Welcome Back

Well two weeks have gone by and we are ready to take on 2012. Welcome back to all our families, we are looking forward to hearing about your holiday adventures. We would also like to say a big welcome to all of our new families. We look forward to working with you and getting to know your children. Please feel free to approach Tamara at any time if you have any questions regarding routines, staffing etc.

Preschool Fees in 2012

As you will be aware fees have now gone up from $54 per day to $56 per day. With the new regulations now in place we were required to raise fees to cover additional qualified staffing arrangements. Please see Tamara or Brett if you have any concerns or further questions.

Changing days and Additional days

If you need to swap days please see Tamara ASAP a form will need to be filled out and it is the parent’s responsibility to ask for this form. To swap days, 2 weeks notice is not required but permission will only be granted if the day you are seeking is available. Please see Tamara if you require addition days.

Evaluation Forms

It would be greatly appreciated if you could please take the time to fill out the Portfolio Evaluation From that was placed in each of the children’s portfolios last year. This assists us with our planning and programming. Your feedback is important to us and helps to ensure we are meeting your needs and expectations.

Monthly Policy Review

This month we will be reviewing our Ethical Conduct and Fees Policies. You will find a copy of the policies on the notice board in the Kookaburra room. Please take the time to read the policy and pass on your feed back to Tamara. Copies of policies are also available upon request at any time.

Staffing

We are very excited to say that all the educators will be returning to their usual rosters this year. You may find that only two educators will be working for the first couple of weeks. This is because our numbers are still quite low but we are expecting to get a lot of new enrolments when school returns.

Educational Leader

We are now required to have an “Educational Leader” at our service. The Education and Care Services National Regulations defines an Educational Leader as “a suitably qualified and experienced educator, co-ordinator or other individual as educational leader at the service to lead the development and implementation of educational programs in the service.” Tamara is our Educational Leader and it is her responsibility to oversee the programs and guide the staff in a positive way.

Nominated and Certified Supervisors

You may have noticed the new posters around the service which talk about “Educational Leader” and “Nominated supervisors” etc. The new Education and Care Services National Regulations now requires us to have more qualified staff on the premises on a daily basis. Tamara has gone from the Authorised Supervisor to the Nominated Supervisor, this means that she is responsible for the centre at all times. The new term Certified Supervisors is for educators who have been working in the industry for more than three years OR have a Diploma in Children’s Services. If at any time Tamara (Nominated Supervisor) is not at the centre the Certified Supervisor MUST be here and will take the running of the centre for the day. Our certified supervisors are Sheree and Brett. Cassie is also working towards this qualification and is hoping to finish her Diploma by July this year.

Contact details

Many of our families are not aware that the centre has a mobile phone which Tamara (0401383974) keeps on her at all times. You can call this number at any time. Please feel free to take a business card from the Kookaburra room to ensure you have all of our contact details. You can also “like” us on Facebook and stay up to date with any upcoming events, news etc. Please note: NO pictures of the children will be put on this page.

January Birthdays

We would like to say a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our all friends who are celebrating their birthday in January

                              Oscar

             Thankyou

Tamara, Brett, Cassie, Sheree and Phoebe

End of Year Concert  

This year the end of year concert and graduation ceremony will be on Saturday 17th December and Wangi Workers Club starting at 4pm and finishing approximately 6pm. Drinks will be available from the bar but PLEASE NOTE: Adults are NOT to take alcohol into the auditorium as this is a children’s concert and the club will not allow it. The staff will be staying after the concert for dinner and all families are more than welcome to join us. It is important to ensure that you are at the club by 4pm as the concert will start at 4:15pm.

Christmas Raffle

Staff have begun placing raffle tickets in the children’s lockers and tickets will also be available for sale on the night. Tickets are on sale for $1.00 each or 3 for $2.00. If we call out someone’s name and they are not at the concert the ticket will be redrawn. The raffle will be drawn after the concert and before the graduation ceremony.

