Mother Hubbards Childcare News Blog

Slane rd January newsletter 2012

2012-01-27T03:28:00.000-08:00

Mother Hubbards Childcare

Newsletter January 2012

Hi all and welcome back after the Christmas break, best wishes for 2012!

Ben and Sean in playschool are 2 this month

…..Happy Birthday!

Enrolment for Montessori September 2012 If you have not already done so please inform us whether your child is staying on in Montessori for September 2012 or whether they will be going to school. Also if you know of anyone who would be interested in a place for their child this September please inform them that enrolment for the Free Pre- school ECCE Year is now taking place. Thank you!!

Dates for your diary

Sessional Montessori will be on mid term from February 15^th until February 17^th 2012 inclusive. They will be off on Monday 19^th March for the bank holiday and Tuesday 20^th March. Their Easter mid tern will be from Monday 2^nd April- Friday 13^th April 2012.

The centre will be closed for all children Monday 19^th March, Friday 6^th April and Monday 9^th April 2012.

Thank You!

The Montessori children had a visit from the local Garda and the Fireman as part of their occupation theme this week. The children had great fun especially when they got to put on the Garda siren!!! They loved the big fire engine too!

What we are doing in the rooms this month

Toddlers

They have finished their winter theme. They have been colouring and painting pictures of different types of transport like planes and trucks. They have been busy doing finger painting, making play dough, playing with sand, the cars, tea sets and puzzles. They have also been building with the Lego and dancing to music.

Playschool

In playschool they have been having lots of fun exploring with play dough and sand and water. The children really enjoyed getting involved with these activities and enjoy the natural materials. Also this month they have been introduced to shapes! They have also made a caterpillar birthday chart and are making profiles of themselves like their likes/dislikes, handprints etc, this allows them to develop their identity and belonging in line with Aistear’s principles.

Pre-Montessori

The pre Montessori children have made beautiful framed pictures. They have focused on each child’s favourite colour and have been finger painting. They are learning about farm animals especially the cow. They have been dancing with their musical instruments and have been making lots of yummy treats….they are so yummy that some of them

have been ate well before the mammies and daddies have come to collect them!!!

Montessori 1

They have been busy learning about penguins where they live, what they eat and have painted their own little penguin. They have also been learning about the body, taking care of ourselves, healthy eating and how exercise is good for us! They have been doing lots of arts and crafts with the different parts of the body! This week they have been learning about Occupations, the Garda and the Fireman came to visit. They have also been talking about the different jobs their mammies and daddies work at!

Montessori 2

They have settled in well after Christmas. They would like to welcome Sebastian to their group! They have been learning about manners and how important they are! They have also been learning about penguins they made lovely penguins for outside their room. The sounds they have learned are ‘p’ and ‘j’. This week they are learning about occupations and they especially enjoyed the visit from the Garda and Fireman!

After school

The after school children have been doing lots of imaginary play, they even made up an X Factor game with Geraldine as their judge…Simon Cowell look out! They are really enjoying the new lego they got and have been making big ships and houses! They have also been busy with their arts and crafts and their stencilling!

Can all parents please ensure that they don’t park in front of the centre at the following times as we need the space for our bus driver-

8.30-9.00am

2.00-2.30pm

3.00-3.30pm

Thank You!

If you are doing a clean out after Christmas and have toys such as lego, jigsaws, dolls, dolls houses, dress up etc that are in good condition we will be more than happy to take them for our rooms. Thank You!

Topic of the month

Children’s sleep problems

Research has shown that up to 25% of pre-school children have a persistent sleep problem. Children can have just one type of problem or can have a mixture of problems such as;

-frequent waking during the night

-difficulty settling to sleep alone and refusing to sleep alone

-feeding during the night

-nightmares and sleep terrors

-sleeping at the wrong times

Here are a few tips to help you deal with these problems. This information has been taken from www.rollercoaster.ie

Use the same bedtime routine every night.
Keep to the same timetable - children like predictability and routine.
Let your child get to sleep in a quiet area - avoid going in and out of their room.
Take turns putting your child to sleep so that if one parent is away the other will be familiar with the routine.
Try to avoid your child being over-tired when going to bed as this can lead to tears etc.
Allow your child to go to sleep in their own bed/cot - do not get into the habit of moving your child after they have fallen asleep.
Try not to be in the room on a regular basis when your child falls asleep - if you are, your child will associate falling asleep with your presence and may not be able to fall asleep alone. Look at our topic on causes to learn more about this.

Remember all children do have sleepless nights at various times e.g. sickness, times of change, stressful times etc, but these episodes of sleeplessness should be temporary. For more information see www.rollercoaster.ie

Mother Hubbards, 56 Black castle Demesne, Slane Road, Navan.

046-9059967

Website; www.motherhubbardschildcare.ie E-mail; navan@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Ongar January Newsletter 2012

2012-01-24T02:44:00.000-08:00

Mother Hubbards Newsletter

January 2011

Welcome to the first newsletter of 2012! We hope you had a nice Christmas and New Year!

Happy Birthday

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

· Damilare in Toddlers who is turning 2

· Emilie in Pre Montessori who is turning 3

· Jack in Junior Montessori who is turning 3

· Darasimi in Junior Montessori who is turning 3

· Ciaran in Montessori who is turning 4

· Vincent in Montessori who is turning 4

Welcome

We would like to welcome Sarah to the Montessori class, Sophie and Chibuonum to the pre- Montessori room and Cian to the babies. We hope you settle in well with your new friends. We would like to welcome Lisa and Carol to the team. We hope you settle in well in your rooms.

Congratulations

Big congratulations to Cara who has a new baby sister Laoise!! We wish Cara and her family every happiness.

Infection Control

We would appreciate your help in trying to prevent any virus entering the crèche. I would therefore just like to stress the importance of using the hand sanitizer gel before entering any of the children’s rooms. We are advising all parents, staff and visitors to use the gel. We are also encouraging any school going children to use the gel when returning from school and entering the building.

Also for any parents entering the baby, wobbler and toddler rooms we would like to remind you to use the shoe covers provided as this will also help in the prevention and spread of any viruses.

Room Changes

Ildiko and the Junior Montessori class have moved rooms, and are now in room 213. Gosia, Carol and the Toddlers have a new lovely room, and are now in 209. We hope you all settle in well in your new rooms.

Cake Sale

Wednesday 1^st of February we will be holding a cake sale. We will be hoping to raise much needed funds for the victims of the disaster in the Philippines. As many of you know Christine has family members and friends who were badly affected from the devastating floods. We would like to thank all of the families who have donated to the fund already! These funds have gone directly to the families to rebuild a new life. We hope the cake sale will give an extra bit of help.

Ongar Village Phone: 01 8260055

Ongar

Dublin 15 E-Mail: ongar@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Nephin rd December Newsletter 2011

2011-12-19T03:08:00.000-08:00

Mother Hubbards

December Newsletter 2011

November Birthdays

v Amy Devitt was 1

v Jude McGivern was 1

v James McGrath was 1

December Birthdays

v Clodagh O Brien will be 2

v Camilla Bocotan will be 4

v Cliona Magerusan will be 2

v Amaia Ni Riordain will be 1

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome Jude and his parents Tara and Joe to Mother Hubbards.

We are also sad to say goodbye to Katie, Janvi and Kate Conway who will be leaving us at the end of this month. They will be greatly missed. We wish them all the best in their future.

A big thank you to everyone who donated in the Toddle Waddle and raising a total of €410 to fund the work of the Meningitis Trust.

Photographs

Dermott the photographer was here and we all had an ‘interesting’ experience. We hope to have photos back soon for parents to decide if they would like to take them.

Healthy week

This month we held a healthy week (5^th-9^th). It was all about learning healthy food that we should be eating, exercise and general hygiene.

Like last year Karen Mc Govern instead of giving children presents for Christmas, she will be donating to two charities for a good deed.

Reminders

Christmas closing dates

The Montessori sessional children will finish up on Wednesday the 21^st Dec at 12.00 and will return Monday 9^th Jan 2012 at 9.00.

