Preschool and Toddler Group

"Sydling Springs" and "Tadpoles"

The Sydling Springs Preschool and Tadpoles Toddlers can be found here: Preschool Website

Opening hours are:

Preschool

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9.30am - 2.30pm
Monday, Thursday & Friday Lunch Club 12.00 - 1.00pm
Fees : £7.95 per session.    Lunch club : £3.20 per session

Toddlers

Wednesday, 10.00 - 12.00
Fee : £1.50 + 50p per extra child.
Tea, Coffe and Biscuits supplied, but please bring a peice of fruit for the children to share.

August 2009

Hello to all existing and new Parents and Children!

September is a really exciting time, with new children joining us as well as welcoming back children who are used to coming to us.  This term we will be following many of our usual activities, which include the children helping the staff to prepare lunch once a month.  The children are involved in the menu selection and this is a great opportunity to show how raw ingredients are transformed into an edible lunch.

Last term we spent many Thursday mornings in a nearby small copse, climbing trees and getting very muddy.  This was so successful that we intend to continue this from September whenever possible. We do regularly take the children out in the rain and have a supply of waterproofs and wellies, it seems that the children love nothing more than splashing in puddles!

We will be launching our social events for the coming year in the next edition of the Chalkstream, so please do all you can to support the pre-school by coming along to them.  We are a charity and rely on every bit of funding we can get, including the money we raise at events.

There are still some places left for the autumn term, we can take children from two years old.  If you would like your child to start, please call me on xxxxx for more information.  You are welcome to come along for a session and see first hand what we do.

If your child is not yet pre-school age, don’t forget we run a toddler session every Wednesday during term time from 10 am to 12 noon in Sydling Village Hall.  No need to book, just turn up (£1.50 per week, plus please bring a piece of fruit to share at snack time).

And finally, our AGM will be on Weds 23rd Sept  in Sydling Village Hall.  Please do come along if you want to know more about the pre-school as this meeting is open to anyone.

February 2009

The provisional fund-raising programme for Sydling Springs Pre-school has been set for the rest of this year.  As a charity, we rely very heavily on funding and on local support from parents and other people.
 
On 28th March we will be holding an Easter Egg hunt in Sydling St Nicholas.  These are always great fun and the children love them.  We will be starting from the Village Hall - doors open at 2pm.  There will be other fun and games to take part in on the day and we will be serving teas, coffees and home-made cakes.
 
We will be holding another quiz night in Cerne Abbas following the success of the last one, watch this space for more details.
 
In June we will be holding a sponsored walk around Sydling with children who attend the pre-school.  Please do sponsor one of the children if you can as they will have to work hard to earn their money!
 
As always, if you are interested in finding out more about the pre-school, or would like to send your child, please contact me on the mobile 07944 830370. 

december 2008

Autumn has brought more opportunities for us to explore and seek treasure outside; conkers and leaves of many colours have been collected and turned into marvellous art. We have enjoyed breath-taking walks, watched tractors at work and danced in the mud left by their tracks. On one of our walks we identified poisonous and edible berries and came back with elderberries and blackberries to make paint with.  If you get an opportunity to look at it, a display of the pictures made from the berries is in the main hall.  You really had to be there to see the experience that came from making these pictures and hear the squeals of delight as elderberries were squashed to exploding point under tiny fingers and thumbs We were delighted to be invited to join in with ‘Messy Play’, the new Mobile Piddle Valley Children’s Unit run by Barnardos. They run a monthly session at Sydling Village Hall - ring 01305 852843 for more information.  As well as this, there are many other activities locally, such as Baby Massage, Stay and Play in  addition to First Aid.
Over the next half term we’ll be continuing to go with the flow of children’s  interests by planning for their individual needs, with mini themes emerging of friendships, road safety and “feeling the beat”.  Not knowing what we’ll be asked next is one of the joys of working with children, how to answer questions is more difficult:

Child: “What does the tooth fairy do with all the old teeth?”  Adult  “Well, that’s a very good question, what would you do with all the old teeth if you were the tooth fairy?”

It may sound like a politician’s response, but our reply extends the child’s thinking,  language and imagination all at the same time - try it next time you’re stuck for an  answer!