It’s Party Time    

The last week of the year is “Party week” Staff will provide the children with lunch every day in the last week and we will also celebrate the end of the year with some party food. Lunch will be hot dogs and the children will have the choice of adding cheese and sauce. Please see staff if you do not wish for your child to participate in these celebrations. Parents are still to supply morning tea for their child/ren.

Monthly Policy Review

This month we will be reviewing our Food Safety and Hygiene and Children with Additional Needs Policies. You will find a copy of these policies on the notice board in the Kookaburra room. Please take the time to read the policies and pass on your feed back to Tamara. Copies of policies are also available upon request at any time.

2012 Enrolments

We are still waiting on some families to return their 2012 enrolment request forms. Please hand these back to staff as soon as possible to ensure you get the desired days for your child/ren in 2012.

It’s Time to Say Goodbye

It’s that time of year where the staff make sure we are stocked up on the tissues. We would like to take this opportunity to say a HUGE THANKYOU to all of our wonderful families for a great year. We would also like to wish our friends, who are leaving for big school, all the best. We are sure you will have a great time, make new friends and continue to build on your knowledge. It has been a pleasure working with you all and we hope you can come back and visit in 2012.

Fees

Parents are to ensure their fees are paid in full by the end of this year. If your account is in credit Brett will refund this along with your security bond via cheque and you should receive this early in 2012.

Christmas break

We can hardly believe that 2011 is almost over, what a great year!! This year the centre will be open right up to Friday 23rd December. The centre will be closed for two weeks and reopening for the New Year on Monday 9th January 2012. No fees will be charged during closing periods.

Staffing for 2011

We are very happy to say that all of the staff will be returning in 2012. Tamara, Cassie, Sheree and Phoebe will all be returning in their normal positions and shifts and we are all looking forward to what 2012 has to bring.

December Birthdays

We would like to say a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our all friends who are celebrating their birthday in December

       Hayden      Charlotte

      Brodie. L   Arlia

Thank you

Tamara, Brett, Cassie, Sheree, and Phoebe

End of Year Concert  

This year the end of year concert and graduation ceremony will be on Saturday 17th December and Wangi Workers Club starting at 4pm and finishing approximately 6pm. Drinks will be available from the bar but PLEASE NOTE: Adults are NOT to take alcohol into the auditorium as this is a children’s concert and the club will not allow it. The staff will be staying after the concert for dinner and all families are more than welcome to join us. It is important to ensure that you are at the club by 4pm as the concert will start at 4:15pm.

Christmas Raffle

We are now collecting donations for our Christmas raffle which will be drawn at the end of year concert. Tickets will be available for sale on the night. Donations can include; food, toys, Christmas decorations etc. Any donations would be greatly appreciated. Tickets will be on sale for $1.00 each or 3 for $2.00 on the night.

Summer Routine    

We are loving this beautiful weather. Please remember to apply sunscreen to your child/ren before arriving in the morning. Please keep in mind that although it is getting hotter our clothing policy states that children are unable to wear singlets or shirts with capped sleeves, no thongs, no dresses or skirts. Please also ensure your child/ren has an adequate amount of spare clothes in their bags.

Monthly Policy Review

This month we will be reviewing our Water Safety Policy and Rest, Relaxation Time and Safe Sleep Policies. You will find a copy of these policies on the notice board in the Kookaburra room. Please take the time to read the policies and pass on your feed back to Tamara. Copies of policies are also available upon request at any time.

2012 Enrolments

We are now taking enrolments for 2012. Please find attached a 2012 enrolment request form and return them to staff when you have completed them. Please remember that even if your child is going to primary school in 2012 they are able to return in January for a few weeks before school returns.

Children’s Toileting  

It is important to ensure your child/ren is wearing suitable clothing throughout the day in regards to toileting. Pants with belts, tight pull strings, or that are too small are not suitable for toileting as this can get in the way of the children going to the toilet and cause them to have an accident.

Upcoming Events  

The Picture Product order forms have been sent and we are expecting them back before Christmas. We can’t wait to see all of our friend’s final products. This will make a great Christmas present.

