Icy Roads

We are currently open but at this time only have 3 members of staff that can physically get in, for the others their roads are too dangerous. Depending on how many more staff we can get in will depend obviously on whether we can remain open or how many children we can keep on site. If you do decide to drive in - please be careful - the Stoke Hammond Road is incredibly icy and there are a number of abandoned cars left on the side. Again we will be keeping an eye on the weather forecast and we may have to make decisions that means immediate closure. So please remain contactable at all times. Many Thanks
Sian

Today Snow

I have driven in to Nursery and the road conditions are awful. The main roads into Stoke Hammond and the bypass have not been gritted and are incredibly icy. We are still waiting to see if staff can physically make it in from their homes. At the moment we are open but more than likely will have to shut throughout the day. If you decide to bring your child in please make sure that you are contactable and able to collect straight away. We will continue to assess the situation as the day continues.

Snow

We are going to try and get to Nursery for 8am and then we will make decisions about opening. The main factor will be if enough staff can make their way in safely. I will update at 8am.

Many Thanks
Sian

Christmas Concert and Party

Wednesday 16th December the children will be putting on their annual concert at 10.30am. Refreshments will be available for a small donation towards Willen Hospice.
From 11.30am to 1.30pm they will then be having their party and Father Christmas will then be visiting at 1pm.

Church Visit

The pre-school children and some of the younger children from the Jelly Tots room are visiting St Lukes Church in the morning for a small christmas service with Rev Waller.

Charity Pyjama Party

On Wednesday 14th October we will be asking for a £2 donation per child to wear their pyjamas to Nursery! All monies raised will go to Willen Hospice - which is our chosen charity of the year. Slippers and dressing gowns are also needed (please remember though to bring suitable outdoor shoes)

Photography by Carrie

On Monday 12th October we are pleased to welcome Carrie back to take our photos just in time for Christmas. Her work is fantastic and it is great to have her back. Check out her website at www.photgraphybycarrie.co.uk

Grove Farm PYO

By know all parents of children in pre-school should have received their permission letters about our trip to Grove Farm PYO on Tuesday 6th October. If so and you wish your child to attend please confirm by email over the weekend.

Gingerbread Sky Dive

Some of us will be doing a 10,000 tandem skydive in October to raise money for Willen Hospice. We have a sponsorship form on the wall in the Nursery and also we have a website www.justgiving.com/gingerbread-daynursery

Harvest Trip

The pre-school are hopefully going to be going to Grove Farm Pick Your Own to collect vegetables for the Harvest Festival. We will also be collecting food donations tins etc for the local villagers so any donations will be greatly appreciated.

New Menu - w/c 7th September 2009

We have a new cook called Lisa who has just started with us. Lisa has extensive experience of cooking having worked in a care home. So far the children are loving the cooking! New menu as follows

Monday
Toad in the Hole, Mash Potatoes, Peas & Gravy

Baked Beans & Crumpets

Tuesday
Vegetable Curry, Rice & Naan

Home Made Chicken Dippers & Tortillas

Wednesday
Baked Potatoes with Various Fillings

Mixed Sandwiches

Thursday
Cheesy Tuna Pasta & Garlic Bread

Jacket Wedges

Friday
Roast Chicken Dinner

Muffins Topped with Ham & Cheese

All snacks will consist of healthy fruit, vegetables or cheese. Puddings will be a choice of yoghurt or fresh fruit

Mead Open Farm

The trip went really well with all the childre, staff and parent helpers enjoying themselves. We had a slight pour down whilst feeding the lambs but luckily was shortlived!!

Farm Visit

For thos that are coming on Friday to Mead Open Farm. We have hired a coach for the day and we will be leaving Nursery at approx 9.30am so if all children and parent helpers can be here for then please.

Can you ensure that you have appropriate clothing for your child, including socks for the indoor play. We will supply sun cream although please feel free to bring your own if that is preferred, wellies may be a good idea too - weather depending.

We will be taking packed lunch and drinks (and suitable food for babies)

Mead Open Farm Visit

We are planning a trip to Mead Open Farm on Friday 28th August. Permission letters will be sent out by Thursday 20th August and we will require them back by Monday 24th August.

Nursery Cook Needed

We have a vacancy for a Nursery Cook - if you know of anyone that may be interested then please pass my details on to them

Heat Wave!

We unfortunately had to close early today due to the extreme temperatures that we experienced.
We have industrial fans arriving thursday and hope that will have an impact on the heat. We are at a level 3 alert and are closely monitoring the situation.

We do ask that parents remail contactable and available if we are required to shut again this week.

We will do everything possible to try and remain open but we will not allow the children or staff suffer if the heat continues. We have sought advice from environmental health and HSE and will act in accordance with their guidance.

If we do decide to close early again tomorrow we will notify all parents by text message before 11am.

