Newsletter for Week Beginning 7th October 2018
Dear parents, children and carers 8th October 2018
This newsletter is kindly sponsored by KEITH REYNOLDS BRICKWORK
The newsletter is also on our website, on our Facebook page or by email on request
Last week turned into a great week for constructing. The children have a real enthusiasm for building and built everything from Blackpool Tower to London Bridge. We were so impressed that we have decided to make a display of photos of their work and some of the great learning which comes along with it: Lots of imagination, sharing and co-operating, problem solving, perseverance, risk taking and managing risks, physical coordination, mathematics, role play and so much more. We used a variety of materials from cardboard boxes, construction sets and wood.
We had story times in our dark tent by torch light. Monsters and wolves still feature large in the children’s imaginations and role play. Next week we’ll introduce the story and music of Peter and the Wolf by Prokoviev. We can use the internet to answer questions and find out about real wolves. Why not look together at home? We will also have to read Three Billy Goats Gruff, combining both bridges and a troll! We are going to make some monster collages with 2D shapes and different textures of fabrics, googly eyes etc
We made cheese straws and cheese biscuits everyday for our snack and they were very popular. If you want to make them at home, it is very simple: 9oz plain flour, rub in 4oz butter, add 2oz grated cheese and then enough water to form a dough to roll or cut out shapes. Bake at 200 C about ten minutes or so until crispy.
AGM Thursday 11th October 7pm in Hummingbirds – our annual general meeting is coming up soon. All welcome to attend. If you are interested in joining our committee please do ask.
ONLINE SHOPPING? If you shop on-line at all, please consider registering on www.easyfundraising.org.uk and donating to ‘Hummingbirds Garstang’, each time you shop on-line. Certain retailers (Amazon and Ebay included will donate a percentage of your spending to us when you shop with them. As a voluntary setting we do rely on fundraising to help provide new resources and equipment. Since we set this up, nearly 3 years ago, we have raised about £750.00. It is SO easy!
100 club membership is another easy way to help raise funds details on easel or ask. Donate from £2 a month and get the chance to win half our monthly takings every month! The other half helps towards our rent to the parish.
30 HOURS FUNDING Parents already receiving 30 hour funding please check if are you in the ’grace period’? You can lose funding if you do not respond to reminders to update your funding. If you want to claim for 30 hours funding you must do so the term before you want to start using it i.e. this term ready for January.
PICK UP times 3pm. Please try and be as prompt as possible thank you as staff need to tidy and set up for the following day.
BODY SHOP PARTY Tuesday evening 13th November at 7pm here at Hummingbirds, to raise funds for Hummingbirds. Please come along if you can, bring a friend! Watch out for details and catalogues soon. We had a Body Shop evening last year and it was good fun AND there were great discounts to be had as well as lots of prizes. Get some of your Christmas shopping done and help us raise some funds at the same time!
FAMILY PHOTOGRAPH day. Will be cancelled on Friday this week if we can’t get more than 6 families interested. Once again, Mel Jones photographer will be at Hummingbirds Saturday morning 3rd November. Please ask if you wish to book a time slot. Photos bought on your approval. Hummingbirds make some money on each pack sold. He will take individual and or group photographs. Spread the word, even if you yourself are not interested at this time.
STAY & CHAT If you want to stay and chat to staff about how your child has settled etc please let us know.
SCHOOL PLACES if your child is 4 by 31st August 2019, you need to be thinking about booking a school place. Poster on the easel explains how. Book by 19th January 2019. Looking ahead, the skills essential to school readiness are self-help skills – e.g. independent toileting, dressing, using knife and fork: managing feelings and behaviour: sharing and cooperating and good listening and communication skills. Do not worry about writing names, numbers, reading etc at this time, especially if your child has no natural interest in these areas as yet – you can so easily put them off. Start now on the skills listed above so that by September your child is ready and confident to go to school.
Best wishes, Janet, Shirley, Carole, Bridget, Gemma and Becca