Christmas Break

We can hardly believe that 2011 is almost over, what a great year!! This year the centre will be open right up to Friday 23rd December. The centre will be closed for two weeks and reopening for the New Year on Monday 9th January 2012. No fees will be charged during closing periods.

Current Vacancies    

At the moment we currently have vacancies on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. If you are wishing to pick up any extra days before your child goes to school or to get prepared for Christmas please see staff ASAP as the spots fill up quick.

November Birthdays

We would like to say a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our all friends who are celebrating their birthday in November

       Sarii        

Thank you Tamara, Brett, Cassie, Sheree, and Phoebe

New Daily Program

Due to the new National Quality Framework (NQF) that is being introduced to all centres in January 2012, we have had to make major changes to our program to ensure we are meeting these standards. The staff have been working very hard to come up with new programming styles and we are very confident that the new program will be a huge success. Tamara will be placing a copy of what the new program and reflections sheets will look like up on the wall in the Kookaburra room for parents to view and get familiar with before we implement it. We have decided to implement this program starting Monday 31^st October so the staff are able to familiarise themselves with the new program and ensure we know how to manage this by January 2012. If you have any feedback in regards to these changes please pass them onto staff.  

Centre Contact Information

Many people may not be aware that the centre has a mobile phone number. This mobile is kept at the centre and you can call this number from your mobile instead of calling the main phone line. The mobile number is: 0401383974.

Summer Routine

We are loving this beautiful weather. We will be starting our summer routine from Monday 3^rd October. The children will be outside in the morning from 8am – 10:30am and MUST have sunscreen on before arrival. Staff will reapply sunscreen before going back outside in the afternoon.

Monthly Policy Review

This month we will be reviewing our Anti Bias, Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Practices, Death of a child and Dental Health Policies. You will find a copy of these policies on the notice board in the Kookaburra room. Please take the time to read the policies and pass on your feed back to Tamara. Copies of policies are also available upon request at any time.

Children Absent

As you may know our current vacancies are very limited and we have a lot of parents you are looking for extra days through the week. If your child/ren are going to be absent or arriving late youMUST CALL STAFF before 9:30am. We are unable to book other children in until we are notified that someone will be absent. If you know that you are going away on holidays please notify staff and we will make a note of this.

Current Vacancies  

At the moment we have spots available on Monday and Friday with one vacancy available on Tuesday. These positions fill up fast so if you are hoping to pick up extra days before the end of the year we would suggest you do this ASAP.

End of Year Concert

WOW we are getting ready for the end of year graduation and Christmas concert already, where has the year gone? This year we have booked the auditorium at Wangi Workers Club for Saturday 17^th December starting at 4pm. The concert will go for approximately two hours. We decided to go with a new venue as we believe it will be more comfortable as it is air conditioned. Unfortunately unlike last year we will not be having a picnic although staff will be sticking around to have dinner and it would be great if families would join us. More information to come closer to the date. 

Upcoming Events

Bob Turner the Reptile Man - Bob Turner has been booked and he will be visiting our service on Tuesday 18^th October at 1:30 pm. If your child does not normally attend on this day you are more than welcome to pop in to see the show.

Podiatry Assessment

 General practitioners, paediatricians, orthopaedic surgeons, paediatric physiotherapists and clinic sisters, along with parents and carers refer children to Podiatry practices for many reasons. These may include foot and leg abnormalities, inherited conditions, poor walking positions, late walking or growing pains.

It’s essential that we assess children as early as possible, it is never too early! It important to understand that not all conditions will be outgrown as the child gets older. We are lucky enough that a member of Newcastle Podiatry team will be visiting Arcadia Vale Early Education and Care centre free of charge to assess your child if you wish on Friday 4^th November. NOTE: A parent/guardian must attend the assessment with the child. The assessment will take approximately 15 minutes. A permission form will be placed in your child’s locker in the upcoming weeks. 

