Author: Alana Speirs

Not long now 🙂

We are super excited to be welcoming all of our eligible August starts back into the ECC on Thursday 18th of this week.

All children due to start on Thursday were notified in June with start times, settling in periods and keyworker groups.

At this point we would ask you to take a few minutes to complete a permission form for your child starting. This can be completed by parent/carers of ALL children regardless of their start date ensuring that all permissions have been given/denied ready for them starting. 

Please click on the link to get to the FORMS slip.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=oyzTzM4Wj0KVQTctawUZKRqhoaEMY8FHkTJQGETc2XZUNE5OTklKWFFFMTRCV1JHQ05USFhBQTRYUy4u

Thank you in advance for your time and we can’t wait to see you all again soon.

Kind regards

Alana Speirs

Depute Manager

Catrine ECC 

alana.speirs@eastayrshire.org.uk

 

If your child is going to school in August please complete the FORM below before Friday 24th June.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=oyzTzM4Wj0KVQTctawUZKRqhoaEMY8FHkTJQGETc2XZUOExCQVRENDBPRDE5SVZFSzRQRlA1V05SNS4u

Thank you

Once again we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our parent/carers for their enthusiasm and willingness to participate and generally just have an amazing day with us on Friday.

I think you will all agree our children did us proud while we were visiting the park.

Please follow the link below to a wee video of our day 🙂

Catrine do Calderglen (in style of course) 🥰

Go to this Sway

*Please note we do not own the rights to the music used in the video clip.

We are super excited to introduce 2 very special new members to Team Catrine, who will be joining us this week 🙂

A very good friend was looking to rehome 2 Guinea Pigs and we were delighted to offer our support and care.

Part of our improvement plan for next year is to work towards further developing our nurture principles. With this in mind we had been looking into welcoming small animals into the setting to help support children’s mental health and wellbeing as well as to teach them real life skills in caring for animals.

The children will be responsible for helping to clean out POPPET and SANDY’s cage as well as ensuring they have food and water. They have come from a home with 2 young children and are used to being handled.

At holiday times they will join our own families, starting with Alana and then Michelle during the summer holidays.

Full risk assessments will be in place as always.

If anyone wishes their child NOT TO BE involved in experiences with Poppet and Sandy please OPT OUT by sending an email to alana.speirs@eastayrshire.org.uk

 

Please see below a brief summary of our end of term plans covering the full month of June.

With some events, you will find more information to follow nearer the time.

End of term dates for your diary

Keyworkers have been working hard on preparing your child’s progress report for the year and they are now ready to send home 🙂

If your child is returning to the ECC in August – 

You will receive 2 reports. Please take a few minutes to complete the comment sheet on the back of one and return this to your keyworker for your child’s file. The other is for you to keep.

If your child is moving into Primary 1 in August –

You will receive a transition report to keep. A copy of this report is also ready to be passed onto your child’s P1 teacher regardless of the school they are enrolled for.

 

Super proud and excited to be able to tell everyone that

100%

of Catrine practitioners and support assistant staff are now trained in Using Makaton with Singing. Makaton is a language programme using the spoken word, signs and symbols to help support language and communication development that we aim to offer to all children.

Look out for our Rhyme of the Weeks with some Makaton signs soon to be added that you can practice alongside your child 🙂

Great effort today TEAMCATRINE and we look forward to seeing everyone back in the centre again tomorrow 🙂

Parent appointments will take place on Wednesday 18th May 2022.

These will be over the phone again this term.

We have all been super stars 🙂

Please phone into the ECC on 01290 551233 to make an appointment to find out how much we have progressed during our time here at Catrine ECC 🙂

 

Can all parent/carers of children moving to any Primary School in August please complete this form.

This should only take a few minutes.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=oyzTzM4Wj0KVQTctawUZKRqhoaEMY8FHkTJQGETc2XZUMlpGWjA3NjFWRjVPN0UxUlpMS1IzNU9aUy4u

Thank you in advance

It’s not Easter without a visit from the

Egg-cellent Easter Bunny 🙂

and we all know he likes to visit the children at Catrine ECC 🙂

So, on Friday 1st April if you would like a photo opportunity of your child with the Easter Bunny please arrive at the ECC at 2pm. 

Doors will be open between 2.00-2.15pm on Friday 1st of April.

