Catrine Early Childhood Centre

We have placed some of our favourite stories around The Voes.

All you have to do is use your camera to scan the QR code, and the story will open up. Have a listen while out on a walk.

Dear Parents / Carers

There have been a number of cases of COVID-19 identified in Catrine ECC. Please read the attached letter from Public Health about action you can take to help reduce further spread of COVID-19 in the ECC.

Thank You

Catrine ECC Stage 3 Letters 24.03.22

Our SWAY below shows just some of the highlights from this week.

Fortnightly Overview – 28/02 to 18/03

In the Garden Room we have been learning about the different sizes of animals. We have been using the promethean board to find out lots of interesting facts e.g their height and weight. The…

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This week our transition visit had the curricular focus of Numeracy.

All pre-school children met with Mrs Cook, Mrs Schendel and the P6 buddies to engage in number based activities, such as number formation in the foam, dominoes, using cubes to form different shapes, working as a team to order the number line, creating quantities with the tens frame trains and exploring patterns with the compare bears.

We also had a few surprise visitors to the session – some of our children’s older siblings 🤩

  

This month, as the children have been exploring various aspects of safety, we will be using the ‘Oh Lila!’ learning resource pack.   The pack includes a storybook, CD, puppets, jigsaw and guidance notes.

The book illustrates the story of a hare called Lila who does something that she shouldn’t have.  Her concerned friend, Eric the squirrel, offers advice and wants to get her help.

The aim of this story is to encourage the children to consider who the safe people are in their lives that they can turn to when they have problems that they need help with.

The story poses 3 key questions;

• What should I do when I hurt myself?
• What should I do when I’m feeling frightened?
• What should I do when I feel lonely?

We will also discuss secrets and in what situations should secrets not be kept.

The story aims to develop social skills, problem solving and resilience.

Why not share this learning at home? – discuss sharing problems and who the safe people are in your child’s life.  The children love to share what they already know in the centre whilst learning new information.

School Streets Reminder

Unfortunately an increase in traffic around school at drop off and pick up times does not follow the School Streets plan.
This is just a reminder for parents and carers, when the restricted times are:
Drop off times – 8.30am till 9.30am. Pick up times 2.30pm till 3.30pm.
Please follow the School Streets plan, to allow for safer roads around our School and ECC.
Thank you for keeping our children safe .

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 🙂

 

 

 

Today we began our transition journey by meeting with our Catrine Primary School P6 buddies. 🤩

The buddies did a fantastic job of interacting and supporting all pre-school children while exploring the loose parts area within the school playground.

All children were super excited and enjoyed their time with their buddies.

Thank you buddies 😊

Here is a snapshot of how the visit went…

 

 

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

NEW INITIATIVE ALERT!!

Julie, Leoni and Tammie would like to introduce a new initiative that will be commencing today (Thursday 10th March). This will be called ‘the lending library’ which has been set up to help enhance the children’s literacy and communication skills both at home and within the ECC.

The children will receive a bag that includes a book and a feedback form every Thursday and we ask that this is returned to the ECC by the following Monday.

what is ‘the lending library’ ?

• weekly home link which will be ongoing until the Easter holidays
• promotes your child’s language and communication
• quality bonding time and interactions between child and adult
• a new book chosen by your child every Thursday
• your child will get a book and a child friendly feedback form to fill in before bringing back to the ECC on the Monday
• at the end of the block, parents will be asked to fill in a feedback form regarding the lending library (this can be anonymous if preferred)

further website links highlighting the benefits of reading with children:-

• https://earlyyearsscotland.org/Media/Docs/Literacy%20-%20Reading_307604.pdf
• https://www.education.gov.scot/parentzone/Documents/ReadingTips_EarlyYearsEN.pdf

BOOKS MUST BE RETURNED TO THE ECC BEFORE YOUR CHILD RECEIVES THEIR NEW BOOK.

Julie – Communication Champion

Leoni – Literacy Champion

Tammie – Home Link Champion

We are celebrating International School Meals Day

Easter home link – Can you make an Easter bonnet at home with your child? Any material can be used; please do not feel that you need to go out and buy anything.

This is an opportunity for you and your child to develop your creativity skills together. The children will show off their creations at our Easter bonnet parade as we walk around the village.

Can all bonnets please be in by Monday 28th March?

Here are some ideas.

When learning is simply FUN 🙂

Celebrating World Book Day at Catrine ECC

We have been learning about Goldilocks and the three bears. We used the character masks to retell the story through drama. Look how good we are!

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Please have a look at the sway below to see our wonderful work displayed in the Centre ♥

Displays

Here in the Early Childhood Centre we like to create beautiful displays that showcase what we have been learning. It has been unfortunate due to restrictions that we cannot share these dis…

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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).

It’s that time again……..a new superhero!  Ready to guide us on our journey in learning all about safety.  So far this academic year we have had Nurture Ned and Healthy Superhero.  So get ready to meet Superhero Safe.

A huge well done to all the children for participating in the competition.  With children and staff voting we found our winner…  Congratulations Ayla!  We love your hero and all agree that superheroes do have big hearts ♥

Please click on the link for information about how to apply for 1140 hours of funded Early Learning & Childcare for 2022-23 for children born between 1st March 2019 and 29th February 2020.

When and where to apply · East Ayrshire Council (east-ayrshire.gov.uk)

Please have a look at the sway below to see what we have been learning in the Centre over the past fortnight about mental health.  I have linked some websites for families to enjoy together at home and attached some links for additional information. 

Mental Health Week

As this week is national mental health week we have further explored mental health using a range of activities, materials and strategies to build upon our existing knowledge and understandi…

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https://clearyourhead.scot/support

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/crisis-services/helplines-listening-services/