We would like to celebrate other religious and non-religious festivals and celebrations across the year that are important to you and your children. While we’re not always able to do a whole nursery celebration, please let us know if you would like to share something with your child’s Key Group. For example, it can be really nice to share a photo of how you celebrate at home and we can learn a lot from each other when we do this. We all celebrate differently and when we share what is important to us, it helps us learn about what is important to the children, and each other, and helps us connect.

Thank you to everyone who purchased raffle tickets for our Christmas Wish Tree. If you haven’t already done so, please check at reception if you hold a winning raffle ticket and to collect your child’s gift.

From the Blackbirds team

It has been an action-packed term in Blackbirds so far. Our forest trips have started, and we have ventured out to Leigh Woods on the minibus, following the trails through the woods and stopping for a hot chocolate. There are so many wonderful learning opportunities in the forest, we have seen children challenging themselves and developing their confidence by climbing and leaping from logs, looking closely at the patterns on a leaf, and excitedly recognising the numbers on the trail markers.

We have been busy in Blackbirds making decorations for one of the Christmas trees in Wapping Wharf. We used glitter, pipe cleaners, feathers and lollipop sticks to make some stunning creations. The children used a drill for the first time and made some beautiful ornaments using jam jar lids. Some of our Blackbirds went on an outing to Wapping Wharf and decorated the Christmas tree using our hand-crafted decorations.We have continued with food exploration sessions in the Blackbirds kitchen, juicing oranges and exploring a variety of vegetables by chopping, peeling and tasting. We have heard lots of lovely language during these sessions, as the children talk about what they are doing, and what they can feel, smell and taste.

The children are really enjoying our daily singing time. They are now anticipating the routine and getting the singing mats out after tidy-up time without any cues from an adult. We sit in a circle on our mats for singing, and the children take turns to choose a song from our song choice board. We make singing time as visual as possible using props and Makaton signs. Repetition of familiar songs helps with the children's communication and language development, and we hear the songs being sung throughout the day as the children are playing. We learned a new song for bonfire night, and the children loved doing the actions of the different fireworks in the song.

We have tweaked our daily routine slightly and now have one singing session each day in the afternoon. This has allowed more time in the morning for children to come together in their key groups for a focussed group time activity. We have developed a selection of core stories to read with the children at group time. The repetition of these stories helps to promote active reading, where the children can predict and comment on what is happening in the book. The group times provide uninterrupted time for the children to build on the positive, trusting relationships they have with their key person and to develop friendships within their key group.

We have started another 'gluestravaganza' this year. The children worked together to paint a huge canvas, which they now adding to every week by sticking on various items with PVA glue. It looks wonderful already and it is a

work of art that the children can take ownership of, and add to throughout the year.

Carmen will be temporarily leaving us for three months after Christmas. She is going to Spain to complete a placement as part of her Degree in Early Years. Zoe will be taking on the role of Key Person while Carmen is away. We wish Carmen all the best with her studies and look forward to Zoe joining the end of week team.

Thank you for your continued support

Kerry, Alex, Yasmin, Helen, Antonia, Maddy, Laurie, Natasha, Carmen, Layla and Zoe.

Help us to stop norovirus and other winter illnesses from spreading:

A reminder that if your child has a fever/high temperature, to please keep them at home for at least 24 hours after their temperature has returned to normal, and if they have been sick or had diarrhoea, to please keep them home for 48 hours after their symptoms clear.

We are going cashless!

As of the 1^st April 2026, we will be a cashless nursery school.  Please can we ask that any payments are made online via bacs or by card at reception. 

Reminders:

I would like to give you some important information reminders

• Please ensure you bring a bag in with multiple spare changes of clothes and wellies, as well as shoes, hats, gloves and scarves especially if it is raining and now the weather is getting colder.
• Please provide water in your child’s water bottle – no squash
• Mobile phones are not to be used once you have gone through reception into the Seagulls or Blackbirds rooms.
• Please can you fold down your buggies or take them away if possible. We need to keep the main entrance walkway clear at all times as this is a fire exit.
• Parking - please note that the car park is for the residents and a tow scheme is in place. We recommend using the on road pay and display bays for free 30 minutes to drop off and collect your children.
• Please check Facebook, Instagram and the website regularly. We are aiming to post photos (non-identifiable) of what the children have been enjoying each week.

Dates for your Diary:

• We will finish for the Christmas & New Year break on Friday 19^th December, and return on Monday 5^th January. Nursery will be closed to all children during this time.
•  Thursday 15^th January 2026 – Primary School application deadline
• Wednesday 28^th January – INSET Day Nursery will be closed to all children

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  We hope you enjoy spending time with family and friends and look forward to welcoming you back in 2026! 

Warm wishes,

Head Teacher