Newsletter - Summer 2008 – Issue No. 2

Notes From The Editor

Welcome to the “summer” edition of the newsletter for Complete Childcare Ltd. Recently it has been hard to really understand which season it is – bright, sunny days, followed by bitterly cold and wet ones – a challenge explaining that to your children! So please ensure that you provide your child with everything s/he needs for all eventualities (sun cream, hat, Wellington boots and waterproof coat) as we want to ensure that everyone is able to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible! In this edition we have an addition to our nurseries section! Smart Tots Day Nursery, located in Banbury, Oxfordshire, joined Complete Childcare on 1st April and we would like to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome all children, parents and staff. Read more in the nurseries section.

Janet

From the nurseries

The “Healthy Body, Happy Me” campaign was a great success. Children at Happitots and Northumberland Day Nurseries entered into the spirit of the week. Highlights included the ‘big breakfast day’, when porridge - with a choice of fruit toppings - was served up, and ‘from seed to snack’, when school house children prepared and cooked their own stir-fry lunch!

Air Photography visited Happitots on Tuesday 13th May and Northumberland on 14th May. You should all have proofs now of your little one’s pictures. Please give your orders to the Nursery Manager and, even if you don’t want to make an order, you can return the card and select a photo for us to include in a poster-size compilation for the entrance halls.

Summer Events

Paddington Bear’s birthday is in June (25th). To celebrate 50 years of this wonderful bear, all nurseries will be hosting their own “Bring your bear to show you care” event, to help raise money for sick and vulnerable babies.
Smart Tots and Northumberland Day Nurseries will host their events on 18th June and Happitots will have theirs on 25th June. More information will be issued directly from the nurseries.

Finally, a reminder that all of our nurseries have a holiday club, which are registered for children up to the age of eight. So, if you are looking for something for your older children to take part in during the holidays, then please contact your Nursery Manager.

Janet

News from Happitots

Happitots has been really busy once again behind the scenes and with the children in the various rooms.

We have replaced the damaged flooring in Big Toddlers and the walkway through to Little Toddlers. The big dip in the entrance to the car park has been temporarily filled and the geraniums are blooming outside the main reception.

Thank you to all parents who helped to support our planning application to keep the Play House in the Baby Garden. Your efforts have paid off and the Play House is here to stay….we are looking at alternatives to create more shade there on very sunny days!

On the topic of gardens, we are going to have a “grow your own sunflower” competition with all rooms in nursery taking part. We can’t wait to show you the tallest, brightest, sunniest sunflowers in a later edition of the newsletter.

Our highlight from the past few months is definitely the “Healthy Body, Happy Me” week. Everyone had such fun learning about ways to be healthy and really enjoyed getting involved. One child was overheard saying, “I’m going to show my mummy and my daddy how to cook”! Watch out Ready, Steady, Cook!

Our parents’ forum met for the first time in May and we had some great input and ideas to pursue. If any more parents would like to join us (we meet approximately every 4-6 weeks after hours) please do let me know.

We all took part in the Safeguarding Children course at the end of April, run by Wokingham District Council and I will be attending the NDNA (National Day Nurseries Association) Annual Conference in Manchester with the other managers at the end of June. We are all looking forward to bringing back some new ideas and making sure that we are on top of legislative changes and practices affecting Day Nurseries.

Lastly, please keep giving us your store vouchers. The Sainsbury’s Active Kids’ Vouchers are issued in store until 4th June – please remember to post them in the collection box in reception.
Best regards,

Vanessa

News from Northumberland

We are delighted to announce that our new Manager, Kim, has started with us from 2nd June. Please join us in welcoming her to Northumberland and to thank Vanessa, Zee (who is now Deputy Manager) and all of the staff for their continued support whilst the former manager was absent on sick leave.

Kim will be looking for volunteers to join their parents’ forum during June, so please let her know if you’re interested.

Our planting has taken place and this has brightened up both the front and back areas of the nursery. John, our resident handyman and gardener, will also helping out the children with planting of their very own border, in preparation for the proper summer months.

More news in the next edition from Kim as she settles into life in Northumberland Avenue!

Janet on behalf of Northumberland

News from Smart Tots

Smart Tots is excited to join Complete Childcare and so much has already taken shape since 1st April.

I must initially thank all the parents who have been so co-operative in the transition between ownership and who continue to take an interest in what goes on at the nursery.

For those who don’t know, Smart Tots Day Nursery is in the centre of Banbury, a small, vibrant, market town in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. The Nursery has recently undergone an Ofsted visit and successfully increased our registration from 56 to 80 places, which is fantastic news. We have also had approval for extra provision for children up to the age of eight, so we will also be offering a “holiday club” facility. Please speak to me about this or extra session availability over the summer.

We are thrilled with the commencement of an interior refurbishment plan for the building, which will create a much lighter and fresher atmosphere in which we work and play! Outside in the garden near the baby room, we are clearing an area and making way for the children to have their own planting plot, which we cannot wait to use.

Meanwhile, 12 staff have attended and passed the Paediatric First Aid Course and everyone has taken part in Safeguarding Children training, plus refresher Health and Safety for Child carers in June and the new EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) training due in July.

You will be pleased to know that ‘Chirpy’ the chick from Foundation Centre safely hatched and was reunited with his ‘Mummy and Daddy’ chickens. He is making great progress and Adele will be bringing in photographs.

Bears (2-3 years) and Foundation Centre (3-5 years) completed two laps around People’s Park for a Toddle Waddle for the Meningitis Trust on 22nd April and raised a splendid £424.50 for this very worthwhile charity. We are looking forward to more fundraising with our “Bring a bear to show you care” day on 18th June.

Gemma

Forthcoming events

There's lots of fun stuff planned for the weeks ahead!
CLICK HERE and see our table of forthcoming events

Latest date for entries for next edition 8th May 2008.

Click Here To Read The First Ever Newsletter