Milngavie Early Years Centre

Today we had a visit from Claire Shriver, Tesco Milngavie’s Community Champion who came to talk to us about applying for a Tesco Bags of Help grant to improve our garden.

She told us about the Tesco Milngavie Facebook page which outlines all the help that Tesco provide in our community- from work parties of Tesco’s staff to help, to supplying food for community project barbeques.

If you are involved in anything that might count as a community project, check with Tesco to see if they might be able to fund or help you.  It is surprising what they do.

Some photos of Chris and the children in action at the first Enjoy-A-Ball session.   Practising our listening skills, being active and having  lots of fun.

What a lovely morning for a walk in the woods!  We really enjoyed being out in the fresh air and saw lots of signs that Autumn is on its way.  We collected windfall apples and rosehips for our Autumn table.  We even managed a paddle through the burn.  What a  great way to spend a Friday morning.

Our first Parents’ Focus Group is scheduled for Thursday 28th September at 9.10 in our Quiet Room.  If you are free and could give half an hour of your time, to give us some ideas and opinions on our service, we would be really grateful.

In our first meeting, I am hoping to find out the things that parents like and dislike about our service.  I will then use the information to make a more detailed questionnaire for all our parents,  so we can get a big picture of what we can do to improve the experience of our Early Learning and Childcare Centre for families.

If you cannot attend and would like to comment, you can email me – KCameron@milngavie.e-dunbarton.sch.uk, or alternatively fill in a paper slip and put it in the Parents Focus Group Completed Slips envelope on the inside of the nursery door.

We are going to hold Focus Meetings each month and these will alternate between Thursday morning and afternoons to make sure more parents have an opportunity to attend.

In the past, our parents focus group has been really useful.  Parents decided last year, that we should try the Electronic Learning Journals, which we are introducing this year.  The nursery blog was also a result of a Parents’ Focus Group.  We really appreciate parental input and it will be reflected in our Centre’s official Annual Improvment Plan.

If you go down to the woods tomorrow you’re sure of a big surprise- we are going on a walk there to see if we can photograph any signs of autumn and bring back autumnal things for our Autumn table.

Please could your child bring wellies to Nursery tomorrow if they do not already have some here.  Rain is not forecast but that’s never guaranteed, so a waterproof coat as well please.

We don’t know what we might find tomorrow but we will keep you posted!    Autumn is such an exciting season.

Today Laoch brought in conkers that he had found, and told us all about them.  Oscar had been very busy too, collecting a big box of lovely leaves and pine cones with his gran.  Erin and Isla had brought beautiful coloured leaves from their granny’s garden and Eilidh had come in on Monday having collected fantastic red coloured leaves last weekend.  We also have some windfall apples that Julie was given that smell amazingly appley!

In nursery this week we are being asked to display a poster detailing the symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia.  Anyone working with children, or who has their own children, should be aware of the early signs of these terrible illnesses, as the sooner they are spotted, the better the chance of complete recovery.  We have put our poster up in the hall but if you are not sure about the symptoms it is a good idea to google NHS 24 and become familiar with them yourself.

This year the nursery is taking part in the annual East Dunbartonshire Council hyacinth bulb growing competition.  This means that if you would like your child to take part, you can pay 65p for the bulb and some compost and take it home and grow it.  There will be a prize awarded for first, second and third best flowers – the judging takes place at the beginning of February, the date is still to be confirmed- and we also have the chance to win a shield for the best display.   You should have received a note about this with a slip for ordering your bulb – if we have missed you out, please just ask a member of staff.  We will get the bulbs at the beginning of November .  With all the green fingered wee people that we have in our nursery, we are quietly confident that we will be polishing that shield next year!!

One of our parents has alerted me to the fact that the September holiday is not shown on some of the internet EDC School Holiday sites.  Nursery and school are closed on Friday 22nd and Monday 25th September for our half term holiday.  That is only 9 days away – not that we’re counting!!!!

On Sunday, between 2-4.30pm there is a work day taking place in the garden and orchard.  If you would like to help tidy up our amazing garden and help us get it ready for autumn please come along.  Children are welcome as long as they are accompanied and supervised by a parent.  We’ll be pruning the willow tunnel and fruit trees and doing some strimming and clearing.  As always there will be tea and coffee and some lovely cake. It is always good fun and very rewarding as many hands always make light work!!  Come along and we will polish your halo!!

On Monday we welcomed Kirsten Scott, our new HNC Student, to Milngavie ELC (Milngavie Early Learning Centre- our new very PC name!)

Kirsten is in her HNC year at Clyde College, Anniesland Campus and is studying for an HNC in Early Childhood Practice.  She has been here for a day and a half now, and has already fitted brilliantly into our staff team and made lots of wee friends.  Kirsten will be with us until May 2018 and we are delighted she has joined the team.