Nursery News Autumn 1 2024
A huge welcome to all of our new Big Bears, Little Bears and families. We have had a wonderful start to this academic year and we’re already well underway with our journey of learning and wonder.
At Ready Teddy Go, your children are our curriculum. Our dedicated and experienced team of teachers spend time each day playing and building relationships with our Big and Little Bears and that is where the magic begins. Children’s interests, experiences, passions and ideas are celebrated and nurtured. They are the starting point for all of our planned projects and activities. Our teachers meet daily to discuss what children have been up to and share ideas on what to do next.
We aim to help children to explore their curiosities excitedly, to inspire a lifelong love of learning. We are constantly reflecting on how we teach at Ready Teddy Go.
We spent the summer sourcing exciting new resources for nursery that inspire imagination and creativity.
This year, we are no longer having daily Group Times with planned activities and are now letting the children lead the way completely with all plans and projects. We use our small classroom to host daily ‘together time’ where we share our news with one another. Our nurture groups for small groups of children led by a teacher to further their learning are held each session.
We LOVE books and story time at Ready Teddy Go. Our lending library, cosy book corner and story times are cherished.
At the start of term, your children showed a great interest in The Gingerbread man. This became our first project of the year. The story was re-enacted with lots of role play, we counted his buttons, ran as fast as we possibly could, bridges were built to help the Gingerbread man cross the river and of course there was some baking to be done in our new shiny kitchen.
We like to get outside at nursery, in our outdoor area, out into town and to the park. We believe that real life experiences offer a wealth of learning opportunities.
We are talking lots about the changes we can see in nature this term. Beautiful autumn masterpieces have been created using a range of materials, showing the colours we can see in the world around us.
Our role play kitchen is filled to the brim with conkers, pine cones, leaves and all things autumn. The natural resources are all great to bake with, roll, weigh and count. Children are invited to bring into nursery any autumn treasures that they come across to share with everybody.
As of last week, we have heard lots about the Gruffalo, so it looks as though there is a new project on the horizon… we will keep you posted on Tapestry.
🏡Tapestry and Home Learning 🏡
Tapestry is an invaluable resource to support nursery and home partnership to further enhance children’s learning. We use ChatterPictures to share children’s experiences to build on a range of skills including confidence, social skills and making relationships with peers. Please do add ChatterPictures for your children to share in groups with friends.
⭐️Pom Pom Jar⭐️
At nursery we use our magic habits to help to fill a jar with magic pom poms. When the jar is full, we vote for a treat for everyone to enjoy. Children vote for a whole nursery treat to celebrate their magic together.
Our Magic Habits are:
• We are kind
• We listen to each other
• We try our best
• We look after our nursery
• We stay safe
🍎Snacks 🍎
Thank you for all of your lovely fruit donations so far, a pineapple was particularly popular and was eaten in one morning. All snack donations are shared together, please only provide whole or packaged fruit that can be prepared at nursery. You could also donate breadsticks or biscuits. Thank you.
🥗Healthy lunches 🥗
Please remember we have a strict no nuts policy. This includes pesto (pine nuts), and Nutella (hazelnuts). We promote healthy eating at nursery so please support us by providing children with lunch boxes with healthy options only. https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes/
🌦️Weather🌦️
We allow children free access to outside play at all times at nursery. We don’t learn about the weather on a chart at Ready Teddy Go, we get outside and experience it, catching rain in buckets to measure and using our big muscles to sweep away puddles. Please ensure children are fully prepared with coats, hats and gloves as the temperature drops. They may also need waterproof jackets and shoes on wetter days. Please make sure all children have spare clothes to change incase they get wet or muddy. Thank you.
👕Uniform 👕
You can purchase a range of coloured t-shirts, polo shirts and sweatshirts with our Ready Teddy Go logo online at: https://www.schooltrends.co.uk/uniform/EpsomMethodistNurseryKT185AQ
🚂Toys🚂
Please do not bring toys from home into nursery, unless specifically requested for show and tell group times on Tapestry. We would not want special toys to get lost amongst our cupboards full. If your child needs a comforter, please let us know and we can ensure it is kept safely.
🧸Extra sessions🧸
If you would like to book additional sessions for your child, please email me at emcnursery@hotmail.co.uk. We have some sessions available right away, or you can pre book for January. All sessions are given on a first come first served basis.
✏️School Admissions✏️
For children born between 1st September 2020- 31st August 2021, you will soon be able to attend open mornings at local primary schools. The deadline to submit applications for primary school places is 15th January 2025. If you would like one to one support to submit your application, we are offering workshops on Friday afternoons throughout October and November, please email me to book a slot. https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools/admissions/primary-junior-and-infant/apply
🎹Music🎹
Mr Morris is back at nursery weekly with his piano enjoying lots of nursery rhymes and action songs. Weekly music sessions are optional for children. After half term we will start practicing Christmas songs for something VERY special! (We apologise in advance for the slightly early carols coming home, but, needs must!)
