We are now operating under our winter programme, which means we have indoor activities first and go outside after morning tea.  Our daily routine for the winter programme is displayed above our daily attendance sheets. Our Sun Safe Policy is adhered to all year round, so the children still need to wear a broad brimmed hat or legionnaire style cap when playing outside. Please remember to apply sunscreen prior to your child’s arrival It’s important that children come dressed in appropriate clothing for the weather i.e.  Long pants instead of shorts, socks, shoes., long sleeved shirts and jumpers. Please note that children are not to wear slippers, ugg boots or gumboots, as these have poor grip and are a slipping/tripping hazard It is essential that all shoes fit correctly

PLEASE PACK A FULL SET OF SPARE CLOTHES INCLUDING SOCKS.

Henny Penny Chicken Hatchery

We are once again happy to provide the children with the interactive learning experience of the Henny Penny Chicken Hatchery. Over the next two weeks we will be watching the chickens hatch, grow and develop. Please let Brett know if you would like to take some chickens hoe.

This experience is a wonderful learning opportunity, and we happily provide this at no additional cost to families.

Quality Improvement Plan

We have now compiled our draft Quality Improvement Plan (QIP). This is displayed in our entry foyer. Please take the time to read this-we welcome any feedback, ideas and suggestions. The QIP encompasses the standards and elements of the National Quality Framework-and encompasses all areas of the services operation. Please ask us if you have any questions, or would like a copy. This is an ongoing document, and will be added to.

Safety at the Front Gate

It is extremely important that children do not stand on, swing on or climb on our front gate as it damages the gate, creating a safety hazard a safety hazard, Please remember that children are not to be at the gate unless they are with a parent. We would also like to give a reminder that under no circumstance are children of any age to be left unattended in the car park .Thank you for your co-operation with this.

Philosophy Evaluation

As you are aware, we are constantly evaluating and adapting our policies, procedures and practices. We actively encourage families to be an active part of this process, and we value your ideas, suggestions and opinions. We are currently evaluating our Philosophy, which is the core of our service. Our philosophy is always displayed on our noticeboard, and is also in our two policy books. We also review 2-3 policies each month. The policies being reviewed are displayed in the entry foyer. Please see Brett if you would like a copy. We are also considering e-mailing the policies currently being reviewed to families-please let Brett or Sharon know if you wish to receive these e-mails.

Contact Details

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU INFORM US IF ANY OF YOUR CONTACT DETAILS CHANGE. We have had several instances when we have needed to contact a family, only to discover that their phone numbers have changed. This has a huge impact on the well being of their child.

It is essential that we are able to contact parents at all times when their child is at the centre.

Mothers Day

We hope that all our mum’s, nannas, grandmas and aunties had a fantastic Mother’s Day

Thank you

Sharon, Brett, Tara, Nicole and Abbey

On the 9th and 14th May STEPS vision will be at the service to conduct a FREE vision screening for all children aged 4 years and over. This is organised by Hunter New England Local Health Network, and is highly recommended by the Dept. Community Services

Happy Easter
We would like to wish all our families a safe and happy Easter.  We will be closed on Friday 6th April and Monday 9th April (Fees will not be charged for these days). Enjoy your long weekend! Thank you to everyone who has donated a prize for our Easter Raffle and bought tickets. This will be drawn on Wednesday, 4th April.

A huge thankyou to Mandie Wilson for wrapping all the prizes for us.

ANZAC Day Public Holiday

We will be closed on Wednesday, 25th April for the ANZAC Day public holiday. Fees are not charged for this day

Dogs in Day Care
We would like to remind families that children’s animals/pets will only be allowed in the service when permission has been granted by the Nominated Supervisor. If an animal is brought to the service when families are collecting children, the animal must be tied up at the front gate far enough away that children cannot touch the animal through the fence. Thank you for your co-operation.