ECC closes at 2.30pm for the Easter holidays.

ECC reopens on Tuesday 19th April for both staff and children. 

We are super excited to be able to show you a few pictures so far of the progress being made down at our ECC building on Newton Street.

We will continue to keep parent/carers updated 🙂

 

 

 

It’s that time of year when parents think, “How did this happen, where has the time gone and how will my little one cope?” But don’t worry, we are here to help and support this next wee chapter in your lives by spending the next few months working hard to ensure this is an exciting time rather than an anxious one.

We aim to work in partnership with P1 teachers to ensure a smooth transition with our first event starting on Friday 11th March.

Please see the document below for dates of further visits to Catrine PS.

ECC to P1 2021-2022

We are celebrating International School Meals Day

We have had our first Booktastic drawing handed in ahead of tomorrow’s celebrations for World Book Day.

Well done Harry – a super Rat !!!

Don’t forget to bring your masterpieces in, along with a book from home if you would like to do a swap 🙂

Here at Catrine ECC we LOVE to celebrate World Book Day. Below you can see some of our plans for the day and how you can support your child by taking part at home as well.

Alana will carry out two Bookbug sessions with fun songs, rhymes and of course a super story.

Carrie is working on her leadership area and encouraging more drama in the ECC. She aims to upload an enactment of Goldilocks and the Three Bears performed by some of the children – I can’t wait for this 🙂

You may have been lucky enough to have seen our first two live stories performed by staff last year – well the children enjoyed them that much that we are planning a new and unseen live story for Thursday.

Where you can help.

Can your child draw or paint a picture of their favourite book character and bring it in to the ECC, on or before World Book Day?

And finally we hoped to try a book swap initiative.  Perhaps you have a book you would like someone else to read and the chance to take a friends book home in return? If you are happy to try a “Book Swap” we would encourage parent/carers to read the story on Thursday night and return it back into the ECC on Friday.

(Please be mindful that books may not come back in the same condition they went out in, so perhaps keep favourite books at home if it is likely to cause upset).

A super SWAY showing just how important play is to our children.

From numbers to angles,

Symmetry to time,

measurement to estimation

When people say children just play all day at nursery – we are proud of that 🙂

Numeracy outdoors

“Numeracy should be embedded throughout the curriculum and the environment and should not simply be seen as an area on it’s own.” (Realising the ambition, 2020)

Go to this Sway

Dear Parent/Carer

Please read the letter from Public Health with information regarding 2 further Covid-19 cases at Catrine ECC today.

Warn & Inform Catrine ECC

We have taken the decision to move our Christmas Party forward to Friday 17th December. 

Please do not send your child if they are unwell, and continue to follow government guidelines in relation to COVID-19.  

Reminder – Sickness and diarrhoea – children should not return to the ECC until 48 hours after the LAST episode of sickness or diarrhoea.

Can we also remind parents for our Movie day tomorrow (Thursday 16th December) to ensure that any pyjamas worn are warm enough for the children while in the ECC.

Thank you as always for your continued support and understanding in these times more than ever. 

Please click on the link below to complete 2 simple YES/NO questions ahead of tomorrow’s Bookbug session.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=oyzTzM4Wj0KVQTctawUZKRqhoaEMY8FHkTJQGETc2XZURDFHWVlMNUlIQVNETU9JSlNBWk9SQjU2US4u

Thank you

Below is a link to some of the experiences that the children will have the opportunity of being part of during the month of December.

December 2021 Dates for your Diary

Unfortunately, due to COVID19 restrictions, we are unable to invite parents into the ECC for any Christmas activities. As much as we are sad that this is the case, we hope that you continue to understand that by following East Ayrshire Council guidelines, we are trying our best to lessen the risk of transmission to children and staff allowing us to provide a service to our families here at Catrine.

Please also note that while children CAN wear Christmas jumpers, pyjamas, head boppers etc, we ask that you remember this is NOT compulsory and do not feel you HAVE to go out and purchase items that you either do not already have or wouldn’t have planned on buying anyway. We appreciate that Christmas is an expensive time of the year and we are here to try and help, not to be part of the problem.

Please also remember that EAC has a financial inclusion team who can give support and advice to families at any time of the year. Further information can be found at

https://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/wellbeing/financial-help/financial-help.aspx