October Birthdays

We would like to say a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our all friends who are celebrating their birthday in October               

       Jarrod    Aniqa            

         Lejla     Jacob S

        Brodie P    Darcy

   Thank you

Tamara, Brett, Cassie, Sheree, and Phoebe

September 2011 Newsletter

Preschool Fees  

Thank you to all the families who have been consistently paying their fees. It is important to ensure that you are ALWAYS up to date with your fees. If you choose to pay your fees fortnightly or monthly you will need to ensure that you pay your fees in advance. Please see Tamara or Brett if you have any questions in regards to fees.

Dental Health Week

Dental health week will be from Monday 12th – Friday 16th September. During this week the children will engage in a wide range of experiences based around dental health. Julie from Pacific Smiles will be visiting our centre on Tuesday 13th September to talk to the children about how to keep their teeth clean and healthy. She will also be bringing along some props for the children to explore.

Summer Routine    

YAY spring is finally here. Now that the weather is starting to heat back up again please ensure your child has sunscreen on in the morning before coming to preschool. Staff will reapply sunscreen in the afternoon before going back outside. It is also very important that all children have a sun smart hat. If you do not have a hat you can purchase one for $10.00 from staff. Our summer routine will start again in October and the children will play outside in the morning from 8am – 10:30am.

Monthly Policy Review

This month we will be reviewing our Arrival and Departure of Children, Immunisation and Excursion Policies. You will find a copy of these policies on the notice board in the Kookaburra room. Please take the time to read the policies and pass on your feed back to Tamara. Copies of policies are also available upon request at any time.

NCAC Spot Check

On Tuesday 30th August A validator from the National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC) conducted a spot check at our service. NCAC validators conduct these spot checks on centres at random and without warning. The validator was at our service from 1:30 – 4:20pm and observed the staffs interactions with children, hygiene practices, policies and procedures and OH&S. The validator was very happy with our centre and wrote us a very positive report which all the staff are very proud of. Please find attached a copy of the report and see staff if you have any further questions.

Children’s Immunisations   

It is very important that we have an up to date copy of the children’s immunisation records. Please bring in updated immunisation records for the staff to copy and keep with your child/ren’s records. There is a ‘Schedule for Immunisation’ sheet on the information wall in the Kookaburra room if you unsure of what vaccinations your child needs to have or should have had by now. Please note if your child is not up to date with their Immunisations Centrelink will cancel your CCB and full fees will be charged.

Children’s Lockers

Please ensure your child puts their bag in the correct locker. PLEASE NOTE: The children’s locker is the one UNDER their name tag. There have been a few occasions where staff have put children in someone else’s clothes due to the bags being in the incorrect lockers.

Upcoming Events  

Bob Turner the Reptile Man – Bob Turner has been booked and he will be visiting our service on Tuesday 18th October at 1:30 pm. If your child does not normally attend on this day you are more than welcome to pop in to see the show.
Magic Show – On Tuesday 13th September the amazing Joel Howlett will be visiting our centre and putting on a magic show for the children. This is a free event and if your child/ren does not normally attend on this day you are more than welcome to call in to see the show.

Preschool Photos

We had lots of happy, smiling faces for this years preschool photos. Luke from Penguin Photography will be sending Tamara a draft of all the children’s photos for her to go through and ensure there are no spelling mistakes. Once Tamara has emailed back with the all clear Luke will get the photos back to us ASAP. Parents should have the photos back in the next few weeks.

September Birthdays

We would like to say a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our all friends who are celebrating their birthday in September

       Jack    Abby N

     Riley     Ned

       Sienna    Jayden

      Malcom

Thank you Tamara, Brett, Sheree, Cassie, Andrea and Phoebe

Parent’s pockets

As you are aware, the weekly statements will now be distributed via emails. Tamara will be removing the parents pockets as they are no longer needed and any information that would normally go in these pockets e.g. Monthly newsletters, will be placed in your child’s locker for you to collect. This space will now be used as an information wall.

Updating your information

It is very important to ensure you update your information with us when ever your details may change. If we do not receive your new details we are unable to contact you in emergency situations. If at anytime we need to evacuate the centre we take with us an emergency contact list we need these details to be up to date at all times to ensure the safety of your child/ren.