Sneezin’ Season

Once again we are at the time of year when many people have coughs and colds. We wish to remind families that the centre does not have the facilities to cater for a sick child. When a child is starting a course of antibiotics, they cannot attend the centre for the first 24 hours after the start of the course. Any child who has a continual discharge of green, yellow or clear mucus from the nose is unable to attend-this also applies to children with a persistent cough.  We ask that families are honest about their child’s health, as a child recovering from an illness can easily infect others.-please consider the health of all children who attend.

Please remember that if a child is unwell enough to require medication such as Panadol, Dimetap, Nurofen etc they are too unwell to attend the centre.

Educators realise and appreciate that it is difficult for a working parent when their child is too ill to attend, however the well being of all children and educators at the centre has to be considered. It is also essential that the Exclusion Periods are adhered to at all times., and in some instances a doctors certificate saying the child is no longer infectious is required before a child can return to care

Speaking with Educators

Communication with families is very important to educators, and we enjoy sharing details of your child’s daily experiences with families. If you wish to speak to educators regarding a specific topic, or discuss your child’s development, please organise a time to have a meeting.
This means that we can give you our full attention, as of a morning and afternoon our priority is interacting with and supervising the children. Thank you for your understanding.

Upcoming Events

• Henny Penny Hatching 7th-18th May
• Steps Free Vision Screening 9th & 14th May
• Joel Howlett Magic Show 8th May
• Family Disco July
• Bob Turner Reptile Show 31st October

Thank you

Sharon, Brett, Tara, Nicole,Cassie and Abbey

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are having some staff changes.

Anneke will be leaving us to become the Nominated Supervisor at Rathmines Pre-School. Tara will step into Anneke’s position as room leader of the Ocean Room, and Certified Supervisor. Nicole is now our Educational Leader. Tara and Nicole will both be working extra days in the Ocean Room so there is minimal disruption for the children. There are no changes to staff in the Lake Room.

Anneke will be visiting us regularly.

If you have any questions please see Sharon or Brett.

Harmony Day Celebrations

World Harmony Day (21^st March) is about celebrating Australia’s cultural diversity, community participation, inclusiveness and respecting different cultures .Every day of the week beginning 19th March we will be having Harmony Day celebrations. This will include music, literacy and art experiences from different countries and cultures.  We also extend an invitation to any families who would like to share their culture with us to be part of and contribute to our celebrations. This year’s theme is “Sport: Play, Engage, Inspire”. We aim to get in contact with local sporting identities and teams to join us at the centre. If you know of anyone who would be willing to join our celebrations and visit us please see educators.

 Thank You!

We would like to say a big thankyou to all our families that attended our Family Meeting. We know you are all very busy, and we greatly appreciate you taking time to come to this night

Children’s Speech and Language Development

Chit-a-Chat Speech pathology is a mobile service, which provided a range of speech services, including assessments and individual therapy.

A speech or language delay impacts greatly on a child’s overall development, but with speech therapy it can be easily rectified.

We have organised for Chit-a-Chat to visit our centre on Friday, 30^th March to undertake speech sounds and expressive/receptive language screeners. Please read the attached letter for more details, and return the form if you wish to participate.  This is also available for siblings. Educators will also be speaking to families individually if we have concerns about their child’s speech/language. We are happy to offer this as part of our ongoing dedication to help each child grow and develop to their full potential

Spare Clothing for ALL Children

Please remember it is a requirement that all children need to bring at least one full set of spare clothing including underpants and socks .There are many reasons your child may need to change clothes, such as getting wet from water play, spilling paint or food on themselves as well as toileting accidents.  Please remember to pack a jumper in case the weather turns cool. We have a limited supply of spare clothes, so it is essential every child has spare clothes in their bag.

We would also like to give a reminder that all borrowed clothing needs to be washed and returned to the centre-a replacement fee will be charged for all un-returned items.

Newcastle Show Day

We will be open on Friday, 16^th March (Newcastle Show Day).

