Dear Families
 
Welcome back to Preschool for the start of another term. This term we have a number of new families joining our Preschool community. Sadly, we said goodbye to: Henry, Maddie, Jessica, Aabha and Aria (who leaves us an the end of the month). We will however, welcome Chloe (M W & F); Jacob (M & T); Isaac (W & Th); Luke (M & T); Noah (W),  Aaliyah (Th & F) and Ryan (M & T). Please make them feel part of our lovely Preschool community at Thornleigh.
 
I usually start the newsletter with important events of the daily program, but I see that that the Parents of our community have made a significant contribution to our Preschool over the past few weeks for which we are very grateful and must be acknowledged.

Parents as Partners in our Preschool:
What an amazing community we have for a small not for profit organization. Trudy Wallington, our President is a breath of fresh air, working tirelessly to co-ordinate the Management Committee, social committee as well as work full time with two small children. Neil Wallington, Trudy’s husband has been equally supportive of the Preschool, to fix all our lock problems, Thank you  so much to the Wallington Family!!
 
In the holidays, the Reed family who own a local landscaping business, “Outtherelandscapes” volunteered their services to lay some pavers around our cubby in the Preschool’s playground. Perhaps you might consider using their company for your next landscaping needs. http://www.outtherelandscapes.com
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​Thank you to Stephen Reed and his team who donated their time to improve our children’s playground in their holidays….. we really appreciate it.
 
We hope to do some planting now, either side of the new paths if you are interested in getting involved just let us know!!
 
The Doubleday family also revitalised our our herb garden in the holidays which was looking very tired ….. thank you Alex it looks wonderfulJ
 
Allison Olsen, has been also working hard to categorise our “very tired” and neglected children’s library. Another big thank you is definitely in order. If you feel you could assist with the mammoth task of covering and sorting our library books, please let us know as the old saying goes “many hands make light work”
 
SHOW AND TELL
Please see the Term 2 updated roster for your child’s allocated day. Please be sure to ONLY bring news on that day due to time restraints.
 
PARENT HELPER DUTIES
We kindly ask all parents to assist with at least ONE morning per term to help with domestic duties and become involved in our Preschool daily program. Please complete a morning that is convenient with your work schedule if possible. If you are unable to help with parent helper duty then perhaps you could be involved in another way or another.  Thank you.
 
HEALTH AND ALLERGIES – STRICTLY TREE NUT and EGG FREE (M & T) !!
 
At our Preschool we have children attending with SERVERE allergies to:
     Tree Nuts           Dairy            Egg (Raw and Cooked)    Gluten
     Olive oil               Yeast           Wheat                             Kiwi Fruits
     Penicillin              Bandaids      Strawberries                   Soy   
 
We have plans in place to minimise risk for children with allergies and all children with allergies need to provide an Action Plan signed by a GP to help us with this. The severity of nut allergies, however, means we also need your help.
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How can you help?
Ensure you check all packaging and ingredients
and ensure no items containing nuts are sent to Preschool
We appreciate your assistance in this important matter.
 
On Monday and Tuesdays we ask that NO eggs are included in your child’s lunch. Thank you for your co-operation.
 
OUR PRESCHOOL SUPPORTS HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS AT ALL OTHER TIMES
StEPs Vision Screening Program:
Available only for 4 year olds). Forms have now been distributed for your signature and must be returned by the due date. ORIGINAL signed forms will be the only form of authorization. If it is not your child’s usual day and you would like your child to be screened, please advise staff so we may allocate you a suitable time. Please return forms to the black post box at the sign in table.
 
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
Although we encourage healthy choices most of the time, we do acknowledge children’s birthdays at Preschool. (Sometimes foods)! Parents are invited to bring in a birthday cake or 20small cupcakes and we sing Happy Birthday and share the cake/s. Your child is given a card and a Happy Birthday sticker on their Birthday or the day closest to it……… if you are unsure just check with a staff member. Remember……NO NO NUTS!!!!
 
TAFE STUDENT
We welcome Sun Hee Hong, from Meadowbank TAFE, studying her Diploma of Children’s Services.  Sun Hee will be completing her placement at our Preschool on the following dates, please make her feel welcome.

• 28-29th April; 5-6th May; and 23rd May – 10th June.