We’ve welcomed more new faces than we anticipated this term, therefore spaces are limited for the spring term, please do ring as soon as you can to reserve your child’s place (07944 830370).

October 2008

We took part in the re-chalking of the Cerne Giant and managed to get onto Breakfast News for our efforts.  It was a very steep climb, but the little legs of the children did not let them down and not one of them complained!  We were intending on doing our bit on the giants’ feet but felt it was too far for the children to climb down and up again, so yes we ended up sitting on “that” bit!  One of the children was interviewed & the quote ended up in the Guardian Newspaper, Is it a boy or a girl giant?  It was really interesting to know what needs to be done to keep the giant looking so good as well as getting up close and personal with him.
We had a visit from the Community Dental Team who talked to the children about oral hygiene and let the children practice brushing the teeth on a soft toy.
We still have some places available, so please call us if you are interested in finding out more (07944 830370).  If you want to try us out, the first session is free.
We are planning to hold a social event with a local band, details to follow in the next Chalk Stream.

july 2008

Summer is here for the time being, so we are continuing to get out and about as much as we can, including having lunch outside if it is not too hot.  We are continuing with our themed lunches and this term we will be having a “low salt” lunch and a “5 a day barbecue” where we will be eating as much fruit and veg as we can fit on a skewer along with homemade beefburgers.  

We were featured in the Echo with our “superheroes” (children in fancy dress) who have been travelling round the village collecting litter as they go. We had a successful trip from the health visitor and a story teller.
Later this term we will be having a farm trip where all the children will get to travel by tractor and trailer as well as a trip to Cerne Abbas and a visit from the police community officer.

This term sees us waving goodbye to all the 4 year olds who are going on to school, we feel it is important to send them on their way properly and so will have a small leavers’ celebration at the end of term.

This term also sees us preparing for a change in curriculum from the Foundation Stage for 3-5 year olds to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) which covers from birth to 5 years. One of the changes will be that we don’t have a long term plan of topics to cover, but will adapt to the children’s interests weekly which we have started to do already, thereby being able to respond to their interests more immediately.

Events
Thanks to everyone who either took part in, or sponsored someone for our sponsored walk a few weeks ago.  It was a great success and was a lovely social event as well.  Now all we need to do is collect the money!

Our “big summer party” has been moved to the autumn – watch this space for more news!  We will also be holding our AGM at the end of September.

For anyone who is interested in attending the toddler group, this will continue to run throughout the summer.  Cost is £1.50 (or £2.00 for more than one child) and please bring a piece of fruit with you to share at snack time.

june 2008

Suddenly the summer term has begun.  Scrabbling around for sun hats and reminders about sun cream have become a daily routine, but a very welcome one.  At last the heating has gone off and the doors are open wide, allowing us play and learn freely inside and out.

            Last week the children made a decision to spend the afternoon exploring in the long grass, finding snails with squeals of delight as they slimed across hands and along the ground.  It was truly amazing the variety that was found.  As for the learning, well, it covered all areas, not just counting the number found but sorting and grouping them into size, colour, pattern and speed! The children learnt more about living things and took care of them.  They picked up felt tips and pens and made spiral patterns on paper, and the constant talking saw their language and speech skills developing.  Lets not forget the exercise they had whilst doing this, by running backwards and forwards across the grass avoiding bumping into each other as they put the snails into a collecting tray.

Never underestimate what your child is doing; if they have initiated an activity the chances are the learning will be much more relevant and effective.  So, no surprise that we will have a week dedicated to snails and creatures living in the long grass later in the term.

            Superheroes has been another theme this term.  Due to the fun the children have had wearing them, we thought it would be good to have a week dedicated to Superhero outfits and the skills that Superheroes have.  Litter rescue was one secret mission that we all went on and luckily not too onerous as the village was quite litter free, but that didn’t stop us searching.  The good message the children now have is we shouldn’t drop litter and we should pick it up and put it in the bin if we find some.

            Fast forwarding to the second half of term, we are looking forward to visits from the Police Community Support Officer, and Reception Class teachers, as well as going on a tractor ride and our end of term surprise outing.

            Places are available for September so please give us a call (07944 830370) to find out more.

Events

            We have finished the last of our Quizzes for the year and raised nearly £100, so thank you to everyone who came along.

            Our next event is a Sponsored Walk around the Village on Sunday, 8th June, starting at the Village Hall at 11.30am and finishing with a picnic on The Green.  You can get sponsorship forms from me or one of the committee, so please either enter your children or sponsor someone else’s!

may 2008

We've had a really busy time recently at Sydling Springs Pre-school.  Ken Scott came to have lunch with us and was treated to spaghetti with all the children.  
Now that the weather is improving we can get out and about around the village a bit more.  This week we went on a Dragon Hunt and the children were very pleased to find that dragons do exist in Sydling.  Hunting for dragons was all part of our knights and castles theme and earlier in the week we were making helmets, armour and shields from boxes.  The parents had fun trying to identify their child from a sea of cardboard!

We had a trip into Dorchester this month to visit the museum.  I'm not sure which was better: the museum, or the trip on the bus which caused great excitement.  Whilst at the museum we spent some time excavating dinosaur bones and making mosaic fish.  The children were impressed by the story of the singing cat who kept singing louder and louder.

We have several events planned before the end of the school year.  The Quiz which should have taken place this month has been re-booked for Saturday 17th May at Sydling.  It will be the same format as before with teams of 4.  Doors open 7.30pm for an 8.00pm prompt start.

We will be having a Sponsored Walk / Toddle (depending on the age of your children!) around the village to raise funds for the Pre-school.  This has been planned for Sunday, 8th June and you can get forms from Janine Ryan or myself.  Everyone is very welcome to take part, whether or not you have a connection with the Preschool.  The walk will be followed by a picnic (weather permitting!)

We will be having a big social event for adults before the end of term: more to follow in next month's Chalk Stream.

Remember that if you are ordering anything from Amazon, please use the shop on the Sydling Website as we get a small percentage of every sale: www.sydlingstnicholas.org.uk

april 2008

            Summer is well on its way now and we are all looking forward to getting out and about and exploring our wonderful countryside.  We are also taking names for any children who wish to start at the Pre-school for either the summer term or the autumn term.  Remember children can start as soon as they are two years old, so please give me a call on 07944 830370 if you would like to put your child's name down or would like to visit the Pre-school.  The first session is free, so you really do have nothing to lose!

            Our programme of events continues with an Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday 16th March from 10am till 12noon at The Court at Sydling St Nicholas by kind permission of the Fitzharris family.  Entry will be £3 per child and you should go to the Village Hall first to get a ticket.  Teas and cakes will be served at the Village Hall during the morning.

            Our next Quiz Evening will be held at Sydling Village Hall on Saturday 19th April.  It's a fun evening for everyone who attends, so sharpen up your wits and come along!  Doors open 7.30pm for a 8.00pm prompt start.  Please bring your own refreshments.

            We will be holding our big event of the year on Saturday 17th May.  More details will follow in due course, but put it in your diaries now as tickets sell out fast.
Please do your best to attend any events you can: the Pre-school is run for the sake of all the local children and, being a charity, we rely heavily on money we raise at events during the year.

            PS  Remember, if you would like your child to give the pre-school a go, the first session is free!
SAM MERCER
PRE-SCHOOL LEADER

February 2008

10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 -2 -1 - BLAST OFF!!!  This term we have been looking at everything to do with Space; we have been making rockets and painting moon pictures.  Our car has become a rocket, complete with heat tiles glued on to it and we have been flying to and from the moon in it.  We have made cheesy moon biscuits - everyone knows the moon is made of cheese!  And we have been singing "Five little men in a flying saucer".

We have given a warm welcome back to Jen who will be helping us again two mornings a week.

Thanks to everyone who donated and assisted with the Coffee Morning held on 19th January, particularly those who do not have a direct connection with the pre-school, and thanks to everyone who came along.  We raised almost £190 which is a fantastic amount for the pre-school.

Our next event will be a Quiz in the Village Hall at Cerne Abbas on Saturday 9th February.  Everyone is welcome and it promises to be a great night.  Doors open at 7.30pm for an 8.00pm prompt start.

