Cathkin Community Nursery

Langlea Road

Cambuslang

Glasgow

G72 8ES

Telephone:  0141 643 3484                   

 Fax: 0141 643 3485

Email: cathkinnursery@ea.s-lanark.sch.uk

 Blog: http://cathkincommnursery.wordpress.com

 Hours of Opening: 8.00 am – 6.00 pm

 Core Sessions: 9.00 am – 12.00 noon / 1.00 pm – 4.00 pm 

August 2011

• In-Service Training Days – Monday 15 August 2011 and Tuesday 16 August 2011 (Nursery Closed)

September 2011

• September Weekend – Friday 23 September 2011 and Monday 26 September 2011 (Nursery Closed)

October 2011

• Children with 38-week contracts should not attend nursery Monday 17 October to Friday 21 October 2011, as these are school holidays.  Children should return to nursery on Monday 24 October 2011.

November 2011

• Ceramics with Parents – Monday 7 November 2011 9.30am – 11.30am / 1.30pm – 3.30pm.  All welcome, make something nice for the Christmas Fayre.

• In-Service Training Day – Monday 14 November 2011 (Nursery Closed)

• 0-2 / 2-3 / 3-5 Curricular Evening – Wednesday 16 November 2011 6.30pm – 8.30pm

• Fashion Show at Cambuslang Health Initiative – Monday 21 November 2011 7.00pm – 9.00pm.  On sale: clothes, jewellery, handbags, scarves, cards etc – an opportunity to Christmas shop early.  Tickets £1.00.

• Christmas Fayre at Cathkin High School – Saturday 26 November 2011 9.30am – 11.30am

• Ceramics with the children –  Monday 28 November 2011 9.30am – 11.30am / 1.30pm – 3.30pm

December 2011

• Butterflies Christmas Trip to Finlaystone Country Park Wednesday 7 December 2011 10.00am – 2.00pm

• Caterpillars Christmas trip to New Lanark Valley International Park Friday 9 December 2011 09.45am – 2.30pm

• Christmas Show at Springhall Community Centre – Monday 12 December 9.30am – 11.30am / 1.30pm – 3.30pm

• DJ Lollipop Christmas Parties – Tuesday 20 December 2011 9.00am – 11.30am / 1.00pm – 3.30pm

Christmas & New Year Holidays

• The nursery is closed from Monday 26 December 2011 until Tuesday 3 January 2012 inclusive and will re-open on Wednesday 4 January 2012. (Subject to change).

• Children with 38-week contracts should not attend nursery Thursday 22 December 2011 to Friday 6 January 2012 inclusive, as these are school holidays.  Children with 38-week contracts should return to nursery on Monday 9 January 2012.

• Children with 52-week contracts should not attend nursery Monday 26 December 2011 to Tuesday 3 January 2012 inclusive.  Children with 52-week contracts should return to nursery on Wednesday 4 January 2012.  (Subject to change).

February 2012

• In-Service Training Day – Friday 10 February 2012 (Nursery Closed)

• Children with 38-week contracts should not attend nursery Monday 13 February 2012 and Tuesday 14 February 2012, as these are school holidays.  Children with 38-week contracts should return to nursery on Wednesday 15 February 2012.

April 2012

• Children with 38-week contracts should not attend nursery Monday 3 April 2012 to Friday 13 April 2012 inclusive, as these are the school holidays.  Children with 38-week contracts should return to nursery on Monday 16 April 2012.

• Easter Weekend – Friday 6 April 2012 and Monday 9 April 2012 (Nursery Closed)

May 2012

• In-Service Training Day – Thursday 3 May 2012 (Nursery Closed)

• May Day – Monday 7 May 2012 (Nursery Closed)

June 2012

• Local Holiday – Friday 1 June 2012 and Monday 4 June 2012 (Nursery Closed)

• Queens Jubilee – Tuesday 5 June 2012 (Nursery Closed)

• All children with 38-week contracts for session 2011/2012 will end on Thursday 28 June 2012

July 2012

• Glasgow Fair Holiday – Monday 16 July 2012 (Nursery Closed)

August 2012

• All children with 52-week contracts for session 2011/2012 will end on Friday 10 August 2012

The Ladybird Room would like to say a big thank you to all parents and children who supported our Sponsored Sports Day. To date we have raised a fantastic £406.00 and still have more sponsor sheets to be returned. The money raised will help us purchase items on our Wish List for the Ladybird Garden which will enhance your child’s learning experience at Cathkin Community Nursery.

Eco-Nursery News

We are currently working towards achieving our Eco-Nursery Award. The three areas we will be working on are:

Reducing the amount of litter in and around the nursery

Improving our garden and building an eco-green house

Recycling to reduce landfill

As most of you will now be aware we are collecting clothes for recycling the Recatecs collection box is located across from the Caterpillar Room. Thanks to all who have been donating we have raised just over £35 to date.

As part of our recycling project we will also be collecting old mobile phones and inkjet cartridges from Dell, Canon, Lexmark and Hewlett-Packard inkjet printers. By collecting these items not only will you be helping the nursery raise funds you will also be reducing landfill and helping the local and worldwide environment. Collection envelopes will be available at the start of the new term in August or simply place items in the collection boxes at the nursery.

We are still looking for helpers to wash the bottles collected for our Green House please speak to a member of staff if this is something you could do.

Future Events – Following our litter survey we are hoping to organize a litter pick in the area surrounding the nursery this will take place in September/October any help would be appreciated.

There will also be opportunities for group photographs to be taken.  A gown and a mortar hat will be provided for the children to wear for the photographs.

Parents Meeting Thursday 3^rd March

 Present am:  Alan Thornton, Jaclyn McManus, Joanne Logan, Linda Barr, Janine Lawlor, Maimoona Kazmi, Leeann Mauchin, Linda Thomson, Eileen Donnelly, Libby Docherty, John Allardyce, Kath Stirling.

 Present pm:  Tracey Yuill, J. Cameron, A Lynch, C.Goldsmith, H.Dorrian, Cheryl Burnett, Elaine Hopwood.

 Welcome to all parents and carers.  Thank you for your support and all your input at the meeting.

 Active Communities

 Marie Mckeown is coming back out to the nursery on the 23^rd March to talk to parents about activities that are going on the community. Marie is looking for ideas from the parents and carers to start up a group just for them!!! Eileen Donnelly will look into crèche facility for this. 

 Red nose dayFriday 19^th March 2011 Competition for Sainsbury’s, some of the kids will be decorating a paper plate for the competition; they have to be returned to Marley’s grin by the 12^th March.

Fancy dress Friday – children will pay a pound to dress up on this day.

Cake selling – Parents and children will make cakes to sell on Red Nose Day.

 Graduation – Friday 17^th June

 This cost for the town hall is around £400, so we need to get fundraising.  Some of the parents were interested in buying a film of the graduation.  Alan (Ailsa’s dad is going to look into filming and how much it will cost??)

We need help to make new graduation hats and gowns, if you are interested in doing so please see Elaine C in the ladybird room.

 Janine Lawlor is going to organise a piper for the day of the graduation.

Snack purses

 Location of these purses   Ladybirds – outside the front office on table

                                           Butterflies/Caterpillars – In the rooms

 Routine change in the Ladybird room

 There has been some changes made to the Ladybird room timetable, this is displayed outside the ladybird room.  Please remember that we go straight to the garden so please keep your child’s jacket on when you arrive for the session.

 Easter egg Donation

 Please help!!!

 We are looking for Easter egg donations this year, there is a box at the front entrance with example sizes, all donations would be very greatly appreciated.  Some parents were asking about a chart displaying how many eggs we needed and how many eggs we have, Elaine will put this at the display.

 Rutherglen High

 Rutherglen High has opened a sensory garden and they have offered the nursery the opportunity to access this.

Spring Walk

 We are looking at organising a spring walk to raise money for the nursery.  This would take place in the local community and would be a day for families to come together and participate in.  We are hoping to get Active Communities involved.

 Liz

 Liz is currently covering at Woodlands Nursery in Hamilton.  Although we don’t see her everyday she is very much still involved at the Nursery and is regularly on the phone to staff.  Liz is continuing to very well on her slimathon and is raising money for the nursery.  We hope to see Liz very soon. 

Dance classes for the children

 Harley Millers mum Pamela is a qualified dance teacher and has agreed to come in and do some dance classes throughout the term with the children in the 3-5 room.  Dates for this will be displayed outside the ladybird room.

 Summer/Christmas Fair

 Some of the parents were keen to organise a summer or Christmas fair.  Cheryl Burnett will help out with the organising of these nearer the time.

 Fundraiser disco

 We are looking to organise a summer fundraiser in June time, Jaclyn McManus will look into dates for this.

 More Fundraising ideas

 Daffodil tea, pyjama day.

 If you have any ideas for fundraising please let us know.

 Parent help

 Thursday 18^th March

Cakes – Maimoona, Jaclyn, Linda, Libby, Joanne, Cheryl, Christine

 Date to be confirmed

Gowns/hats – Jaclyn, Linda, Eileen, Libby, Joanne

 If there are any more people interested then please see Elaine in the ladybird room.

•  Children with 38-week contracts should not attend nursery Monday 4 April to Friday 15 April 2011, as these are school holidays.  Children should return to nursery on Monday 18 April 2011.
• Easter Weekend – Friday 22 April 2011 and Monday 25 April 2011 (Nursery Closed)
• Royal Wedding – Friday 29 April 2011 (Nursery Closed)

May 2011

• May Day – Monday 2 May 2011 (Nursery Closed)
• In-Service Day – Tuesday 3 May 2011 (Nursery Closed)
• Local Holiday – Friday 27 May 2011 and Monday 30 May 2011 (Nursery Closed)

June 2011

• All children with 38-week contracts for session 2010/2011 will end on Friday 24 June 2011.

July 2011

• Glasgow Fair Holiday – Monday 18 July 2011 (Nursery Closed)

Welcome to new starts into Caterpillar Room, Ross Hutcheon-Bain, Andi Millar and Jordin Tracey. 