Heatwave

The Met office is forecasting a heatwave this week. Please can you ensure that you bring hats in (clearly labelled) and sun cream. We do have Banana Boat 50 here that we can use if needed. Also if you have a particular water bottle that your child would recognise then you could also bring that in again clearly labelled.

Many Thanks

Discount Legoland Tickets

Found a great deal for discounted Legoland Tickets - just print off the voucher and use at the park.

You need to register at www.raring2go.co.uk and it's free. Lots of great deals for family days out.

Photographs

We have MA Quickprint coming to Nursery on Thursday 7th May. Please check the door for details of timings etc.
Their website is http://www.maquickprint.com/

Baby Girl

Just to let you all know that I had a baby girl on Thursday - she is called Efa (Eva) and weighed 7lb 14oz. We are all doing well.

Extra Sessions

At the moment we are unable to take any extra sessions - we apologise for any inconvience this may cause and will keep you updated when we are able to take extra sessions. We are running a cancellation list so if you speak to Wendy or Sam we can put you on the list and contact you on the day if a space becomes available.

Staff Update

You may have seen a number of new faces about the nursery

We have Jonny, he has a level 2 NVQ in childcare and is working towards his Level 3

Michelle in the baby room - has extensive experience of working in childcare

Joanne also in the baby room, has an NVQ Level 3 in Childcare

Carol who does our lunch time cover has worked for many years in a primary school

Also tomorrow we welcome Natalie on a temporary basis, she has an NVQ Level 2 in childcare and some of you may recognise her as worked for us back when we first opened.

We also have said Goodbye to Steph who decided to pursue other avenues and Katie who has moved on to a bigger Nursery to progress her career. We wish them all the best for the future.

Chris is currently off with sickness and will be back shortly.

I am also off on Maternity Leave as I am having my baby tomorrow - I will be around but Wendy and Sam are here to help with any issues etc.

Emergency Contact Number

We now have a new mobile number for emergencies etc it is 07549 174620. Please make a note of it and keep it handy.

Many Thanks

Recruitment

We are currently looking to recruit 2 full time Nursery Nurses - if you know anybody that is qualified to at least NVQ Level 2 or equivalent and may be interested in the positions, please can you let them know and if they need further information to contact
Sian on 01525 270340.

Many Thanks

Sickness Info

We currently have children and staff off with sickness and diarrhoea. If your child shows any symptoms of sickness and/or diarrhoea, nursery policy is that they cannot return to Nursery until 48 hours after the last incident. This is to try and prevent further cross-infection.

Many Thanks

Mini Strikers

We have just confirmed Mini Strikers are coming next thursday as part of the NDNA Happy me, healthy body week.

Visit their website at www.ministrikers.co.uk

The children in the pre-school last week made daffodils using lots of different materials. They used egg cartons and then painted daffodils using sponges whilst looking at some daffodils that had been picked.
Today they made flowers using dried flowers and straws.

Toddler Room

The children in the roddler room enjoyed making spiders to hang from the spider's web on the ceiling.

Invoices

Just to let you all know that the invoices are now in the trays. Sorry for the delay.

Dentist Visit

We have a Dental Nurse from the Whole Tooth Practice in Leighton Buzzard coming to visit the children on Thursday 19th March. This ties in with the NDNA Healthy Body, Happy Mind Week with the Stop The Rot Campaign.

Menu Week 3

Monday
snack - cheese and breadsticks
Lunch - Sausages, mash, peas and gravy with yoghurts
Tea - ham pittas with crudites

Tuesday
snack - brioche
lunch - beany beef pie with vegetables and fresh fruit salad
tea - boiled egg and toast

Wednesday
snack - vegetables and dips
lunch - cheese and onion quiche with mini roast potatoes and baked beans with summer pudding
tea - mixed sandwiches

Thursday
snack - fresh fruit
lunch - salmon fishcakes with vegetables and ice cream with apricot compote
Tea - ham and sweetcorn pizza

Friday
snack - breakfast cereak
Lunch - chicken tagine with couscous, orange and blueberry muffins
Tea - Jacket potatoes

Labelling of Clothes etc

Please can you ensure that you put some form of labelling with your child's name into clothing and shoes etc.. This will help prevent any confusion.

Many Thanks

Menu Week 2

Monday
Snack - Yoghurts and apple slices
Lunch - Jacket Potatoes with various fillings, fresh fruit salad
Tea - Mixed sandwiches

Tuesday
Snack - oaty biscuits (was pancakes this week)
Lunch - Cheesy Tuna Pasta with garlic bread, carrot cake
Tea - chicken kebabs with salad

Wednesday
Snack - Crumpets and jam
Lunch - Mini spiced bean burgers with beans, pitta and salad, jelly with oranges
Tea - cheese, cold meats, crackers and crudites

Thursday
Snack - fresh fruit
Lunch - home made chicken nuggets, sweet potato and corn on the cob, yoghurts
Tea - mixed sandwiches, crudites and breadsticks

Friday
snack - cheese, breadsticks and crudites
Lunch - creamy beef, pea and tomato kheema with rice and naan, raspberry fool
Tea - spaghetti and toast

Pancake Day

The children in all rooms enjoyed making the batter for the pancakes and most of them actually enjoyed eating them too!