The centre will close for all other children from the 23^rd Dec at 6.00 and re-opens on the 3^rd Jan 2012 at 8.00.

From all at Mother Hubbards we want to thank both parents and children for a great year and want to wish you all a very merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Thank you to all staff members in Mother Hubbards for their dedicated work towards the children.

Mother Hubbard’s Childcare

19 Nephin Road

Dublin 7

Tel: 01688 460

Email: dublin7@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Flowerhill Nov/Dec Newsletter 2011

2011-12-06T01:06:00.000-08:00

Mother Hubbards Newsletter

November/December 2011

Look who’s had a birthday…

JP in the Montessori room turned 4 years old in November
Antony in the Montessori room who also turned 4 years old in November.
Oisin in the Montessori room who turned 4 in December.
Nikodem in the Montessori room who will also be 4 years old this month.
Alicja, our Montessori teacher and Noel our bus driver also have a birthday this month.

Photographer

Our photographer Dermot Ward came to take photos of the children on Friday 25^th November. We should have these photos back into us shortly. The cost of the photos is €30 for one 10” X 8” and two 5” X 4”. There was also a group photo taken of each group, this can be bought at an additional cost. There is no obligation to buy the photographs. Additional prints can be ordered if you wish.

Hats and scarves

As the weather is now getting colder could all parents please ensure to send in a hat, scarf and gloves clearly labelled for their child for outdoor play.

Gymboree Classes

The Montessori children started Gymboree classes which they get involved in every Tuesday. These classes are optional and are an additional cost as it in an outside company that comes into the centre to do the class with the children. All of the children are really enjoying the classes so far and love getting to meet Gymbo every week!

Reminders

The centre will close on Friday 23^rd December at 6pm for the Christmas holidays.

For the Sessional children (those who attend 9-12) the centre will re-open on Monday 9^th January at 9am.

For all other children the centre will re-open at 8.30am on Tuesday 3^rd January 2012.

Afterschool

Could parents of afterschool children please inform staff if their child will be in over the Christmas holidays.

Also can parents please inform staff if their child is off school or doing extra classes afterschool as it is important that we know this information while out on school collections to avoid delays and confusion.

Christmas Party

We will have a Christmas party for all the children on Friday 23^rd December. Children can come in dressed up on the day if they wish, if not children could wear in red and white as a theme for the day. There will be treats and lots of fun and games.

Look what we have been doing in our rooms…

Montessori Room

We have been learning all about Winter and have done winter paintings. We have also been learning about polar bears and penguins. You can see our displays on our classroom walls. We have learned the sounds of the letters s, a, t, i, p, n, g, c, k so far. We have also learned a poem about Sammy Square – Sammy Square is my name, my four sides are just the same. Turn me around, I don’t care, I’m always the same, I’m Sammy Square. This month we are also learning some lovely Christmas songs.

Afterschool Room

The afterschool children have been busy baking and making Christmas cookies. They have also been doing arts and crafts and have made lots of snowflakes to decorate the room and for the Christmas tree.

Piece of interest…

Click on the link to read a guide to choosing toys; it may have some helpful tips for Christmas shopping! (Taken from rollercoaster.ie)

http://www.rollercoaster.ie/Article/tabid/156/ArticleName/A_Guide_to_Choosing_Toys/Default.aspx

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all the parents, children and families a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

Ongar November Newsletter 2011

2011-11-23T04:11:00.000-08:00

Mother Hubbards Newsletter

November 2011

Look who has a birthday this month:

Daniel in Pre-Montessori who turned 3

James in pre-Montessori who turned 3

Armin in Afterschool who will be 5

Isabella in the baby room who turned 1

Welcome

We would like to welcome Grace our new cook, we hope you will be very happy here.

Welcome to Dima in the Pre-Montessori room. We hope you are settling well.

Swapna had a baby boy last week both mother and baby are doing well.

Reminder of Christmas Holidays

The sessional Montessori children (9.00-12.00) will finish up on Friday 23^rd December at 11.30 and will return on Monday 9^th January 2011 at 9.00am.

For all other children the centre will close on Friday 23^rd December at 6.30pm and will re-open on Tuesday 3^rd January 2011.

Parent’s Evening

We are having a parents evening on Thursday 24^th of November at 6.30pm to 8.00pm. Parents are invited to come in a talk to their child’s teachers. Ecce parents is from 3.30.

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.

Hand Sanitizer

We would like to remind all parents to use the hand sanitizer in the hallway (located at the entrance) when entering and exiting the building to help stop the spread of infection in the centre especially that is winter time and parents who go to Baby room and Wobbler room please use the shoe cover to prevent infection around.

Smile

Our photographer Dermot Ward is coming to the centre on Tuesday 22^nd and Wednesday 23^rd of November to take photos of the children. Parents are under no obligation to buy these photos and only do so if they wish after seeing the photos. Look out for signs in the centre with details of prices etc.

Gymboree/Speech & Drama

The Gymboree class is going very well the children are enjoying the class every Wednesday.

Speech and drama class is also in full swing at this moment in the Montessori class children love singing, dancing and acting with Hilary

Thank you to all parents who make this to happen.

Road Safety Awarness Some tips to keep in mind.

Taken from (http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Road-Safety/Road-safety-for-kids/)

Look for a safe place
Don’t hurry stop and wait
Look all around and listen before you cross the road remember
Let all the traffic pass you
Then walking straight across you
Keep watching, that’s the safe cross code

In a crash or when braking suddenly, you can easily be thrown out of your seat. This is very dangerous because you could be sent through the windscreen or hit the gear stick or dashboard, causing you very serious injury or even death. This is why it is so important to buckle up and become a Seatbelt Sheriff.

All children should be kept safe in a vehicle with safety seats or belts appropriate to your height and weight. And always buckle up in the back seat. Now you’re the Seatbelt Sheriff’s star partner!

As the Seatbelt Sheriff you must set a good example to everyone else in the car, by buckling up as soon as you get in. No matter how short your journey is, make sure everyone in the car is wearing a safety belt at all times.

According to a safety belt wearing survey, 1 out of 3 primary school children and almost 1 out of 3 secondary school children are not wearing safety belts when they travel in the back seat of a car. Everybody in the car is required by law to wear a safety belt and it is up to the driver to make sure passengers under 17 are following the law, but now you can help them to keep everyone safe.

No 6 The Avenue

Ongar Village Phone: 01-8260055

Dublin 15

E-Mail: ongar@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Nephin Roads Oct/Nov newsletter 2012

2011-11-16T01:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome!

We would like to welcome our new member of staff Eileen. She will be working in the Toddler room with Teresa. She is qualified in Childcare Fetac Level 5.

Welcome to Sarah & James who will be starting in November and their parents Jenny & John.

Welcome to Amy in the babyroom and her parents Caroline and Johnny.

Birthdays!

Staff Birthdays:

Michelle was ??? on the 20^th of October.

Ciara was ??? on the 9^th of October.

Teresa will be ??? on the 26^th of November

October Children’s Birthdays

Fionn was 3

Emily and Aoife both turned 3

Seamus was 4

Sophie H was 2

November Birthdays

James will be 1year’s old

Halloween Party!

All children had a marvellous time for with party with lots of goodies and fun games.

Parents Evening!

We would like to thank all the parents who attended the parents evening. It went really well and it was great for new staff and new parents to meet and get to know one and other.

Winter!

As you all know winter is upon us, all children should have warm clothes with them such as hats scarves and gloves. These should all be labelled so they don’t get misplaced.

Quiet Time!

Between 12 and 2 is the quiet time for children to rest or sleep in the centre. We would ask parents to be aware of this when entering and exiting the building. Thank you.

Cake Sale!

In November the staff will be holding a cake sale to raise money for Temple Street Children’s hospital. We will notify you of the date soon!!

Safety

We would ask all parents to be extra careful when opening and closing the front door. Watch out for little fingers!

Also if parents could make sure the stairs is closed behind them when going up or down.

Toys

We would ask parents to encourage children to leave their toys at home when coming to the crèche as this causes a lot of confusion amongst the children.

Toddle Waddle

The Toddle Waddle went really well! Children had a great time. Thanks to everyone who has sponsored the Toddle Waddle. If you have not brought back in your sponsorship card please return it by 4^th November. Thank you!!

Christmas Photographs

We will have the photographer in the centre to take this years Christmas photos at the end of November. There will be individual and group photos. We will notify you soon with the exact date.

Thank you for reading our newsletter, we will keep updated with latest news!!

Flowerhill September Newsletter 2011

2011-10-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

Mother Hubbards Newsletter

September 2011

Welcome to our first newsletter of the new school year. This month we would like to welcome all of the new children who started with us at the beginning of September and their parents. We hope you are all very happy here at Mother Hubbards.

Look who has a birthday this month…

Emma in afterschool was 9 years old

Aleksis in Montessori was 4 years old

Mia in Montessori will be 4 years old

Reminders

Change of Clothes

Also we would like to remind parents that if you have not brought in a spare set of clothes for your child could you do so as soon as possible. It is very important that we have them in case of emergency. The following clothes should be provided a t-shirt, sweater, underpants, trousers, socks and a vest. After school children are encouraged to bring in a change of clothes so they can change out of their uniforms. Please remember to label all of your child’s belongings!

Scrap Book for Montessori children

Could all parents of children in the Montessori room please send in a scrap book for their child if they have not already done so by Monday 3^rd October. This is to keep a copy of your child’s work from throughout the year.

Healthy Eating

We would like to ask all parents to try send in a healthy lunch for your child for snack time. Mother Hubbard’s Childcare promotes a Healthy Eating Policy. This is based on the Department of Health and Children, Health Promotion Units publication ‘Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Pre-School Services. No chocolate, crisps, fizzy drinks etc. Children are only given these foods on special occasions such as birthday parties, Halloween, Christmas etc.

ECCE Children

All sessional EECE children, our Montessori session starts at 9am. We cannot take children in before this time as we do not have staff to supervise the children before this time as we need to keep to the adult:child ratio at all times.

If you are running late to collect your child, please phone the centre on 046-9070558 to let a member of staff know.

Sessional Montessori Year Calendar

All parents received a school calendar with their information packs but this is a reminder of the mid terms etc;

Halloween Mid-Term: Closed Monday 31^st October – Friday 4^th November 2011 (inclusive)

Christmas Break: Closing Friday 23^rd December 2011 and reopening 9^th January 2012

February Mid-Term: Closed Tuesday 14^th – Friday 17^th February 2012 (inclusive)

St. Patrick’s Day: Monday 19^th March- closed Bank Holiday

Easter Holidays: Closing March 30^th and reopening 16^th April 2012

May Bank Holiday: Monday 7^th May 2012

June Bank Holiday: Monday 4^th June 2012

Summer Holidays: Closing Friday 29^th June 2012

-these dates may be subject to change, you will receive adequate notice of any changes made.

Welcome

We would like to welcome Rachel Hogge to Mother Hubbards. Rachel has Fetac Level 5 and will be working between here and our Slane rd. centre. We hope Rachel is very happy here with us at Mother Hubbards ☺

What have we been doing in our rooms…

Montessori Room

The children have all settled in very well here with us. This month they have been learning “All about me”, making books about themselves and singing songs. They have also been busy learning about Autumn, doing their Autumn Tree, squirrel paintings and hedgehog collages. They have begun on the practical life exercises in the Montessori area which teach the children every day skills which they need to learn to gain independence and confidence in the world around them.

Afterschool Room

This month the children have been busy playing outdoors, painting and making crafts with paper plates and paper. They enjoyed making paper hats and boats and other origami crafts.

Note for parents of Afterschool Children

Can all after school parents please provide us with a copy of their child’s school calendar. Also can you ensure you let a member of staff know when your child needs to be collected early or doesn’t need collection on a particular day. Thank You!

Note for parents of Montessori children:

Display Table

Each fortnight there will be a topic posted up on the door. This topic will run for two weeks, we encourage all children to bring in items relating to the topic for the display table i.e. books, posters, jigsaws, pictures etc. We ask for all the children’s participation as much as possible. The more participation your child has the more interest s/he will have in the topic being discussed.

Book of the Week

Each fortnight there will be a ‘book of the week’ posted up on the door. When your child’s name is on the notice board for the ‘book of the week’, please encourage your child to bring in their favourite book for one day for us to read to the class (please ensure that the book is child friendly and a reasonable length). This gives your child a great sense of importance within the group.

Sound of the week

Every week from October the children will do a “sound of the week” and will be covering the phonetic element of a letter. For example the letter “S” makes the sound “sssss”. We will ask the children to bring in one item each week for the sound box if possible. Please check the notice board just inside the room on the right for our sound of the week.

October Mid-term Break

We will be having a fun camp running for the week of the Halloween mid-term break from 9-12 daily for children age 3 years +. During this week we will have plenty of arts and crafts, fancy dress, face-painting, cooking and lots more. The cost for the week will be €45 per child. If you or anyone you know of may be interested in this please tell them to contact the centre and speak to a member of staff.

Something for the weekend… ☺

Freddy Fyffes Fun this Weekend to Celebrate the Gorilla Rainforest at Dublin Zoo

Make sure to get down to Dublin Zoo this weekend (1st and 2nd October) to celebrate the opening of the brand new Gorilla Rainforest proudly sponsored by Freddy Fyffes.

Freddy Fyffes will be ape-ing around on Saturday and Sunday to help the gorillas settle into their new home. There will be fun for all the family with face painting, giant games, music workshops and much more. Freddy Fyffes will be giving out plenty of yummy bananas and activity booklets for all the kids and don't forget to bring your camera to get your pic taken with Freddy Fyffes.

For more information please go to www.dublinzoo.ie or www.facebook.com/dublinzoo

Topic of the month – Getting your child to eat lunch!!

(www.rollercoaster.ie)

Fact; children who eat their lunch at school find it easier to concentrate and behave better than those who don’t!!

10 tips for getting your child to eat their lunch

1. Try making their lunch colorful and interesting. Cut foods into different shapes and into small portions e.g. triangles of sandwiches, chunks of cheese, chopped mixed fruit.

2. Vary the food from day to day, e.g. whole meal and white bread (or half and half), rolls, pitta, crackers. You can fill these with a choice from the meat, fish or alternative (protein) group or with cheese.

3. Something tasty like a favorite yogurt or fromage frais can be included.

4. A piece of fruit or diced fruit is a quick snack for little break.

5. A carton of milk is an excellent choice of drink and is available in many schools. Otherwise a carton of unsweetened fruit juice or a flask of warm soup or hot chocolate are good alternatives.

6. Try alternatives to bread and rolls with pitta or scones. Encourage your child to have whole meal varieties.

7. Use salads like lettuce, tomato, and cucumber also in sandwiches/rolls to brighten them up and to help ensure your child gets a good balance of nutrients.

8. Make sure the lunch you prepare is child friendly eg peeled oranges, chopped meat, etc

9. Get your child involved in planning their own lunch as they are then much more likely to eat it.

10. Ensure that you haven't packed a forbidden food: some schools have a ban on certain foods such as chewing gum or crisps

151 Blackcastle Lodge Phone: 046-9070558

Flowerhill Fax: 046-9070670

Navan E-Mail: flowerhill@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Nephin road September newsletter 2011

2011-10-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

September Newsletter 2011

Motherhubbards would like to take this opportunity to welcome our sessional children in Montessori.

Donagh and his parents Fionula and Colm

Annie and her parents Tracy and Sean

Matthew and his parents Anita and Paul

Darragh Kearns and his parents Alison and Adrian

Glen and his parents Sheila and Sean

Adam and his parents Caroline and Johnny

Camilla and her parents Renata and Jakab

Darragh Stenson his parents Teresa and Noel

Caoimhe and her parents Deirdre and Brian

Sophie and her parents Karen and Luke

We would like to say a big welcome to:

Babyroom

Julia and her parents Catherine and Nathy

Katie and her parents Karrie and Darragh

Toddler Room

Leo who sister Clodagh is already in Montessori and his parents Margaret and Mark

George and his parents Nicoleta and George Valentin

Caylan and his parents Anna and Eric

A big welcome to our new staff member, Shauna who is working in the babyroom.

Welcome all…

Birthday Corner

Farewell

We would like to wish farewell to Conor, Senan, Aoife, Sean, and Ciara and the very best in their new schools. Some will still be here for Afterschool.

Parents Evening

We will be holding our Parents’ Evening on the 19^th of October from 6.15- 7.45 pm. This is a social event and it gives you the opportunity to meet other parents and to meet the staff and have a chat with them about your child or any issues that you wish to discuss. Unfortunately children cannot attend due to health and safety as staff will be socialising with parents. Tea and coffee will be served on the night. We hope to see you there…

Shoe Box Appeal

We are taking part in the Christmas Shoebox Appeal. This is a Charity initiative run by Team Hope where you are asked to fill a shoebox with different gifts for Christmas for a child in some of the world’s poorest countries. Parents have all received letters and leaflets. If you have not received, please ask a member staff to provide with one. Boxes have to be returned by the latest 31^st of October

Toddle Waddle

Montessori class will be participating in the Toddle waddle walk which will raise money for the Meningitis Trust in October. Parents will be informed about the exact date and permission forms will be given in due course.

Reminders

Warm clothes

As we are getting closer to winter, we would like to remind parents to put on warm clothes on your children, so they are able to play freely outside.

Spare clothes

We would be grateful if you could check with your child’s teacher if they need spare clothes for the baskets or check if there are any old clothes still fit. If you are bringing in spare clothes, please label all of them so they do not get misplaced.

Email

If you would like to receive our newsletter through email, please give your email address to any member staff.

Toys

We would like to remind all parents to encourage their children not to bring in their own toys to crèche. As you can understand, we do not want children’s toys to go home damaged in any way and bringing them can cause great confusion to other children who think they belong to the crèche. This can cause unwanted bickering and unease amongst the children.

Thank you

Thank you for all the staff members for their determination and hard work on helping the new children to settle in the centre.

Toilet Training tactics

v Point out how nice it feels to be dry rather than wet so the child is motivated to keep clean

v Plan ahead. Take your child to the toilet before you leave the house, before a movie, or before anytime in which a sudden announcement of a full diaper would be inconvenient. Simply announce to the child, "Do you have to go?" before you leave.

v Don't be too quick to announce "no more diapers," since some children protest the sudden change so vehemently that they hold onto their bowel movements, become constipated, and you end up with a problem worse than a child in diapers.

v Set a timer to go off every two to three hours throughout the day as a reminder for your child to go potty. This way the timer becomes the cue instead of the parent.

v Some children go more easily with their feet planted firmly on the floor in a sort of semi-squat position, as if they need some "pushing power" from their legs.

v Some children need privacy and will not go if anyone is looking or is in the bathroom with them. Respect this.

v To entice the busy toddler to sit still and become one with the toilet or potty chair, put his favorite toys in the bathroom and encourage him to sit and "read" awhile.

v Think of weaning from diaper dependency like weaning from the breast: timely and gradually.

v Praise productions. "Yeah! You did it!" Some children temporarily need a cheerleader.

v When a child is old enough to understand what's going on in his body, he's old enough to do it.

v To avoid getting caught in the "big girl" trap, reserve these terms for a phase your child is going through when he or she wants to be big. Some children are ambivalent about becoming "big" because they see little ones get more attention.

In training twins, don't compare their progress. Train the more ready and willing twin first as a role model. Splurge on two potty-chair

Ongar September & October Newsletter 2011

2011-10-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

Mother Hubbards Newsletter

September and October 2011

Welcome to our first newsletter of the new school year. This term we would like to welcome all of the new children who started with us at the beginning of September and their parents. We hope you are all very happy here at Mother Hubbards.

Happy Birthday

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

September

· Lara from Montessori who turned 4 yrs old

· Krishna from Afterschool who turned 7 yrs old

· Leia in the Montessori who turned 3 yrs old

· Loiza in the Playschool room who is 2

October

· Basil in the Montessori room who turned 3 yrs

· Patrick in the Montessori room who is 3 yrs

· Ben in Junior Afterschool Room who was 5 yrs

· Adina in the Playschool Room who is 2 yrs

· Sean in the Pre-Montessori room who is 3 yrs

· Osita in the Play school room who is 2 yrs on the

Welcome

Welcome to two new staff members. Ildke has joined Swapna in the Pre-Montessori room. She has brought so much colour and fun to the children already and we wish her the happiest of times here at Mother Hubbards.

We would like to give a big warm welcome to Dima who will be covering Swapna’s maternity leave. We wish you all the best here at Mother Hubbards.

Reminders

· The cold weather is starting to come upon us so can all parents please ensure their child has a suitable coat to wear while playing outside.

· Can parents please make sure your child has spare clothes in the crèche and also make sure they are labelled.

· After school children are encouraged to bring in a change of clothes so they can change out of their uniforms. Please remember to label all of your child’s belongings!

· We would like to stress that we close at 6.30pm sharp and that parents must be here to collect their children no later than this. Late collection has a knock on affect to staff members who have commitments outside the working hours.

Fundraiser

A big thank you to everybody who took part in our Cheerio’s Child line Breakfast morning. Cheerios Childline Breakfast together was held on 7^th October. We all had lots of fun eating our yummy Cheerios with our friends.

Last year, hundreds of people held breakfasts with their friends, families and colleagues raising over €220,000 for Childline – ensuring that we were able to train more volunteers to deal with the surge in calls in the past three years.

We ask that all parents make a donation for this worthy cause if you can.

We would sincerely like to thank all the parents and children who made such a warm and heartfelt effort to help raise funds for the I.C.S. This charity has special meaning for a lot of staff members as it has for a lot of people. Your generous donations helped to raise an amazing €704.83. Well done and thank you!

What's going on In Mother Hubbard’s this term.

· Baby Room

Ronke and the babies are extremely busy this month putting together their Autumn tree and are painting wonderful pictures.

· Wobblers.

The Wobblers are giving Picasso a run for his money with their art work. Keep and eye out for their Autumn themed crafts. They are getting very creative making scarecrows, hedgehogs, squirrels and acorns.

· Play-school.

Play-school is putting together a picturesque Autumn wall. They are busy making scarecrows hedgehogs and Autumn leaves. Beware of the Halloween crafts maybe very spooky.

· Pre-Montessori

Idike and Swapna and the class are very busy learning their days of the week, months of the year and numbers. They are getting creative with their Autumn theme and having fun making their Halloween crafts.

· Montessori

Montessori is very busy this September and October. Themes include; months and seasons, life cycle of the frog, introduction to the continents and oceans, Africa, Animals and their babies and Halloween They are very busy with their Montessori work and are enjoying learning lots of new exciting things. They have started pencil work for numbers and sounds also and are exceeding tremendously. Well done to all the students for all the hard work creativity and fun along the way.

· Junior After-school

Well done to all the girls and boys in Junior After-School who started their first days of school. It was amazing to see how grown up they all are and how well they have settled in! Annette and the Junior After school have been working on their individual profiles and telling all their friends about their families and friends and what they like to do.

· After-school

Well done to all the boys and girls who returned back to school this September! We hope you are all settling in and are having fun learning! Gintare is busy in the afternoons helping everyone with their homework. They are also planning Halloween theme, We look forward to seeing the Hair raising Halloween crafts!

Halloween (Taken from www.kids-fun-and-games.com)
Guess The Ghost
Start by having the kids sitting/standing in a circle.
Have one child leave the room and take a large sheet and have another child stand and hide under the sheet. Mix up the remaining children in the room and then allow the child who left the room to come back inside. That child has to guess who's the ghost, by process of elimination they need to figure out which child is hiding under the sheet. Then that "Ghost" goes out of the room and a different child becomes the new ghost, mix up the remaining children and repeat until all of the children have had a turn being the ghost.

Marshmallow Bobbing
Young children mostly hate getting their faces wet so this game is a variation on Apple Bobbing.
Take a large tub with ice water in it and float full size marshmallows in it.
Each child is given a straw cut in half. (Shorter straws are easier to suck and hold the marshmallow) They then have to race to see who can suck up a marshmallow the fastest. Once a child scores a marshmallow they can eat it, and sit out to let another child have a turn if they cannot all fit around the basin at one time. Keep rotating until all the kids have had one or two marshmallows.

Monster Freeze Dance
One of those Halloween games for kids that can last as long as you want it to providing you have plenty of Monstery music!
Play Halloween music and have the kids dance around like monsters! The Monster Mash is a great song for this game.
When the music stops the kids freeze in their monster positions.
The first kid to move is out, and the game continues until only one child is left. Trick For a Treat
Make up a bag with candy and a bag with slips of paper in it. The bag with slips of paper will have all 'trick' apart from one which will have 'treat'. The number of slips of paper should equal the number of children.
All the kids who draw a 'trick' will have a specified trick that they will need to perform to get a piece of candy. One lucky child just wins a special 'treat'. The tricks can be singing a song, doing jumping jacks while turning around, other fun things that are fairly easy for little ones.

Have a Happy Hallloween!!!!

No 6 The Avenue

Ongar Village D.15 Phone: 01 8260055

Dublin 15 E-Mail: ongar@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Nephin Road Summer Newsletter

2011-07-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Mother Hubbard’s July & August Newsletter 2011

July Birthdays

Lauren was 4years

Tracy was ?!!?? on the 9^th

Cathy was ??!? on the 11^th

August Birthdays

Oscar will be 3yrs

Hugh will be 2yrs

Kate will be 3yrs

Lucien will be 1 yrs

Happy birthday everyone……………….

Reminders

We are closed for the August bank holiday on the 1^st

If you have not brought in suncream can you please do so with the bottle labelled.

Any spare clothes that are brought in can you please put your child’s name on them. Thank you!

Gymboree

The classes have been on different days over the last few months. We hope it hasn’t caused too much confusion with you! We will be taking a break from it for the month of August. We will start back up in September and we hope we will have a set day and time for it.

Food

We have tried a new snack. It’s chicken, sweetcorn and mayonnaise and some with cheese and some without. They went down a treat so we’ll keep them on the menu!

We are also going to introduce bagels to the snacks. We will let you know how they go down.

Pyjama Day

The NCNA videoed our Ongar centre on Pyjama Day this year. They have made a small documentary about Pyjama Day and the children from Mother Hubbard’s in Ongar are on it as well as the Owner Karen McGovern. This is the link to it http://vimeo.com/25663699 or you will be able to view it through the NCNA website www.ncna.ie It will follow shortly on the Mother Hubbard’s website.

Here are some tips for using suncream

· Apply sunscreen whenever your child will be in the sun.

· Apply sunscreen about 30 minutes before kids go outside so that a good layer of protection can form. Don't forget about lips, hands, ears, feet, shoulders, and behind the neck. Lift up bathing suit straps and apply sunscreen underneath them (in case the straps shift as a child moves).

· Don't try to stretch out a bottle of sunscreen; apply it generously.

· Reapply sunscreen often, approximately every 2 to 3 hours, as recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology. Reapply after a child is sweating or swimming.

· Apply a waterproof sunscreen if kids will be around water or swimming. Water reflects and intensifies the sun's rays, so kids need protection that lasts. Waterproof sunscreens may last up to 80 minutes in the water, and some are also sweat- and rub-proof. But regardless of the waterproof label, be sure to reapply sunscreen when kids come out of the water.

Let’s hope we get some more sunshine for the rest of the summer.

We hope you all enjoy your summer holidays.

Mother Hubbard’s

19 Nephin Road

Dublin 7

01 8688460

www.motherhubbardschildcare.ie

dublin7@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Navan Summer Newsletter 2011

2011-07-19T05:21:00.000-07:00

Mother Hubbard’s Summer Newsletter 2011

Birthdays

July Birthdays August Birthdays

Liam in Montessori will be 5 Clodagh Jane in playschool will be 2

Sadhbh in Playschool will be 2 Una in playschool will be 2

Megan in afterschool will be 11

Conor in Afterschool will be 7

We would like to welcome the children and staff who have joined us from Flowerhill for July and August. Edel Dwyer will be in the summer camp with Geraldine and Alicija Dziados will be in toddlers with Rachel.

What we are doing in the rooms for the summer months

Toddlers have been enjoying gluing and painting a summer scene including sand, ice creams, sandcastles and spades and buckets! They have also painted fish and mermaids for their sea life scene! Currently they are learning about the zoo and making lions, birds, elephants, snakes and monkeys. They have also been making the best of our weather and have been outside playing with musical instruments, sand and bubbles!

Playschool have been busy as Sadhbh, Clodagh Jane and Una have moved up from toddlers. They have been having lots of playtime in the garden and have made kites for the windy days. They have been busy baking buns with chocolate on top and they have really enjoyed eating them!!!

Summer camp is busy with all their activities this summer! These include outdoor games including the parachute games, cat and mouse, shark attack, duck duck goose. They have also been getting messy with sponge painting and made pasta jewelry, clownfaces, animal masks and glup! They have had fun with musical statues and chairs and lots of dancing! They also made some yummy treats including choc chip cookies, muffins, biscuits and brownies…phew and it’s only the start of the summer!!!

Congratulations to Nicola and Declan Tolster on the birth of baby Aiden. Also congrats to Paula and Peter Mitchell on the birth of baby Evie!

Stephanie will be on holidays from July 25^th to August 8^th so if you have any questions or have anything to discuss please contact Rachel in the toddler room. Thank You!

Can all parents please let staff know if their child is taking holidays over the summer months. Thank you!

We have updated our menu, there is a copy of the menu and the recipes on the parent’s information table in the hall if any parent wishes to have a look through it.

We like to say goodbye to all the children who are leaving us after the summer to go to school. We hope they have a great time in big school! If you are interested in sending your child to after school from September please contact Stephanie.

Topic of the month

Topic of the month; Taking care in the sun!

Summer is here so here’s a few tips on how to protect your children from the sun!!

Lots of good sunscreens are available for kids. When faced with the overwhelming sea of sunscreen choices at drugstores, concentrate on the SPF (sun protection factor) numbers on the labels. For kids age 6 months and older, select an SPF of 15 or higher to prevent both sunburn and tanning. Choose a sunscreen that states on the label that it protects against both UVA and UVB rays (referred to as "broad-spectrum" sunscreen). To avoid possible skin allergy, avoid sunscreens with PABA, and if your child has sensitive skin, look for a product with the active ingredient titanium dioxide (a chemical-free block).For sunscreen to do its job, it must be applied correctly. Be sure to:

· Apply sunscreen whenever your child will be in the sun.

· Don't try to stretch out a bottle of sunscreen; apply it generously.

· Reapply sunscreen often, approximately every 2 to 3 hours, as recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology. Reapply after a child is sweating or swimming.

Mother Hubbards, 56 Blackcastle Demesne, Slane Road, Navan.

046- -9059967

Website; www.motherhubbardschildcare.ie

E-mail; navan@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

nephin Road June newsletter 2011

2011-06-14T08:01:00.001-07:00

June Newsletter 2011

Welcome!

We would like to welcome the following children to Mother Hubbard’s,

Fionn’s baby brother Lucien who is settling in this week.

Julia and her parents Nathy and Catherine.

Grace and her parents Una and Noel.

Birthdays

Stephen was 3 this month!

Demi was 2 this month!

Niamh and Caoimhe will be 5 this month!

Aine will be 4 this month!

Cara will be 3 this month!

Reminders!

All children must be supervised on the stairs when entering and leaving the premises. Also it is very important that the stair gate is closed behind them.

It is important that children do not bring items such as toys into crèche. This causes confusion with the children and the items may be misplaced.

Montessori!

The Sessional Montessori will be finishing up in the 30^th of June. Michelle and Jessie will be doing the Summer Camp programme with the other children throughout the summer months.

Speech and Drama!

The Speech and Drama play will be taking place on the 17^th of June at 4pm. All children taking part must be in by 3pm.

Holidays!