Easter Raffle

This year we are organising an Easter raffle to raise funds. We would like to ask if every family could bring in an Easter item to contribute to our raffle. It can be an egg, bunny, chocolates, toy or anything

that you would like to donate. These can be placed in a basket in the foyer-we will be collecting donations until Friday, 30^th March. We will be sending raffle tickets home in the coming weeks and the raffle will be drawn on Wednesday, 4^th April.

Every dollar raised will be used to buy educational equipment for the children.

Volunteers

Caitlin Johnson has returned to the centre as a volunteer on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Stephanie Houston has also joined us as a volunteer. Stephanie is currently studying her Degree in early Childhood Education.

Thank You for Not Smoking

We just want to give a friendly reminder that we are a smoke free premises-this includes our car park. Thank you for respecting the health of the children for not smoking whilst you are here.

Thank you Sharon, Brett, Nicole, Abbey and Tara

Happy New Year

Our Chinese New Year Celebrations were popular with all the children, who engaged in a variety of activities including literacy, art/craft, music and dramatic play

This was not only fun but helped us all to learn about another culture.

We Need Your Help

As you may know there have been many changes in childcare this year. We NEED your feedback and ideas! We are holding a meeting for parents and families to attend, where staff will explain the new National Quality Framework, National Quality Standards and the Continuous Improvement Plan for our centre!

This is your chance to tell us what you want!

Tea, coffee, snack food, and child minding provided

Thursday 16^th February at 6pm

Special Events

We already have some special events planned for 2012, including:

• Harmony Week Celebrations
• Henny Penny Chicken Hatchery
• Joel Howlett Magic Show
• Family Disco
• NAIDOC Week Celebrations

We are happy to provide these experiences at no cost to our families.

Please let us know if there are any other special events or experiences you would like us to celebrate.

Lake Room Family and Communities Wall

The back wall in the Lake Room has become our Families and Communities wall. This wall is a visual display of ourselves, our families, our community and incorporates the themes of diversity, respect and inclusion. We wish to actively encourage our families to contribute to this through contributing a word or image you would like to be displayed. The wall also includes a scrapbooking frame-please add any photos, notes or items such as movie tickets, a note describing a recent activity, a brochure, a picture of something your child is interested in etc. (please make sure these are labelled). These will then be used as a springboard for conversations with the children, and will then be incorporated into our daily learning experiences.

Please see Sharon if you have any questions

Arrival and Departure of Children

We would like to give the following reminders in relation to the arrival and departure of children:

• Please do not call out to your child from the entry foyer-you must come into the room to collect your child If we are outside parents must walk outside to collect their child-please don’t stand inside and call out to them.
• Children are not to run through the building at any time-this includes running between rooms.
• Children must be supervised by parents when arriving and departing the centre, and must not  go into another room (Lake or Ocean), run outside, go into the office, viewing room, entry foyer or out to the front gate unless accompanied by their parent
• Children are not to climb, swing or stand on the gate
• At the time of arrival at the centre, parents MUST place their child directly into the care of an educator. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure educators are aware their child is on the premises
• Please remember to sign your child in upon arrival, and out upon departure
• Please be respectful of other children and discourage your children from disrupting a group activity

We don’t mean to be difficult; and understand that the children are excited; however we must ensure the safety of the children.

Thank you Sharon, Brett, Anneke, Nicole, Tara and Abbey

Happy Valentines Day!

Welcome back for 2012. We hope you all enjoyed the holidays. It’s wonderful to see familiar faces, and also to welcome new families.

Australians All Let Us Rejoice

The centre will be closed on Thursday, 26th January for the Australia Day Public Holiday-fees will not be charged for this day.

Children’s Clothing, Shoes and Belongings

A big thank you to all our families who label all their children’s belonging- We encourage all our children (yes, even the 2’s) to look after their own things.  We cannot stress enough how important it is that
ALL CHILDRENS BELONGINGS ARE CLEARLY LABELLED.-ESPECIALLY LUNCH BOXES AND DRINK BOTTLES
Children cannot access their lunchboxes/drinks/bottles/dummies unless clearly labelled.

