Welcome to 2015. What a wonderful Summer we have had this year. Plenty of sun filled days, so we have heard lots of stories about the wonderful things that our families were able to enjoy over the holiday period. It sounds like you have all had wonderful breaks.

In January we welcomed Harry Trumper, Thomas Broadbent, Harrington Blowers, Ashleigh Trevella, Jack Wall, Hamish Mitchell, Noah Swann and Jackson Cutts to our Cherrys family. We also welcome back into our area the Thomson and Gabites families with Harry and Isabella as well as welcoming Sophie Calcroft whose older brother attended Cherrys on Riverview Street, our sister centre. So things have been very busy with all this settling but the team is really proud with how well all our children have coped with coming back to Cherrys and beginning their adventures here.

During January Penelope Dillon, Carys Thomas and Carys McDonald all began their transition into our older childrens area. We have also been taking a large number of our older children through to the older childrens area for small visits as part of learning about the older childrens area, so we are able to see our old friends and support Carys, Penny and Carys through their transition.

Our Garden

We are beginning to harvest tomatoes and we can’t wait for the beautiful looking pears, apples and peachcots to be ready. We are sure that many of our families have spotted our swam plants in our little green house at the gate. We have been able to watch the life cycle of a butterfly in action since we have been back. Watching the caterpillars grow and grow and then change into their chrysalises. We have currently got five chrysalis in our garden area that we will be watching intently over the next few weeks in hope that we will get to see a butterfly hatch out.

The teachers have heard lots of lovely conversations between children and parents on both sides as they walk in or out of the centre each day.

Our Focus

Our focus continues to look at extending our childrens verbal and non-verbal skills as well as their interested music. The teachers have noticed lots of development in the childrens language over the holidays as the children have come back with lots more words and understanding.

We are slowly getting back into our waiata times as well as going through and joining the older children for their waiata times.

Reminders

  • Please remember to tick the sunblock chart near the rolls if you have applied sunblock to your child in the morning. If you haven’t or would prefer not to have sunblock applied to your child please just put in no. We will ensure that your child then wears long sleeves and pants when outside.
  • With the warmer weather, there is no need to pre-cut your childs fruit. We have a kai teacher who sits at the table with the children during meal and snack times and they are able to cut up the fruit freshly for them.
  • Also with the increase in our rolls and our small fridge we aren’t able to fit whole lunch boxes in our fridge. If possible could food that needs to be chilled please come in a separate smaller labelled container and put it in the grey tray. Again our kai teacher checks and double checks the fridge to ensure that all childrens snacks and meals are provided or heated.
  • Also to help the teachers out, please name your childs clothes so that we can ensure that they get back to you at the end of the day. If you are looking for clothes they may be in the big basket near the door, or hanging up outside drying if your child has been having fun in the water.

Thank you to all our families

A note for your diaries. You are all invited to our family evening on Friday 27 February. Please bring along a picnic dinner and blanket as well as any fun ball games and join in some Cherrys fun. Please see the notice on the whiteboard in our classroom.

From Kirsty, Julie, Anna, Vicky and Tash.