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November was a very busy month for us at Hollies and we had lots of exciting things going on.
What have we been up to...
We have got a few new toys at Hollies which the children have absolutely loved. We got a very exciting (and very, very good) bubble machine which makes us all go a little bit crazy! It makes hundreds of bubbles at a time and we love to chase and pop them.
We also got some new green crates which are brilliant for balancing, jumping, turning into chocolate factories or even just having a rest after a hard days work😂.
We have been celebrating lots of different things throughout the month aswell.
For Remembrance day we made some Poppies with the children, and talked about why we have them, to help us remember lots of people who got hurt a long time ago whilst helping us.
We have also celebrated Children in Need and had some brilliant outfits. We even had our very own Pudsey Bear Wendy, but she was a little bit camera shy 🫣.
We were very grateful for all your donations.
We also baked and decorated our own Pudsey Bear biscuits, which were very yummy, I hope the children let you try some when they got home.
We have enjoyed lots of outdoor play in the sand, on the slide, with the bubbles, building with the crates and playing hide and seek. The children love turning the crates into little beds with blankets in and hiding underneath.
It was great fun when the snow arrived, we got the sledges out and Karen was very good at pulling all the children round. We also made some little snowmen and watched the school children on the field make theirs.
It was very, very, very cold though, so we had to wrap up super warm.
Our Christmas Cards look brilliant so far and we have nearly finished them ready for our walk down to the Post Box. The children are very proud of them.
Here is a little snake peak for you...
We have been very busy learning all our Christmas songs and the actions ready for our Nativities, the children have been singing beautifully so far and we think they might be ready 😊.
What are we working on...
We are still working hard to support the children to respect those around them and also the resources that they use. We have been giving lots of reminders about being gentle with our toys and making sure we put things away when we have finished using them so they don't get broken. We are continuing to have lots of chats, read stories and model the behavior back to them, to continue supporting the children with this.
We have introduced a new song that we have been listening to before each circle time, 'You Are My Sunshine'. It seems to be calming for the children and they have started joining in to sing along aswell. We have been listening closely to the words and talking to the children about not taking away their friends sunshine and what they could do to give their friend's sunshine.
What is coming up...
Can you believe that Christmas is here already! It has snuck upon us very fast this year but we have got lots to look forward to.
On Monday (9th December) we will be having our first Nativity, the children are doing brilliantly with the songs and we can't wait for you to see it. This will be followed by our second Nativity next Friday (13th).
On Wednesday (11th) we will be walking down to the post box to post our Christmas Cards, they are in their envelopes waiting for a stamp from the children on Wednesday morning. We know they always bring a smile when they arrive through the door.
Christmas Jumper Day is Officially on Thursday 12th , and if possible we will ask you for a small donation on the day, but until then Christmas outfits are encouraged as much as possible. The staff have definitely been getting into the Christmas spirit this week, Christmas jumpers are everywhere!!!
Then we are into the last week of term. On Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th it is party time!! We will have a yummy party snack and do lots of dancing throughout the morning. Don't forget your party outfits.
Then to finish off the term we will be doing our yearly walk down to the Christmas Tree in Poynton on Friday 20th. We have a lovely walk down and then sing some of our Christmas Songs when we get there. There might even be a special treat aswell.
Useful information for you...
We have added some more information to our 'Useful Links' page for you to have a look at if you would like to.
We also wanted to mention about dummies for toddlers and children. Dummies can be a great tool with a newborn baby to help soothe and calm them but also to help them learn how to suck ready for feeding. However, it is encouraged to stop using them by around 12 Months.
Did you know that if overused or used for prolonged periods of time that dummies can change the shape of your child's teeth and their tongue as they are growing. This can cause issues with speech and pronunciation of certain sounds. Using a dummy all the time also prevents your children from talking as much and their language development is absolutely vital at this age.
A few tips and tricks to help wean them off using a dummy are;
~ Stick to only using the dummy at certain times of the day, e.g. bed time or nap time.
~ If they are upset instead of giving them a dummy offer them a toy or a comforter.
~ Cut the tip off the dummy as it will then be less pleasant for them to suck.
Next week we will be putting a 'Dummy tree' outside the gate. The idea of this is that the children can use one of their dummies to fill a bauble, this will then be sent off to the North Pole so that the new baby elves can have one. When the children give in their dummy there will be a little gift, a special sticker and a certificate off the Mummy and Daddy elves.
If you would like some more advice about this please come and ask us or alternatively you can use one of theses links.
Our Favourite Stories...
As always we have been doing lots of reading and listening to lots of stories. The children have loved reading Christmas Stories about Santa, Elves, Snowy Animals and so many more. We have also enjoyed our classic stories as well, We're Going on a Bear Hunt and Room on the Broom.
Our CD Story for this month is 'Over in the Meadow'. It is a nice calming story and has a lovely melody to it.
From everyone at Hollies we would like to wish you all a
"Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year".
We hope you all have a Wonderful few weeks full of family with lots of new memories being made, that we will look forward to hearing about.
Until then we look forward to seeing lots of you all over the last few weeks.
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