Sunflower Leaving Party - 2008 - Click here to view pictures

Newsletter May 2009

I hope that you all had a lovely May Day weekend. We will be having another busy month, especially during half term week (the last week in May).

Come and Play Day-We are opening our doors on Saturday 16th May from 9.00am-12.00pm for parents, grandparents, friends and family to come to nursery and play. It’s a great morning out (and it’s free) for you to come along with your children and to play at nursery. You can play on all our new outdoor musical instruments and climb on the tree trunk as well as paint, play with the puzzles and trains, get messy with gloop and so much more. It’s a great way to meet other parents and to see what your child gets up to when they are with us at nursery. The doors will also be open to prospective new parents so please tell your friends too.

Planning Consent for Canopy in Preschool Garden-I am delighted to announce that we have been granted planning permission for a canopy in preschool garden. Initially we will build two separate canopies, one outside Sunflower Room and the other outside Poppy Room, although we have had permission to cover the whole paved area. The work should start in the next couple of months and once completed will make a huge difference to the freeflow aspect of play as the children will have consistent use of the outdoor space.

Summer Sun-Please ensure that your child has a named bottle of sun cream in nursery and a named hat. The children go into the garden throughout the whole day and they must have these items so that it is safe for them while they play.

Suitable Shoes- Last year we had several children who tripped while wearing Crocs. Unfortunately these types of shoes do not fit the children’s feet well and are often the cause of minor accidents during the summer months. Please do not send your child into nursery in Crocs or any other type of flip flop. Sandals that support the feet are more suitable for nursery as the children are very active while they are here.

Uniform-Children in the preschool rooms should wear a nursery t-shirt or polo shirt and a nursery hat. This is especially important for those who are going on the nursery farm trip (Sunflower Room) as it helps us to identify them quickly. Uniform gives children a sense of identity and belonging and it also helps to prepare them for the transition to school. Please ensure that all uniform (and all other clothing) is clearly named as we cannot take responsibility for lost clothing but a named piece of clothing gives us a better chance of finding it for you.

Ifield School-The Reception class from Ifield special school will join the Sunflower children for a picnic and play afternoon once again this year on 4th June. It is always lovely to mix with other schools and the picnic is always enjoyed by all.

Drop Off & Collection Times-We are very busy at drop off and collection times and staff may have several parents waiting to see them at once. Please be patient if you have to wait. We realise that you are on a tight schedule and we do our best to talk to everyone but when lots of parents arrive together it can be difficult. We have had several incidents recently when parents have been very rude to staff and this is not acceptable. If you are unhappy about something please convey this in a civilised manner as rudeness and aggression will not be tolerated.

Parents Forum-The latest meeting was held on 31st March at the Harvester on Princes Road at 6.30pm. The minutes and responses are available to read in both front entrances. The new email address for the forum is dimplesparentsforum@gmail.com please feel free to email your views and ideas to the current members if you cannot make the forums. The next meeting will take place on Thursday 7th May. Two parents arrived at the recent meeting and asked for the Dimples Party but were told there was not a party of that name in the Harvester. We believe that the person checked the restaurant booking when in fact the meeting was held in the bar. I have been informed that there will be a laminated sign on the table so that parents can see it when they walk around the bar area. Please continue to ask for the ‘Dimples Party’ when you arrive but please state that it is in the bar area. .

Tesco’s Computers for Schools-We are collecting vouchers again this year and the box is in the main building entrance or please give hand them into your child’s key person.

Sainsbury’s Active Kids-Once again we are collecting the Sainsbury’s vouchers and this box is also in the main building entrance.

Race for Life-We are racing at Blackheath this year on 5th July. The ladies can walk, jog or run the 5kms and children can join in too. The ladies race is in the morning but there is a men’s race in the afternoon, the Bobby Moore. You can register on line www.raceforlife.co.uk . Please let us know if you are racing as it’s great to all meet up on the heath. This year we may have a picnic between the two races in Greenwich Park or pop into one of the pubs on Blackheath, let us know your thoughts. Every year we have a special Dimples T-shirt that the staff can wear during working hours to show that they have raced. If you would like to purchase a t-shirt please jot down your name and the size t-shirt you would like and hand in the details to the office, we will contact you nearer the time with more details. There are sponsor slips attached to this newsletter if you would like to sponsor us for this event, in aid of Cancer Research. Individuals are also encouraged to raise their own sponsorship money and to send it directly to the charity (all the details are in the enrolment pack that is sent to you once you have registered). The mini training sessions start on Thursday 21st May. Please meet in the car park at 6.45pm. Unfortunately the day may differ as we have parents evening on a Thursday in June. If you would like to sponsor us on line please go to our on line sponsorship page www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/dimplesteam

Main Nursery Garden-There should be a little more work completed this week in the main garden. We are enhancing the ‘natural’ area around the tree trunk so pop out and have a look later in the month.

Coeliacs Awareness Week-So many children and adults today are being diagnosed with this condition and we have a member of staff and a child at Dimples who are affected by it. Children will be cooking and eating food that is suitable for a coeliac diet (gluten free) during the week commencing 11th May.

Mushroom Man-We are hoping to have a visit from the ‘Mushroom Man’ during the May half term. This tree sculpture makes mushroom ornaments (for the garden) out of trees using a chain saw. We are aware that some children may be a little nervous by the sound of the chain saw and we will be proactive if they are unsure. We have devised a risk assessment and the children will not be permitted in the area when the chain saw is being used. The children will be allowed to handle the wood, smell the saw dust and to play with the mushrooms and off cuts. (The under two’s will not watch this activity and we will judge on the day whether children from Daisy and Daffodil will go and watch. It is mainly aimed at children in Poppy, Sunflower and Holiday club)

Holiday Club-We are taking bookings for the May half term now. Please call or email the office staff if you would like to book a place for your child. Several children brought in PSPs and DSs during the Easter holiday. We have a nursery Play Station, TV and WII and the children are allowed a short period of time on each of these. We will no longer allow personal electronic games in the holiday club as it causes arguments and makes the children anti-social.

Hair Clips-One of our parents witnessed a young child choking on a small hair clip whilst she was shopping in Bluewater recently. We appreciate that children with long hair need to have their fringes clipped out of their eyes but please ensure that you use an alice band or a large clip as small clips are potential choking hazards.

Smoking-Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the nursery site. Please refrain from smoking in the car park as it does not demonstrate good role models for our children.

Sunflower Room Leavers-Please ensure that you have returned the form informing us of your child’s new school and the consent form for the leaver’s trip.

Best Wishes

Sandra & The Team

Dates for your Diary
Come and Play Day -16th May 9.00am-12.00pm
Bank Holiday CLOSED 25th May
Life Boat Talk Visit-26th May
Mushroom Man-27th May
Discovery Bus-28th May
Preschool Leavers Photos-10th June (more details to follow)
Parent’s Evening (All parents from Buttercup room upwards) 11th June
Sunflower Leavers Trip-16th June
Sunflower Sports Day-19th June (more details to follow)
Race for Life & Bobby Moore-5th July
Flower Festival-10th & 11th July
Party in the Garden-5th September