Milngavie Early Years Centre

Good morning! Hope today finds you healthy and still sane!!! It’s lovely to be able to see family again- even without hugs -and the weather has been kind too! Life is getting slightly more normal!
Thanks for all the lovely comments about our Staff video! We have all watched it lots too, just to see our friends!
This morning there are 2 new videos to watch-Pam sent us an amazing one which speeds up the development from tadpole to frog! Ours are still just beginning to grow legs!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAuf_FPhzF0/?igshid=1txfs7jaeeoky

We also have a lovely Teddy song from Susan and Mr Snappy! Get your teddy and get ready to dance!
https://youtu.be/5lLzrSF9rgA

Continue Reading →

In case you missed this musical message from staff in your learning journal- click this link and dance with us!

https://youtu.be/mv72Ze3JwL4

It was recently noted on Our Facebook page that our videos there can be followed by other videos which are inappropriate for children, and which play automatically when our video stops.

Kate Pearson – a woman of great worldly wisdom and a whiz with tech- luckily had the answer to why this happens and outlined a way in which you can make the automatic video content Facebook shows you safer.

It did raise serious issues though, and we would hate to be responsible, however inadvertently, for our children viewing inappropriate content.

I am now suggesting that if you prefer not to use Facebook, you go to our Glowblog and sign up for Updates. I am now able to put links to our videos on there and cut out the need for Facebook.

The blog sends its contents to our Facebook page so you can continue to use it, if you are happy doing so. Please just be aware that Facebook sends you videos based on what you have watched on your device, and if it has contained any adult content it assumes you will be happy to see more. If older kids or adults use your device think about following Kate’s advice about changing the settings on Ad Preferences on Facebook.

Many thanks to Kate for sharing her knowledge on this subject.  I hope the new video links on the blog will make it a safer alternative for parents.  Please let us know what you think!

https://youtu.be/10aDcaSDkwU

Julie reads a special Julia Donaldson counting story. See if you can count the things that Ted sees!

The Scottish government have made available access to Solihull Online free to all parents. The Solihull Approach is an excellent, tried and tested course for parents and Early Years Practitioners which looks at understanding emotional development, managing behaviour and sustaining good relationships with children and young people from 0-18 yrs.  These courses are extremely worthwhile. The usually cost £39 each so free access to all of them is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the current thinking on child development. They address problems that all parents experience and give workable strategies and advice.

If you are interested follow the link for details on how to access the courses. There are courses for every stage of childhood so you can choose the ones which apply to your wee ones!

As a granny, I’ve already spotted a couple I’m going to sign up for!!!! ❤️

http://www.inourplace.co.uk

The access code is TARTAN

Another week of lockdown has started, but we are definitely getting nearer to the light at the end of the tunnel!

Erin sent me this great lockdown version of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.  If you can teach it to your wee one, it would lovely to video it to send to grannies and grandpas and we would absolutely love to see it in your Learning Journal as a wee memory of how tough it was, not to see all our loved ones!

🎵🌟 Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Send my love out wide and far

To my family, to my friends

See you soon when lockdown ends

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Send my kisses wide and far!

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week.  It is perhaps particularly important this year as lockdown has meant challenging times for all of us.  The focus this year is on kindness, and this is something going on widely in our community just now. Many people are helping others in lots of kind ways.  In nursery we talk to children about emotions- on a daily basis through stories and group time activities and also with a resource called PAThS- (Promoting Alternative Thinking Skills), which explores emotions and how to manage them through stories based round a wee turtle puppet called Twiggle and his animal friends.  Our children quickly learn to recognise emotions in others using cues from faces and body language, and also become able to name the emotions they feel.  We learn how to manage our more difficult emotions and to talk about them and about how we can help ourselves feel better.  Empathy is encouraged and kindness is celebrated.   Children learn to compliment each other and this encourages good self esteem. This all sounds a bit worthy and boring, but PAThS sessions are always good fun and the staff who run them are always amazed by the wisdom many of our wee people already have.   We have put 3 kindness tasks on as our Home Learning for this week in our Learning Journals.  If you have time and feel up to it, why not put a photo or any of your child’s comments about them on your Journal!

