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 20th of December at 12.00pm, and re open Monday 6th
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 2nd 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 18th
December at 11.30am
Victoria
/ Fionnuala’s Class – Friday 20th 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
- Sift
flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Using
a butter knife, spread white frosting on top of each cookie.
- Let
children decorate the cookies with sprinkles, sugar, and candies.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Use
red decorator gel to write “Ho Ho Ho!” on your cookies.
- 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!
