Jan 2022 Newsletter

DEAR PARENTS,

As we approach another term I wanted to share some thank yous and some updates with you all. I would initially like to thank you for your ongoing flexibility, positivity and support. This academic year has continued to throw up a wide range of challenges and we are continuously very grateful for parents’ assistance and acceptance of some of the changes we have to make and the things that we have to do.

Thank you all so much for the gifts & best wishes & for all your efforts (Amy & her helpers for opening the Christmas shop, setting up the grotto) & all your contributions (making cakes, buying raffle tickets…) which go to enriching the children’s time at pre-school.

In the last week or so of last term, the children made some wonderful table decorations, shopped for presents for loved ones, breakfasted with Santa & gave a 5 star performance in the Christmas play. They partied, laughed &  some performed some magic.

Next term? World Book Day, the Spring play & lots, lots more! Term and event dates below, together with some reminders & how you can raise funds for the pre-school when shopping online. Thank you for your continued support.

Finally, I would like to wish all our families a positive and safe New Year celebrations. We will share any updates about the start of term as soon as we receive them and look forward to welcoming back your children in the new year.

Wendy Perkins (Manager)

TERM DATES

Tuesday 4th January 2022 – Spring term begins – pm session only – no am session or lunch club

Wednesday 5th January – am sessions and lunch club resume

Monday 14th to Friday 18th February – half-term break

Monday 21st February – Pre-School re-opens

Friday 1st April – Spring term ends

Tuesday 19th April – Summer term begins – pm session only – no am session or lunch club

Wednesday 20th April – am sessions and lunch club resume

Monday 2nd May – Pre-school closed

Monday 30th May – Friday 3rd June – half-term break

Monday 6th June – Pre-school re-opens

Thursday 14th July – last day of Summer term

DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES

Thurs 3rd Mar – World Book Day

Monday 14th Mar – Sport Relief Big Fun Run

Tuesday 22nd March  – Dress rehearsal

Tuesday 29th March – Spring Play (am children)

June – Sports Day – date tbc – am children

Thursday 7th July – Pre-school trip to Kent Life – tbc

Thursday 14th July – Teddy Bear’s Picnic and end of term.

Friday 15th July – stock take – staff only

STARTING PRIMARY SCHOOL IN SEPT 2022?

If your child was born between 1 September 2017 and 31 August 2018, they are due to start school in Year R (Reception) in September 2022.

School admission applications are open now
School applications close 5pm, Sat 15th Jan 2022.
School offer day 18th Apr 2022

WATER BOTTLES

As part of our Healthy Eating ethos we sell water bottles for the children printed with the St. Luke’s teddy logo. These cost just £1.50 each. All bottles should be marked with the child’s name & children are encouraged to take a drink at any time. Bottles are refilled when running low. The bottles need to be collected at the end of each session, washed at home & returned to pre-school at the beginning of the next session. Lastly, a reminder that the bottles should be filled with water only please (no squash).

LUNCHBOX RULES (based on advice from the HSE)

Foods to never give your child -Never give a child under the age of 5:

nuts (including peanuts)
marshmallows
popcorn
chewing gum
boiled and hard sweets
These can choke your child.

Foods you need to prepare safely – grapes, olives. cherry tomatoes and other similar-sized food can choke your child – please ensure they are cut in half lengthways; food skins are difficult to chew and can completely seal children’s airways, so please remove or peel skins and cut lengthways into small pieces no bigger than your child’s small fingernail cocktail sausages, apples, tomatoes and (finely chop) lettuce.

Please no products containing nuts (INCLUDING NUTELLA, NAKD BARS, ETC) due to allergies: although your child may not be affected by nuts, some of those that they interact with may be.

To be healthy it’s very important to eat a balanced diet: more details & some ideas about what to put in your child’s lunchbox @ www.nhs.uk/change4life website. ” TOO MUCH SALT CAN PUT OUR KIDS AT RISK OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE & HEART DISEASE LATER IN LIFE.” ONE 25g PEPERAMI STICK CONTAINS ONE THIRD OF THE MAXIMUM DAILY AMOUNT OF SALT FOR A 4-6 YEAR OLD! Join Change4Life to order your Change 4Life snack pack, with money-off vouchers for healthier snacks & stickers for your snack smart kids. Millions of families have already made healthier changes — you can, too!

