Getting it Right for Every Child – Page 3 – Colquhoun Park Early Years Centre

October 1, 2021November 11, 2021

Childsmile

We are excited to report that we will be restarting tooth brushing in the centre again within the next few weeks 😁

The benefits of toothbrushing at nursery, alongside friends, is that it is a fun and social experience and encourages children to have a positive attitude to toothbrushing. Research shows that the introduction of universal nursery toothbrushing has had a positive impact on children’s oral health, reducing the number of children presenting with decay by the time they begin school.

Next week we will be offering experiences throughout the playrooms designed to promote their awareness of good

oral health and prepare the children for the reintroduction of toothbrushing in to their daily routine.

Please remember to complete and return your negative consent form by the 5th of October if the DO NOT wish your child to take part in the toothbrushing programme.

I have attached a link to the Childsmile website if you require more information.

Childsmile Information

August 30, 2021September 2, 2021

Emotional Wellbeing & Involvement

As reflective practitioners it is important that we ensure all of our learners are accessing the very best out of our environment. We aim to meet the individual needs of all our children using a holistic approach to their social, emotional, physical and cognitive development.

In order to assess ourselves, our activities and our environment it is important that we look at our delivery critically, acknowledging area for improvement, where we can maximise the engagement and early years experience for your children.

Ferre Laevers – Emotional Wellbeing and Involvement Scale

Using the Leuven Scale for emotional wellbeing and Involvement we carry out up to 3 class screens a year. During these screenings we are observing children’s emotional wellbeing and engagement.

The Leuven Scale is a five-point scale that allows early years practitioners to measure children’s ’emotional well-being’ and ‘involvement’ – two vital components of learning, development and progress in children.

The Leuven Scale is a form of assessment created by Professor Dr. Ferre Laevers, director of the Research Centre for Experiential Education based in the Leuven University, Belgium. Laevers states “children in a high state of ‘well-being’ are like ‘fish in water’. They are comfortable in their environment, confident and eager to experiment and explore. Whereas, children with low levels of well-being often appear frightened, anxious and dependent, making it hard for them to learn in a sustained way and explore their potential. Similarly, high levels of ‘involvement’ – characterised by curiosity, fascination, deep satisfaction and a genuine interest in what they are doing – is an indicator of ‘deeper-level’, meaningful learning”.

Further information on the leuven scale and how it can inform planning and experiences in the early years can be found by clicking here.

July 21, 2021July 21, 2021

Keeping Safe in the Sun

It is a running joke in Glasgow that any temperature over 20oC is considered ‘TAPS AFF’ weather!

Over the past week we have had the pleasure of enjoying some of the warmest days of the year, with temperatures soaring to 25oC and above.

As tempting as it may be in this glorious weather to take our ‘taps aff’ not having the correct clothing or sun protection can be extremely damaging, not only for our skin but also our health.

Signs of heat st roke/exhaustion

Here are some top tips for keeping yourself and your families safe in the sun!

Keep children out of the sun between 11am-3pm
Babies under six months should never be left in direct sunlight
Let children play in the shade instead
If your setting has little shade, put up tents, gazebos or awnings to allow for play in the shade
Children should wear brimmed hats and loose long-sleeved clothing
If splashing or paddling, children should wear longer-sleeved UV-protective swimwear. Or oversized T-shirts also provide good coverage
Use a high factor sunscreen (30 plus or 50 plus) applied every four hours — remember to put cream on necks, ears, feet, etc
You can ask parents to provide sunscreen, labelled with their child’s name and kept in their day bag or drawer
You don’t have to record the application of sunscreen unless it is a specially medicated suncream in which case you record as normal
Children need Vitamin D which you get from the sun but sun protection takes priority so you still need to apply suncream
Don’t forget to lead by example and wear a hat and suncream yourself

Applying Sunscreen Hack – No more tears!!

Tips for staying safe in the sun – Cbeebies

Minions sun safety video

George the Sun Safe Superstar!