Jumpstart!

We have a number of copies of a booklet called Jumpstart which has been devised by Buckinghamshire County Council for parents to use at home. They are available for 6 weeks at a time. So if you are interested please ask Sian or Wendy for your copy to borrow.

On a good note the New Menu has gone down very well this week. In fact most days children have had seconds - so we are very pleased. We are just putting the finishing touches to next weeks and then that will be published on the blog.

Important Information

Please note that there appears to be some form of virus affecting some of the children at the moment. The symptoms include sickness, diarrhoea, throat infections - so whilst it is not something we can specifically pinpoint - just to be aware that there is something about and obviously our sickness policy is 48 hours from the last dirty nappy or sickness this is to try and prevent cross-contamination.

Many Thanks

New Menu!

New menu for this week

Monday -
Snack - Crumpets and Jam
Lunch - Chicken Coq au Vin with mash potatoes and home made trifle
Tea - Home made ham quiche with bread and butter, cucumber and tomatoes

Tuesday -
Snack - apples, pears, bananas and raisins
Lunch - Cod fishcakes with roasted vegetables and fromage frais
Tea - Jacket potatoes with baked beans and cheese

Wednesday -
Snack - Cheese, breadsticks and cucumber
Lunch - Meatballs and pasta in a tomato and marscapone sauce with fruit skewers
Tea - Mixed sandwiches

Thursday -
Snack - Yoghurt with apple slices
Lunch - Cauliflower Cheese with sausages and green beans and home made jelly and ice cream
Tea - crackers, cheese, veggie sticks and cold meats

Friday -
Snack - home made flapjacks
Lunch - vegetable risotto with garlic ciabatta and banana cake
Tea - home made puff pastry cheese and tomato pizzas with cucumber

Vegetarian options are available and the menu is subject to change

Parents Day and Healthy Body Happy Me!

We still have plently of times available for parents day on 16th March, also that week sees the start of the NDNA Healthy Body, Happy Me Week. So there will be plently of information to come and lots of events planned for that week.

On Thursday we had a lovely day in our pyjamas and we all felt quite warm and snuggly! It was a busy day though. We have so far raised £16, so if you haven't brought in your £1 yet please do so.
Today we enjoyed a lovely birthday cake too!!

Birthday Party

Thursday 12th February is our 3rd Birthday so we will be celebrating with a Pyjama Party. So snuggle up in your warmest PJ's, dressing gown and slippers and we will also help raise some money towards the Keech Hospice for Children. We will be asking each child to donate £1 and the Nursery will match that!

Monday 9th February

We are aiming to be open as normal tomorrow. There is more snow forecast for both Monday and Tuesday at the moment and we will continue to monitor that using the Met Office Website http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/se/se_forecast_warnings.html

The biggest concern however is the severe lack of salt in Buckinghamshire. Having looked at the list of salted roads it does not appear that Leighton Road which is the main road running through Stoke Hammond is to be gritted. There is a list available on http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/content/index.jsp?contentid=-1407683895

Please do not assume that the roads you will use to travel to Nursery have been gritted and we ask that you exercise extreme caution, allow extra travelling time and follow the advice from the Highways Agency.

Please keep checking the blog for the updates and if there is any problems please contact Sian on 01525 270340.

Many Thanks

UPDATE
Having drove up to Nursery earlier the roads are clear, however it has started to snow heavily again. Please check the blog regulary.

Friday 6th February

Based on the severe weather warning from the Met Office, Highways Agency and Bucks CC, it has been decided to remain closed tomorrow. The only roads that are to be gritted are primary roads with the minor roads remaining as they are. The snow forecast for tomorrow is heavier than today. We felt it better to notify parents now rather than in the morning to allow time for arrangements to be made if required.
Again Sian can be contacted on the nursery number if required.

Apologies for any inconvience this may cause.

Apologies

Due to the heavy snowfall overnight,the continuing snowfall this morning, dangerous road conditions and staff being unable to drive to Nursery. We have made the decision to close today for the safety of all involved. The road into Nursery is currently at about 5 inches and the snow keeps falling.
More severe weather is forecasted so we will be keeping a close watch on the Met office website and keep you updated throughout the day.

We apologise for any problems this may cause and if you need to contact us the Nursery number has been diverted so you can speak to Sian today.

Many Thanks

Snow and more snow!

Not the best way to start the new blog but we will be using this to keep you all updated with the pending weather forecast. We will be monitoring the forecasts throughout the day and into the night as we are forecast heavy and drifting snow. So please keep checking this site as if we do have close due to the weather we will post here first followed by emails and text messages.