Happy Days Newsletter
Issue no: 19 Autumn 2005

Autumn is here and it’s our favourite season for learning so many things about the world. The great array
of colours and materials (dry, rustling leaves, conkers and pine cones etc) make for some really great
creative activities with all our children. Unless of course you live in a place where the Council cut down
the trees to stop children injuring themselves by collecting conkers or ban them playing with leaves or
making daisy chains in case they pick up germs. What happened to the simple pleasure of children
enjoying themselves and learning through play? What do we think? Let the children play…and learn by
doing so.

Three times in a row for investors in people

Happy Jays recently became the only nursery operator in the County to be awarded the Investors in People standard – for the third time. The Assessor commented on the strong team ethic and commitment to training at each of the nurseries. She was also impressed with the recent parents q u e s t i o n n a i r e feedback giving us top marks for providing first class care and value for money. Copies of the report are available at each nursery on request.

Make it Easier with a DD

More parents are finding it easier to use the direct debit system to pay their fees – please ask us for a form and we will do the rest– it’s as easy as that!

In the news recently…

The old fashioned nit comb is more effective at removing headlice than chemical treatments, said the Times, reporting on extensive research carried out at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Police closed the M11 in Essex when an 11 year old’s toy tiger fell out of the family car. A police spokesman told the Daily Mail that the force understood ‘the importance of soft toys.’
Teachers have claimed that they can identify problematic children by looking at their first names according to the Times educational supplement. However, such stereotyping has infuriated parents and resulted in complaints being made to the DfES.
Babies can detect rhythmic patterns in folk music at just six months said the Guardian, but their ability is lost by 12 months after exposure to sounds such as Britney Spears and Crazy Frog.
Watching TV for just 2 hours a day can seriously harm children’s brain development, the Scotsman reported.

News from our Nurseries

Stuck in the traffic?

Darker nights and nightmare traffic – don’t despair! Just call us if you think you will be late collecting your child or are stuck in the traffic en route. It happens to us all at some time and if we know about it then we can do something about it. For insurance purposes we have to keep a record of any children on the premises after 6pm and so your cooperation in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Parents Evenings…

Will be held in November as follows:

Boroughbridge: Thursday 10th November - Scarborough: Wednesday 16th November - York: Thursday 24th November

Please make your appointments on the boards with the staff. As usual we will have the tempest photos on display plus a hot supper and a glass of wine or two for you. Plus some ideas for presents for Christmas – yes it’s closing in fast!
Hope you will come along and enjoy what is always an enjoyable event.

News from Boroughbridge…

• Faye and Andrea would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who turned up for our annual toddle in June. With 75 children and adults involved, it was a huge success and raised £1032 for the NSPCC and the Special Care Baby Care unit at Harrogate hospital. See our display and photos on the corridor wall!
• Please check the lost property box occasionally if you are wondering what happened to that favourite top or pants that your child used to wear – chances are that they will be there! Please would parents label their children’s clothes as many items look very similar these days. …and from York…
• Baby Two’ers had a great day recently being clowns – with our red noses and faces painted and fancy dress outfits on - whilst pre-schoolers had their very own teddy bear’s picnic - see us all munching our picnic boxes with our bears in the photo section! •Did we enjoy our music and movement session recently or what?! We had a great time with our musical instruments,
our different dancing and games with the parachute!
• Pre-schoolers recently learn about the hindu festival of Ransha Bandhan, which celebrates family and siblings. We learnt about different types of food and made rakhi bracelets to wear.
• Our new Toddlers Room will be up and running from the beginning of November and we are pleased to announce that Talie (Natalie from baby 2) will be the room supervisor.

…and from Scarborough…

• Hello, I’m Louise Goodger and I’m the nursery manager at Scarborough. I started on 8th August and have moved here to the beautiful North Yorkshire coast with my family all the way from sunny Berkshire – what a journey and a half that was! Remembering all the names of the children, their parents and the team has certainly been exercising my memory skills!
Throughout my life I’ve loved working with children. I qualified with an NNEB diploma 12 years ago and have worked in nurseries and creches, spent time as a nanny and I also found the time to have two boys of my own. My last post was as nursery manager at a day nursery in Bracknell. You could say that I have both the practical and the professional experience of caring for children! I
gained my Advanced Diploma last year and I’m a keen fan of continuous learning in childcare and management development.
I have been really impressed with the nursery here at Scarborough. Having a purpose-built centre is an amazing opportunity for the children and the staff alike. Everyone here has been very kind to me, explaining how everything works (sometimes several times!). I hope Jacqui can now enjoy less time on the road – she has left me a hard act to follow!• Our pre-schoolers have started to plant their own herb and vegetable garden. Very soon our very own ‘Barbara’s Bistro’ will have her supply of fresh herbs to put in our meals. The children love digging and seeing what creatures they can find – especially the worms and snails!
• A special mention for Helen who will be going on maternity leave in November as she and partner Paul are expecting their first child in December. Good luck Helen and don’t forget to ‘book early’ as Fred Pontin used to say if you want a baby place with us in the New Year!

Reminders – sickness…

Please help us to stop infections spreading to other children and the staff – germs are so easily passed on in a nursery environment. If your child develops sickness or diarrhoea they must not attend nursery until they have had neither occurring in the last twenty four hours. Although we do our best to keep the nursery free from infections your cooperation will help prevent other children and staff from becoming ill.

… And cold weather clothing…

Please would parents remember to provide a hat, gloves and a warm coat for their children so that we can still enjoy the
outdoors when the weather turns colder during the winter months.


What your fees pay for…

Thinking of running a nursery? This is what your fees are spent on:

	Staff Wages
	Children's food & consumables
	Children's toys & equipment
	Staff training & development
	Bank loans & rent
	Rates & Utilities
	Cleaning & decorating
	Insurance & Professional costs
	Marketing & printing
	Reinvestment in the business

What our children say…

• Elle-May gave Gemma a kiss on her cheek and said to her, ‘Gemma you’re all prickly, have you got whiskers?
• James announced that ‘no-one is to touch my tee-shirt.’ When asked why by a member of staff he replied, ‘cos it’s been ironed!’
• Heidi had pulled out a strand of her hair and looking distraught turned to Laura and said, ‘Oh no, put it back in now!’
• Riley and Tom were on the way to nursery with Mum in the car. Both boys were unusually quiet in the back and on arrival in the car-park Riley’s face was as white as a ghost. Mum worriedly asked what was the matter and Tom proudly announced, ‘its hot and sunny today Mum.’ Tom had covered Riley in sun-block!
• Claire asked Jake where he had got his smart tee-shirt from and he announced, ‘I bought it all by myself at a car boot sale!’
• Emma saw a black and white dog out of the window and said, ‘look, a moo cow!’
• During singing time, Siobhan asked Jake if he was the king of the castle. He replied, ‘ no, I’m the dirty rascal!’
• Damien was asked if he would like to do some painting. ‘No thanks,’ he said, ‘ I haven’t got the time.’
• Charlotte asked Olivia what her ears were for and she replied, ‘for growing spuds and peas in!’
• Tony drove into the car-park at York whilst the Tweenies were playing outside. When he got out of the car, one of the children asked, ‘Who’s Mummy is that?’

Lots of children leave us in September to start at school and here are some extracts from parents ‘thank-you’ letters we have received. There’s lot’s more in the Parents files at each nursery – just ask the manager if you wish to read them:

Songs to sing

This one is top of the charts for our Boroughbridge tweenies: Roly, Poly up, up, up, Roly poly down, down,down. Roly, Poly out, out, out, Roly, Poly in, in, in. Roly, Poly ever so slowly, Roly, Poly fast.

School Progress Report (from our Parents)…

Lots of children leave us in September to start at school and here are some extracts from parents ‘thank-you’ letters we have received. There’s lot’s more in the Parents files at each nursery – just ask the manager if you wish to read them:

“ Dear all at Happy Jays,

A huge thank you for looking after Joshua so brilliantly. I knew he has flourished and greatly enjoyed his time with you all. The staff are a credit to Happy Jays – particular thanks to Holly, Andrea, Sam and Ange who have spent a huge amount of time with him. Also thanks to Sue for cooking excellent meals for Josh and the rest of the children.

Best Wishes,

Sarah & Ged.“

“ These words are not quite enough to express how grateful we are for the care that has been taken with Olivia at Happy Jays. I had convinced myself that no nursery would be good enough but thank God I was wrong. Your team appreciate
how traumatic this transition is for parent and child and work very hard to gain the confidence and trust of both parties on a very caring level.
I remember reading some of your School Progress Report (from our Parents)… literature that stated not only the
practical and educational benefits but also the importance of love and hugs. That to us was paramount and I will be eternally grateful for the love you all showed Olivia. You are special, dedicated people. Lisa.“

“ I have been putting off writing this letter because I am so happy with all you are doing for our son and I don’t want him to leave at all. Happy Jays has been a very large part of all of our lives since January 2001. If we have any more babies you will certainly be the first nursery I call!! You provide both a caring and professional environment and the attention to detail has made us feel totally at ease when we have left our children in the morning.

Thank you for all you have done.
Rachel & Chris.“

“ To all the fantastic staff at Happy Jays, I can’t thank you enough for everything you have done for my little boy. He enjoyed every day spent with you, loved his meals, learnt so much with you. I can’t believe how polite, wellspoken and well-behaved he has become.

Thank you so much.

Love & best wishes,

Lesley & Nigel.“

Advice Corner............

A parents guide to "Sleep ages and stages"

There are few things in life which cause parents more sleepless nightsthan their children having sleepless nights! To ensure everyone getstheir well-earned sleep use our basic guide below and ask us if we can beof assistance in ensuring your child receives the correct amount of sleep during the day with us:

Newborns –
Just as movement lulls babies in the womb, rocking can soothe newborns. Swaddling and gentle music can also be great comforters.

4 months –
make sure that your baby does not kick off their blankets andwake up because they are cold by using a baby sleeping bag.

6 months –
place your baby in their cot whilst they are still awake so that they learn how to soothe themselves.Feeding or rocking them to sleep will only form bad habits later;

12 months – as your baby’s afternoon naps become shorter, put a few toys in their cot to play with when they awake; 18 months – avoid giving bottles at night as it is bad for children’s teeth and will make them wetter at night; 2 years – avoid early wake-up times by encouraging your toddler to stay in her room until it is light; 3 years - fear of the dark can cause children to wake at nights. Leave the bedroom door ajar and the hall light on or use a dim nightlight to help soothe children back to sleep.

Faye’s Word Search...
Can you find all the hidden words relating to this month’s topic of transport:

Bus • Car • Wheel • Drive • Lorry • Tractor • Boat • Van • Train • Bike Seat • Horn • Map • Walk • Aeroplane • Gears

AND FINALLY OUR PICTURE FILE

The following snaps caught our attention and we hope you like them…

1. How high are our York sunflowers? This high!	2.Our pre-schoolers enjoy their teddy bears picnic
3.'tenshun' Two new recruits for the Boroughbridge Fire Service	4.Watering our herb garden at Scarborough!