Nephin Roads December newsletter 2014

Mother Hubbards Newsletter December 2013

Dear Parents,

It has been a busy few months here at Mother Hubbards and Christmas as it does every year has managed to creep up unnoticed. The Children’s Centre has experienced many changes over the past few months and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all Parents, grandparents and childminders for all their patience and understanding over the past few weeks, especially since we started the renovations to the centre at the end of October. The renovations were a big undertaking in such a short period of time and we are very pleased with our new entrance hall and protected stairs. Moving the Children’s Centre to a different building could not have happened without the help of all our Staff and I wish to thank them also.

On a more personal note I wish to thank everyone for making me feel so welcome since I started here in Mother Hubbards. I recognise that the centre is going through a period of transition at present and I will ask everyone to understand that these changes and some of them temporary, are only ever made in the best interests of your children. The safety and well-being of every child in this centre is of paramount importance. We endeavour to rectify any issues as soon as they arise and please do not hesitate to contact me if you feel that there is a problem that needs immediate attention.

From all the staff here at Mother Hubbards and myself I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year.

Emma

 

Childrens Centre News

Staff Leaving

As you know Ciara Rickard who has been with Mother Hubbards since August 2010 will be leaving us on December 20^th. Ciara has been a great asset to the service and we wish her the best of luck in her new position.

Lisa Moran our sessional/afterschool teacher will also be leaving us on December 23^rd, Lisa has been with Mother Hubbards since September 2012. We also want to wish her the best of luck in her new position.

 

Students

We have three students with us on placement in Mother Hubbards from the Liberties College. Victoria Cullen and Sinead Doyle are in their first year of FETAC Level 5 Childcare award and are working with Elizabeth and Diana in the Toddler Room.

Megan Naughton is in second year studying for her FETAC Level 6 award in Childcare, she is based in our Pre-Montessori room with Ciara and Marie Louise

 

New Staff

I would like to welcome Marie-Louise McLoughlin to our Mother Hubbards Staff. She is based in the Pre-Montessori room. Marie-Louise has great experience as a nurse on call and was a supervisor in her previous position in a children’s centre.

 

Lost and Found

We have a box full of clothes outside the Toddler Room with no names please have a look through to see if you recognise any of the items. Can all children’s clothes please be labelled with their names as confusion can arise if children have the same clothes.

 

Healthy Eating

SAFEFOOD and the HSE have released a new Childhood Obesity Campaign. With 1 in 4 children in Ireland carrying excess weight this campaign will focus on communicating practical strategies which we can adopt in order to address the issues that contribute to weight gain in childhood.

We as a centre will concentrate on managing portion sizes for children and also promoting more physical activity during the day. Early Childhood Ireland have agreed to support the campaign and have sent printed booklets on behalf of SAFEFOOD to the centre. I have left these booklets on the table in the hall. Please feel free to take one.

 

 

Christmas Closure Dates

Mother Hubbards will be open on Monday 23^rd of December as normal.

We will be closed from Tuesday 24^th December until Wednesday January 1^st 2014 (inclusive)

We will re-open on Thursday 2^nd January 2014

Our ECCE sessional class will finish for Christmas Holidays on Friday 20^th December for 2 weeks, they will return on Monday 6^th January 2014.

 

Christmas Speech and Drama Play

The Christmas Speech and Drama Play will be on Friday the 20^th of December at 1pm. Only two people can accompany their child to the play due to size of the room. Sessional and Montessori will do one hour of practice before the play from 12 to 1pm. Our Montessori and Sessional Groups will begin their Christmas Concert directly after the play.

Santa will visit the centre on Friday the 20^th December from 10am to 12pm.

 

Breakfast

We have been dividing the children in the morning for breakfast due to the reduction in size of the toddler room. Babies and Toddlers are having their breakfast as normal in the Toddler room. Pre-Montessori, sessional and Montessori are having their breakfast upstairs in the Pre-Montessori room.

 

 

Merry Christmas Everyone, best wishes for a Healthy and Happy 2014!!!!

Slane Road December Newsletter 2013

Mother Hubbards Newsletter December 2013

                                                

Welcome to all our new children and parents that has started in our Centre since September, we hope you are all settled and enjoying Mother Hubbards.

 

CLICKS

A lot of parents have been asking where we get the “Clicks” that are in our Montessori rooms. The company that supplies the Clicks are Ease, based in Kilkenny, you can contact them on 056/7768033 or www.ease.ie

 

Thank you to all who donated to our Cheerios Breakfast Appeal. It was a great success and we raised €104 for Child line Ireland.

 

Christmas closing dates

Sessional Montessori will finish Friday 20^th of December at 12.00pm, and re open Monday 6^th of January at 9.00am. The centre will be closed for all children from Monday 23rd of December at 6.00pm and re open the 2^nd of January at 7.30am.

  

The photographer visited the centre recently. Please remember that if you do not wish to purchase your child’s photo you are under no obligation.  Photo packs that you received are €25 for 1 10X8 and 2 5X4. For a Group photo (which are displayed on the room doors or copies of your child’s photo, the prices are €10 for 1 10x8 or €5 for 1 5x4. Please return the photos as soon as possible if you do not wish to take them. Thank You!

 

As Santa is coming soon we know you will have playrooms full of toys after Christmas. If you are doing a clear out we would be happy to take old toys

 that are in good condition such as stickle bricks, Lego, dolls, dolls

houses and clothes, small figure dolls, wooden blocks and jigsaws. Thank You!