Rest and Relaxation Time

As you are aware, after lunch the children are divided into two rooms: the Resting Room for children who have a sleep, and the Relaxation Room for non-sleepers who engage in a relaxation programme. Parents are asked which room best suits the needs of their child. Please take the time to fill out the sheet attached to this newsletter so we know which room your child will be going to. Children who will be resting (including children who are nominated as children’s choice) will need to bring their bedding each day they attend
Please note that if any child asks to have a sleep we cannot refuse them.
See Brett or Sharon if you have any questions.

Children’s Portfolios

Thank you to the families who returned their 2011 Portfolio Evaluation forms.  This year’s portfolios will be slightly different, as they will be complied following the guidelines of the Early Years Learning Framework (ELY)
For the children who don’t live with both their parents, please see staff if you would like them to complete a second portfolio.

RIP Hussein

It is with great sadness that we share the news that our sponsor child Hussein passed away from pneumonia on the 4th December We have sponsored Hussein through World Vision for two years. We continued to sponsor Hussein’s family throughout December, and we are now sponsoring Kulow Abdi Abdi. Kulow is an 11 year old boy who lives with his parents, brother and sisters in Kenya.

Lake Room Family and Communities Wall

The back wall in the Lake Room has become our Families and Communities wall. This wall is a visual display of ourselves, our families, our community and incorporates the themes of diversity, respect and inclusion. We wish to actively encourage our families to contribute to this through contributing a word or image you would like to be displayed. The wall also includes a scrapbooking frame-please add any photos, notes or items such as movie tickets, a note describing a recent activity, a brochure, a picture of something your child is interested in etc. (please make sure these are labelled). These will then be used as a springboard for conversations with the children, and will then be incorporated into our daily learning experiences.
Please see Sharon if you have any questions.

Education and Care Services National Regulations

From the 1st January every childcare centre in Australia is governed by the Education and Care Services National Regulation, which includes the National Quality Standard (NQS), Early Years Learning Framework (ELYF) and the National Quality Framework (NQF). Our regulatory body is the NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Directorate. Information is posted on the noticeboard in the entry foyer, and we ask that all families take a few moments to read this.
Please see educators if you have any questions.

Sun Safety

We would like to remind all our families that prior to arrival at the centre children must be wearing 30t, broad spectrum, water resistant sun screen on all areas of exposed skin. Staff re-apply sunscreen before we go outside in the afternoon. Sunscreen must be applied at least 20 minutes prior to exposure to the sun. Staff and children wear sunscreen all year round.
Children who arrive without having sunscreen applied, or who aren’t wearing clothing that complies with the Sun Protection Policy will be limited to playing in shaded areas- that is the veranda and cubby house.. Please note that we don’t provide sun screen for siblings or parents

Thank you

Sharon, Brett, Anneke, Tara, Nicole and Abbey

Children’s Lunches

It’s wonderful to see the children bringing such wonderful, healthy lunches. Staff are very jealous! Staff are more than happy to prepare food for a child’s lunch ( eg place tinned food in a bowl)
Our only stipulation is that we are informed in the morning, and that the food is placed on the kitchen bench clearly labelled with the child’s name. This ensures that all the children’s lunches are ready when they sit down-it is very upsetting for a child if they have to watch everybody else begin eating and their food isn’t ready, and due to supervision of children eating, staff are unable to prepare lunches at this time.

We would like to say a big thank you to those families who ring us when their child is going being to be away. Please be aware that families are required to notify us by 9.30a.m on any day that their child is going to be absent. Repeated absences without notification will result in a child’s place at the centre being forfeited.
A “Failure to Notify of Absence Fee” of $5 will be charged for each day a child is absent without notice.

