Sunny weather
Although we have a well-shaded garden it’s still important to make sure that children do not get too much sun.
• Children must wear a T-shirt or other top which covers their shoulders (not vests, not strappy tops or dresses please).
• Children should also bring a hat to wear in the garden – you might want to label it with your child’s name.
• Please put plenty of sun cream on your child before the start of the day. We have some SP 15 sunscreen which we can put on children during the day, but we prefer it if your child has her or his own bottle of sunscreen.
For more information, go to NHS Direct
Dates
Important dates 2009-2010
Thursday 11th June
Review Day **
Monday 22nd June
Development Morning Closure *
Friday 3rd July
Summer Fun Day and Picnic
Monday 20th July
Last day of summer term
17th August — 4th September (inclusive)
Nursery closed for all children
Monday 7th September
First day of the winter term
Monday 22nd September
Development Morning Closure *
Monday 26th-Friday 30th October
School half term
Thursday 12th November
Review Day **
Monday 30th November
Development Morning Closure *
Friday 18th December
Last day of winter term
24th December – 1st January (inclusive)
Nursery closed for all children
Monday 4th January 2010
First day of spring term
Monday 15 – Friday 19th February
School half term
Thursday 1st April
Last day of spring term
* On Development Mornings, the nursery is closed all morning and opens at 1pm. ** On Review Days the nursery is closed so that we can meet with every parent and carer to review each child’s development. The nursery stays open for children with extended day/year places.
See Islington Term Dates 2009-2010
Monday, 1 June 2009
Monday, 18 May 2009
18th May 2009
Parents as First Teachers
Are you looking for some information or advice about
· Toilet training?
· Dealing with Tantrums?
· Sleep?
· Bilingualism?
· Managing fussy eating?
· Dental health?
· What might come next in your child’s development (3’s and under)?
Any family using any service at Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children’s Centre can pick up advice on any of the above topics from the Parents as First Teachers programme (PAFT).
We currently have three staff trained to offer advice and information from PAFT (Jan, Dawn and Liz) and Kara, Kulwinder, Eileen, Yussef, Sadia and Fatema will be joining us soon. The programme includes clear information sheets on these popular topics for parents (and many more) and also information on what to expect at each stage of development for children from birth to three.
There are two ways to pick up some information or discuss a parenting issue with us, either come along to the PAFT stay and play group on Thursday between 10 and 12 (you don’t have to have your child with you if they are in nursery) or simply ask one of us to arrange a time to meet with you.
For more information contact Jan.
More information about PAFT is available here.
Reminder about dates
We are closed for all children on Thursday and Friday this week, for staff training and development.
School half term is Monday 25th-Friday 29th May inclusive. Children with extended day/year place continue to attend during this week - but don’t forget that
Monday 25th May is a Bank Holiday.
If you are not sure about anything please ask your key person.
Are you looking for some information or advice about
· Toilet training?
· Dealing with Tantrums?
· Sleep?
· Bilingualism?
· Managing fussy eating?
· Dental health?
· What might come next in your child’s development (3’s and under)?
Any family using any service at Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children’s Centre can pick up advice on any of the above topics from the Parents as First Teachers programme (PAFT).
We currently have three staff trained to offer advice and information from PAFT (Jan, Dawn and Liz) and Kara, Kulwinder, Eileen, Yussef, Sadia and Fatema will be joining us soon. The programme includes clear information sheets on these popular topics for parents (and many more) and also information on what to expect at each stage of development for children from birth to three.
There are two ways to pick up some information or discuss a parenting issue with us, either come along to the PAFT stay and play group on Thursday between 10 and 12 (you don’t have to have your child with you if they are in nursery) or simply ask one of us to arrange a time to meet with you.
For more information contact Jan.
More information about PAFT is available here.
Reminder about dates
We are closed for all children on Thursday and Friday this week, for staff training and development.
School half term is Monday 25th-Friday 29th May inclusive. Children with extended day/year place continue to attend during this week - but don’t forget that
Monday 25th May is a Bank Holiday.
If you are not sure about anything please ask your key person.
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
12th May 2009
Starting school
If your child is four years old before 31st August 2009, then you will have been notified of your primary school place by Islington. If you have not, or you have any questions or problems with school admissions, please let Julian or Michele know.
Transition to primary school is a really important step for all children. This is how we work with schools to support the children:
If your child is four years old before 31st August 2009, then you will have been notified of your primary school place by Islington. If you have not, or you have any questions or problems with school admissions, please let Julian or Michele know.