 

 

As the weather is getting much colder we ask all parents to ensure that their child has a scarf, hat and gloves for outdoor play during the day. To help us bring the children outdoors as much as possible we would appreciate if parents could supply wellies for the full day care children (raincoats are optional too), we aim to bring the children outdoors daily for some fresh air and exercise.  Thank You!

 

Thank you to everyone who participated in Teams Hopes Christmas Shoebox Appeal we received over 10 boxes!!

 

If parents change address or change phone number, mobile or land line, they are asked to inform the centre manager. This is in case, that the centre has to contact the parents.

 

Bernice Dowdall has left Mother Hubbards and we take this opportunity to wish Bernice all the best for the future, she will be missed. We are currently in the recruitment process to fill Bernice’s position.                                                           

 

The Montessori Groups will be having their Christmas Carol singing on the following dates, if your child would like to wear a Santa Hat or Christmas jumper!!!

 

Jenny’s Class  – Wednesday 18^th December at 11.30am

Victoria / Fionnuala’s Class – Friday 20^th December at 11.30am

 

As we are limited on space we have to ask that a maximum of two adults attends per child. We will be serving refreshments for parents on arrival.

 

It’s been our tradition the past few years to make a donation to a local charity  instead of buying the children individual Christmas presents, we will do this again this year. If any parents have a suggestion of a worthy charity please let Karen know. Thank You!

 

And lastly J we have put a request in at Santa’s Head office in the North Pole, to visit all the children at Mother Hubbards, Santa is very busy but assures us that we will receive a visit before Christmas and will confirm date asap, so Parents keep an eye out on the whiteboard in our Hallway.

Topic of the month; Christmas

 

Christmas iced cookies

Ingredients

·         3-3/4 cups all purpose flour

·         1 tsp baking powder

·         1/2 tsp salt

·         1 cup butter or margarine, softened (not melted!)

·         1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

·         2 eggs

·         2 tsp vanilla extract

Cooking Instructions

1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat butter or margarine, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture and stir with wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for two hours.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter or other round object, such as a glass or round plastic container. Place circles 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 6-8 minutes, checking after 6 minutes. Cookies will be done when edges are lightly browned. Do not allow cookies to get too brown. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Remove from cookies sheets to aluminum foil on a flat surface and allow to cool completely.
5. Using a butter knife, spread white frosting on top of each cookie.
6. Let children decorate the cookies with sprinkles, sugar, and candies.
7. To make holly berry cookies, place two red candies or jelly beans toward the top of the cookie and draw on leaves with green decorator gel.
8. For sugar stars, trees and other shapes, gently place a miniature cookie cutter on top of the cookie after it’s frosted. Carefully sprinkle a small amount of sugar into the cookie cutter with your fingers, being careful not to let the sugar fall outside. Gently remove cookie cutter.
9. You can completely cover a cookie with decorative sugar by holding the frosted cookie upside down and dipping the frosted end into the sugar to coat.
10. Use red decorator gel to write “Ho Ho Ho!” on your cookies.
11. A snowman can be made from candies and fruit roll ups. Cut a strip of fruit roll up, about ½ thick, and twist it into a rope. Place the fruit roll up around the top of the cookie as ear muffs and add jelly beans for the muffs themselves. Decorate face with colored candies.  

From everyone at Mother Hubbards Childcare we would like to wish all our Children and Parents a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Ongar December newsletter 2013

Mother Hubbards Newsletter

November/December 2010

 

Happy Birthday

This month we would like to wish the following children a very big Happy Birthday:

 

• Liam in Playschool room is turned 2
• Daniel  in Montessori both turning 5
• James in Junior Afterschool who turned 5
• Saoirse in Montessori will turned 4
• Ethan in Montessori will turned 4
• Adrian in Playschool room who turns 2
• Isabella who turned 3
• Sarah in Pre-Montessori who turns 3
• Elizabeth in Pre-Montessori who turns 3
• Cara in the Junior Afterschool room who will be 5
• Isaac in Junior Afterschool who turns 6
• Happy Birthday to Alison and Ciara  

Good Luck

We would like to wish Gintare the very best of luck as she will be going on maternity leave very soon. We can’t wait to meet her new edition!

Photographs

Final day for payments and re orders is Monday 9^th of December. If you wish to send on reorders directly to the photographer his email is dermotward@eircom.net

 

Reminders

• Just a reminder that the crèche will close on the 23^rd of December at 6.30pm sharp and re-open on Thursday 2^nd January at 7.15am.
• The last day of term for ECCE and Montessori is Thursday the 19^th of December at 11.30am.
• Parents of children in afterschool should please clearly label their children’s school uniforms and bags as these items are constantly mixed up.
• Can parents paying fees through direct debit please ensure that your child’s first and second name on the reference.

Weather

 

As the weather is getting colder could all parents please send in a suitable coat and a hat, scarf and gloves for their child for outdoor play.  Wellies and raincoats should be provided for wet days.  You can label these items and leave them in the centre if you wish to do so.

 

Can the afterschool parents please ensure your child is dressed for the cold weather. As we walk the children to school it is important that they have a hat, scarf and gloves.

 

 

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!  from all of us at Mother Hubbards Childcare.

 

Ongar Village                             Phone: 01 8260055

Ongar                                      

Dublin 15     

E-Mail:  ongar@motherhubbardschildcare.ie