Bob Turner Reptile Show

Currently the children are showing a great interest in reptiles. Due to this, we have organised the Bob Turner Reptile Show to come to the centre on Thursday, 20th October starting at 11a.m This is a fun, educational and interactive experience.. All children are welcome to attend-if this is not your child’s day of attendance please bring them along

We are providing this interactive learning experience  at no cost to our families

Free Health Assessment from Newcastle Podiatry

As a follow up to our parent information evening (thank you to those families who attended), we have organised Adam Glassock from Newcastle Family and Sports Podiatry to visit the centre and provide a 15 minute assessment.

Adam will be here on Friday, 4th November, and is providing this service for free to all families. More details will be provided closer to the date, please see Anneke or Sharon if you have any questions

Sharing Information

We have had many requests from families to fill out forms, complete questionnaires, provide written developmental information, write letters to doctors, speech therapists, psychologists, specialists, primary schools etc Staff are more than happy to do this, however we do require a minimum of two working days’ notice. Our priority is interacting with and supervising children, so we need this notice to allow staff time to fulfil the request. If we are not given adequate notice we cannot guarantee we will able to complete the paper work. Thank you for your understanding and co-operation

Summer Programme

From Monday, 10th October we will be operating under our summer programme. This means that will be outdoors first, and then have inside learning experiences during the hottest part of the day. Children must be wearing 30t waterproof broad protection sunscreen as well as their hat when they arrive and bring their drink outside It’s also essential that all hats must have a broad brim /legionnaire style; shirts must have sleeves which fully cover and extend below the shoulder  halfway to the elbow(no cap-sleeves/singlets), as well as covering the back and midriff, 3/4 length pants or shorts that come to the knees (no “short shorts”) thongs/slides must  have an ankle strap, earrings-studs only, no skirts/dresses, and long hair to be tied back.  For more information please refer to our Sun Protection and Children’s Clothing Policies-it’s also important to realise that these regulations also apply to staff.  Also, it is essential that when you are dropping off your child that staff are aware that the child has arrived; this means walking the child to a staff member and placing them in our care. It is the parent/caregivers responsibility to ensure that staff are aware that your child is on the premises. As part of our dedication to sun safety, we supply sunscreen which staff will apply to the children during the day.

Watch Out-Head Lice About

Many of our local primary schools have reported several cases of head lice. Therefore we ask that all families check their child’s hair for live lice and/or eggs regularly. If you do find anything, your child will need to be treated appropriately before attending the centre. Thanks for your co-operation with this.

Thank you

Sharon, Brett, Anneke, Tara, Nicole and Kasey

Christmas Toy Catalogues

Just a reminder that the Christmas toy order catalogues are due back no later than FRIDAY 16th September.

Emergency Services Week

Every day of the week from the 5th-9th September will be conducting an Emergency Services Week. We will be providing a range of educational and fun experiences that will help children to learn about different emergency services and the role they play in our community. We will also be having some special visitors come to the centre. This links to Learning Outcome 2 and Learning Outcome 4 of the Early Years Learning Framework

National Child Care Accreditation Council Spot Check

On Tuesday, 30th August a validator from the National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC), conducted “spot check” visit to our centre. A spot check is an unannounced visit to the centre to check that we are providing quality care for all children and are meeting the requirements for Accreditation. We are proud to say that we received only positive feedback, and the validator complimented all staff on the high standard of the centre. Please find attached a copy of the written report we received.

October Long Weekend

The centre will be closed on Monday, 3rd October for the Labour Day long weekend. Fees will not be charged for this day.

Bob Turner Reptile Show

Currently the children are showing a great interest in reptiles. Due to this, we have organised the Bob Turner Reptile Show to come to the centre on Thursday, 20th October starting at 11a.m. This is a fun, educational and interactive experience. All children are welcome to attend-if this is not your child’s day of attendance please bring them along.

We are happy to be providing this activity at no cost to our families.