Transition to primary school is a really important step for all children. This is how we work with schools to support the children:
- The school will arrange a time for your child to visit, see the classroom, playground, dining hall etc and usually meet the classteacher. Please let us know if your child is visiting her or his school: then your key person can talk to your child in nursery about it.
- We encourage the reception teacher and/or teaching assistant to come and visit the children here at Kate Greenaway, too.
- If your child has special educational needs, we will arrange a transition meeting between our staff and the school staff.
- We will complete an end of nursery report, which you contribute to, and which is then sent to the primary school.
- We will give your child’s Profile Book to you, and we encourage you to share this with the reception teacher.
Asthma in childhood
We are running an Information Morning here at Kate Greenaway on Thursday May 14th from 10am-12pm with a specialist asthma nurse. You can find out about the best ways to administer medication, advice on exercise for asthmatic children, and how to spot the signs that your child’s asthma is getting worse and needs medical attention.
Anyone who has worried about their child’s breathing or had to take their child to A&E knows how distressing this can be, so if this affects you please come along on Thursday.
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
5th May 2009
Swine Flu Alert
I am sure you are aware of the current alert about swine flu, and you will be receiving information from the government about this during this week.
There is currently no need for nurseries, schools etc to close or to take any special actions. The best thing we can all do is to follow basic hygiene precautions, including:
I am sure you are aware of the current alert about swine flu, and you will be receiving information from the government about this during this week.
There is currently no need for nurseries, schools etc to close or to take any special actions. The best thing we can all do is to follow basic hygiene precautions, including:
- Covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue when possible
- Disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully
- Maintaining good basic hygiene, for example washing hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to face or to other people
- Cleaning hard surfaces (e.g. door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product
- Making sure children follow this advice
If your child shows flu symptoms, please keep him or her off nursery until better and either contact your GP by phone for advice or contact NHS Direct.
Please do not take your child to the GP surgery unless you are advised to do so. For up to date, local advice contact Islington council.
Swine Flu Information from central government is available on 0880 1 513 513 and here.
African Bag Gardens at Kate Greenaway
In the community team we are having a go at creating some African Bag Gardens this year. We got the idea (and the sacks!) from Send a Cow, a charity that supports people in some African countries to grow food in small spaces. We have been planting seeds for radishes, rocket, beans and sunflowers with lots of families who attend stay and play groups at the Centre and we plan to transfer them to our bag gardens very soon.
Check out bag gardens from Send a Cow and then check out our gardens! If anyone has a supply of smallish rocks (about half a brick size) to help us make the sacks stable please let Jan know.
Thank you!
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Community Kitchen - vacancy for a nursery cook
Community Kitchen Cook: advert text
Read all about the Community Kitchen campaign in Nursery World
Scale 6 – £25,263 - £26,742 pro rata, 25 hours per week
Do you share our passion about offering babies, toddlers and young children the very best food whilst they are in nursery? Do you have the skills to work with children, parents and other professionals to make a real difference to families’ health and wellbeing in inner London?
Kate Greenaway is a delightful Nursery School and Children’s Centre with 51 places for children aged from six months to rising five year olds, close to King’s Cross station in Central London. We are developing an exciting new project, the “Community Kitchen”, in partnership with the Duke of Cambridge, a local award-winning organic restaurant.
You will be working with an assistant to prepare and cook fresh meals every day for the children on roll, using seasonal and mainly organic ingredients. You will be part of an experienced and supportive staff team and working in a friendly, child-centred, community-focussed environment. You will have specialist support, advice and ongoing training from the team at Duke of Cambridge.
You will need to be a good, creative cook, with knowledge of and interest in food and nutrition. You will need to have some experience of running a kitchen (sourcing food, planning menus, financial control). Knowledge of health and hygiene standards and statutory requirements is essential.
You will be required to plan, source, and cook healthy, nutritionally-balanced meals for children and staff, with a particular attention to reflecting the cultural diversity of the neighbourhood. As well as managing the whole process of preparing and cooking meals for the nursery, you will be involving children in food preparation and cooking, and helping to run cook and eat workshops and other events with parents.
The successful application will be passionate about food from growing and sourcing through to the use of local and seasonal produce, and have a keen interest in the environment, recycling and the use of organic produce. A commitment to working with and inspiring children and families will be vital.
If you are excited by the unique opportunity as we are, we hope you will apply for the post. Please note that you must use the Application Form: we will not accept CVs.
If you are interested in this post, we hope you will be able to come and visit on Tuesday 5th May between 9.30am-11am.
You can also discuss the post informally by contacting Julian Grenier, headteacher at Kate Greenaway, on 0207 527 4853 or send me an email
To apply for this post please contact the Recruitment Team on 020 7527 5812 or by email, quoting ref: ED/5079. Please note: you cannot obtain an application pack for this post until Tuesday 5th May. The application pack will include the full details for the post.
Closing date 5pm 13th May.
Shortlisting morning of 14th May.
Selection process (interview and practical tests) 19th May.
Kate Greenaway Nursery and Children’s Centre is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Letter to applicants
Dear applicant
Thank you for your interest in the post of Community Cook at Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children’s Centre. I hope you will find the application process works smoothly for you and I look forward to reading your application.
About Kate Greenaway
We are a small Nursery School and Children’s Centre located close to Kings Cross. We have 51 places for children aged from 6 months to rising 5 years old. We think that Kate Greenaway is a good place to work, with a highly committed and friendly staff team and excellent relationships with parents. As soon as you come in, there is a special atmosphere – very focussed on what is best for young children, with a strong emphasis on play and enjoying our fantastic garden. There is a very full and popular programme of groups for parents and carers with young children, too.
If you agree that “seeing is believing”, then please come along to our open morning on Tuesday 5th May, 9.30-11am, when you can have a tour and also meet Tascha, the chef from the Duke of Cambridge.
To find out more, have a look at our website, email me or phone for an informal discussion (all contact details are in the letter heading above).
About the Community Kitchen
We are really excited by this new project, which is all about improving the quality of the food at nursery, and working with parents and the wider community to promote healthy eating.
We start with enjoyment and participation – children relishing meals which are freshly cooked and prepared with locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients, and taking part in vegetable growing and good preparation. So you will need to enjoy the company of young children and be ready to be patient, take time with them, and involve them (with the support of the nursery staff, of course). You will also be enthusiastic about working with small groups of parents, and doing informal cooking and tasting sessions as part of our “Stay and Play” programme. Occasionally you may be asked to work on a weekend or evening.
Working closely with the Duke of Cambridge, you will be devising nutritionally-balanced menus which are appropriate for the age-group and which celebrate the ethnic and cultural diversity of the neighbourhood.
You will also have a firm grip on costs in the kitchen and help to raise extra revenue, for example by selling fresh and frozen meals to staff and parents.
Your people-skills will be very good – you will need to support, encourage and manage the assistant cook, work closely with nursery staff and parents, and have lots of initiative and flexibility.
A few words about the application form
Please note the following points, Make sure you submit a good application form that does you justice!
• Please read the guidance from Islington Council carefully, and follow the advice given.
• Please do not submit a CV – we will not consider it. You must outline your skills and experience in your personal statement. We would prefer this to be typed and the maximum length we recommend is 2 pages of A4.
• We are committed to safer recruitment. This means that you must give 2 referees, one of whom is your current or most recent employer. You must also provide a full employment history without any gaps.
• Please make sure you can be free for the whole of Tuesday 19th May for the selection process, should you be shortlisted.
Thanks once again for your interest in this post.
Julian Grenier
Read all about the Community Kitchen campaign in Nursery World
Scale 6 – £25,263 - £26,742 pro rata, 25 hours per week
Do you share our passion about offering babies, toddlers and young children the very best food whilst they are in nursery? Do you have the skills to work with children, parents and other professionals to make a real difference to families’ health and wellbeing in inner London?
Kate Greenaway is a delightful Nursery School and Children’s Centre with 51 places for children aged from six months to rising five year olds, close to King’s Cross station in Central London. We are developing an exciting new project, the “Community Kitchen”, in partnership with the Duke of Cambridge, a local award-winning organic restaurant.
You will be working with an assistant to prepare and cook fresh meals every day for the children on roll, using seasonal and mainly organic ingredients. You will be part of an experienced and supportive staff team and working in a friendly, child-centred, community-focussed environment. You will have specialist support, advice and ongoing training from the team at Duke of Cambridge.
You will need to be a good, creative cook, with knowledge of and interest in food and nutrition. You will need to have some experience of running a kitchen (sourcing food, planning menus, financial control). Knowledge of health and hygiene standards and statutory requirements is essential.
You will be required to plan, source, and cook healthy, nutritionally-balanced meals for children and staff, with a particular attention to reflecting the cultural diversity of the neighbourhood. As well as managing the whole process of preparing and cooking meals for the nursery, you will be involving children in food preparation and cooking, and helping to run cook and eat workshops and other events with parents.
The successful application will be passionate about food from growing and sourcing through to the use of local and seasonal produce, and have a keen interest in the environment, recycling and the use of organic produce. A commitment to working with and inspiring children and families will be vital.
If you are excited by the unique opportunity as we are, we hope you will apply for the post. Please note that you must use the Application Form: we will not accept CVs.
If you are interested in this post, we hope you will be able to come and visit on Tuesday 5th May between 9.30am-11am.
You can also discuss the post informally by contacting Julian Grenier, headteacher at Kate Greenaway, on 0207 527 4853 or send me an email
To apply for this post please contact the Recruitment Team on 020 7527 5812 or by email, quoting ref: ED/5079. Please note: you cannot obtain an application pack for this post until Tuesday 5th May. The application pack will include the full details for the post.
Closing date 5pm 13th May.
Shortlisting morning of 14th May.
Selection process (interview and practical tests) 19th May.
Kate Greenaway Nursery and Children’s Centre is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Letter to applicants
Dear applicant
Thank you for your interest in the post of Community Cook at Kate Greenaway Nursery School and Children’s Centre. I hope you will find the application process works smoothly for you and I look forward to reading your application.
About Kate Greenaway
We are a small Nursery School and Children’s Centre located close to Kings Cross. We have 51 places for children aged from 6 months to rising 5 years old. We think that Kate Greenaway is a good place to work, with a highly committed and friendly staff team and excellent relationships with parents. As soon as you come in, there is a special atmosphere – very focussed on what is best for young children, with a strong emphasis on play and enjoying our fantastic garden. There is a very full and popular programme of groups for parents and carers with young children, too.
If you agree that “seeing is believing”, then please come along to our open morning on Tuesday 5th May, 9.30-11am, when you can have a tour and also meet Tascha, the chef from the Duke of Cambridge.
To find out more, have a look at our website, email me or phone for an informal discussion (all contact details are in the letter heading above).
About the Community Kitchen
We are really excited by this new project, which is all about improving the quality of the food at nursery, and working with parents and the wider community to promote healthy eating.
We start with enjoyment and participation – children relishing meals which are freshly cooked and prepared with locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients, and taking part in vegetable growing and good preparation. So you will need to enjoy the company of young children and be ready to be patient, take time with them, and involve them (with the support of the nursery staff, of course). You will also be enthusiastic about working with small groups of parents, and doing informal cooking and tasting sessions as part of our “Stay and Play” programme. Occasionally you may be asked to work on a weekend or evening.
Working closely with the Duke of Cambridge, you will be devising nutritionally-balanced menus which are appropriate for the age-group and which celebrate the ethnic and cultural diversity of the neighbourhood.
You will also have a firm grip on costs in the kitchen and help to raise extra revenue, for example by selling fresh and frozen meals to staff and parents.
Your people-skills will be very good – you will need to support, encourage and manage the assistant cook, work closely with nursery staff and parents, and have lots of initiative and flexibility.
A few words about the application form
Please note the following points, Make sure you submit a good application form that does you justice!
• Please read the guidance from Islington Council carefully, and follow the advice given.
• Please do not submit a CV – we will not consider it. You must outline your skills and experience in your personal statement. We would prefer this to be typed and the maximum length we recommend is 2 pages of A4.
• We are committed to safer recruitment. This means that you must give 2 referees, one of whom is your current or most recent employer. You must also provide a full employment history without any gaps.
• Please make sure you can be free for the whole of Tuesday 19th May for the selection process, should you be shortlisted.
Thanks once again for your interest in this post.
Julian Grenier
Monday, 27 April 2009
27th April 2009
Here we Grow
We are planning to repeat our popular ‘Here we grow’ project from last summer, so we will be having sessions during the nursery day when you can come and work with Venti in our lovely garden.
The first of these sessions is on Thursday 30th April between 9:00 and 11:30am, please speak to you key person if you would like to come along. If you took part last year, please dig out your old pots and return them so you can plant something new for this summer.
Sunny weather
On sunny days, to prevent your child from getting sunburn or sunstroke please make sure your child is wearing a T-shirt that covers their shoulders, a hat and that you have applied sun cream. You can bring sun cream to nursery to be applied during the day, please remember to label the bottle with your child’s name and give it to your key person.
The children have been engaging in lots of water play; check their bags to make sure they have a change of clothes.
Keeley
Sadly for us, Keeley is going to be leaving Kate Greenaway later this term (in June). Keeley is an excellent nursery education worker, and we wish her well with her plans.
Community Feast on Wednesday at York Way Community Centre
This Wednesday In York Way Community hall we are holding a fabulous ‘Community Feast’.
Some local families are coming in to cook some traditional dishes from Somalia, Bangladesh and Eritrea and we’ll some provide other snacks too so everyone can have a taste.
EVERYONE is welcome to join in at 11.30-12.25 in the hall or you can join us at the stay and play session in the pod anytime from 10 am and we’ll walk over together at 11.25. Hope to see you there!
We are planning to repeat our popular ‘Here we grow’ project from last summer, so we will be having sessions during the nursery day when you can come and work with Venti in our lovely garden.
The first of these sessions is on Thursday 30th April between 9:00 and 11:30am, please speak to you key person if you would like to come along. If you took part last year, please dig out your old pots and return them so you can plant something new for this summer.
Sunny weather
On sunny days, to prevent your child from getting sunburn or sunstroke please make sure your child is wearing a T-shirt that covers their shoulders, a hat and that you have applied sun cream. You can bring sun cream to nursery to be applied during the day, please remember to label the bottle with your child’s name and give it to your key person.
The children have been engaging in lots of water play; check their bags to make sure they have a change of clothes.
Keeley
Sadly for us, Keeley is going to be leaving Kate Greenaway later this term (in June). Keeley is an excellent nursery education worker, and we wish her well with her plans.
Community Feast on Wednesday at York Way Community Centre
This Wednesday In York Way Community hall we are holding a fabulous ‘Community Feast’.
Some local families are coming in to cook some traditional dishes from Somalia, Bangladesh and Eritrea and we’ll some provide other snacks too so everyone can have a taste.
EVERYONE is welcome to join in at 11.30-12.25 in the hall or you can join us at the stay and play session in the pod anytime from 10 am and we’ll walk over together at 11.25. Hope to see you there!
Monday, 20 April 2009
20th April 2009
Welcome back…
to everyone who has been off over Easter. Today is the first day of the school summer term in Islington and we have plenty going on for the next few weeks at Kate Greenaway.
The Tree House is nearly complete in the garden, and we expect children to be able to play on it later in the week as a reward for all the sawing, shaving and sanding they did last month. Our approach to outdoor play was recently featured in The Guardian and on Play England’s website .
We’re also delighted that we have been shortlisted for an architecture award (the RIBA award) for the recent refurbishment at the front.
The kitchen
If you’ve been here a few years you will know about the Community Kitchen Campaign when parents got together to get us our of the Scolarest catering contract and to raise money for a new kitchen. We currently get our meals from Thornhill Primary School, but by the end of this term cooking should move on-site. We will be distributing a survey about nursery meals soon to catch up on parents’ views.
The 175th Anniversary of the Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Demonstration: music, stalls and children’s entertainment in Edward Square this Saturday
175 years ago, over 100,000 people gathered for the start of a march in Copenhagen Fields to defend Trade Union Rights – the six Tolpuddle Martyrs from Dorset had been sentenced to seven years transportation into slavery in Australia for forming a Trade Union.
On Saturday, this great demonstration will be commemorated in Edward Square (just around the corner from here on Copenhagen Street) with stalls, music and celebrations from 1.30pm. Kate Greenaway is organising children’s entertainment and we hope you will stop by and enjoy the day as well as remembering the people who took a stand all those year ago. Read more here.
to everyone who has been off over Easter. Today is the first day of the school summer term in Islington and we have plenty going on for the next few weeks at Kate Greenaway.
The Tree House is nearly complete in the garden, and we expect children to be able to play on it later in the week as a reward for all the sawing, shaving and sanding they did last month. Our approach to outdoor play was recently featured in The Guardian and on Play England’s website .
We’re also delighted that we have been shortlisted for an architecture award (the RIBA award) for the recent refurbishment at the front.
The kitchen
If you’ve been here a few years you will know about the Community Kitchen Campaign when parents got together to get us our of the Scolarest catering contract and to raise money for a new kitchen. We currently get our meals from Thornhill Primary School, but by the end of this term cooking should move on-site. We will be distributing a survey about nursery meals soon to catch up on parents’ views.
The 175th Anniversary of the Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Demonstration: music, stalls and children’s entertainment in Edward Square this Saturday
175 years ago, over 100,000 people gathered for the start of a march in Copenhagen Fields to defend Trade Union Rights – the six Tolpuddle Martyrs from Dorset had been sentenced to seven years transportation into slavery in Australia for forming a Trade Union.
On Saturday, this great demonstration will be commemorated in Edward Square (just around the corner from here on Copenhagen Street) with stalls, music and celebrations from 1.30pm. Kate Greenaway is organising children’s entertainment and we hope you will stop by and enjoy the day as well as remembering the people who took a stand all those year ago. Read more here.
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