Important DatesAutumn Term 2013Inset day Monday 2nd SeptemberBeginning of new term Tuesday 3rd SeptemberHarvest of Happiness Boxes Monday 21st OctoberHarvest festival Date to be confirmed*Preschool walk (am) Friday 25th OctoberHalf term 28th Oct – 1st NovPhotographer To be ConfirmedChristmas Performance Monday 16th December*Mon 5.00pm, Thur 11.00 Thursday 19thDecember*Christmas Party Friday 20th DecemberLast day of term Friday 20th DecemberClarion House Visit To be confirmed.Inset day Monday 6th JanuarySpring Term starts Tuesday 7th January

***THESE DATES NEED TO BE CONFIRMED BY MAIN SCHOOL – I WILL LET YOU KNOW A.S.A.P***

Committee Members :Kelly Smith : ChairpersonToni Gardner : SecretaryRachael Milan : TreasurerCorey Hogan : MemberBeth Atkinson : MemberAnthea Krempa : MemberIf anyone else would like to join please speak to either Paula Metcalfe or any of the team.

c/o Offley Endowed SchoolSchool LaneGt OffleyHertsSG5 3ATTel: 01462 768606offleypreschool@hotmail.co.uk www.offley-preschool.org

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September 2013

This is the first newsletter of the new term. The preschool has had a makeover, many changes for the better, this is an exciting time for us all. Over the next few weeks you will encounter several more improvements. We value your thoughts and suggestions so please let us know. We welcome George, Millie, Owen and Sam.

Preschool Fundraiser: Please keep this date free Saturday 19th October 2013Offley Preschool are holding another Band Night featuring the fantastic Junk Yard Rats Tickets £10 A night not to be missed.

Please use our website and sign up for our closed group facebook page. We send weekly reminders via facebook and email and keep the website updated with photos of our many activities as well as key dates throughout the year.

If you have any suggestions as to improve what we display please speak to a member of staff.

I am always available if you would like to discuss any issues or concerns regarding your child and am usually at Preschool by 8.20am. Regards Paula Metcalfe.

Website

Autumn 1-2013

Harvest full of HappinessAs Harvest indicates a turn in Weather, darker nights, colder days. we thought it would be nice to produce a shoe box full of goodies to present to some elderly residents who we feel would like to receive a treat.The children will be decorating the boxes and producing a Harvest card to be placed inside the box. A list of everything included will also be placed inside.Please think of the elderly near to you, would they like to receive such a box? Please remember not everybody likes what some would call charity. We do not wish to offend anyone. A letter will be sent to them asking if they would like to receive such a box and indicating approximately when it would be delivered.We thought it would be nice to deliver them at the end of term, delivered by the children themselves.So first please think if you know of anyone who might like one and secondly start collecting some goodies to fill them. We thought of nice cakes (homemade cake or biscuits)small jars, coffee, sweets, a fruit basket. Anything really that they may feel is a luxury food item. Supermarkets offer buy one get one free, we should be able to produce these at a reasonable cost.Thank you for your continued support, let us make some of our neighbours smile.

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Offley Pre-school Staff: Paula Metcalfe, Sara Page, Elaine Wood and Claire Pin

IMPORTANT INFORMATIONPlease notify us as soon as possible to

any information changes. To become more environmentally

friendly we would like to send as much information out as possible via email.PLEASE MAKE SURE WE HAVE A

CORRECT EMAIL ADDRESS.

Websitewww.offley-preschool.org Please take a look when you get a chance. The website is updated frequently. We welcome any comments or suggestions.

Just a reminder that in line with our Safeguarding policy, mobile phones are not to be used on the premises. Your child will not be handed over to you until you have hung up your conversation, Please refrain from having your phone out on site. Thank you.

Mobile Phones

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The WOW boardThe board is placed in the room for all children to see and together with yourselves we will be adding a Star achievement.These achievements can be very minor, Paula ate all of her dinner, Emma got herself dressed, Adam swam without armbands in his lesson.We hope to get at least one star for each child on the wall quite quickly. When a new one is written the old one will be placed in the learning journey folders.

Opening Hours for 2013/2014We are extending our Friday opening times to include lunch club, therefore our opening hours will be Mon, Fri 8.50-1pm and Tue, Wed, Thur 8.50-3pm.We offer one off additional sessions when required – Payment must be made on the day.

We are asking for £5 per half term per child for additional activities that include Jo Jingles (Musical movement). The use of the village hall and celebrations such as Harvest, Divali, Christmas and Chinese New Year. Every child will be included throughout the term. Some activities may require an additional top up (our annual Chinese Feast).

Additional activities payment

Show and tell is offered through letter and colour of the week. We ask children to bring in an item or wear a piece of clothing in the colour or beginning with the letter. Children then share with their peers and are rewarded with a sticker on their named leaf. The sticker tree is at the far end of the room, this term the children have autumn leaves to place their stickers on. Stickers will be awarded on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Every term a small gift is presented to the child who has collected the most amount of stickers, we calculate the number by the sessions each child attends. Children that only attend on other days can share something with their key worker to receive their sticker. A new list for this term is attached.

Weekly Colour and Letter

Collection of childrenIf for any reason you cannot collect your child, we need to know who is coming in your place, for everyone's protection we will ask for a password. Understanding that many children go to play at friends houses, you may feel it unnecessary that we ask when your child goes home with another Childs parent. Again this is just good practice, making all staff aware. As emergencies happen, last minute changes, we are asking that every child at pre-school has a password, this will resolve safeguarding issues.

Term Dates for 2013/2014

These dates have been set using the Hertfordshire school suggested dates

Monday 2nd September 2013 to Friday 20th December 2013

Spring Term 2014

Half TermMonday 28th October to Friday 1st November 2013

Autumn Term 2013

Summer Term 2014

Tuesday 3rd September 2013 First day of term

Inset Day Monday 2nd September 2013

Monday 6th January 2014 to Friday 4th April 2014

Half TermMonday 17th February to Friday 21st February 2014

Tuesday 7th January 2014 First day of term

Inset Day Monday 6th January 2014

Tuesday 22nd April 2014 to Wednesday 23rd July 2014

Half TermMonday 26th May to Friday 30th May 2014

Inset Day

Inset Day

Inset Day Awaiting final date from Offley Endowed

Probably end of Summer Term

Friday 29th November 2013

Friday 20th June 2014

First day of term Tuesday 22nd April 2014

Inset Day Friday 14th February 2014

Autumn Term 1 Theme: All about me / Children's interests

Week 1 September 2nd

Children’s choice

Week 2 September 9th Letter “a” and Colour “Red”

Week 3 September 16th Letter “b” and colour “Yellow”

Week 4 September 23rd Letter “c” and colour “Green”

Week 5 September 30th Letter “d” and colour “Blue”

Week 6 October 7th Letter “e” and colour “White”

Week 7 October 14th Letter “f” and colour “Black”

Week 8 October 21st Letter “g” and colour “Orange”

HALF TERM HALF TERM HALF TERM

Please allow your child to wear an item of clothing in the weekly colour or bring in on object beginning with our letter.

Below is a list of the additional information your children will be learning alongside our themes.

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Autumn 2013

Name .......................................................

These are the toys and games I like playing with:

I have visited many places recently these include:

Something I can do now that I couldn’t do before:

Autumn 2013

Name .......................................................

These are the toys and games I like playing with:

I have visited many places recently these include:

Something I can do now that I couldn’t do before: