Parent Testimonial, October 2020, ‘Since my son started in Babychoos, I cannot praise the staff enough, how comfortable and happy the staff team have made me feel. His key person

knows everything about him and completely understands and meets his needs’.

Dear Parents, Carers and Families,

This is my favourite time of the year, going into the Autumn season, the different festivals we can celebrate and looking forward to the following month of festive activities. Our children have so much to become excited for and to be introduced to new experiences that they may not have explored previously. It also brings a time for progression and development for our children who will have new next steps and milestones to reach with the stimulating activities we can offer to support these. Warmest regards, Hayley Simpson, Nursery Manager.

What have our children been learning at Choochoos in October?

Ofsted, ‘Staff use the information from their assessments well to help children make progress. They provide regular opportunities to involve parents in their children’s progress’.

Newsletter November 2020 Choochoos are celebrating our 15th year in childcare.

A very warm welcome to all of our new families joining us this month.

Babychoos Babychoos explored the book ‘We’re Going on A Bear Hunt’ last month. We extended this activity by playing the story on our Alexa developing our children’s attention and listening skills. Our children said ‘Again,

again...’ as they repeated the words ‘Bear hunt’, ‘Splish Splosh’ and ‘Run,’ displaying the ability to learn phrases from their stories. As a

planned activity we made our own bear hunt in the garden using the tuff tray to ‘Splish and splosh’. We used ice cubes and shaving foam for a

snowstorm and long shredded paper for the long wavey grass. Our children followed the story and song until they made it to the cave to find a big friendly bear. This extended their role play, gross motor

skills and a gave them a great sensory experience.

During our outside play we have explored mark making in a variety of ways by using chalk to draw around our bodies and naming our body parts. We made gross motor movements with paint using sponges and

rollers, explored colour and how it can change when its mixed together. Our children extended this by making marks on wooden beams. This has

extended our children’s vocabulary, fine and gross motor skills and they have begun to show an understanding of turn taking our resources.

Caterpillars and Butterflies

Our children have been exploring our story sacks last month. We chose the story of ‘The Three Little Pigs’. This included using the props and resources alongside the story. Our children were able to learn story

structure discussing how the story had a beginning, middle and end. Our children were able to learn new words and vocabulary repeating the sentence, “I will huff and I will puff and I will blow your house down”,

enabling our children to understand phrases from their favourite books. We extended this by having a puppet show that our children were able to act out using their imagination skills. This supported our children’s confidence and social skills as they took a lead part in the role in front

of a small group.

Our children have progressed their scissor and critical thinking development by using the magazines to search through the pictures

they would like to choose to cut out. During this activity, our children were able to learn how to use one handed tools correctly and be able to make choices. We extended this activity by our children being able

to use different scissors to cut the paper which included different edges and patterns, engaging our children in discussions regarding the shapes and patterns made. We were able to incorporate mathematical language and shape recognition into the extended activity. We explored

this further by enabling our children to practice how to hold scissors correctly ensuring good safety measures are beginning to be developed.

This was demonstrated by role modelling how use them correctly.

Animal Day - World Animal Day was celebrated by looking at pictures of our pets and discussing their personalities, playing games with our animal resources and listening to different animal sounds on ‘Alexa’.

World Smile Day - Lots of smiles for ‘World Smile Day’ as our children enjoyed role playing dentists and learning how to take care of their smiles.

World Grandparents Day - To celebrate ‘World Grandparents Day’ our children made special cards to give to their grandparents and discussed how special their families are to them.

Baking Week - Lots of delicious treats were created as our children made their own special designs on biscuits, with coloured icing and lots of sprinkles.

Halloween - Spooky times at Choochoos as our children dressed up in their favourite costumes and practised scaring our staff! They showed interest in lots of Halloween themed activities, such as gloopy sensory play and pumpkin carving.

November Parents Meetings

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and safety for all, our parents meetings

will take place for your child during November 2020, via zoom or telephone.

Hopefully you have already made an appointment with your child’s key person. It is very important for you to participate in this meeting to help towards reviewing and creating next steps for your child, looking at your

child’s achievements and progress.

In preparation for this meeting, please have a look at your child’s eyLog and add any information about your

child, to help towards this. Please add photographs along with any written information about what your

child has been doing within home life, their interests and their development. Please consider

in preparation any updates for your child personal information or needs, e.g. care plans, medical needs,

personal details, etc.

Monty Update Guide Dog’s for the Blind have given us an update on Monty, the dog we sponsor. Monty prefers to stay in the shade on sunny days, which is also his favourite spot for mischievous activities. Here, he's trying very hard to pretend that the hole in the lawn has nothing to do with him!

Other Provisions

It is Choochoos responsibility to work closely with other provisions for our children if they go to 2 or more providers, for example, another nursery or child minder.

Please let us know if your child attends another provision as well as Choochoos. Your child’s key person will then make regular contact with them to support your child’s development and learning.

Introduction to Social Media for Parents/Carers and Families

This practical guide for parents and carers whose children are using social media platforms was developed by Internet Matters, NSPCC, Parent Zone and UK Safer

Internet Centre:

https://www.internetmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Internet-Matters-Guide-Official-UK-Social-Media-Guidance.pdf

TikTok is a very popular app with young people. Did you know there's a minimum age of 13 years? Click below for detailed information and safety settings for TikTok from Childnet.

https://www.childnet.com/blog/tiktok-an-updated-guide-for-parents-and-carers

November

Thursday 5 - Bonfire Night -

Our children will be making

sparklers, paint firework pictures

and learning about fire safety.

Friday 6 - Friendship Day - To

celebrate friendship Friday our

children will be making friendship

wreaths to share with their friends.

