Nappy Days Newsletter
Issue no: 15 Summer 2004

Summertime and the living is easy…’ well, maybe for some it is! Just when we were expecting to enjoy the sunshine, (when was that? Ed) what happens? We find out that we are now expecting Happy Jays number 3 - currently being built and due for opening near Scarborough early next year – see the great piccy on the back page! Both parents are reported to be tired but happy as it seems they have been planning this one for years (we have) and have now overcome (hopefully) both natural and un-natural obstacles to family planning matters in this location – e.g. rogue builders, newt populations, short-sighted surveyors, slow-motion solicitors etc…

This time of year is also sad and happy for us at the same time, as we say good bye to all those children starting school in September. Thank you for being with Happy Jays and we wish you all the very best. We know that you will all do very well as we receive some great comments back from parents and teachers of past ‘HJ graduates.’ So good luck to you all!

Early Years scheme delivers good news on nursery fees…
Several parents have now taken up the Early Years scheme with their employers and are now making big savings on their childcare fees. So, if you are interested in saving money, what are you waiting for? See the leaflet on the Parents Notice Board for further details or ask us for a copy to discuss with your employer.

Ofsted Inspections…
Both York and Boroughbridge have had their Ofsted Inspections and copies of the reports are available for parents to read. Both nurseries were rated in the highest category within the Ofsted system which is classed as ‘good’. This means that ‘there are significant strengths in the provision and very few areas for improvement.’

The Inspectors commented favourably on the high standards of care, children’s activities and the resources available at both Centres. ‘ A very good partnership with parents is fostered. Information is shared and parents and carers chat informally on a daily basis regarding the care of the children’, wrote one Inspector. ‘All children’s rooms are well equipped and a bright cheerful environment has been created by good use of pictures, posters and children’s artwork,’ she concluded. Well done to all involved!

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!

The things our children say:

• Emily was talking about the recent England football game and turned to Gemma and said,’ Michael Owen is a big man now!’
• Jan was wearing one of our old polo shirts where the logo had faded. Holly spotted it and said,’ Jan, you’ve got that shirt on inside out!’
• Lesley (our cook) was at Boroughbridge and as she was leaving, Vicki said to Maia, ‘Say bye to Lesley because she is going to cook for all the children at York,’ to which Maia replied, ‘What, at Brewsters?’
• Holly had a change of pants during the day and when Mum collected her she announced that ‘I’m OK now as I’ve got Jacqui’s knickers on!’
• Sam told Heather that he went to his brother’s christening ‘for him to be born!’
• Izaak said to Jan, ‘Jan, can you get your hair cut because it’s sticking up again isn’t it?’
• When Zoo-Lab visited York, their ranger was talking to the children about frogs. ‘What do you think frog’s use to eat with?’ she asked. No-one said anything and then Holly H replied with ‘a fork!’

Luke’s joke corner…
These gems are from our very own Luke Walker in York pre-school:

Q: Why don’t lobster’s share?
A: Because they are shellfish!

Q: Why do fish swim in salty water?
A: Because pepper would make them sneeze!

Q: What nut has a hole in it?
A: A doughnut!

Q: What’s the best thing to put in a pizza?
A: Your teeth!

Q: What do you get if you cross an elephant with a fish?
A: Swimming trunks!

News from York and Boroughbridge

• Those creepy-crawlies from Zoo-Lab came to visit York again – just look at our wall display with all those snails, snakes and millipedes – as usual, the children loved them, the staff - well – they didn’t take to them too much!
• Congratulations to Andrea and Vicki at Boroughbridge who have been promoted to deputy manager level – Vicki is going to train as an internal Assessor to help with staff training and development at our different nurseries.
• Our Sponsored Toddle – a great big thank you to all our children and parents who took part in Boroughbridge’s sponsored toddle – hope you caught the great photo in the local Gazette newspaper. We’re hoping to raise over £800 for Barnados and the Special Baby unit at Harrogate hospital.
• In case there is any one in York who doesn’t yet know, our Mizzi is due to have a baby at the end of August! She has now gone on maternity leave and thanks to all parents who have sent her gifts and cards. We wish her all the best with her new baby and look forward to her return.

Our topics for the next few months are…

Tempest photos and Parents Evening
Just a reminder about looking forward to the Autumn, please note these popular events in your diaries. Sue from Tempest will be working her magic with the photos again and we will have these available at the Parents Evenings on the following dates:

Tempest Parents evening

Boroughbridge: 2nd October 25th November

York: 23rd October 18th November

We will send round a reminder for parents nearer the time.

