be made by telephone, email or in person
Telephone 0141 638 3176
Email -headteacher@thornlaw-nursery.glasgow.sch.uk