Staffing

We would like to take this opportunity to say a HUGE congratulations to Cassie for completing her Certificate 111 in Children’s Services. Cassie is now trained and will continue on to work as a Child Care Worker on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. We would also like to welcome Phoebe Hannon to our team. Phoebe is our new trainee and will be working Monday – Friday.

Monthly Policy Review

This month we will be reviewing our Medication and Complaints Policies. You will find a copy of these policies on the notice board in the Kookaburra room. Please take the time to read the policy and pass on your feed back to Tamara. Copies of policies are also available upon request at any time.

Toy Catalogues

The toy catalogues are now being placed in each child’s locker. If you wish to purchase anything from these catalogues please return the order form back to staff by Friday 26^th August.

Picture Products

The picture produce order forms have now been sent and we are hoping to receive the paper for your child’s drawing in a couple of weeks. This year we will be sending the papers home with the families for the children to complete their drawings at home. Once the drawings are completed please hand them back to staff and we will send them back all together.

Upcoming events

Bob Turner the reptile man – Bob Turner has been booked and he will be visiting our service on Tuesday 18^th October. We understand that this is still a few months away but we are sure the time will go fast.

Preschool photos - This year the Preschool photos will be taken on Tuesday 30^th and Wednesday 31^st August. Order forms are now being placed in your child’s locker. Please return these forms by Friday 26^th August.

Magic Show – On Tuesday 13^th September the amazing Joel Howlett will be visiting our centre and putting on a magic show for the children. This is a free event and if your child/ren does not normally attend on this day you are more than welcome to call in to see the show.

School readiness information night

Thank you to everyone who attended our school readiness information night. The feedback has been very positive and parents found this information night to be very informative and has made it easier for parents to make the decision whether or not to send their child to school in 2012. Tamara has taken minutes and will be handing them out to parents as soon as possible. Until then, please feel free to approach staff at any time if you have any concerns or questions about your children and going to school.

Information Night: Podiatry and Physical Development

On the 7^th September Adam Glascock from Newcastle Family Sports and Podiatry will be a guest speaker at our information night. This information night will be held at Arcadia Vale Care and Early Education Centre at ???? Below is a brief description of what will be discussed:

Children’s growing legs and feet go through a number of changes in their early years. Understanding and ensuring that this is occurring at the right time and in the correct manner is vitally important to appropriate growth and function. Like our children’s teeth, their legs, hips, knees and feet need to be checked and monitored to ensure this is occurring. In toed or out toed gait, excessively flat feet, toe walking, poor hip and core control (balance and stability) and pain associated with these and other problems can be diagnosed and treated with the long term outcomes much better when early diagnosis is made. Experience is vitally important when dealing with the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of childhood biomechanics. At Newcastle Family & Sports Podiatry there has been a long history with Allan Boys & Adam Glascock of assessing children to ensure appropriate growth and good outcomes. It is important to understand what should be occurring with the child’s foot and lower limb at various ages.

August Birthdays

We would like to say a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our all friends who are celebrating their birthday in August

Jada

Hayley Max E

Thankyou Tamara, Brett, Sheree, Cassie, Andrea and Phoebe

School Readiness/Information Night

Rathmines Preschool and Arcadia Vale Care and Early Education Centre are holding a School readiness night on Wednesday 20^th July for all families. The information night will be held here at Rathmines Preschool and will start at 6:30 pm. Cathie Ruecroft from Rathmines Public School will be our quest speaker. Cathie will discuss the skills needed to start school, as well as give an overview of the new Best Start assessment that all children undertake when they begin kindergarten. Please find attached a RSVP form and return it by Friday 15^th July.

Emergency Services Week   

Week beginning Monday 4^th July is Emergency Services week. During this week the children will engage in a variety of experiences and learn about the emergency services. On Wednesday 6^th July we will be getting a visit from Wangi fire brigade at 11:30am. The children will get a chance to ask questions and look inside a real fire truck. Parents are more than welcome to bring their children along if they do not normally attend on this day. Friday 8^th July we will be getting a visit from the SES where the children will learn what to do in an emergency.

