Mother Hubbards Newsletter

March/April 2015

 

Happy Birthday

 

 

Happy birthday to everyone celebrating their big day during the months of March and April. We hope you have a wonderful day. Children are more than welcome to celebrate their birthday at Mother Hubbards. If sending in a cake it must be shop bought and unopened in the original packaging due to HSE regulations.

 

Pyjama Day

Each year Mother Hubbards participates in Pyjama Day. This is an event organised by Early Childhood Ireland. Children and staff wear their pyjamas to work and participate in a fun day with lots of bedtime and pyjama themed activities. Our Pyjama Day this year will be held on Friday March 6^th. Sponsorship envelopes and letters have been sent home, if you did not receive yours please let a member of staff know.

This year all funds raised from Pyjama Day are being donated to Irish Autism Action. Irish Autism Action was set up in 2001 and aims to bring positive change to those affected by autism. Some of the services it offers includes counselling, early detection diagnosis and social housing. More information can be found on the IAA’s website http://www.autismireland.ie

 

ECCE 2015 – 16

Children born between 2nd February 2011 and 30th June 2012 will be entitled to avail of their free preschool (ECCE) year in September 2015.  Both our Slane Road and Flowerhill centres are currently taking bookings. Please contact us to book a place or if you have any queries. Remember to tell any neighbours or friends who might have children in this age range as places book up fast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Topic of the Month

Illness Policy

We would like to remind our parents of our illness policy.

Full details can be found in the Parents Handbook or in our Policies and Procedures folder, located in the hallway.

Children should not attend the service if they are ill and staff should be informed of any illness they may have had so we can be vigilant for spread of illness to other children and staff. The following common illnesses exclude a child from the service:

 

Temperature        Over 37.5 degrees Celsius

Diarrhoea             more than two times in last 48 hours

Vomiting              more than one time in last 48 hours

Conjuctivitis                   First 2 days at home and then once eyes stop weeping

Chickenpox           7 days from appearance of rash

 

Staff must be informed if medication has been given prior to their child attending the service.

St Patrick’s Day Rice Krispie Treats

 

Ingredients

·        1/4 cup of butter

·        4 cups of soft marshmallows

·        5 cups of Rice Krispie cereal

·        1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

·        green food coloring (optional)

Method

Melt butter over low heat until completely melted.

Gradually add marshmallows and stir often to avoid burning them.

When marshmallow/butter mixture is completely melted, add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and your green food coloring and mix well.

Remove from heat and stir in your Rice Krispie cereal.

Spread onto lined/greased baking tray. Allow to set.

Store in an air tight container and they will stay softer longer!

 

 

 

Important Dates for your Diary

 

 

 

ECCE class will be closed from Monday 16^th March to Wednesday 18^th March 2015 inclusive. Class will resume as normal on Thursday 19^th March at 9am.

Easter holidays will run from Monday 30th March to Friday 10th April inclusive. Class will resume as normal on Monday 13th April at 9am.

 

 

 

Mother Hubbard’s,

56 Blackcastle Demense,

Slane Road,

Navan

Co. Meath

046-9059967

Mother Hubbards Flowerhill Newsletter

March/April 2015

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to Nina in Afterschool room,  Nikita, Charlie and Aleksandra in Montessori celebrating their big day during the months of March and April. We hope you have a wonderful day! Children are more than welcome to celebrate their birthday at Mother Hubbards. If sending in a cake it must be shop bought and unopened in the original packaging due to HSE regulations.

 

Look… what is happening in the Flowerhill Centre during March and April:

 

Pyjama Day

Each year Mother Hubbards participates in Pyjama Day. This is an event organised by Early Childhood Ireland. Children and staff wear their pyjamas to work and participate in a fun day with lots of bedtime and pyjama themed activities. Our Pyjama Day this year will be held on Friday March 6^th. Sponsorship envelopes and letters have been sent home, if you did not receive yours please let a member of staff know.

This year all funds raised from Pyjama Day are being donated to Irish Autism Action. Irish Autism Action was set up in 2001 and aims to bring positive change to those affected by autism. Some of the services it offers includes counselling, early detection diagnosis and social housing. More information can be found on the IAA’s website http://www.autismireland.ie

Mother’s Day

We will begin the Month of March talking about those very special & important people in our lives ‘Our Mothers’ and we might even make them a special surprise for Mother’s Day!

St Patrick’s Day

On Friday 13^th of March we are going to have a GREEN DAY. We are asking all children to wear green clothes and accessories to mark St Patrick’s Day.

We are planning to have our own Parade in the garden. We also will spend the whole week learning about the country we’re living in and learning various Irish words and songs.