💃Dance Club🕺
Another change for this year are our new ‘express yourself’ daily sessions. If you’ve been with us a while you will know how much we love music and dancing. Every morning, children are invited to join Mrs Stephen’s Dance Club in our classroom to show off their fantastic moves to their favourite songs.
🎃Halloween🎃
Halloween this year falls during half term. Children are welcome to bring a pumpkin into nursery in October to carve and decorate. We will have messy activities at nursery, so please do not bring children into nursery in costumes as they may get ruined.
🍏Parent Meetings🍏
On the weeks commencing 4th and 11th November we will hold parent/carer Key Person meetings. These are a good opportunity to find out how your child is progressing at nursery. We will have a signup sheet with time slots available from next week, this will be sent to our parent WhatsApp group. If you would like to meet with your child’s Key Person at any other time or speak with me, please email me to arrange a suitable time.
☺️Come and Play!☺️
If any parents would like to opportunity to come into nursery to share an activity or simply play, you are most welcome. Perhaps you would like to accompany us to the market or visit the park with us one afternoon? Please email me so that we can find a suitable time for you to join us.
✨Wish List✨
At Ready Teddy Go, we have our very own Amazon Wish list. Thank you all for your generous donations of new and exciting resources for children to enjoy together at nursery so far. It’s a bit like Christmas with so much excitement opening the packages together with your children! We will update our Wish List each term. https://amzn.eu/hlIdl1h
☕️Warm Wednesdays☕️
In 2022, Epsom Methodist Church started Warm Wednesdays in response to the cost of living crisis and rising energy costs. We have been planning Warm Wednesdays for the coming winter as we feel there is still a strong need for this type of support for families in our community.
From 6th November, EMC welcomes everyone from 9.30am-6pm every Wednesday. You can stay as long as you like in our warm space with free hot drinks, a bowl of tasty soup and a roll for lunch and a family after school club with games, crafts and activities for children and of course a freshly cooked evening meal for everyone.
Our Warm Wednesdays Team are able to help you to access support for all of the following issues:
•Benefits, welfare rights, housing and rents
•Energy saving and dealing with energy suppliers
•Finding a job and accessing training
•Getting help in a crisis
•Mental Health and Well-being
You do not need to book, just drop in.
Warm Wednesdays would not be possible without the support of a wonderful team of volunteers. Please do let me know if you are able to offer some of your time to support Warm Wednesdays whether weekly or on the odd occasion. You can sign up to a rota. There are various roles including serving drinks or food, cooking, setting up, doing crafts, cake baking and more. Please email for further details.
💜Support💜
If you are experiencing financial difficulties and would like advice and support for energy and food costs, please do let me know.
🦕Play Groups🦕
Did you know that EMC run two stay and play groups each week during term time?
Little Monkeys toddler group is on every Tuesday from 10-11.30am
Friday for Families 0-5 Stay and Play is on every Friday morning from 10am-11.30am
New for this year, Roots Café are offering ‘Double Stamp Mondays’ where you can collect your stamps for free hot drinks and they will have a baby play area for expectant and new mummies. Pop in on a Monday morning between 9.30-12.30pm.
🎄Under 5’s Nativity🎄
On Tuesday 17th December we will be holding our under 5’s nativity at EMC at 10.30am. All nursery children will be invited to participate. We provide costumes for children and welcome parents and carers to come and join the audience (and the singing!)
Roots Cafe will have festive treats on sale on the day to enjoy.
We ask that all children wanting to participate attend nursery from 9.15am on the day. If your child does not usually attend on Tuesdays and wishes to participate, you will be able to collect them from nursery from 11.30am, after the nativity. You will receive a letter giving further details and your child’s role nearer the time.
🧑🧒 Family Centre🧑🧒
EMC Family centre offer a range of activities, courses and support for children and families. We plan our programme by responding promptly to the needs of our community. If you would like to be a part of our Parent Advisory Group to help us to plan our programmes, please do let me know.
💕Intergenerational sessions 💕
Last term, we really enjoyed joining older members of EMC’s congregation to sing and dance along to The Beatles. This year we have plans to join The Welcome Club throughout the year for some very exciting intergenerational activities. If you would like to come along to any of these events, please let me know.
On Thursday 5th December, we will be joining the Welcome Club at EMC to sing carols and enjoy some festive treats.
All children attending on Thursday 19th December will be joining EMC’S Welcome Club for a wreathe making workshop.
🎅🏻Christmas Party🎅🏻
All nursery children are invited to attend RTG’s Christmas Party at the end of the autumn term on Friday 20th December 9.15-12.15pm. We will enjoy festive crafts, games, snacks and maybe a visit from a very special man in red too! A £5 charge will be added to next half term’s invoice for the party. Please note, there is no lunch club on the last day of term.
🎉Save the Date🎉
EMC have a VERY exciting Christmas event planned on Monday 23rd December for children and families. Details to follow.
That’s all for now, Miss Golding