Staffing    

We would like to say thank you to all of our amazing families for their patience and understanding with the staffing changes. Due to new regulations we have had to have a look at our staff and considered putting on another Diploma staff member to cover for Tamara when she is away and will eventually take over the running of the service if Tamara goes on leave. Deborah was employed to take on this role but unfortunately she was not the right person for this position. Sheree was then asked to return until we can find a suitable diploma trained staff member. Sheree will be here until the end of the year to ensure consistency whilst we evaluate our staffing. Cassie is almost finished her traineeship and she will take on the role as a Child Care Worker working approximately 3-4 days per week. We have employed a new casual worker, Andrea Salmon will be working on a casual basis and holds a Diploma in Children’s Services.

Monthly Policy Review

This month we will be reviewing our Safety Check and Building Maintenance Policy. You will find a copy of the policy on the notice board in the Kookaburra room. Please take the time to read the policy and pass on your feed back to Tamara. Copies of policies are also available upon request at any time.

CONTINUED OVERLEAF

Upcoming events

Dental Health week – We are currently in contact with Julie from pacific smiles to come in and talk to the children about dental health. Further details still to come.

Bob Turner the reptile man – Bob Turner has been booked and he will be visiting our service on Tuesday 18^th October. We understand that this is still a few months away but we are sure the time will go fast.

Show and Tell

Every child has been allocated one day per week to bring something special from home and show to their peers during show and tell time. It is very important that the children’s names are placed on these items as we have been having some problems with children claiming other children’s show and tell as their own and this is causing distress to the children who it really belongs to. Please remember that weapons of any sort are not appropriate for show and tell time.

Lost Property

Please ensure you check the last property basket on a regular basis as it has been very full lately with children’s toys, clothing etc. Any items that are not claimed at the end of the month will be donated to charity.

Parent involvement in our program and routine 

We would like to say a huge Thank you to Carlie Weedon and Margaret Smith for spending some time in our centre and reading stories to the children. Parent involvement is very important to us and is also a major part of the new Early Years Learning Framework. The children really enjoyed listening to the stories and this has sparked a big interest with the children asking “can my Mum or Dad read stories too?” We would like to extend on this and it would be great to see more families getting involved in our service. Tamara has placed a calendar on the front whiteboard outside, if you can spare 30 minutes and come and conduct a group time and share stories, pictures etc with the children it would be greatly appreciated. Our language group time is from 2:30pm – 3:00pm every afternoon. If you would like to get involved please write your name down on the desired date. We would like to take photos and turn it into a book for the children to look at and talk about when their parents came to preschool.

July Birthdays

We would like to say a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our all friends who are celebrating their birthday in July

                Eva     Koby

                 James     Sophie.W    Madeline

              Thankyou Tamara, Brett, Sheree, Nicole and Cassie

Children’s Annual Disco

Get ready to boogie on Saturday 18^th June for the Rathmines Preschool annual disco. 5:00pm till 8:00pm at Wangi RSL club. Immediate family is free. Prices for other family members are $4.00 per adult $2.00 per child. Raffle tickets will be sold on the night for your chance to win some great prizes. The children have been working hard on some beautiful keepsakes that will be sold for $5.00 each and all money raised will be going towards new resources for the children. Please find attached a RSVP form and return by Friday 10^th June.

Sick Children   

It is that time of year when a lot of our friends are getting sick due to the change in weather. It is VERY important to understand that if your child is sick with the cold/flu that they will have to be excluded until this clears up. If a child comes to Preschool with a constant running nose, a persistent cough or appears to be unwell, parents will be called and asked to collect their chikd/ren.

Early Years Learning Framework   

There are currently a lot of changes happening in the child care industry. We are currently implementing the new Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) which has been introduced to all child care centres around Australia. All the staff at both Rathmines Preschool and Arcadia Vale Care and Early Education Centre attended a meeting with Karen Atkinson regarding the new EYLF and spoke about what changes we will have to implement.  We will keep you updated with any changes that will be made to our centre. The weekend box has been implemented with the EYLF in mind as family involvement is a huge part of this new curriculum. These weekend sheets will be placed in your child/ren’s portfolios with your child/ren’s response to what was written on this sheet.

