Newsletters
Newsletter Archive
Below you are able to select and download Newsletters from the past academic year.
Interim Newsletter: November 2019
Interim Newsletter: March 2019
Newsletter – Spring Term 2020
Welcome to the Spring Term at Rascals and a warm welcome to all our new little Rascals! This is the second of three newsletters that will be issued during this academic year. The first newsletter and a copy of this one can be found on our website www.rascalsplaygroup.co.uk.
We update our website regularly with important information and useful dates so please do check regularly. We also post reminders and useful information on our facebook page www.facebook.com/RascalsPreSchoolPlaygroup so please feel free to LIKE us for regular updates and information in your newsfeed. This should enable you to have access to all the information you need when you need it.
Term Dates:
Spring Term 2020
Term begins: Monday 6th January 2020
Term ends: Friday 3rd April 2020
Half Term Week: 17th – 21st February
Summer Term 2020
Term begins: Monday 20th April 2020
Term ends: Friday 17th July 2020
Half Term Week: 25th – 29th May
Bank Holiday: Friday 8th May
Staffing:
Tracey- Manager &Treasurer (SENCO / INCO)
Hayley – Deputy Manager
Claire- Supervisor
Claire B – Senior Assistant
Sam – Senior Assistant
Jenna – Senior Assistant
Karen – Bank Staff
Volunteers: Julie, Collette, Linda and Elliot.
Pre-school Praise at the shopper’s service:
Our next Pre-School Praise service is on Friday 14th February at 10.45am our theme will be ‘Love’.
The service lasts for approximately for 15 minutes and usually involves action songs and prayers that the children have been learning during the half term leading up to the service. All parents/carers/siblings (even babies!!) are welcome to join us in the church for this happy service but should this conflict with your own beliefs, just let us know and we will arrange for another activity in the hall for that time. The children usually get very excited about going into the church and really seem to enjoy showing off their singing skills to members of the community.
Events for the Spring Term
Chinese New Year: We will be celebrating Chinese New Year on Friday 24th January and will be offering the children a selection of Chinese food to try at snack time. All foods will be discussed with parents/carers of children with specific dietary requirements before this date. If the children have any Chinese artefacts or holiday snaps they would like to bring in that week you would be very welcome to bring them in for us to incorporate into the children’s learning. Please ensure that all items are clearly labelled, and photos are copies of the originals.
World Book Day: We will be celebrating World Book Day on Thursday 5th March and we would love the children to come dressed up as their favourite book character or bring in their favourite book to share with their friends. If your children does not attend on a Thursday but they wish to take part, then please feel free to allow them to dress up and bring a book any day during this week.
Sport relief: we will be joining in with Sport Relief on Friday 13th March and encouraging the children to come in their sporty clothes for a full sports day for a great cause!
Easter: in the second half of the term we will be celebrating Easter with the children and this will be incorporated into our Pre-School Praise service on Friday 3rd April. More details will be given after half term.
Lunchboxes
We have had some families asking for ideas for their children’s lunchboxes as it can be a challenge knowing what to pack to get the children eating a well-balanced lunch. We would suggest taking a look at the NHS ‘Change4Life’ website which offers a range of ideas and healthy alternatives for lunches: https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes. As a setting, we also provide the children with healthy snack choices during the day and encourage the children to try new foods.
Parent consultations:
Once a term you are offered the opportunity to meet with your key person to discuss how your child is getting on at Rascals. This is provisionally booked for Wednesday 4th March and once we have confirmation of our booking with the church office we will confirm this date.
If your child is new to Rascals, this will be an opportunity for you to discuss how well your child has settled at Rascals with his/her key person and to discuss any questions or concerns you may have regarding their progress. If your child is returning to Rascals after the Christmas break, this will be an opportunity for you to catch up with your key person and discuss your child’s progress and agree targets for their next steps. Your child’s key person will contact you nearer the date asking you to confirm an appointment time.