Sickness – a polite reminder
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 co-operation will help prevent other children and staff from becoming ill.

Collections –
If you are stuck in traffic or running late, please give us a call and let us know. The nurseries close at 6pm and we have to keep a record of any children who are not collected by this time for regulation and insurance purposes.

Clothing -
Please would parents mark their children’s clothes with their names as many items of clothing look very similar. Also please check the lost property boxes regularly for any items which have not been collected. Thank you!

SONGS TO SING
Tweenies at Boroughbridge love to sing this shanty song:

When I was one, I sucked my thumb the day I went to sea,
I climbed aboard a pirate ship and the captain said to me;
We’re going this way, that way,
Forwards, backwards over the Irish Sea,
A bottle of milk to fill my tum,
And that’s the life for me…

When I was 2 I buckled my shoe,
When I was 3 I hurt my knee,
When I was 4 I knocked on the door,
When I was 5 I did a dive…

Ready, Steady Cookery Corner

Easy Peasy Chocolate Fudge
This is one of Tweenies favourites at Boroughbridge – it is simply delicious! You will need:

75g full fat cream cheese
350g icing sugar
1 level tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon oil for greasing
75 g plain chocolate chips
40g butter

1. Place chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of boiling water and stir occasionally until they have melted;
2. Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl and sift the icing sugar and cocoa over it. Using a fork, mix together well.
3. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and stir in a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture.
4. Pour the chocolate mixture into the cheese mixture and beat together with a tablespoon until they are creamy.
5. Spoon the mixture into a greased cake tin, pushing it into the corners and making the top as flat as possible.
6. Place in the fridge for 2 hours or until firm.

Get Creative - Tips for activities at home

• Take a piece of paper and fold it in half. Using a range of colourful paints, paint a pattern onto one half of the paper. Fold the other half back over it and rub gently. Open out to reveal a beautiful butterfly picture.
• Dip pieces of string into various coloured paints and lay them onto your paper in a pattern. Gently remove the string to see your wiggly picture.
• Take some pots of paint and drop a marble into each one. Take a piece of paper and lay it in a high-sided tray. Drop the marbles onto the tray and roll around to create a streaky effect – groovy!

Faye’s Word Search

Can you find all the hidden words relating to the following month’s topic’s:

Advice Corner...
A Parents Guide to Biting
Biting is a common occurrence amongst young children and is a natural stage of their development. However, biting almost always causes anxiety amongst Parents – sometimes Parents think that they may have a child with a behaviour problem whilst the Parents of a bitten child become concerned for their child’s protection.

Our procedure for dealing with biting incidents is as follows and parents may find this helpful to follow for dealing with incidents of biting at home:

• Firstly, respond calmly but quickly. If biting causes alarm amongst adults then a child seeking attention could see that reaction as a reward and so will do it again. In most cases, biting is a child’s way of seeking attention.
• We separate the children involved and the one who has been bitten is comforted and tended to whilst another member of staff deals with the child who has bitten. It is made clear to this child that biting is unacceptable behaviour though the use of voice tone and body language.
• We then bring both children back in a reconciliation and get them playing happily together again – there is littlee point in dwelling on the issue if it was an isolated incident.
• All biting incidents are logged in the accident book – whether they are an ‘accident’ or not - and both sets of Parents are informed separately and in private on the day without identifying the other child. We do this in order to see if there is a pattern of biting behaviour developing in a child as well as to keep Parents informed.
• Sometimes a child will bite at a given time of day (e.g. if they are hungry or tired) or will seemingly pick on one or two children. If this happens we will separate them into different groups or areas in the Room and we will change the child’s routine if this is what is triggering biting incidents.
• At home, Parents can unwittingly give out the wrong signals. For instance, playing games by nibbling ears or toes can give a confused message and biting back only makes the child think that if you are bigger, you can bite. Please be aware of this and make other members of your family aware.
• If it is helpful, we can always draw up an action plan with Parents for a child to help them overcome a phase of biting and usually children grow out of this phase very quickly.

Please speak with us if you would like some further information or assistance on this matter as we are only too happy to help wherever possible.

And finally our picture file...

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

Two year old Abbie leads the way in building Happy Jays No 3!	Briony looks pleased about her new pet snake!
Jago, Nathan and Olivia get messy with the jelly!	Our Boroughbridge ladies get ready to rumble – sorry toddle!