Monthly Policy Review

This month we will be reviewing our Access and Child Protection Policies. You will find a copy of the policies on the notice board in the Kookaburra room. Please take the time to read the policy and pass on your feed back to Tamara. Copies of policies are also available upon request at any time.

Upcoming events

Tamara has been busy organising the events for the year.

Emergency services week – Week of 4^th July. We will be getting a visit from the fire brigade, SES and fingers crossed for a Police officer. More information to come closer to the date.

Dental Health week – We are currently in contact with Julie from pacific smiles to come in and talk to the children about dental health. Further details still to come.

Vision screening – This screening, which is highly recommended by Community Services, is for all children (over 4 years), who are starting school in 2012. The vision screening will take place on Friday 3^rd June at 9:30 am. This is a free service and permission forms are now in parent’s pockets. Unfortunately the screening was cancelled for Tuesday 31^st but will be rescheduled. Tamara will inform parents when she receives the new date.

All these events are provided at no extra cost.

Sticker charts

As you will all be aware we are no longer using the sticker charts as a reward system for the children. After our meeting in regards to the new National Quality Framework, which is currently in drafts, and EYLF sticker charts are no longer acceptable as children should do things because they want to NOT because they are rewarded with a sticker. The children have responded well to this and they are able to take their sticker charts home. The staff will continue to praise the children’s efforts and good behaviour. Please see Tamara if you require any further information in regards to our behaviour management policy.

June Birthdays

We would like to say a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our all friends who are celebrating their birthday in June

     Aiden

        Charlie

Thankyou Tamara, Brett, Deborah, Nicole and Cassie

Henny Penny Hatchlings

The chickens have arrived and the children have been very excited. The chickens will be available for families to take home from Thursday 12^th May. If you wish to take some chickens home please let staff know as soon as possible so we can put your name on the list as they are going quickly. Please note: If you decide to take some chickens home you will need to take a minimum of two chickens.

Trainees

Due to change in regulations trainees now have to have experience in different age groups to successfully complete their Certificate 111 in Children’s Services. From 16^th May Cassie will be going to Arcadia Vale Care and Early Education Centre for 2 weeks to get some experience with children aged 2-3 years. Kasey (Arcadia Vale’s trainee) will be coming here for 2 weeks to get experience with 3-5 year olds.

Encouraging Children’s Independence

A lot of our friends will be leaving for “bog school” in 2012 it is very important to encourage and assist your child/ren with their independence. To further assist your child/ren develop their independence please encourage them to put their bag in their locker, find their own name, put their lunch box away, sign themselves in, place morning tea and lunch in easily accessible containers that your children will be able to open on their own and encourage your child/ren to dress themselves in the morning. This will assist your child/ren in developing their independence and further assist them with their school readiness.

Monthly Policy Review

This month we will be reviewing our Enrolment and Program for Children Policies. You will find a copy of the policies on the notice board in the Kookaburra room. Please take the time to read the policy and pass on your feed back to Tamara. Copies of policies are also available upon request at any time.

Winter Clothing

Due to the change of weather please ensure your child/ren has suitable clothing. We understand that it may be hard to determine the weather in the mornings but we ask that you pack clothing suitable for all conditions and staff can change the children if required. PLEASE REMEMBER ugg boots and gum boots are not to be worn at preschool.

Upcoming events

Tamara has been busy organising the events for the year.

Annual Preschool Disco – Get ready to boogie on Saturday 18^th June for the Rathmines Preschool disco. 5:00pm till 8:00pm at Wangi RSL club. Immediate family is free. Prices for other family members are $4.00 per adult $2.00 per child. Raffle tickets will be sold on the night for your chance to win some great prizes.

Emergency services week – Week of 4^th July. We will be getting a visit from the fire brigade, SES and fingers crossed for a police officer. More information to come closer to the date.

Dental Health week – We are currently in contact with Julie from pacific smiles to come in and talk to the children about dental health. Further details still to come.

