Newsletters
Newsletter Archive
Below you are able to select and download Newsletters from the past academic year.
Autumn Newsletter: September 2024
Interim Newsletter: February 2024
Interim Newsletter: November 2023
Autumn Newsletter: September 2023
Newsletter – Autumn Term 2024
We hope you all had a wonderful summer. We would like to welcome back our older children and wish a very warm welcome to all our new little Rascals.
A newsletter will be issued at the beginning of each term containing lots of useful information. Copies of this newsletter as well as important updates will also be posted on our website. We also post regular 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.
Staffing:
Tracey - Manager & Treasurer
Claire - Supervisor (Senco/ Inco)
Hayley - Supervisor (Senco/ Inco)
Alana - Senior Assistant
Beckie - Assistant
Hannah- Trainee Assistant
Melanie - Bank Staff
Charli - Bank Staff
Lauren - Bank Staff
Julie and Collette - Volunteers
Term Dates:
Autumn Term 2024
Term begins: Monday 2nd September
Term ends: Friday 13th December
Half term week: 28th October – 1st November
Spring Term 2025
Term begins: Monday 6th January
Term end: Friday 4th April
Half term week: 17th February -21st February
Summer Term 2025
Term begins: Tuesday 22nd April
Term ends: Friday 18th July
Half term week: 26th May – 30th May Bank Holiday 5th May
Rascals may have to close on occasional days through the year. We will always give you as much notice as possible of such closures.
New children – My first 3 weeks
We will be sending out a ‘My First 3 Weeks’ form to all the new children starting in September. This gives a general overview of how your child has settled, their progress and what they have been enjoying at Rascals. There will be a comments section for you to add any questions or concerns you may have regarding their progress. For the relevant families, this will be sent out the week beginning 23rd September.
Family Photo Album
At Rascals we keep a photo album with pictures of the children and people who are special to them. This is a great resource in the setting as the children love sharing photos of their special people or pets from outside the setting and allows staff to put faces to names that they may be told by the children. We ask that families either email photos that they wish to share or bring in copies for us to add to the album. Please do consider sharing these with us if you haven’t already done so as it is a great resource to use in the setting.
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 will take place on Wednesday 23rd October.
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 summer 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.
This evening runs from 5.15pm and your key person will be in touch to confirm an appointment time. We realise you may not be able to make the appointment time given to you and if this is the case then please do get in touch with us via email so that we can try to change it to a more suitable time for you. If you are away or know that you won't be able to make it that evening, please also let us know so that we can arrange to see you another day.
Children in Need
This year we will be supporting Children in Need on Friday 15th November. A collection tin will be available for your donations. We would suggest a donation of £1 but of course will be happy to pass on whatever contributions we receive. Further information will be sent nearer the time.
Christmas Nativity Performance
We are very excited to invite all the children to participate in a short nativity play. This involves the children wearing a costume and taking their place on the stage as the Christmas story is read followed by a few Christmas songs. Our Christmas Performance will take place in the church on Friday 13th December at 12pm, more details to follow nearer the time.
School Starters 2025
School admissions for children starting school in 2025 will be opening on 7th October 2024. We encourage families to visits the schools that they are interested in by contacting the schools and booking on to their open days and taster sessions. Some information has been emailed out to the relevant families this week to help you get started with this process. We will continue to email out dates for these and share on our Facebook page so please keep an eye out for updates. If you require any further information on this please don’t hesitate to ask a member of staff.
Rascals Facebook group
Please ensure that you have joined our Rascals private Facebook group by clicking on the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/146062360093618
This is a private page and can only be used by current parents/carers of children attending Rascals during this academic year. It is a great way to communicate with other families and may help you all to become more familiar with each other as we realise this can be difficult when dropping off and collecting children. You can follow our public Facebook group for regular updates and reminders throughout the term.
Please keep in mind that this group is intended to be used for the purpose mentioned above and we would ask that any issues, concerns or worries you have about Rascals are not discussed within this group but be brought directly to us as usual so that we can address any such issues immediately.
You can also visit our general Rascals Facebook page which is available for everyone to follow. This can be found by following this link: https://www.facebook.com/RascalsPreSchoolPlaygroup
In addition to this newsletter, you will find attached a Termly Reminders sheet which we hope you will find useful. We realise this is a lot of information to take in all at once but feel it is useful to provide you with as much detail as possible and hopefully this will answer some of the questions you may have. However, if there is anything you are unsure of or if you just need a bit of advice about something, please do speak to a member of staff who will be more than happy to help you.
We look forward to enjoying the Autumn 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 are 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 an email is always the best form of communication].