Warmer Weather

It certainly feels like winter is behind us, and the spring weather has arrived. We would just like to give a reminder that children are wearing sun safe clothing. It’s essential that all hats must have a broad brim /legionnaire style; shirts must have sleeves which fully cover and extend below the shoulder  halfway to the elbow(no cap-sleeves/singlets), as well as covering the back and midriff, 3/4 length pants or shorts that come to the knees(no “short shorts”) thongs/slides must  have an ankle strap, earrings-studs only, no skirts/dresses, and long hair to be tied back. For more information please refer to our Sun Protection and Children’s Clothing Policies-it’s also important to realise that these regulations also apply to staff.

Happy Fathers Day

We hope that all our Dads, Step Dads and Grandfathers enjoyed being spoilt on Father’s Day

Staff Leave

Tara is going to be on leave from the 12th -23rd September. Nicole and Sharon will be working during this time. We all hope she enjoys her holiday (and brings us back some nice presents).

Thank you

Sharon, Brett, Anneke, Tara, Anneke and Kasey.

August 2011 Newsletter

School Readiness Information Night

We would like to thank those families who braved the cold and wet weather to attend our School Readiness Information Night. We have received lots of positive feedback about the information presented. If you would like to discuss your child’s individual progress, please speak to Anneke to organise a time.

Important Reminders

We would like to give the flowing reminders regarding safety, health and hygiene:

• It is essential that children wear correctly fitting shoes which have a non-slip sole. NO THONGS/SLIDES/FLIPFLOPS/SLIPPERS/GUMBOOTS
• For safety reasons children should not wear jewellery while they are at the centre. There is also the risk of the jewellery being lost or broken. If a child has pierced ears studs are permitted-NO DANGLY/HANGING OR HOOPED STYLES.
• Please note that both scarves and hoods cannot be worn as they are a strangulation hazard
• if your child is in nappies you are required to supply a minimum of 4 nappies per day. The centre supplies baby wipes and nappy sacs.
• We have a limited supply of spare clothes, so it is essential every child has spare clothes in their bag.
• Long hair needs to be tied back with a hair-tie.

Thankyou

Thankyou to all our families who have donated boxes and other art and craft materials-this is greatly appreciated. At this time we are not collecting any more boxes.

Say Cheese

Our school photos this year will be taken on 30^th and 31^st August. We will be using the same photographer as last year. Please find order forms attached.

Joel Howlett Magic Show

On 5^th August Joel Howlett will be at the centre to perform his magic show starting at 10:30-if your child does not attend on this day please bring them along. We are providing this experience at no cost to families.

Pizza and Pyjama Party

That’s right; it’s time once again for our annual Pizza and Pyjama Party. Every day of the week beginning Monday 15^th August everyone wears their pyjamas to day care-even the staff. We are going to make pyjama party food (pizza-muffins, sauce, shredded ham, grated cheese).Families still need to provide lunch for your child, and pyjamas must comply with the sun safe policy. Children also need shoes rather than slippers/boots/ugg boots. Dressing gowns can be worn indoors; however children will need a jumper to change into for outdoor learning experiences.

NOTE: Please inform staff in writing if you do not wish your child to participate.

Information Night: Podiatry and Physical Development

On the 7^th September Adam Glassock from Newcastle Family Sports and Podiatry will be a guest speaker at our information night. Below is a brief description of what will be discussed:

Children’s growing legs and feet go through a number of changes in their early years.  Understanding and ensuring that this is occurring at the right time and in the correct manner is vitally important to appropriate growth and function .Like our children’s teeth, their legs, hips, knees and feet need to be checked and monitored to ensure this is occurring. In toed or out toed gait, excessively flat feet, toe walking, poor hip and core control (balance and stability) and pain associated with these and other problems can be diagnosed and treated with the long term outcomes much better when early diagnosis is made .Experience is vitally important when dealing with the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of childhood biomechanics. At Newcastle Family & Sports Podiatry there has been a long history with Allan Boys & Adam Glascock of assessing children to ensure appropriate growth and good outcomes. It is important to understand what should be occurring with the child’s foot and lower limb at various ages

Thankyou Sharon, Brett, Anneke, Tara, Nicole and Kasey

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