We will also be holding an Easter Egg hunt in March, more details in the next Chalk Stream.

We do still have some spaces, so let us know if you have a child who you would like to attend the Pre-school.

december 2007

Yet another busy month has passed in which we’ve collected large branches, leaves and twigs for the bonfire (it was great to see so many of the children there on the night).
We’ve also had our popular once a month lunch-making session and made a wonderful root vegetable soup with homemade rolls which went down well with all.

With Christmas coming there’s bound to be an explosion of sparkling glittery crafts being made as well as the jingle of bells.

We will celebrate the end of term with a party, roast dinner (including sprouts) and a visit from Father Christmas.

Our fundraising efforts continue with the next quiz being held on Saturday 1st December at Sydling Village Hall.  Same format as previous events  (£10 per team of 4, bring your own drinks, evening includes a raffle) with a prompt 8pm start (doors open 7.30pm).

Sam Mercer
Pre-school Leader

November 2007

5 Little leaves so bright and gay
Were dancing about on a tree one day
The wind came blowing through the town
Whoooooooooo  whooooooo
And one little leaf came tumbling down

The late warm sunshine has seen us spending lots of time learning through play outdoors.  Just last Friday we spent 5 minutes watching and  listening to a swarm of crows overhead, and then moved under a tree to catch falling leaves. It is a joy to see such pleasure derived from such small natural wonders that as adults we sometimes pass unnoticed each day.

Our thanks go to everyone who supported out harvest produce sale on Thursday 17th; we raised £50 which we are splitting 50/50 with Oxfam. As the children worked so hard at practicing their maths skills it is their decision as to what is bought with the money. The £25 we are giving to Oxfam is to be spent in the ‘unwrapped ‘ catalogue whereby your money goes directly towards purchasing an item overseas, such as medicines, animals or bricks to build a school. Our half of the money is to be put towards gardening items, which again are to be decided by the children.

Handy with a spanner, selotape and scissors? Spare time on your hands? Would you like to spend a morning a month with us?  There are small jobs we need your help with, such as servicing bikes and mending books, if this is you then please give me a call.

As part of our on going fundraising, we will be having another quiz on Saturday 1st December at Sydling Village Hall.  Entry is £2.50 per person, making up teams of 4.  Everyone is very welcome and people who have attended previous quizes have all said what a great time they had.

We will be holding a children’s disco for under 10 year olds on Friday 7th December in Sydling Village Hall, more details to follow in the next Chalkstream.

 

October 2007

We’ve just enjoyed a wonderful journey on tractor and trailer into a hidden valley, looked at a combine and had our snack in an old barn with the distant moo from Manor Farm cows in the background that provided the milk we drink.  We’ve learnt what grows on a farm and squashed oats and wheat for flour and porridge and we’ve done this all less than a mile from pre-school.  Our many thanks go to John Morris of Huish Farm for helping to arrange this, which is one of three trips we will take this year to experience the seasonal changes which also means that we’ll follow the process of growing, harvesting and eating food from the land.

Following the food theme we are again making a monthly lunch, where the children make and prepare their own food.  This month we will have multi-grain sandwiches, and homemade blackberry yogurt.  Do we have a potential junior master chef in the making?  Who knows but we have seen an improvement in their willingness to try foods that they would not otherwise, just because they have been involved in the process of preparation and cooking.

Harvest sale Thursday 11th October 11 – 12
come along and purchase bread, cakes, seasonal fruit and veg,
all proceeds to be shared between preschool and Oxfam
           
Want to return to work but can’t afford child care?  As a registered childcare provider we are eligible to receive payment from the government through the ‘working tax credit’.  To check out your eligibility Tel 0845 300 3900 or log on www.hmrc.gov/menus/credit.htm for more info, don’t forget we now offer two 5 hour sessions.

Are you updating your computer?  Ours has just ‘fizzled’ and terminated future use, does anyone out there have a lap top we could replace it with?  It would be most gratefully received.

Forthcoming Events

Keep your diaries free for our

• Christmas themed Quiz
• Children’s Disco