Easter

March will be an exciting month as we celebrate Easter with lots of fun activities including an Easter Egg Hunt in the garden and Easter Dress Up Party!

 

The adventures of cardboard box

In April we are hoping to have enough boxes to start “The adventures of cardboard box” project. Cardboard boxes can engage children for hours for minimal cost and minimal impact on the planet.  But more than that, playing with a cardboard box can build skills that toys with more bells and whistles can't - creativity, imagination and resourcefulness.  Cardboard boxes inspire creativity and imagination as they children build upon, transform and reinvent them.

We are asking all parents to gather and bring in to the centre all types
and sizes of unwanted cardboard boxes for children to play.

 

 

ECCE 2015 – 16

Children born between 2nd February 2011 and 30th June 2012 will be entitled to avail of their free preschool (ECCE) year in September 2015.  Both our Flowerhill and Slane Road centres are currently taking bookings. Please contact us to book a place or if you have any queries. Remember to tell any neighbours or friends who might have children in this age range as places book up fast.

 

Topic of the Month - Illness Policy

We would like to remind our parents of our illness policy.

Full details can be found in the Parents Handbook or in our Policies and Procedures folder, located in the hallway.

Children should not attend the service if they are ill and staff should be informed of any illness they may have had so we can be vigilant for spread of illness to other children and staff. The following common illnesses exclude a child from the service:

         

Temperature                  Over 37.5 degrees Celsius

Diarrhoea                       more than two times in last 48 hours

Vomiting                        more than one time in last 48 hours

Conjunctivitis                  First 2 days at home and then once eyes stop weeping

Chickenpox                     7 days from appearance of rash

Antibiotics Prescribed    First 2 days at home

 

Staff must be informed if medication has been given prior to their child attending the service.

 

Important Dates for your Diary

ECCE class will be closed from Monday 16^th March to Wednesday 18^th March 2015 inclusive. Class will resume as normal on Thursday 19^th March at 9am.

Easter holidays will run from Monday 30th March to Friday 10th April inclusive. Class will resume as normal on Monday 13th April at 9am.

 

 

Mother Hubbard’s,

151 Blackastle Lodge,
Flowerhill, Navan

Co. Meath

046 9070558

Mother Hubbards Flowerhill December news letter

Mother Hubbards Newsletter

November/December 2014

Happy Birthday

This month we would like to wish a big happy birthday to all the children who celebrate their birthday with us!

Children are more than welcome to celebrate their birthday with us in the centre and the parents may send in a cake and some treats if they wish.

All baked goods must be shop bought and unopened in the original packaging due to haacp guidelines. Also, please do not send in hard sweets or nuts that children could easily choke on. Thank you for your cooperation on this topic.

Facebook Competion

Please keep an eye out on our facebook page for a competion we will be running for the month of December. Please follow the link to be in with a chance.
Winner will be announced on the 17th of December Get liking and sharing everyone. Good luck!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mother-Hubbards-Childcare/112895895387375

Reminders

Just a reminder that the crèche will close on the 19^th of December at 6.00pm sharp and re-open on Monday the 5^th of January at 8.30am.

• The last day of term for ECCE and Montessori is Friday the 19^th of December at 12.00am.We will return 5^th January 2015.

• Please remember to close the front door when you are leaving to ensure the safety of all children.
• If you have not already brought in a spare set of clothes for your child please do so as soon as possible. It is very important that we have them in case of accidents. Please remember to label all your child’s belongings and school bags to prevent mix up.
• Just a reminder that the ECCE Montessori session runs from 9am until 12pm. Please ensure children are not dropped off before 9am and are collected at 12pm. All children must be accompanied to the room by an adult and may only be collected by a parent or an adult who has been named on the booking form. If someone is collecting your child who is not named on the booking form, please let us know in advance.
• Outdoor Play forms a large part of our curriculum and has significant importance in a child’s holistic development.  We try to incorporate outdoor play as often as possible and children should be well enough to go outside if they are attending crèche.  We cannot allow children to stay inside unaccompanied whilst others are outside playing and there would be no space for them in other groups due to staff/child ratios.  Please send coats/scarves/hats etc with your children and we will ensure they wear them when going outside.
• Children are encouraged to bring healthy lunches. Chocolate, crisps and fizzy drinks are discouraged and we would appreciate your co-operation on this.

We will be having a Christmas party for our Montessori group on the 17th of December, lots of yummy treats and Christmas music.

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.

Christmas Charity Appeal

This year Mother Hubbards Navan has decided to organise a Christmas present appeal for the women’s refuge association in Navan and St. Vincent de Paul. Your child’s teacher will give you a letter with further information on how to be a part of this worthy cause. These letters will also be up on our doors for all to see. Parents are under no obligation to participate in this appeal. If however you are in a position to participate, we greatly appreciate your generosity in brightening up another family’s 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.