CHILDREN’S BELONGINGS

Please ensure children do not wear their best clothing to pre-school: painting overalls are provided but accidents can still happen. The pre-school has its own design of sweatshirts, t-shirts, cardigans (as well as fleeces and drawstring bags, all of which can be personalised with your child’s initials) for sale.
Please label all your child’s belongings to avoid any confusion. This includes their lunch bags/boxes, drink bottles, plimsolls etc.

Children should not bring sweets or wear jewellery to pre-school.

Please supply a pair of plimsolls or equivalent for your child to change into. We are fortunate to be able to offer outdoor play, with the back garden open (unless the weather is particularly bad) almost every day for the children to enjoy the balance bikes, scooters, train table, mud kitchen etc. Slippers are not suitable for riding a bike or climbing up the steps of the slide, especially if it is wet outside.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Handrails – Please do not allow your child to climb the yellow disability handrails, whilst waiting to enter the pre-school or upon exiting the pre-school. There is only concrete to fall on!

Car park entrance/exit – this is for cars. For your safety & that of your child, please use the pedestrian entrance when walking or wheeling your child to & from pre-school.

ARRIVING & COLLECTING

Please make sure you arrive & collect your child on time as lateness affects both the running of the pre-school & your child’s routine. If you know you are going to be late, please contact the pre-school on 01634 819809 during session times.

If your child is unwell & will not be attending, please telephone the pre-school before 9.30 on the same day. Calls can be made out of hours to the answerphone attached to this line. We also need to know the reason why your child is absent, in case there is a contagious illness circulating, so we can inform other parents. Please do not leave a message on Facebook. Messages left on Facebook page may not reach staff members. Tell us if you know you are going to be away head of time: just let the staff know when you see them or leave a message on the answerphone

Children must not be left on the premises without a parent/carer before or after the session times as the pre-school’s insurance would be invalidated.  If children are on the premises at any other time, the pre-school cannot assume any responsibility for their care & safety & the parents/carers are solely responsible for them.

Please arrive at your allotted time and queue in an orderly, socially distanced manner outside the building and wear a facemask when dropping off or collecting your child at the door.

Place your child’s lunch bag and drink bottle on the blue trolley.

Hand your child’s coat & bag to your child.

If someone other than yourself or the regular carer will be collecting your child, please advise the teacher on the door. This is a very important detail as your child’s security is compromised if staff are unaware when there is a change in the person collecting your child.

AMAZONSMILE

For those of you who shop online with Amazon, please consider using AmazonSmilewww.smile.amazon.co.uk to help us raise funds for your pre-school.

This site is run by amazon, works identically to it and has all of the same products. The only difference is that if you shop on the amazon smile site, 0.5% of the value of the purchase is made as a donation to your chosen charity.

We have recently registered St Lukes Pre-school Rochester with AmazonSmile. The first time that you log in to this (with the same details as your main amazon account) you will be asked to identify the charity you want to support: select  St Lukes Pre-school Rochester Please or use the link below to log on.

All funds raised will go towards providing new equipment and activities to enhance the children’s learning.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/chpf/homepage/ref=smi_chpf_redirect/260-8941143-8399965?ie=UTF8&ein=1102167-0&ref_=smi_ext_ch_1102167-0_cl

Thank you once again for your support.

BAD WEATHER – POLICY ON PRE- SCHOOL OPENING

In the event of adverse weather, the pre-school will endeavour to remain open during normal pre-school hours.

However, it will be left to the discretion of parents to decide if it is safe for them to make the journey into pre-school or not.

If it is necessary to close the pre-school, for health and safety reasons, a message will be posted on our website www.stlukespre-school.co.uk ; telephone the pre-school on 01634 819809 (Mrs Perkins will try to update the pre-school’s telephone message if she can safely make it to pre-school); check on Facebook. If the weather becomes adverse during the pre-school day, parents may contact the pre-school for further information or may decide to pick up their children early for safety reasons. If the pre-school has to close early, you will be telephoned.

KEEP IN TOUCH
tel: 01634 819809
email :office@stlukespre-school.co.uk
Website www.stlukespre-school.co.uk – The ‘Calendar’ feature is now activated; it has the ‘Dates for your diary’ & if you click on the event date, all the details (when, where & what) about the event.