If you haven’t already put up the dates of your holidays could you please put the dates up on the form on the cloakroom door. We hope everybody enjoys their holidays and has a safe trip!

Summer Reciepe!

The secret to this lemonade recipe is to use simple syrup, made by boiling together sugar and water, then cooling. The sugar is completely dissolved and blends beautifully with the tart lemon.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

· 1 cup water

· 1 cup sugar

· Juice from 4-6 lemons

· 4 cups cold water

· Mint sprigs

Preparation:

Blend 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar well in small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves completely. Let cool and refrigerate. (This is the simple syrup.)

Mix the simple syrup well with the juice from 4-6 lemons (strained or not, as you like) and stir well. Add 4 cups cold water and mix. Try using sparkling water for some fizz! Pour into thermos or large jug, adding thin lemon slices if you'd like, or garnish with mint sprigs.

You can increase the amounts of this recipe proportionately, depending on the amount of lemonade you want.

A big Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads this weekend!

Mother Hubbard’s, 19 Nephin Rd, Dublin7 01 8688460

www.motherhubbardschildcare.ie d7@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Ongar May newsletter 2011

2011-05-18T02:35:00.000-07:00

Mother Hubbards Newsletter

May 2011

Look Birthday birthday time:

Jamie in the Toddler room who turned 2 years
Alexei in the Montessori class who turned 4 years
Megan in the Toddler room who will be turning 2
Jack in Pre Montessori who will be turning 3years
Tara in Pre Montessori who will be turning 3years
Rose in the ECCE room who turning 4
Angelica in the ECCE room who turning 4
David in the ECCE room who turned 4
Jacqueline in the ECCE room who turned 4
Caoimhe in the Afterschool Club who turned 8years
Anna in the Afterschool Club who turned 6years

Welcome/Goodbye

A huge welcome to:

· Fiona who started in the Afterschool room

· Eva who will start in the Afterschool room

Georgia

with her sister will start in the Baby room

Goodbye.

Alan in the toddler room.

Dora in the Wobblers room.

Chloe in Montessori room.

Eileen our chef.

Reminders:

We would like to remind all our parents opening time 7.15am and closing time 6.30 sharp.

Website

Our website is still up and running…you can check it out at www.motherhubbardschildcare.ie

You can find information; photos etc. of each centre and you can now also follow us on Face book and Twitter. If you wish to join visit the website and follow the link.

Sun cream and Sunhats

As the weather is starting to get a bit better could all parents please send in a sunhat for their child clearly labelled to be left in the crèche? Also for parents of sessional children (those who attend 9.00-12.00) please ensure that they have sun-cream applied before coming into the centre. Children who do not have sun cream on will not be allowed to go outside. Could parents of part-time and full-time children please send in a bottle of sun-cream to be kept in the crèche?

Tesco Vouchers

Thank you to all who have brought in their vouchers so far, please keep them coming and remember to ask for the vouchers when you do your shopping…as they say in Tesco “Every Little Helps”.

ECCE Scheme for September 2011

Could all parents of children in the Pre-Montessori room please inform Irene (manager) if their child will be attending in September for the ECCE Scheme Also our Montessori session will start at 9.00am and finish at 12.00 from September 2011. .

Montessori Trip

This year the Montessori class are planning to go to Newgrange Farm on their end of year trip. We will keep parents up to date on future developments.

Summer Camp

We are delighted to announce our third summer camp programme for the months of July and August. The camp will provide numerous indoor and outdoor activities. Some activities include cooking, arts and crafts, music and dance, obstacle courses, treasure hunts, sports days and many more fun activities. The camp will be divided up into two groups:

3-4 years

9.30 am to 1.30 pm

€75 per week/€275 per month

5-9 years

9.30am to 2.30 pm

€85 per week/€315 per month

No 6 the avenue

Ongar Village

Dublin 15

01 8260055

E-Mail: ongar@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

nephin rd May Newsletter 2011

2011-05-18T02:21:00.000-07:00

Mother Hubbard’s May Newsletter 2011

Birthday Corner

A big happy Birthday to the following children who’s birthday it is this month;

Ely who was 6yrs

James who was 2yrs

Rosin who was 2yrs

Sophie C who will be 3yrs

And a special Happy Birthday to Amy in the baby room who was g 21 on the 8^th May! Happy 21^st AmyJ

Easter egg Raffle

Congrats to Cliona’s mam Grainne who was the winner of the big Easter egg, unfortunately it got a bit melted before it got to Grainne but still tasted good!

Zoo Trips

The Montessori children had their zoo trips this month. We had a great time and seen lots of animals and played in the playground. We’re waiting on photos to come back & they’ll be up on the walls when we get them back. Thanks to all the parents who met us at the zoo with their zoo pass and got us in.

Gymboree

Annemary that has been doing our Gymboree class for the last few years will no longer be doing our class here. At present we are waiting on a new teacher for it. However Teresa & Ciara have been keeping up the singing and dancing with the children. We will let you know when we get someone to replace Annemary.

Training

Teresa & Ciara have recently completed a course in “Effects of Domestic Violence” with Barnardos.

Summer Holidays

There is a notice on the cloak room door to write down the dates for your summer holidays if you know them. This is just to help us here in the centre during the summer while our staff are on holidays and we have the right cover needed. Thank you!

Reminders

We are closed on the 6^th June for the bank holiday.

Please check the cloak room for any clothes or items that may belong to your child. If you are bringing in spare clothes can you please label them?

Montessori Teacher

Kelley our Montessori teacher who has been out on maternity leave will not be returning to Mother Hubbard’s. We wish her all the best.

Michelle will be staying on as the Montessori Teacher. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask!

Mother Hubbard’s Childcare, 19 Nephin Road, Dublin 7.

01 8688460

www.motherhubbardschildcare.ie

dublin7@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Ongar April Newsletter 2011

2011-04-20T01:59:00.000-07:00

Mother Hubbards Newsletter

April 2011

Happy Birthday

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

· Lara C in Montessori who was 4

· Max in Toddlers who will be 2

· Sean in Wobblers who was 1

· Jamie in the Baby Room who will be 1

· Alex in Afterschool who will be 7

· Sarah inPre-Montessori who is 3

· Aaron in Afterschool who will be 9

Welcome/Goodbye

We have to say goodbye to Alannah in Pre-Montessori. We will miss you lots!

We have to say a big welcome to Sean who joined us in the Wobbler Room, Thomas who is our Montessori Room and Ayesha who joined our Pre-Montessori Room.

Marta has joined our Pre-Montessori Room alongside Annette on the, we hope she settles in well.

Big Sisters!

Big congratulations to Leah who has a little brother Thomas and Charlotte who has a little sister Roisin. Congratulations to both families on your new arrivals.

Pyjama Day

We had our pyjama day on the 25^th March. Thank you so much for your help, we raised €523! This is all going towards a great cause.

Opening Closing Hours

A reminder to all parents that the crèche opens at 7.15am, and closes at 6.30pm. Children will not be accepted in to the crèche before 7.15am. Staff have commitments outside of working hours so we would appreciate if you can make sure your children are picked up by 6.30pm

Holidays coming up….

The centre will be closed for all children on, Good Friday the 22^nd April and Easter Monday 25^th April.

Sun cream and Sunhats

As warm weather seems to be approaching we ask that all parents supply sun cream and a sunhat for your child. We ask that these are labelled and let in your Childs bag or in crèche. As with Irelands unexpected weather we never know when we will need it!!

Afterschool

We are hoping to finalise our afterschool numbers in the coming weeks. Can all Montessori parents please inform us if your child will be part of our afterschool club and what school they are going to?

Tesco vouchers

We are currently collecting for the Tesco for Schools vouchers so don’t forget while shopping in Tesco to ask for the vouchers and put them in our collection box in the hall!

If you wish to receive our newsletter by email please pass on your email details and we will send it on.

Phone: 01 8260055

E-Mail: ongar@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Slane Road April Newsletter 2011

2011-04-18T01:56:00.000-07:00

Mother Hubbards Childcare Newsletter April 2011

Birthdays in April!

Bartlomiej will be 4

Hannah was 4

Maia was 6

Pyjama Day

Thanks to everyone who raised money for our NCNA Pyjama day in aid of the Irish Hospice Foundation, The Hospice Homecare for Children Campaign, we raised €560 for this worthy cause! Well done to all involved! We even got our picture in the Meath Chronicle; a copy of the picture is on the cloakroom door so have a look next time you are passing!!

Easter holidays

We are closed Friday 22^nd April for Good Friday & Monday 25^th April for Easter Monday.
We are also closed Monday the 3^rd of May for the bank holiday.
The Montessori sessional children will be on mid-term from 18^th – 29^th April inclusive.

Very important reminder; can all parents please ensure that their child has sun cream and a sunhat on very warm days!

Tesco for Schools

We are currently collecting for the Tesco for Schools vouchers so don’t forget while shopping in Tesco to ask for the vouchers and put them in our collection box in the hall!

What we did in the rooms this month;

The Toddler room made lovely Mothers Day cards and sent some yummy heart shaped biscuits home! They have also being getting ready for Easter by making collage Easter eggs and Easter cards. As the weather has been so nice all the rooms have been out enjoying the sunshine! Toddlers planted some sunflower seeds recently so we can watch them grow over the next few months!

The Pre Montessori room have been learning about cats and dogs and made them out of paper plates. They made lovely Mother Day cards and are currently making all their Easter crafts including baskets with Easter eggs and Easter cards. Their next topic is weather and insects!

Junior Montessori have been learning about their senses, touch, sight, hearing, taste and smell! They made yummy pizza and perfume from fresh flowers as part of their senses week! They have been busy making arts and crafts for Easter. Their colour this month is yellow, their number is 2, their shape is the circle and their letter is C!

Montessori have been learning about Mothers Day and how important it is

To respect and be kind to your mother! They are also learning about the planets and they learned a new song all about planets! They will begin learning about our own planet Earth and then learn about the continents over the next term. They also made lots of lovely Easter crafts and yummy choc buns like birds nests and had an Easter party where two very special guests arrived….two little baby chicks!!! They now have all sound complete in their sound box except q, x, y and z. Once these sounds are done they will then start to revise the sounds again!

Afterschool made lovely perfume smelling flowers for their Mammies for Mothers Day we hope you like them! The children were really proud! They also have been making Easter crafts and will be doing more over the mid term. They have been out enjoying the lovely weather and getting lots of exercise! They also have a trip planned over the mid term to Mellowes Adventure Centre so we hope they all enjoy that!

Lost and Found Box

Our lost and found box is getting very full in the cloakroom so we are doing a clear out! We ask all parents to have a look through it and take anything that belongs to their child by the end of April. Thank You!

Congrats to Shane and Fiona Cassells on the birth of baby Noah!

Jessica Mc Evoy in the toddler room is doing the mini marathon this June in aid of the Jack and Jill Foundation she has a sponsorship form in the toddler room if anyone wishes to sponsor her! Thank You!

We would like to say farewell to Jessica Mongey in the Junior Montessori room who is leaving us on the 15^th April to go travelling we wish her the best of luck!

Easter time Crafts

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
	Marshmallows
	Scissors
	Toothpick
	Food colouring

1. Using scissors make a diagonal cut in the upper left corner of the marshmallow.
2. Gently lift the corner and make a snip down the middle.
3. Use your fingers to separate the ears and angle them outward.
4. From the point where the first cut was made, snip to the middle of the marshmallow.
5. Pinch the cut end slightly to form a rounded tail.
6. For the bunny's face, make an 1/4-inch horizontal cut midway between the base of the ears and the bottom of the marshmallow.
7. Create the feet by making a diagonal cut in the lower left corner of the marshmallow. Divide the feet as shown.
8. Using a toothpick dipped in food colouring, draw on the eyes, nose, and whiskers.

Happy Easter from all at Mother Hubbards!

Flowerhill's April Newsletter 2011

2011-04-15T05:38:00.000-07:00

Mother Hubbards Newsletter

April 2011

What a short Month at school ! We still managed to do lots of fun and exciting things!

Look who had a birthday this month…

Happy 3^rd Birthday to Niall in the Montessori Room .

Happy 4^th Birthday t0 Ella, Andrew & Lulu in the Montessori Room .

Happy 6^th Birthday to Maia in the Afterschool room.

Holiday Reminder

The Montessori ECCE Sessional children will close for their Easter Holidays today Friday 15^th April at 12 pm and reopen on Monday 3^rd May at 9am. The school will be closed for all children on Friday 22^nd April , Monday 25^th April and Monday 2^ndMay.

Suncream & Sunhats

As the sun is starting to show its face the odd day, could all parents please send in a sunhat for their child clearly labelled to be kept in the crèche after the Easter Holidays. Also for parents of sessional children please ensure that they have sun cream applied before coming into the centre. Could parents of all part time and full time children please send in a bottle of sun cream to be kept in the crèche.

Summer Camp

As summer is fast approaching, we are trying to organise a summer camp for July & August. If interested please let us know what week or weeks so we can secure your place as places are limited.

ECCE Scheme & Afterschool September 2011

If you know of anyone who wishes to enrol their child for the ECCE scheme for September 2011 please tell them to do as soon as possible as spaces are filling up quickly. Also if you are interested in Afterschool for September please enquire in the office.

Fundraiser

We would to thank all who contributed money for Pyjama Day last month. We raised a total of €247.71 for the Irish Hospice Foundation’s Hospice Homecare for Children Programme and the children thoroughly enjoyed the day.

LOOK…what’s been happening in your child’s class this Month…

Montessori Room

This Month we have been learning all about the life cycle of the beautiful butterfly. We made some colourful pretty butterflies. We are getting so good at remembering our letter sounds. We have been busy learning the sounds j & z and learning all the words that begin with these sounds .We have also being doing lots of Easter Activities. We made Easter chicks, Easter Cards & yummy chocolate nests. We learnt Easter Poems. Then the Easter Bunny came to visit us today and left lots of treats in the Garden for us. We also had a big party today with face painting and lots of games and treats! Our monthly theme for May will be ‘Under The Sea’ where we will learn all about the different types of fish and sea creatures that live in the water. We will also carry out lots of Art & Crafts relating to this topic. On Friday 6^thMay we will have an ‘Under the Sea’ book day where the children will get the chance to bring in a book from home related to fish or Sea creatures which we will look at together at circle time.

Afterschool Room

The afterschool children enjoyed some outdoor play this month. We had fun with bubbles and we enjoyed looking for bugs. We also enjoyed planting cress seeds and seeing how quickly they grow! They spent a lot of time involved in role play games which was very funny to watch! The children also enjoyed making butterfly booklets, Easter crafts and their Easter egg hunt.

151 Blackcastle Lodge Phone: 046-9070558

Flowerhill Fax: 046-9070670

Navan E-Mail: Flowerhill@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Nephin Roads April newsletter 2011

2011-04-06T03:54:00.000-07:00

Mother Hubbard’s April Newsletter 2011

Birthdays

We have only one birthday this month and that’s Clodagh who was 3 years old.

Happy Birthday Clodagh!

Pyjama Day

We had a great day on PJ Day. The children had lots of fun in their pyjama’s. They made beds and had snack in bed!

Thanks to everyone who has brought back their sponsorship card. We have received €255 so far. If you have not brought back your card please have it back in the centre by Friday 8^th April. It’s for a great cause.

Dates for the Diary

We are closed Friday 22^nd April for Good Friday & Monday 25^th April for Easter Monday.

We are also closed Monday the 3^rd of May for the bank holiday.

The Montessori sessional children will be on mid-term from 18^th – 29^th April inclusive.

Books

We would like to thank all the parents who donated their old books to the crèche. They are much appreciated. As you can imagine the books get ripped easily here with all the children! Keep bringing them in if you are throwing any away. Also thank you to the parents who brought in some of their toys they do not use anymore. The children here will get great use out of them!

Welcome

We would like to welcome Demi and her mam Lyndsey to the Toddler room. We hope you are very happy here.

Easter Raffle for Threshold

There are still some lines left to buy for the Easter egg raffle. If you wish to buy a line give your money into Amy in the baby room. €2 per line.

