Nursery News 5th July 2021

NURSERY NEWS

5th July 2021 – Edition 231

Find out About:

A. Arrangements for September 2021.

B. Reminder about consultations this week.

A. Arrangements for September 2021.

We have finalised our plans for the beginning of term in September 2021. So this information is for all the families staying with us in September.

Covid 19 has impacted quite greatly upon our ability to show families around our school. In normal circumstances, I (as Headteacher), personally show at least two families per week around our school, to see if they would like to add their child to our waiting list. We usually invite the children joining the 3+ year to come to a visit afternoon to a ‘stay and play’ session with their parents. When a child starts parents are welcome to stay to help settle their child.

I am aware, that most parents of children attending Willow in September have not seen inside the school. So, we have planned a few days of induction to enable parents to come in to school with their children, to see what the school is like.

The regulations that we have had to follow in schools during Covid have not yet changed. It is very unlikely that any new guidelines will be released this side of the school Summer Holidays. So, Miss Howe and Myself have tried to plan the first week or so back, not knowing what rules will exist for schools, or indeed what will be happening with the pandemic. It is our hope that these arrangements that we have planned will happen in the way we have planned. We are optimistic.

We have kept numbers of families small at each event, to be safe, but also to give families lots of opportunity to meet all the staff, look around the school and ask questions. This does mean that these visit arrangements will take longer than one day.

We are aware that a number of our parents are working parents, and look fo the school to be operating for all children as soon as possible. We have made our plans trying to strike a balance for everyone’s needs.

However, if these plans change (due to Covid) we will do our best to get in touch with all parents as soon as possible. If I have anything to communicate to all parents I will put a ‘Latest News’ Story on our Website. Please check there first before ringing the school.

Let us start with Catkins class…..

Catkins Class will reopen on Wednesday 8th September. Children’s attendance patterns remain the same, unless you have spoken to me about additional hours for your child. New starters in Catkins Class have received paperwork advising parents what their child’s first day will be. In Catkins Class we wish to settle only one or two new children in each session. New Catkins Children have start dates somewhere

between the 13th September 2021 and 4th October 2021.

Catkins hours remain 8:45am – 11:45am for a morning session or 8:45am to 2:45pm for a full day session.

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Main Nursery:

Monday 6th September 2021 and Tuesday 7th September 2021 have been scheduled as visit days. The school will not be open as usual on these two days. Attendance on these days is by invitation only. See details below:

Monday 6th September:

All children who will be in Yellow Group in September are invited to attend a Stay and Play session, lasting for one hour, with a Parent. Invitations were sent out on Thursday 1st July to all these parents. There will be 3 sessions during the day, so only 8 families will be invited to each session. Yellow Group have all been allocated a start date between Wednesday 8th September and Wednesday 15th September, to ensure we only take in 6 brand new children on any one day. These start dates have also been communicated to Yellow Group.

Tuesday 7th September.

This day will offer a transition session for all children (and their parents) in Miss Gaffneys Blue Group and Mrs Brinkley’s Orange Group.

We will offer a morning session or an afternoon session.

The idea of these sessions are that you and your child will arrive at school to have a scheduled meeting lasting ten minutes with your child’s current Keyworker and with your child’s new Keyworker

So, Blue Group children will meet with Miss Gaffney and Mrs Patterson

Orange Group children will meet with Mrs Brinkley and Miss Skai.

You will arrive at your specified appointment time, meet with your child’s Keyworker’s and discuss anything you wish to share to enable the transition into Main Nursery to go as smoothly as possible. You will then be free to move around the school together, both inside and outside. Classrooms will be set up with activities, and we invite you and your child to explore their new spaces and chat to staff who will be available to talk with you.

Morning session: 10 minute appointments will be available to choose from between 8:50am and 10:10am. Parents may choose to stay and play after their appointment, but all parents and children should leave by 11:00am.

Afternoon session: 10 minute appointments will be available to choose from between 12:30pm and 1:50pm. Parents may choose to stay and play after their appointment but all parents and children should leave by 2:40pm.

All these meetings/ stay and play are optional. You do not have to attend, but it will be a way to see the school with your child. You may choose to just have the meeting

and then you and your child can choose to leave to go home. You may choose to have the meeting and then stay for a short time and then go. We cannot offer meetings at alternative times or dates as we are looking to get the school up and running as quickly as possible for those parents who are working.

Parents must stay with their children at this event.

Parents can arrange these appointments for Tuesday 7th September with Miss Gaffney/ Mrs Brinkley, during the telephone consultations that are scheduled for this week. If you do not have a telephone consultation this week with Miss Gaffney or Mrs Brinkley, please do not worry they will get in touch with you regarding a transition session in September.

Wednesday 8th September – Main Nursery Re-opens for regular Nursery sessions.

Blue Group and Orange return to Nursery, attending for their agreed attendance pattern. So for example, if your child currently attends for two and a half days at the end of the week, they would return on this Wednesday at 11:50pm with their lunch box.

Main Nursery hours are:

Morning session: 8:50am to 11:50am

Wednesday afternoon session: 11:50am to 2:50pm.

Full day session: 8:50am to 2:50pm

B. Reminder about consultations this week

We will have parent consultations for all the children on 6th, 7th and 8th July 2021 as follows:

Tuesday 6th July- Catkins children. Telephone consultation, a 10 minute consultation scheduled from 3:15 onwards with your child’s keyworker.

Wednesday 7th July- Blue Group Children, 10 minute Telephone Consultation with Miss Gaffney scheduled from 3:15 onwards

Thursday 8th July- Orange Group children, 10 minute Telephone Consultation with Mrs Brinkley scheduled from 3:15 onwards

Main Nursery children will have a Leavers Consultation, where staff will hand over your child’s year book. Therefore Miss Howe has decided these consultations will be face to face, but outside and seating will be 2 metres apart.

Tuesday 6th July -Green Group Children, 5 minute Face to Face meeting with Mrs Patterson scheduled from 3:15 onwards

Wednesday 7th July,- Red Group Children 5 minute Face to Face meeting with Miss Skai scheduled between 3:15 onwards

Thursday 8th July –Yellow Group children 5 minute Face to Face meeting with Miss Howe scheduled from 3:15 onwards.

If any/all of these parent meetings are cancelled due to covid, we will not be able to reschedule.