Dear Parents
Foals 1
This term in Foals 1 our theme has been ‘Under the Sea’. The babies have been exploring different sounds and textures and practising fine motor skills by participating in activities including the water tray, the sensory tray, bubbles and paints.
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Foals 2
In Foals 2, the children have enjoyed exploring the room. The children are learning everyone’s names and beginning to recognise themselves. The children are practising their fine motor skills, learning how to match patterns using the egg connectors as well as learning colours through puzzles. We have also enjoyed lots of sensory experiences using shaving foam!
Yearlings
The Yearling children have been out and about exploring the different parks in Newmarket. The children particularly enjoyed the new Memorial Park and loved playing on the swings, slide, sand and splash pads! They have also been bathing our toy dolls in the water and exploring mark making with different tools, including bingo dabbers.
Ponies 1
The Ponies 1 children have been learning about the life cycle of chickens this term. Mrs Duffety-Fuller kindly provided us with some fertilised eggs which the children each helped carefully carry and place into the incubator. We then created a countdown calendar which we cross off each day that passes, excitedly awaiting 21 days for the chicks to (hopefully) hatch. The children show great interest in the eggs, checking they haven’t hatched yet each morning they arrive at nursery and proudly showing their parents. The Ponies have also been decorating chicks for our new display board which focuses on the life cycle of chickens.
Ponies 2
The children were very excited to meet a dinosaur face to face in the Guineas Shopping Centre. They couldn’t believe how big the dinosaur was, and some of the children were brave enough to stroke it. The dinosaur was looked after by two rangers, who were very impressed that we knew it was called a velociraptor, and that we have been dinosaur hunting in class.
We would like to say a big thank you to Emily and her family for inviting us to their stables. We all had a wonderful time, exploring the yard, meeting the horses, learning about what they eat, and how they are looked after. All of the children also had the opportunity to brush Emily’s pony, Prince. We finished the day with a lovely picnic in the garden and a playtime before coming back to school.
Ponies 2 children registered for Reception in Fairstead House in September 2019 are very excited as they will be spending Wednesday morning with their new class teacher, Mrs Katie Sanders, and Teaching Assistant, Mrs Lynn Freestone. I know that there are many exciting activities planned!
Sports Afternoon
This year, our popular Nursery Sports Afternoon will take place on Thursday 4th July at 2.30pm in the school grounds. All children in the Nursery from the youngest Foals upwards will be taking part so please do bring chairs or a rug and a picnic if desired, and come along to watch! Please arrive at any time from 2.00pm onwards. If your child does not attend Nursery on Thursday afternoons then you are welcome to bring them in to compete in their races but otherwise please keep your child with you throughout the afternoon to ensure that we remain within our staffing ratio. Thank you.
Term Dates
If your child attends the Nursery on a term time only basis, then please note that our term finishes on Friday 5th July at 6.00pm. We return to school on Monday 2nd September. If you would like your child to attend some additional sessions in the Nursery over the Summer, then please do contact the Nursery Manager for our availability. Thank you.
Nursery Staff
This month we said goodbye to Mrs Jo Rayment, Room Leader of the Foals 2 Room, who leaves us for a new career. We wish her all the very best for her new adventures. However, we are very happy to say that Mrs Kaylee Williams has been appointed as Room Leader for Foals 2, which will ensure continuity for the children as they all know her very well. We also welcome Miss Emily Wilding and Miss Chloe Mendham as Nursery Practitioners in the Foals 2 room. They are settling in extremely well and the children are already very comfortable with them both.
Fairstead House School Holiday Club
During the school holidays, Fairstead House runs a Holiday Club from 8.00am to 6.00pm each day. If you have an older child (or, indeed, a friend whose children would like to join in our Holiday Club) whom you would like to attend our Holiday Club, please complete a Booking Form and return it to the School Office.
Uniform for Ponies Children
If your child is in the Ponies Rooms, please could you ensure that your child wears the Nursery uniform at all times, including the Nursery coat. Thank you.
Nursery Parents’ Questionnaire
Thank you to all those parents who have returned their completed questionnaires. It has been wonderful to read all your kind words about the Nursery and also for us to learn how we can continue to improve and enhance our Nursery provision for your children. If you have not yet completed this questionnaire, please find it here.
With my best wishes and looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our Nursery Sports Day. Last year we were blessed with glorious weather so hopefully we will be equally lucky this year!
Lynda Brereton