We’ve got 3 videos on our Facebook page today- one of our tadpoles, some of whom are getting more froggy in shape, but still using their long wiggly tails to swim. One from Susan and Mr Snappy and also one of Olaf and Disney characters which sums up how the nursery ladies are feeling about not seeing you all!

Wishing everyone a week full of kindness! ❤️

At the outset of lockdown, few of us could have predicted how we would cope with the restrictions on our freedom and 24/7 care and education of our children at home.   It is not easy! The pressures on parents just now are immense.  Some days do not go to plan, however good our intentions.  You are doing a really good job in really tough circumstances.  From the wonderful posts on our Learning Journals and the messages we have had from parents, we know that your children are thriving- learning so many new things every single day!  From amazing outdoor adventures to interesting things learned in Screen Time, the amazing range of learning experiences you are giving your child is helping them grow in knowledge and confidence every single day.  Do not worry if you don’t post on the Learning Journals. It is a step too far for many!  There are umpteen pressures on your time- especially if you are also working from home!  We are going to emerge from this enforced “together time” with a very special group of children who have a real sense of family.  If your child is happy, healthy and enjoying being with you, you are doing an amazing job!

I have been sent a couple of interesting links from colleagues which I’d like to pass on.  The first is live music concerts from Live Music Scotland. These are aimed at different audiences but there are quite a few for pre-5’s.

youtube.com/LiveMusicScotland

The second is only for parents looking for ideas and activities linked to the early years curriculum.  It is an in-depth outline of the how’s and why’s of pre-school education and includes Birth to 3 as well as 3-5. It’s a great, comprehensive guide to home learning and is well worth a read.  However, only read it on a day where you are feeling on top of things.  No one could do all of it, all the time.  It does give some great ideas for activities though and is laid out in a poster style which I found made it easy to read.

Hi everyone! I hope today finds you safe and healthy and still sane! The weather is definitely with us and it is a real joy to get out for a walk or bike ride and see how beautiful this Spring is!

This morning Susan has sent us a wonderful video about the lifecycle of the caterpillar, accompanied by the music from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. I will put it onto the Facebook page. It’s brilliant!

Last Friday, Kate- Eilidh’s mum ran a Zoom disco for our wee ones.  Some of our staff joined in too- Caroline said the Hokey Cokey was particularly fun! Entry to this was through The Milngavie ELCC Parents Group- a closed group on Facebook which you must join to have access to. Why not join and be part of any future events! It is a great forum for keeping in touch with other parents too.  Many thanks to Kate Pearson for organising this!

If you are looking for a great educational resource for your wee ones, Debbie has sent me some recipes for different playdoughs that you might like to make at home. Playdough is fun and encourages lots of different skills, including fine motor, language, artistic creativity, imagination. Our children love making it at nursery! Not suitable for playing with on carpets or soft furnishings though! 😱. Hope you have fun making it at home!

We will have more news from the garden later, when I have managed to motivate myself to leave my house! Éric and Émile have been very busy and I will post the photos to show you their great progress this week!

Mr Graham has asked me to pass on East Dunbartonshire Council’s Digital Resources for New Parents Page. Please share it with anyone you know who has a new baby!

Digital Resources for New Parents

East Dunbartonshire has produced a useful guide providing information and support from credible sources during these unprecedented times for new parents.

For more information please contact the Public Health Improvement Team at: ED.Healthimprovementteam@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

​​

Good Morning! I hope you are safe and well this morning- another week nearer to the end of lockdown! All our staff are missing our children and families and we would absolutely love to be back at work.  We are really loving all the news of what you have been doing that you have put on the Learning Journals!  Please keep it coming- it’s so good to look back on it with your child!

We have exciting news this morning – Lisa’s chrysalises hatched out!  Our tadpoles are starting to grow back legs and our plants in the orchard and garden are beginning to grow and flower.

Here are some of the beautiful sights I saw in our lovely outdoor space today.

Our playground plants are so colourful- thanks to careful watering from Émile and Katie!

Continue Reading →

Good morning everyone- another lovely dry day- hope you are keeping safe and well and finding lots of fun things to do to fill your days.

Angela has sent me some great ideas for maths resources that can be made at home and that make practising numbers good fun.
Continue Reading →