New Dinners/Snack

We have tried our new dinner Chilli Con Carne and it went down a treat. We will be doing this dinner instead of the Macaroni & Cheese as the children are not too keen on it.

The Tuna and Mayonnaise wraps went down well too. We’ll try them again and see how they go.

Suncream

Just a reminder for those who have not yet brought in suncream can you bring it in as soon as you can. Thank you.

Staff Training

Michelle & Ciara have recently completed their manual handling. Well done girls!

Afterschool

If you have not informed Catherine if your child will need afterschool in September 2011 can you please do as soon as possible?

Lost & Found

There is a bag in the cloakroom with clothes. Can you look through it to see if you own any of the items otherwise they will be given to charity?

Happy Easter

from all the Staff at Mother Hubbard’s

Mother Hubbard’s

19 Nephin Road,

Dublin 7

01 8688460

dublin7@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

www.motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Flowerhill March Newsletter 2011

2011-03-28T05:21:00.000-07:00

Mother Hubbards Newsletter

March 2011

Farewell

Sadly we say goodbye to Aisling our Montessori Teacher. We are very sad to see Aisling go but we wish her all the very best in the future and we would like to say a big thank you for being such a great teacher.

We would also like to say a very warm welcome to Maura our new Montessori Teacher who started this week. We hope Maura will be very happy here at Mother Hubbards.

Look who had a birthday this month…

Happy 4^th Birthday to Nina in the Montessori room who celebrated her birthday on Thursday!

Reminder

The Montessori ECCE Sessional children will finish for their Easter Holidays on Friday 15^th April at 12 pm and reopen on Monday 3^rd May at 9am. The school will be closed for all children on Friday 22^nd April ,Monday 25^th April and Monday 2^nd May.

LOOK…what’s been happening in your child’s class this Month…

Montessori Room

It has been non stop learning and fun throughout the month of March in the Montessori Room! We have been learning all about the season of Spring and the changes that are taking place outside. We have also been learning about our favourite things, our feelings, our emotions and all about each others families. We have being keeping up with our sounds learning u, l, f & b and learning all the words that begin with these sounds. We have also been revising our numbers 1-10 and playing lots of number games. We had lots of fun days in March like helping to make Pancakes for pancake Tuesday. We also had a green day in which all the children and teachers made a great effort in wearing lots of green clothes and accessories and we had a wonderful parade marching around the garden. We also spent the whole previous week learning about the country we’re living in and learning various Irish words and songs. The children really enjoyed this week. To finish off the Month we had our annual Pyjama Day. It was such a novelty getting to spend the whole day in our comfy pyjamas! Next month will be an exciting month also as we celebrate Easter with lots of fun activities including an Easter Egg Hunt in the garden! We will also begin the Month talking about those very special & important people in our lives ‘Our Mothers’ and we might even make them a special surprise for Mothers Day.

Afterschool Room

The afterschool children enjoyed spring painting and having some yummy pancakes on Pancake Tuesday. They celebrated St. Patricks Day making cards and having a green day party! They also enjoyed making sunflower crafts and changing into their pyjamas straight after school on pyjama day!! Next month we will have an Easter egg hunt for the afterschool children! We will also carry out various Arts & Crafts activities for Easter & Mothers Day.

151 Blackcastle Lodge Phone: 046-9070558

Flowerhill Fax: 046-9070670

Navan E-Mail: Flowerhill@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

nephin Road's march Newsletter 2011

2011-03-07T07:19:00.000-08:00

Mother Hubbard’s March Newsletter 2011

Birthdays

Conor in Montessori will be 5yrs old

David will be 1years old

Conor in the baby room will be 1yrs

Tesco for Schools & Clubs

We are collecting the tesco vouchers again this year. We did really well last year. If you have any please bring them in & we will be able to get some equipment for the centre. Thank You!

Pyjama Day

The NCNA National Pyjama day will take place on Friday 25^th March. This year all monies raised will go to The Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) ‘Hospice Homecare for Children’ programme.

To raise some money we would ask that whoever wears there pyjamas in pay €3 and the children will get a sponsorship card to raise money for wearing their pyjamas on the day. Maybe the staff will wear their pyjamas too!!

We will all have a great day!

Reminders

We are closed on the 17^th March for St. Patrick’s Day.

Montessori Sessional – children will be off 17^th & 18^th March.

Also a reminder that the sessional class starts at 9am & finishes at 12pm.

Pancake Tuesday will be on the 8^th March. Sessional children do not have to bring in lunch this day if they do not want to. Cathy will be busy making lots of pancakes for everyone!

Easter Egg Raffle

There is a large Easter egg (from the Chocolate Warehouse) for raffle in aid of Threshold (National Housing Charity). It is €2 per line. If you wish to buy a line please ask a member of staff or leave your money in the baby room with Amy. The egg is in the baby room if you wish to have a look!

Suncream

It’s that time of year again when the sun is coming out & it is getting warmer. We would ask all parents to bring in suncream over the next few weeks so we have it here. Children are not allowed outside during the hot weather without suncream on. We would ask that you bring in factor 30 and over. Thank you!

New Food

Over the next few weeks Cathy is going to try a new snack and a new dinner.

The snack will be warmed wraps with tuna, sweetcorn & mayonnaise.

The dinner will be chilli con carne served with rice.

If there is any problems with your child having these foods please let us know.

We will let you know how it goes!!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

from everyone at Mother Hubbard’s

Mother Hubbard’s

19 Nephin Road,

Dublin 7

01 8688460

dublin7@’motherhubbardschildcare.ie

www.motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Flowerhill february Newsletter 2011

2011-03-01T02:08:00.000-08:00

Mother Hubbards Newsletter

February 2011

Welcome!

Firstly we would like to send a warm welcome to our four new children

here at Mother Hubbards Flowerhill-

Olgierd Latarowski & Titas Bansevicius in the Montessori Room & Aine & Eimear Donegan in the afterschool room. We hope you really enjoy your time here!

Look who had a birthday this month…

In the Montessori room Eimear, Darragh & Muddasser all celebrated their 4^th Birthday and in the Afterscool room Eimear celebrated her 12^th Birthday. Many happy returns everyone!!

Reminder

The Montessori ECCE Sessional children will have their mid term break at the end of this week on 23^rd, 24^th & 25^th February. Mother Hubbards Childcare Centre will be closed for everyone on 17^th March and on 18^th March the ECCE Sessional Children will have no school.

LOOK…what’s been happening in your child’s class this Month…

Montessori Room

What a busy month in the Montessori Room! We learnt all about the seven continents talking about where they are on the globe and learning interesting little facts about these places. We have being keeping up with our sounds learning m, g & o and learning all the words that begin with these sounds. We have also been learning the written numerals 8, 9 & 10 and the quantities that go with these numbers. We had fun learning about Chinese New Year-The Year of the Rabbit and we enjoyed making funny rabbit masks. The highlight of the Month though had to be Valentines Day. On the lead up to it we were busy making cards, decorating the classroom and making yummy chocolate chip heart shaped cookies! On the day all the children made a real effort and really did dress to impress. We then all got to dance to some romantic love music. After this we had a fun party with chocolate hearts and jelly hearts. The children really enjoyed it! Next month will be an exciting month also with our Monthly theme ‘All about Me’ and St. Patricks Day and Pyjama Day! We will be having a green day on 16^th so don’t forget all your green clothes and of course your pyjamas on 25^th!!

Afterschool Room

The children in the afterschool room have been taking part in lots of role play this month playing hairdresser, school and restaurant. They also enjoyed making Valentines Day cards and our Valentines Day party. Also don’t forget your green clothes on 16^th and your pyjamas on 25^th!

Stretch & Grow

The Montessori children are really enjoying the Stretch ‘N’ Grow Class and look forward to it every week. They received a little booklet in which they colour a picture relating to the class when it finishes. They will bring home this booklet after the 10 week session is complete.

151 Blackcastle Lodge Phone: 046-9070558

Flowerhill Fax: 046-9070670

Navan E-Mail: Flowerhill@motherhubbardschildcare.ie