Please click the link to read the IMFC E-Bulletin from week beginning 17.04.17
Tag Archives: What’s Happening?
Holiday Reminder
Kind Reminder:
Children who attend on a term time basis will have their last day at the Family Centre on Friday 31st March, returning on Tuesday 18th April.
Children who attend on an extended service basis will finish on Thursday 14th April and will also return on Tuesday 18th April.
Hungry Horse Visit
Here are some photo’s of the children on their Hungry Horse learning visit last week…….
The children have been highly involved in the planning process from start to end. The learning stemmed from the children’s interest in the Hungry Horse when construction was underway – children were very thoughtful about what was going to be built – was it a shop? Was it a Café? Was it a garage? No – it was the Hungry Horse!
Following the opening of the new restaurant, some children told us they had visited with their families. Other children who had not visited were also very interested to learn more. The children voted for a restaurant to be set up as a new role play area within the Cara playroom. They had to plan what would be needed in the restaurant and the area was designed using all their ideas – the children wanted a table and chairs, they needed proper china plates and glasses! They had to have a cash register and then a menu board was added.
The children have developed skills across various areas of the curriculum during this learning block. When planning they are learning to be responsible and reflective on what they know and what they want to find out. When writing down ideas they are developing their mark making skills, some children are forming letters or letter shapes and some children are sounding out words to then write.
At the cash desk the children are developing their skills in numeracy by matching, sorting and counting coins and notes and pressing the appropriate buttons on the register.
In addition to these skills, the children are working together, using their imagination and focusing on seeing tasks through to the end.
When out walking to Hungry Horse they were learning about road safety and keeping each other and themselves safe.
Amazing how one little spark of interest can create a HUGE experience of learning.
Let us know what you think – come and see the learning wall and add your comments 🙂
Red Nose Day 2017
Isobel Mair School classes Yell, Unst and Fetlar have been busy processing their orders of red noses in REDiness for the big day on Friday 24th March. There’s still time to order your nose if you have not alREDy done so!
Order forms are on the table in the foyer – please complete and return to myself or Joanne to ensure you have a nose on the day! The cut off day for ordering is Monday 20th March.
All money raised will help people living really tough lives in the UK and across Africa. For example £2.50 could buy a mosquito net to protect a family in Africa. In the UK, £5 could pay for an isolated elderly person with dementia to have dinner at their local support group. On their behalf, thank you.
The children are encouraged to bring a donation, wear red on Friday and of course have their noses on!
For further information visit: http://www.rednoseday.com/order-a-fundraising-kit
Lots of Socks
Lots of Socks
Lots of Socks is a fun initiative to support Down’s syndrome Awareness Day on 21st March every year.
Why socks? Well, because chromosomes look like socks and people with Down’s syndrome have an extra chromosome! “Lots of Socks” is acknowledged around the world as being associated with Ds.
We are asking for children (and staff, parents!) to wear ‘lots of socks’ in creative ways – you might wear socks on your feet, on your arms, as a belt, in your hair!? Or perhaps you might want to wear odd socks – as long as they are prominent and shout out that we are supporting Ds, anything goes J Bring along a donation on the day and all proceeds will go directly towards Down’s Syndrome Scotland.
For more information please see
https://www.dsscotland.org.uk/support-us/awareness-week/lots-of-socks/
Interactive Art Exhibition
Some of children went along to support the pupils of Isobel Mair School as they presented their interactive art exhibition his afternoon….
IMFC Parent Committee Meeting
IMFC Parent Committee Meeting
Recently during a Pop in and Play session one of our parents, Mairi-Jean Watkins asked about re-establishing the IMFC Parent Committee. We currently have parent representatives who attend the IMS&FC Parent Council on a regular basis however we have not been able to establish an IMFC parent committee for quite some time due to parent’s home and work commitments. Mairi-Jean has arranged use of our parents room on Tuesday 21st February at 1pm and we would very much encourage parents to come along and share their views. Morning and afternoon parents are welcome to come along.
“The staff are keen to have more input from us (the parents) by way of ideas and feedback. Examples are how to spend funding (toys, activities etc) and feedback on what we feel the nursery does well and any ideas on what we feel could be done differently”.
“This need not be time or labour-intensive. We all have very busy lives and sometimes those 3 hours during nursery time are the hours where we get a bit of time to focus on other activities/children! However, nursery is such an important part of our children’s lives, that it would be good for us, as parents, to have the opportunity to influence that”.
If you would also like to attend the Isobel Mair School and Family Centre Parent Council, the next meeting will be held on Thursday 23rd February at 7pm.
Power of Friendship at IMFC
Today the children decided they were not going to use their legs so they could be just the same as their friend, who is a wheelchair user. The children commando crawled across the floor using the muscles in their arms and hands, just like their friend does every day!
Well done everybody 🙂
INSET & Holiday Reminder
The Family Centre will be closed on Friday 10th February 2017 for staff training.
Mid Term break is from Monday 13th February until Wednesday 15th February – term time children should return to nursery at the usual time on Thursday 16th February.
Children who attend on an extended term basis should attend as usual from Monday 13th February. Our IMFC bus will run as normal.
New Outdoor Resource
IMFC Nature Nurture Project 
In March 2016 the Family Centre made an application to the Tesco Bags of Help Grant Scheme and were DELIGHTED to discover that our application was chosen by the shortlisting panel!
We went on to win third prize for our project and were awarded £8000.
Work began on the ground at the start of the New Year and today children from the Family Centre and from Isobel Mair School had first dibs on the new embankment slide.
We are sure this new resource will create fun and laughter for many years to come! Children are developing a wide array of skills whilst accessing this new resource including climbing, balancing, risk assessing, safety, sharing, turn taking, hand/eye co-ordination, spatial awareness, team work, perseverance in addition to developing core strength and body awareness, muscle tone development not to mention fun and laughter!
Have a look for yourself 🙂