TERMLY REMINDERS
Personal Details:
• Please ensure you inform us immediately of any change of details such as mobile phone numbers or other contact details for parents and your emergency contacts. It is essential that our records are kept up to date in case of emergencies.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO TELL A MEMBER OF STAFF IF SOMEONE DIFFERENT IS COLLECTING YOUR CHILD FROM PLAYGROUP. WE WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR CHILD TO GO WITH ANYONE UNLESS WE HAVE YOUR PRIOR PERMISSION AND DETAILS ABOUT THAT PERSON. THIS APPLIES IN ALL CASES. WE WILL ALSO NOW BE OPERATING A PASSWORD SYSTEM FOR ANYONE WHO HAS NOT COLLECTED PREVIOUSLY SO PLEASE BE PREPARED TO THINK OF A SPECIAL WORD THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH US AND YOUR ELECTED PERSON.
Change Bags:
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Please ensure that your child’s bag is NAMED CLEARLY on the outside as some children do have similar bags and it is difficult for them to tell us which is theirs.
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Please always check your child’s bag when you get home as used nappies or soiled clothes will be placed in there during the morning if necessary. Unfortunately, we do not have facilities to dispose of soiled nappies on the premises and therefore these will be placed into a nappy sack and put into your child’s bag.
Clothing:
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Please make sure your child wears suitable clothing for the weather each day.
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It is important to send your child to playgroup with more than one set of spare clothes as they will most definitely
get dirty at some point!
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Please ensure that you don’t send them to playgroup in their best clothes or coat as the children need to feel free
to explore and play.
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If the weather is warm and sunny please ensure you apply sun cream to your child before you bring them to
playgroup as it does get very hot in the garden.
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PLEASE make sure you write your child’s name clearly and visibly on all their belongings to avoid any confusion. This includes their hats, gloves, scarf, shoes, water bottles, lunchbox and bags. Health and Safety:
• For safety reasons we prefer jewellery is not worn at playgroup. We do understand that the jewellery may be of cultural or religious significance and we are happy to make an exception for this. However, this will be at your own risk; as we are unable to take any responsibility for injury, damage or breakages. We would also ask that if your child has their ears pierced, please could you ensure they wear plain studs for playgroup.
Food Allergies/Safety:
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We are a nut free zone, please could all parents refrain from putting nuts in your child’s lunch, thank you.
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Some parents like to send sweets into playgroup when it is their child’s birthday, however, please note we have to
be a nut free zone and cater to all of the children’s dietary requirements so please speak to a member of staff so
that we are able to help to ensure all children can be included.
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Please also ensure that no food is left in your child’s bag. If you need to bring them a packed lunch to have after
playgroup please pass it to a member of staff who will keep it safe.
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Please also ensure you chop any food such as grapes, large blueberries, olives etc length ways or ideally quarters
before putting them in your child’s lunch. Also items such as sausage, cheese, cucumber, carrots should be cut into long thin strips rather than chunks.
Medicines in Playgroup:
Please be advised that any medical products needed at playgroup, MUST be given to a member of staff for us to store in our medical box in the Main Hall and paperwork will need to be completed.Please could all parents check NO medical products are left in their child’s rucksack on their peg during the course of the morning, as all the children do have free access to their pegs.
Illness:
Please, please DO NOT send your child to playgroup if they are unwell at all including small ‘sniffles’. You will be asked to take them home again. We also ask you NOT to bring your child to Rascals if they have taken any medication in the morning. If
they have suffered from diarrhoea or sickness please keep them at home for at least 48 hours after the last episode of sickness or diarrhoea. This also applies to those children who have started a course of antibiotics.
Policies and Procedures:
Please ask a member of staff if there are any particular policies you would like to see so these can be forwarded to you electronically.
Car Parking and Children’s safety:
Please remember not to use the Tesco or the front church car park, as the church staff and church members require access at all times. Please use the car park on the far side of the church at all times.
Please be aware of small and young children running around in both car parks.
Pleaseensureyourchildisfullysupervisedwhenwaitingtocomeintoplaygroupinthemorning. We have had
experiences in the past where broken glass or other unsavoury litter has been found discarded on the church grounds and would not like any of the children to injure themselves.
Rascals occupancy list:
If you have a younger child or you know of someone who would like to put their child on our occupancy list to attend Rascals, please speak to Tracey. We have a list for the next few years so it is important to register children as soon as possible.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:
For NEW children – ‘My First 3 Weeks’ form to be given out: week beginning 23rd September
School Admissions Open- Monday 7th October
Parents Consultation – Wednesday 23rd October
Half term – Monday 28th – Friday 1st November Children in Need – Friday 15th November
Christmas Nativity Performance – Friday 13th December Last day of term – Friday 13th December