Appointment slots will be 10 mins per child max. Therefore, if you have anything that you would like to discuss further and/or in more detail you would be very welcome to book a separate appointment at another date and time. Please be assured that we always make ourselves available to chat at the beginning and end of each session and can also be contacted by email or via the Rascals mobile number, so if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to get in touch.
If you are unable to secure childcare for your appointment you are always very welcome to bring your children along but we respectfully ask that children are supervised at all times to ensure that the staff are able to fully engage with the families that we are speaking to.
Please feel free to look at your child’s learning journal at any time but please do not take it home without letting a member of staff know as we now require you to sign your journal in and out when they leave the premises.
Security
Please can we remind you NOT to let yourself out of the building if a member of staff is not stationed at the door. The door on our main entrance is not self-locking. Therefore, it is important that staff know when parent/carers leave the building so we can ensure both external and internal doors are locked and secure after you depart.
Please could we also ask that all families bringing children to attend our afternoon sessions on a Monday and Tuesday wait outside the main entrance until 12.30 when we will open the doors for the children to come in and also allow any children leaving to do so safely. As we have children moving around the building as we prepare for lunch, it is important that the doors are kept closed and that a member of staff is then stationed on the door to efficiently allow parents and children both in and out safely. We appreciate your support with this matter.
OUTSIDE:
We will continue to spend time in the garden this term. It is exciting to look at frozen puddles and explore the snow when it’s falling. Please make sure that your child is dressed for this cold weather whether they go outside or not. The hall can stay quite chilly in this weather so children do need vests or t-shirts underneath their clothes. It is better to have several layers of clothes that can be removed should they get warm rather than children feeling cold.
REMEMBER any extra clothing such as hats, gloves and wellies can be kept at playgroup but it is advisable to put them in your child’s cloth-bag on their peg so we can access them if necessary. We do have our own supply of wellies but realise that some children do prefer to use their own waterproofs and wellies. We would rather they had access to them if they wish to play outside. PLEASE make sure you write your child’s name clearly and visibly on all of their belongings to avoid any confusion. This includes all their clothes, shoes, bags and toys.
Procedures for Severe weather closures:
If the decision is taken to close Rascals due to bad weather, you will receive a call from your key person advising you of this. If you have not received a call from your key person advising you that Rascals is closed by 8am, this means that Rascals is open. If we do take the decision to close, as well as calling you, we will call the dedicated number at West Sussex County Council in order that our playgroup will be added to the list of school closures on their website. We will also endeavour to put a notice on our website and Facebook page as soon as we can. We do not take the decision to close lightly and will remain open if we possibly can but we do need to take into account the safety of everyone arriving and departing.
Rascals fees and snack donations:
We appreciate your prompt payment of fees and snack money. However, if you do have any concerns regarding payment of your fees please talk to Tracey.
Please continue to give any monies due in a clearly labelled envelope as we have found this very helpful in the past. You will be asked to sign for any fees paid by cash or cheque. If you pay your fees directly into our account, please ensure you quote your child’s name as the reference.
We look forward to enjoying the Spring Term with you all.
THANK YOU.
THE RASCALS TEAM
Rascals mobile: 07546584314
Rascals email: rascalsplaygroup@gmail.com
[PLEASE NOTE: The Rascals mobile phone and email address is constantly monitored by Tracey. During out of hours and particularly over weekends and holidays you may not receive an immediate response. However, if you are contacting us with a matter of urgency a telephone call or voicemail is always the best course of action.]
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Friday 24th January – Chinese New Year
Friday 14th February – Pre School Praise ‘Love’
Thursday 5th March – World Book Day
Friday 13th March – Sport Relief
Monday 17th – Friday 21st February - HALF TERM WEEK
Friday 3rd April – Easter Pre School Praise and Last Day of Term
Monday 6th April – Friday 17th April – Easter Holidays
Monday 20th April – First Day of Summer Term