Vision screening – This screening, which is highly recommended by Community Services, is for all children (over 4 years), who are starting school in 2012. The vision screening will take place on Tuesday 31^st May & Friday 3^rd June at 9:30 am. This is a free service and permission forms are now in parent’s pockets.

All these events are provided at no extra cost.

Easter Raffle

We would like to take this opportunity to say a HUGE thank you to all of the parents who donated Easter eggs for our Easter raffle. Once again the Easter raffle has been a huge success in raising money for our centre. Thank you for all your contributions and assistance in selling the raffle tickets. Tamara is currently looking at purchasing a new dress up trolley or some new wooden picnic table for outside.

May Birthdays

We would like to say a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our all friends who are celebrating their birthday in May

Bailey

Ashley

Sophie H

Thank you Tamara, Brett, Deborah, Nicole and Cassie

April 2011 Newsletter

Staffing changes

Tamara and Brett have been conducting interviews over the past week. We have decided it would be in the best interest of the centre to employ another Diploma trained staff member. We would like to welcome Deborah Salter to our team. Debbie will be employed as the 2nd Authorised Supervisor and will cover for Tamara when she is away. Sadly due to personal reasons Sheree decided that she was unable to work anymore, but will still be able to take on casual shifts. Beth has been offered a position at her local school, we are very happy for her but we are also very sad to see her go.

Trainees

Due to change in regulations trainees now have to have experience in different age groups to successfully complete their Certificate 111 in Children’s Services. From 16th May Cassie will be going to Arcadia Vale Care and Early Education Centre for 2 weeks to get some experience with children aged 2-3 years. Kasey (Arcadia Vale’s trainee) will be coming here for 2 weeks to get experience with 3-5 year olds.

Winter Routine

From Monday 11th April we will be swapping over to our winter routine. This means the children will now be playing outside after morning tea instead of in the mornings. Parents are still responsible for applying sunscreen to their children before arriving at the centre in the morning. Staff will re-apply sunscreen in the afternoons.

Monthly Policy Review

This month we will be reviewing our Enrolment and Program for Children Policies. You will find a copy of the policies on the notice board in the Kookaburra room. Please take the time to read the policy and pass on your feed back to Tamara. Copies of policies are also available upon request at any time.

Parent survey forms

Due to a recent Department of Human Resources (Community Services) visit we have been directed to make a few changes to how the two rooms are managed to ensure there is never too many children in one room at a time. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated and it will assist us in making a decision in regards to the current routine. Please find a parent survey form in your pocket. It would be greatly appreciated if you could please take the time to fill out this survey and hand it back to staff.

Upcoming events

Tamara has been busy organising the events for the year. Henny Penny Hatchlings – Will be arriving on Monday 2nd May. The children will get the opportunity to watch the chicks hatch, help look after the chicks and interact with them.

Emergency services week – Week of 4th July. We will be getting a visit from the fire brigade, SES and fingers crossed for a police officer. More information to come closer to the date.

Dental Health week – We are currently in contact with Julie from pacific smiles to come in and talk to the children about dental health. Further details still to come.

Vision screening – This screening, which is highly recommended by Community Services, is for all children (over 4 years), who are starting school in 2012. The vision screening will take place on Tuesday 31st May & Friday 3rd June at 9:30 am. This is a free service and parents will be given a permission form closer to the date. All these events are provided at no extra cost.

Easter Raffle

Once again, this year we will be holding a Easter Raffle to raise funds for the centre. Last year was a huge success and we raised $600 which went towards new resources for the children. This year we are hoping to raise around the same amount so we can purchase a new dress up trolley. It would be greatly appreciated if all families could please donate Easter Eggs to go towards our raffle. Tickets are now on sale $1 each or 5 tickets for $3. All raffle tickets to be back by Friday 15th April. The prizes will be drawn on Friday. Good Luck!!!

April Birthdays

We would like to say a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our all friends who are celebrating their birthday in April

• Joel
• Jacob K
• Abby C
• Adrian

Thank you Tamara, Brett, Deborah, Nicole and Cassie