 
BUNNINGS BBQ
Reminder about the Preschool’s upcoming fundraising BBQ at Bunnings this weekend. Thank you for all those that have volunteered to help out. If you would like to assist and have not yet volunteered please contact: Trudy Wallington asap: trudy7977@hotmail.com
 
DIARY DATES:

• Term 2 starts:                     27th April (Wednesday)
• Bunnings BBQ:                       1st May (Sunday) all hands on deck – thank you
• Mother’s Morning Tea:          4th May (Wednesday 9.30 – 10.30am)
• Fees 1st Installment due:       6th May
• StEPS Vision Screen:            11th May Wednesday 10am onwards
• NWPS Library Visit:             26th May (Thursday children) 10am
• Fees 2nd Installment due:      3rd June

 
Debbie, Christine, Michele and Annemarie 

Dear Families
 
Thank you to all our families for attending our first welcome morning tea the children and their Teddies had a lovely picnic. We also appreciated the donations of food for the morning.
 
Reminder Preschool Hours: 9am – 2.25pm
 
HARMONY DAY/WEEK 21st – 24th March
We invite any parents who might like to come in and share a little something about their cultural heritage with the children on any day that week eg. National costume or simple cooking experience. Please advise Christine - Monday Tuesday or Wednesday and Debbie – ThursdayJ. All children and staff to wear orange or their national costume on any day they attend that week.

PRESCHOOL SKILLS
We encourage you to speak to your child’s teacher, if you have any concerns about your child!! It is advisable to make appointment with Christine or Debbie if it is a serious concern.
 
At Preschool we work on “developing children’s fine and gross motor skills” to write their names and develop skills such as balancing, hopping and eventually skipping. At 3 years we are not expecting them to hold a pencil correctly and often they are still deciding on handedness ie; left or right, so may keep swapping. Play dough, lots of practise to draw or paint freely, using pegs or tongs, manipulating toys such as duplo, mobilo etc. all help the fine muscles to become stronger in readiness for writing and holding a pencil with a dynamic tripod grip. (4-6years). I have attached some information regarding the development of pencil grip for you to refer to if you are concerned. You can help by encouraging your child to practise each day at home:)

SEPARATION ANXIETY
Some children experience separation anxiety when first starting Preschool. Please don’t hesitate to discuss any concerns with us.
Ways you can help include:

• Ensuring your child is settled in a favourite activity
• Let the educator know you are leaving, say Goodbye briefly and leave
• Stay relaxed and have a happy expression so your child knows YOU think this is a safe and fun place to stay
• Allow your child to bring a security item from home

 
Helpful websites that discuss separation anxiety are:
http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/separation_anxiety.html
http://www.cyh.com/healthtopics/healthtopicdetails.aspx?p=114&np=122&id=1848
http://www.essentialkids.com.au/preschoolers/preschooler-behaviour-and-discipline/tears-at-dropoff-20110905-1jszo.html
 
HEALTH AND ALLERGIES – STRICTLY NUT FREE!!
We have been talking to the children about “healthy” food choices and we ask that you refrain from sending cakes, sweet biscuits, lollies or chocolates in your child’s morning tea or lunch. The preferred drink is water in their drink bottle, a popper drink is not necessary, so please save the “sometimes” foods and drinks for home…………… Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
 
At our Preschool we have children attending with allergies to:
     Nuts               Dairy            Egg                      Gluten
     Olive oil         Yeast             Wheat                 Kiwi Fruits
     Penicillin        Bandaids         Strawberries       Soy   
 
We have plans in place to minimise risk for children with allergies and all children with allergies need to provide a health form to help us with this. The severity of nut allergies, however, means we need your help.
 
How can you help?
Ensure you check all packaging and ingredients
and ensure no items containing nuts are sent to Preschool
We appreciate your assistance in this important matter.
 
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
Although we encourage healthy choices most of the time, we do acknowledge children’s birthdays at Preschool. (Sometimes foods)! Parents are invited to bring in a birthday cake or 20small cupcakes and we sing Happy Birthday and share the cake/s. Your child is given a card and a Happy Birthday sticker on their Birthday or the day closest to it……… if you are unsure just check with a staff member.

