Rutherford Street Kindergarten Newsletter – October/November 2011
Welcome Back: Welcome back to Cathy Harrington who is a qualified early childhood teacher (and also Max’s grandmother!). Cathy will be doing some relieving, especially while Angie is still away. Great to see you back again!
Also we welcome Jana Cameron who is doing volunteer hours at RSK while she builds up experience in order to train as an early childhood teacher.
Off to School: This month we say best wishes to Oliver and Tessa, both off to school in the next two weeks. Wishing you lots of happy and educational times throughout your school years! And don’t forget to come back and visit!
PLEASE REMEMBER: We are a peanut free centre, which means that all children’s lunch boxes should refrain from including peanuts or any other product that includes peanuts like muesli bars and peanut butter. Thank you for your co-operation over this.
Our name board is at the entrance to kindergarten, beneath the office window. It is there so children can put their names up on arrival – please encourage your children to do this as it’s a great way for them to carry out name-recognition. This is especially for the morning and all-day children, but the afternoon children all have names there as well. Let us know if your child’s name goes missing and we will make a new one – this does happen from time to time.
The weather is growing warmer – and water play more regular! Each child needs spare clothing in their bags to change into when they get wet. If your child comes home in RSK clothing we like it to be washed and returned as soon as possible, especially trousers, so that we always have spare items.
And of course that sun…our playground, especially the barked area, will be very sunny until the shade tree gets bigger, so we ask that children wear a sunhat and minimum of a t-shirt every day now – no singlets or spaghetti straps. Every child needs a sunhat provided, which we ask stays at kindergarten or in bags, so that it’s always there for use during kindergarten time. We bought ten brand new umbrellas in the holidays to keep our children safe from the high levels of UV coming through the ozone in the stratosphere, but hats and t-shirts will go a long way to keep them protected. We will put sunscreen on the exposed skin of all-day children who are in the sun; please let us know if you prefer sunscreen not to be used or if you want to provide your own.
Lastly, we can’t have any chemicals kept in children’s bags while they are at the centre – please keep lotions and lip creams at home or bring them to a teacher and we will keep them in the kitchen. Thanks!
Premises: Have you noticed the new carpet inside and the tree outside? We had a big change around in the holidays and the inside area is now much more spacious – this will be particularly good at mattimes when we are doing activities that require each person to have space around them! The tree is a liquid amber and should get big enough to cast shade over the slide structure in a few short years. The leaves are an added bonus and will provide stunning colour in Autumn, and children will be able to gather them to use in their work and play.
Survey: Thanks to all those who responded to the survey; we teachers have read through them and taken your feedback into account. There will be a report presented to the committee shortly, and this will be available for families to read if you wish.
Planned Programme: We have a trip to Hampden Street School for the 4 year olds in the first week back, and Noa Parker, Kath Bee and Aryan Heer will be in two times each to take yoga, music and Indian dancing with our children. In Week Four (Tuesday November 15th) we are booked to see the Capital E play Songs of the Sea at the Theatre Royal – look out for notices in your pockets about this. Angie will be back towards the end of November; we have had a few postcards from her so check these out on the noticeboard! She’s having a great time!
Administration: : Many of you have already let us know what your requirements for days/sessions will be in 2012, but if anyone hasn’t done this yet please have a think and let Mary or Esther know, either in person or by email. The rolls for 2012 will be sorted out in the second half of January, with existing families taking priority for both morning and afternoon spaces before we move onto new families currently on the waiting list.
Policies: The policies currently up for review are transition to school, positive guidance and sunsafe – please have a read of these on the Family Noticeboard above the nature table (on the lino area) and write any comments you wish or see a teacher or committee member if you prefer.
Committee Meeting: The next committee meeting will be in mid-November – the agenda and date will be posted on the noticeboard closer to the time.
October/November 2011
Rutherford Street Kindergarten Newsletter – October/November 2011
Welcome Back: Welcome back to Cathy Harrington who is a qualified early childhood teacher (and also Max’s grandmother!). Cathy will be doing some relieving, especially while Angie is still away. Great to see you back again!
Also we welcome Jana Cameron who is doing volunteer hours at RSK while she builds up experience in order to train as an early childhood teacher.
Off to School: This month we say best wishes to Oliver and Tessa, both off to school in the next two weeks. Wishing you lots of happy and educational times throughout your school years! And don’t forget to come back and visit!
PLEASE REMEMBER: We are a peanut free centre, which means that all children’s lunch boxes should refrain from including peanuts or any other product that includes peanuts like muesli bars and peanut butter. Thank you for your co-operation over this.
Our name board is at the entrance to kindergarten, beneath the office window. It is there so children can put their names up on arrival – please encourage your children to do this as it’s a great way for them to carry out name-recognition. This is especially for the morning and all-day children, but the afternoon children all have names there as well. Let us know if your child’s name goes missing and we will make a new one – this does happen from time to time.
The weather is growing warmer – and water play more regular! Each child needs spare clothing in their bags to change into when they get wet. If your child comes home in RSK clothing we like it to be washed and returned as soon as possible, especially trousers, so that we always have spare items.
And of course that sun…our playground, especially the barked area, will be very sunny until the shade tree gets bigger, so we ask that children wear a sunhat and minimum of a t-shirt every day now – no singlets or spaghetti straps. Every child needs a sunhat provided, which we ask stays at kindergarten or in bags, so that it’s always there for use during kindergarten time. We bought ten brand new umbrellas in the holidays to keep our children safe from the high levels of UV coming through the ozone in the stratosphere, but hats and t-shirts will go a long way to keep them protected. We will put sunscreen on the exposed skin of all-day children who are in the sun; please let us know if you prefer sunscreen not to be used or if you want to provide your own.
Lastly, we can’t have any chemicals kept in children’s bags while they are at the centre – please keep lotions and lip creams at home or bring them to a teacher and we will keep them in the kitchen. Thanks!
Premises: Have you noticed the new carpet inside and the tree outside? We had a big change around in the holidays and the inside area is now much more spacious – this will be particularly good at mattimes when we are doing activities that require each person to have space around them! The tree is a liquid amber and should get big enough to cast shade over the slide structure in a few short years. The leaves are an added bonus and will provide stunning colour in Autumn, and children will be able to gather them to use in their work and play.
Survey: Thanks to all those who responded to the survey; we teachers have read through them and taken your feedback into account. There will be a report presented to the committee shortly, and this will be available for families to read if you wish.
Planned Programme: We have a trip to Hampden Street School for the 4 year olds in the first week back, and Noa Parker, Kath Bee and Aryan Heer will be in two times each to take yoga, music and Indian dancing with our children. In Week Four (Tuesday November 15th) we are booked to see the Capital E play Songs of the Sea at the Theatre Royal – look out for notices in your pockets about this. Angie will be back towards the end of November; we have had a few postcards from her so check these out on the noticeboard! She’s having a great time!
Administration: : Many of you have already let us know what your requirements for days/sessions will be in 2012, but if anyone hasn’t done this yet please have a think and let Mary or Esther know, either in person or by email. The rolls for 2012 will be sorted out in the second half of January, with existing families taking priority for both morning and afternoon spaces before we move onto new families currently on the waiting list.
Policies: The policies currently up for review are transition to school, positive guidance and sunsafe – please have a read of these on the Family Noticeboard above the nature table (on the lino area) and write any comments you wish or see a teacher or committee member if you prefer.
Committee Meeting: The next committee meeting will be in mid-November – the agenda and date will be posted on the noticeboard closer to the time.
Mary, Ann, Ruby, Ji Young, Cathy and Esther