The Butterflies would like to welcome Bradley Yardley, Paul Paterson and Nathan Tracey who have fluttered through from the Caterpillar room.  All have settled well.

The children in the Caterpillar room have been confident individuals by taking part in a variety of health and well being experiences.  Using foods in a variety of ways to taste, name, print and explore through our senses.  Some of the older children in the room are enjoying the challenge of cutting with the plastic scissors and chopping play dough and fruit with the play cutlery.

The children in the Butterfly room in the morning have been effective contributors by using their communication and language skills by working together to learn colours.  We have been doing coloured hand prints and exploring a variety of coloured ar materials, we have also been playing ‘colour games’ and trying coloured puzzles.

In the afternoon the children are being responsible citizens by having positive attitudes to themselves and others, we have been doing this by having fun with circle games and singing time with our companions, also some of our older children have enjoyed the responsibility of helping to look after at play with our new Butterfly friends.

Learning in the Ladybirds

• Baking with the Bairns – Children baked with senior pupils of Cathkin High School
• Maths Activities with Rutherglen High School
• Chinese New Year Celebrations
•  Jobs That We Do – our new topic
• Rabbie Burns celebrations

Visits so far

• To the train station – on the train
• To a pet shop
• To a building site

Recipes of the Month

Fairy Cakes

Ingredients:

• 50g margarine
• 50g self raising flour
• 50g sugar
• 1 egg

 Time: 12-15 minutes

Temperature: preheat oven to 190c / gas 5

Position: middle shelf

Method

• Collect all ingredients and equipment
• Place margarine, egg, flour and sugar in a large bowl
• Beat well with a wooden spoon or electric whisk until light and fluffy
• Divide mixture, carefully between 6 paper cases
• Bake till well risen and firm to touch
• Decorate with icing (Scottish flag)

Shortbread 

Ingredients:

•  50 g margarine
• 25g sugar
• 75g plain flour
• 10g cornflour

Time: 30-40 minutes

Temperature: preheat oven to 170c / gas 3

Position: middle shelf

Method

• Cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy using a wooden spoon
• Gradually work in the flour using your hand
• Knead well and shape using cutters
• Place onto a floured baking tray, pinch edges and fork the top
• Bake to a pale golden brown
• Allow to cool before removing from the tray

Liz’s Sponsored Slimathon

Please sponsor Liz, your Head of Nursery, as she loses weight to raise funds for the nursery!  Liz is taking part in a 12-week weight-loss campaign from Friday 21st January to Thursday 21st April 2011 and needs your support.  So far she has lost 5lbs in 2 weeks.  Pick up a sponsor sheet in the nursery or we can post one out to you.

Possible Lossess

•  1lb per week over 12 weeks = 12lbs
• 1.5lbs per week over 12 weeks = 18lbs
• 2lb per week over 12 weeks = 24 lbs

Over 12 weeks who knows how much weight could be lost?  But the table below may help you decide on an amount ‘per pound’. 

• 10p per pound: 12lbs = £1.20, 18lbs = £1.80, 24lbs = £2.40
• 15p per pound: 12lbs = £1.80, 18lbs = £2.70, 24lbs = £3.60
• 20p per pound: 12lbs = £2.40, 18lbs = £3.60, 24lbs = £4.80

NB: Liz could lose less or more so this is just a guide

Recipe for Success

Liz wants to share her delicious recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup.  It is made with simple ingredients and takes no time at all to make, as follows:

• 2 Sticks Clelery – chopped
• 2 Carrots – chopped
• 2 Garlic Cloves – crushed
• 2 Chicken Stock Cubes
• 1 Chicken Breast – chopped and uncooked
• 2 rings of vermicelli noodles

Method

Put all ingredients in pot adding 3 pints of water.  Bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add the vermicelli noodles then simmer again for a further 10 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Care Commission

The recent Care Commission report for the nursery is available on line, click on the Care Commission heading above to link into Care Commission webpage. 

We had a great result and gained 2 out of 2 excellent scores.  Well done everyone!

Dates for your Diary

Week Beginning Monday 21 February 2011 

Ladybird Parent Meetings

• Please put your name on the appointment sheet that is situated on the red screen outside the Ladybird room.  Thank you.

Wednesday 23 February 2011

• SSSC is coming to film our lovely nursery and the children, staff and parents.  They will be here around 10.00am and will finish up around 12.00 noon.

Wednesday 1 March 2011

• Instant Images photographers are coming 9.00am – 12.00noon / 1.00pm – 4.00pm

A nice little gift for Easter!

A note from Liz

As from Monday the 21st February 2011 I will be managing Woodlands Nursery for a few weeks until the position of Head is filled. I will then be off on holiday for 2 weeks and will return hopefully to Cathkin on Wednesday 30th March.

My slimathon continues and so far to date I have lost 6.5 Ibs in 3 weeks. hopefully you will see a difference in me when I return.

See you all soon

Liz

Please have a look at the red display board in the nursery foyer to see the various enrolment details for all the  local schools.