EMAIL CONSENT/DAY SWAP/SELL:
The day “selling and swapping” unwritten policy is currently under review and you will be advised accordingly. Reminder, if you have not yet returned your “email” consent form advising us of this authorization could you do so asap. Email addresses will not be distributed without your authorisation. Parents will not be permitted to use these email address for spamming, business posts or other personal advantage.
 
CHILDREN’S FUNNY QUOTES:
We were singing the “echo song” and I asked the children what an echo was? A child replied: “It’s a car”
Looking at Healthy foods, I pointed to some mushrooms and asked the children what they were. A child replied: “They are mushmellows”
I love coming to this preschool Educator asks Why? Because we get to watch TV (The very hungry caterpillar story!) & I get to go home early.
 
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE:
Our new Preschool Management Committee have hit the ground running and have installed some new (2nd hand) shelving to fit out our silver shed which houses the library. Thank you to Trudy Wallington. Katie Roberts and Siobhan Marshman are also lending a hand to clean and sort the books which were in need of some TLCL Again, we are very grateful for anyone that can help at the Preschool in any way.
We are still looking for some fundraising/social committee volunteers??? Perhaps if you could help co-ordinate ONE of the following events we hope to plan for this year it would be much appreciated. All monies go to the purchase of new equipment.
Bunnings Sausage Sizzle, Toddle Waddle, A raffle, Cake stall or End of year Disco??
 
Annemarie Hoek also sourced some 2nd hand pavers for the Preschool
and some of the parents helped her to unload them – a big thank you to those people who helped. We now need to work out a cost effective way to have them installed in our playground – in and around the cubby area. If you know anyone with experience that could help please let me knowJ
 
DIARY DATES:

• Easter:                       25th – 28th March (Preschool closed)
• Fees 2nd Installment:   18th March        
• Harmony Day/Week:    21st March (Chn wear orange/national dress)
• General Meeting:         30th March 7:30pm - (NWPS Resource room)
• Last day Term 1:          8th April
• Term 2 starts:            27th April (Wednesday)
• Mother’s Morning Tea: 4th May (9.30 – 10.30am)
• StEPS Vision Screen:   11th May (Available only for 4 year olds)

 
Debbie, Christine, Michele, Annemarie and Belle

Stop what your doing and come and join us for our welcome morning tea teddy bears picnic on Weds 18th Feb 2015 from 10-11am.  Its a great opportunity to get to know each other and meet new families at the preschool.  Weather permitting we will begin our activities outside, feel free to drop your child off as normal and return, or stay for the morning.  We look forward to seeing you there, and meeting all the loved teddies! 

Join us this Saturday 18th October for our annual "FUN" d-raising Market Day from 10am - 1pm. 

Silent Auction, Face Painting, Jumping Castle, Sausage Sizzle, Cake stall, Cookie Decorations, Trash & Treasure, Christmas Craft, International Cuisine, Sandpit Treasure and lots more.......

Come for 5 minutes or stay for a few hours...  

The preschool recently applied and were awarded a grant to create a bush tucker garden by the team at Coles Landcare.  On Saturday 14th October a team of wonderful mummy's, daddy's and enthusiastic children joined forces to begin our Directors dream of a delicious garden full of Bush Tucker that will engage our children and their families in learning, exploring, growing, eating and cooking.  Two new garden beds with built in seats for gardening club have been successful built.  Watch this space for the planting.... 

With the Commonwealth games in full swing and the arrival of our new sports equipment supporting the Munch & Move Program we thought it would be great to have a ‘Sports Week’ for everyone to explore, try out and have a go!
Many of the children arrived in their running shoes and favourite sporting clothes ready for our fun mornings of outside exercise.

The educators broke the children into small groups taking them around to have a try at all the activities......You’d be amazed at what good jumpers, runners, bowlers and soccer champs we have !!!
Aodhan managed to jump the hurdles while inside a jumping sack, Luke has a wonderful spring and landed nearly in the middle of the sandpit, Samuel was a super fast runner around the track and Connor had a great arm action for ten pin bowling! Whitney, Grace Sophia and Samika made a great relay team, while Gloria, Lucy and Niamh just loved trying out everything!

We believe this has been a great week of sporting fun and we hope it will encourage all the children to revisit and practice all their gross motor skills !! 

Welcome to Normanhurst West's Community Preschool's blog.  We look forward to sharing stories, news and events with you.  To ensure you are kept up to date with all our adventures please 'like' our Facebook page.