Monday 9 – Friday 13 - Anti Bullying

Week - To participate in anti- bullying

week our children will be participating in

group time taking turns to talk about

what makes them special and encouraging

our children to have a positive outlook

on their differences.

Wednesday 11 - Remembrance Day - To

support Remembrance Day, our children will

be making poppies to take home. Our

children and staff are invited to bring £1 in

an envelope which will be donated to the

Royal British Legion.

Friday 13 - Children In Need - Our

children and staff are invited to wear their

pyjamas to nursery for the day. They will be

invited to bring a donation in an envelope.

All donations will be given to the Children In

Need charity.

Monday 16 - Diwali - To celebrate

Diwali our children will be decorating

candle holders to take home and will be

listening to the story of Diwali during group time.

Monday 16 - National Road Safety

Week - To observe national road safety

week our children will be using role play to

learn the green cross code.

Friday 20 - Children’s Day - On

National Children’s Day our children are

invited to wear their favourite

costume/outfit to nursery and take

part in our fun filled day of games and

crafts.

Thursday 26 - Thanks Giving - We will be

celebrating Thanks Giving by

making handprint turkey cards and

listening to the story of Thanks

Giving during group time.

Choochoos Coronavirus Protocol

Thank you for continuing to follow our procedures that we have put in place to ensure safety for all during the coronavirus pandemic.

Just a few reminders:

• All adults are required to wear a face covering.

• Drop off/collect your child with only one parent/carer.

• Please ensure you are dropping your child to Choochoos at your drop off time allocated. If you drop your child at a different time, it will impact on others having to wait and not being able to drop off at their allocated times.

• Please ensure you inform us if other people are collecting your child, this is very important to avoid delays on collection.

• Ensure you and/or your emergency contacts are able to be contacted at all times for your child’s safety, while they attend Choochoos.

• Staff had a meeting last month to review and reinforce our health and safety protocols for coronavirus procedures. Adaptations were shared with you via email.

Thank you again for your co- operation and support during this time.

Reminders/Donations

We will be updating our family display, so please could you bring in or email dover@choochoos.co.uk some up to date photographs of your families. If you would like to update your child’s Island time box, then please speak to your child’s keyperson.

Your child's keyperson will inform you if your child requires more nappies and wipes.

Please ensure your child has suitable, named clothing for

colder/wet weather, as we still explore the outside environment in all weather conditions. We can provide wetsuits and have some spare wellies if needed.

We would be grateful if you have any items you wish to donate, which we can use for junk modelling.

Babychoos are encouraging a ‘No Shoe Rule’ indoors, could we please ask all children to bring a pair of slippers to wear indoors, with their names inside. Thank you.

Babychoos have been improving their environment by making changes to the room layout. This has had a positive impact on how our children are able to explore and learn. We have been able to identify specific

areas of the room that required small adaptions, for example the construction area. By making small changes our children are now exploring and engaging in the area more and using their imagination.

Babychoos have also incorporated a sensory/cosy area which enables our children to have different areas to be able to explore. This is being accessed through small group times where children can use their ‘Island

Time Boxes’ to look at their family members and their personal items.

Christmas Jumper Month - Throughout December children and staff are invited to wear a Christmas jumper throughout the month.

Tuesday 1- Friday 4 - Christmas Party Week - Choochoos will be having an in house celebration party throughout this week with party games, party food and a visit via our new online service from Santa.

Thursday 10 - Christmas Sing Along - Our children will be performing a few Christmas songs that will be shared via their learning journeys on eyLog for parents/carers to watch.

Monday 14 - Friday 18 - Christmas Activity/Craft Week - There will be the opportunity for our children to take part in fun Christmas activities and crafts to take home.

Tuesday 15 - Christmas Dinner Day - Staff and children in on this day will be given the opportunity to participate in a festive lunch consisting of roast turkey and all the trimmings.

Friday 18 - Last day of term.

Monday 21 - Closed.

Monday 4 January 2021- Re-open.

Makaton Signs of the Month

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. I am available any time for you to share your thoughts by telephone 01304 822592 or email me dover@choochoos.co.uk

Kind regards, Hayley Simpson, Nursery Manager.

Books of the Month

Babychoos This months book is ‘Incy Wincy Spider’ our children will be encouraged to act out this well loved nursery rhyme’

Caterpillars & Butterflies This month’s book is ‘Don’t Tell Anyone But…’. Our children will be learning some new Autumnal words.

What’s on at Dover Children’s Centre?

Due to the coronavirus please contact your local

children centre via telephone for more information.

Poulton Business Park, Poulton Close, Dover, Kent, CT17 0HL

Tel 01304 219745

Policy and Procedure Updates

Last month we updated our ‘Safe Sleep’ and ‘Making up and storing milk based feeds’ policies and procedures, please see attached for our updates. You will find our policies and procedures in our lobby for future access or we can email them on request.

Fireworks Candle Poppy

Songs of the Month

Babychoos

This month’s song is ‘Fireworks Party’ nursery rhyme. We will be encouraging our children to make firework noises.

Caterpillars & Butterflies

This month’s song is ’10 Sparkling Fireworks’. To celebrate 5 November, our children will be encouraged to join in singing and practising their counting.

Autumn/Winter Menu

Choochoos began our Autumn/Winter menus last month. Thank you for sharing your suggestions with us. If you have any suggestions for future menus, please share

these with us via email or telephone.

SENCo Newsletter

Our SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) newsletter was shared with you last month. We hope this was helpful and look forward to sending you our spring SENCo newsletter next year.

Staff News

We would all like to congratulate our manager Hayley and her husband on their recent marriage and wish them all the very best for their future together.