POSTED > 05.09.2011

Dear Parents

Welcome to the start of a new school year and a special welcome to those of you who are starting playschool for the first time. We all hope your child will enjoy their time with us and have a lot of fun along the way.

On behalf of all the staff I would like to say a very BIG thank you to everyone for their kind words, generosity and all the lovely gifts we received at the end of term.

During the first half of this term we will be concentrating on settling in the new children and children returning from the summer break, reinforcing playschool rules and building friendships. Please feel free to stay and settle your child and always say good-bye before you leave.

As well as settling in the children, if any existing parents see any ‘new parents’ looking a bit lost as to where to go or what to do, please point them in the right direction.

The children have been allocated a key person who will work closely with your child and answer any of your questions or concerns. In some cases there may be a change to you child’s key person due to session changes and/or staff work patterns. Confirmation of key persons will be sent out in due course.

Should you have any concerns about your child’s speech or any other area of development, please discuss this with Jane, our Additional Needs Co-Ordinator. We are able to liaise with other agencies for extra support and also work alongside agencies already involved with your child thus giving your child continuity throughout their learning.

Library:

As we are unable to keep all our books on the bookcase at once, we will be running a library to enable the children to access more books. The box of books will be on a table by the name cards and should your child wish to take one, please complete the simple form. If the library proves to be popular then we will increase the number of books.

Website:

Hopefully our new look website will be up and running in the next couple of weeks. If you are unable to find what you are looking for or have any other suggestions as to the content, please let me know. Any feedback will be appreciated.

Box Tops For Books:

This year we are participating in the above scheme. It is an initiative from Nestlé offering a wide range of new books from Dorling Kindersely in exchange for tokens from the tops of Nestlé cereal boxes. Please bring your tokens in and post them in the box in our foyer.

Amazing Achievement Slip:

Amazing Achievement slips are available in the foyer. Please complete a slip to enable you to share with us anything your child does outside of playschool such as, riding a bike without stabilizers, sporting achievement, family outing, being kind, sharing; the list is endless. The children are very proud when we share their achievement to the rest of the group.

Free Craft:

Junk modelling is always available to the children. Please send in cardboard kitchen towel rolls (no toilet rolls or egg boxes please) and any small pots/containers.

Milk Bottle Tops:

We are continuing to collect WASHED plastic milk bottle tops for the Southampton charity ‘Gift For Sight’. The bottle tops are recycled and the money received is used for research in Muscular Degeneration at Southampton Eye Hospital. Please only send in tops from milk bottles.

If there is a parent who regularly goes to Hedge End and would be happy to drop the tops off at the Council Offices, please see me.

Session Times:

As our session times are relatively short, ie 2.5 or 3 hours it is imperative that children are dropped off and collected promptly, on time, to prevent disruption and to keep our ratios correct. If you are going to be unavoidably delayed please telephone playschool so we can re-assure your child that you are on your way – 07708 426134.

If you are collecting your child at midday please wait by the white doors in the main car park between the black gate of playschool and the orange barrier. This will enable us to keep the children as safe as possible.

If you are dropping your child off at midday, please continue to use the playschool door at the rear of the Memorial Hall.

If you are driving, please be aware of children and siblings in the car park, especially if you are reversing out of a parking space.

Lunch Club:

Please ensure that all lunch boxes are clearly named (ideally on the outside). When preparing the lunch box please be mindful of children with allergies, ie no nuts or eggs. Children will be reminded that their lunch box is their own and not to be shared. Uneaten food will be returned home to enable you to gauge what your child has eaten.

Committee Meeting:

We will be holding a committee meeting on Tuesday 27 September in the upstairs committee room (access through the front of the Memorial Hall) at 8pm. As a parent with a child at our playschool you are automatically a member of the committee. Without a committee the playschool is unable to function. PLEASE try to attend and support your playschool. It will give you an opportunity to meet other parents and to be part of the team who make the decisions that effect your child’s time at playschool.

Early Years Education Grant (EYE):

These forms are being sent out this week to the eligible children. Please ensure that the forms are returned on time – Wednesday 14 September 2011.

Wet Weather Gear:

Please ensure that your child arrives at playschool with a coat as the weather is very changeable. We have waterproof ponchos to go over the children’s coats to enable them to explore outside in the rain. Please remember to bring in NAMED wellies if it is raining.

Diary Dates:

Half Term Week:	Monday 24 October to Friday 28 October 2011
End of Term:	Thursday 15 December 2011 - tbc
Christmas Party*:	Friday 16 December 2011 - 0930 to 1230 - tbc

*All playschool children invited – no afternoon session

Playschool Contact Numbers:

If you need to contact playschool please telephone on 07708 426134 during sessions or 07903 388568 out of sessions.

Kind Regards for HAMBLE VILLAGE PLAYSCHOOL