Merry Christmas

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our parents and children a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2015. Thank you all for you continuous support and care throughout the year. We are very lucky to have such a wonderful family here at mother Hubbards childcare, and we Thank you kindly for all you do.

Mother Hubbard’s,

151 Blackcastle lodge,

flowerhill,

Navan

Co. Meath

046-9070558

www.motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Flowerhill@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Mother Hubbards slane road December Newsletter

Mother Hubbards Newsletter

November/December 2014

Happy Birthday

This month we would like to wish a big happy birthday to all the children who celebrate their birthday with us!

Children are more than welcome to celebrate their birthday with us in the centre and the parents may send in a cake and some treats if they wish.

All baked goods must be shop bought and unopened in the original packaging due to haacp guidelines. Also, please do not send in hard sweets or nuts that children could easily choke on. Thank you for your cooperation on this topic.

Facebook Competion

Please keep an eye out on our facebook page for a completion we will be running for the month of December. Please follow the link to be in with a chance.
winner will be announced on the 17th of December Get liking and sharing everyone. Good luck!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mother-Hubbards-Childcare/112895895387375

Reminders

Just a reminder that the crèche will close on the 23^rd of December at 6.00pm sharp and re-open on Friday 2^nd January at 7.15am.

• The last day of term for ECCE and Montessori is Thursday the 18^th of December at 11.30am.We will return 5^th January 2015.
• Parents of children in afterschool should please clearly label their children’s school uniforms and bags as these items are constantly mixed up.
• When 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.

Christmas Charity Appeal

This year Mother Hubbards Navan has decided to organise a Christmas present appeal for the women’s refuge association in Navan and st. Vincent de paul. Your child’s teacher will give you a letter with further information on how to be a part of this worthy cause. These letters will also be up on our doors for all to see. Parents are under no obligation to participate in this appeal If however you are in a position to participate, we greatly appreciate your generosity in brightening up another family’s Christmas.

Merry Christmas

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our parents and children a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2015. Thank you all for you continuous support and care throughout the year. We are very lucky to have such a wonderful family here at mother Hubbards childcare, and we Thank you kindly for all you do.

Mother Hubbard’s,

56 Blackcastle Demense,

Slane Road,

Navan

Co. Meath

046-9059967

www.motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Flowerhill@motherhubbardschildcare.ie

Mother Hubbards Ongar December news letter

Mother Hubbards Newsletter

November/December 2014

Happy Birthday

This month we would like to wish a big happy birthday to all the children who celebrate their birthday with us!

Children are more than welcome to celebrate their birthday with us in the centre and the parents may send in a cake and some treats if they wish.

All baked goods must be shop bought and unopened in the original packaging due to haacp guidelines. Also, please do not send in hard sweets or nuts that children could easily choke on. Thank you for your cooperation on this topic.

Photographs

Our photographer Dermot Ward is coming to the crèche on December 3^rd and 4th to take professional photographs of the children. Parents are under no obligation to buy these photos and only do so if they wish, after seeing the photos.  If you wish to bring an outfit for your child to wear in the photograph, please inform your child’s teacher and they will dress them for their picture. Look out for signs in the centre with details of prices etc.

dermotward@eircom.net

Facebook Competion

Please keep an eye out on our facebook page for a completion we will be running for the month of December. Please follow the link to be in with a chance.
winner will be announced on the 17th of December Get liking and sharing everyone. Good luck!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mother-Hubbards-Childcare/112895895387375

Reminders

• Just a reminder that the crèche will close on the 23^rd of December at 6.30pm sharp and re-open on Friday 2^nd January at 7.15am.
• The last day of term for ECCE and Montessori is Thursday the 18^th of December at 11.30am.We will return 5^th January 2015.
• 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.

Christmas Charity Appeal

This year Mother Hubbards Ongar has decided to organise a Christmas present appeal for the Sophia housing association in dublin and st. Vincent de paul. Your child’s teacher will give you a letter with further information on how to be a part of this worthy cause. These letters will also be up on our doors for all to see. Parents are under no obligation to participate in this appeal If however you are in a position to participate, we greatly appreciate your generosity in brightening up another family’s Christmas.

Merry Christmas

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our parents and children a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2015. Thank you all for you continuous support and care throughout the year. We are very lucky to have such a wonderful family here at mother Hubbards childcare, and we Thank you kindly for all you do.

Ongar Village                                   Phone: 01 8260055

Ongar                                                

Dublin 15     

E-Mail:  ongar@motherhubbardschildcare.ie