Author: Chris & Ruby

Autumn Term Newsletter 2025

www.cornerstoneunder5s.org.uk

Welcome back and we trust you had an enjoyable summer. We would also like to welcome our new children and parents/carers to our Pre-School and hope you have a fruitful and enjoyable time with us. If there is anything else you would like to know that was not covered on the registration day please do not hesitate to talk to Ruby, Iva or your child’s Key Person.

Term Dates
Autumn Term 2025
Monday 1st Sept 2025
Thursday 18th Dec 2025
Half Term
Monday 27th Oct 2025 Friday 31st Oct 2025
Christmas Holidays
Friday 19th Dec 2025
Friday 5th January 2026
Inset Days (closed)
Monday 1st Sept 2025
Tuesday 2nd Sept 2025
Friday 19th December 25

Topic is: All About Me
Children will be learning how to share (turn taking) and building relationships with adults and peers.
Communication and Language
- Life size sketch of myself and naming body parts
Physical Development
—Ways I can move (music with movement), Learning to wash hands independently
Literacy
—Decorating Name Initials, Mrs Honey’s hat (Core book)
Maths
—How big are my feet, Shapes sticking activity
Understanding of the World
—Making fruit faces, favourite toy day
Expressive Arts and Design
–My paper doll, Drawing faces with shaving foam
Topics for this term (for the full focussed activity list please see notice board
outside the pre-school main door)

Parents and Carer please note we have a…
policy when visiting the pre-school.
Thank you.

NO
Cameras

NO
Mobile
Phones

NO
Food/Drink

Dates for your diary
October
Harvest - Last day Wednesday 8th October
Wear it PINK Breast Cancer fundraising TBC
Black History month
November
Diwali—Hindu festival—
Remembrance daY— 11TH
Anti Bullying Week — Monday 10th
BBC Children in Need fundraising– TBC
Road Safety Week 17th
AGM– TBC details to follow
December
Christmas Carols TBC

Settling in/Toys
Unless it is your child’s settling in period, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all parents/carers that dressing up outfits/toys and games are discouraged from being brought in from home. Although we encourage imaginative play, the
pre-school provides dressing up outfits and toys for all children, and loss and breakage is always a possibility. If you would like to bring anything in from home for show and tell, please hand the item to a member of staff so this can be discussed during session.

Harvest Festival
Please donate tinned or packet food for the Harvest festival by Wednesday 8th October 2025. Contributions will be greatly appreciated and all donations will be given to the Night Shelter. Please bring them in and place them in the box outside the pre-school. Thank you.

Nut Allergy
We have children that have severe nut allergies. Please remain vigilant when sending your child into pre-school, that they do not have any nut products (all nuts) in their bags. We also ask parents not to bring in any TREATS (such as Birthday Cake) unless they have checked the ingredients carefully. Packaging must be checked TO ENSURE THE PRODUCT IS SAFE FOR NUT ALLERGY SUFFERERS.

Please note that our Policies and Procedures can be located on our website or can be found on the preschool notice board/foyer. A P&P booklet is also available on request for a cost of £7.50
Please note that the newsletter is also available to view on our website.

Donations
As a voluntary organisation we rely on the support from our parents/carers to help us cover the costs of snacks. We ask for 50p per session towards this. Please make your donations either:
Daily: 50p Weekly: £2.50 Half Term: £15.00 Term: £32.50
You can pay your donations via bank transfer to: TSB St Catherine’s & St Pauls PCC Cornerstone U5s Sort Code: 30-95-03 Account Number: 00488229 please quote your child’s name on all payments.
We thank you for your donations.

Clothing
Please ensure your child wears appropriate clothing for the Autumn Term, for example, jumpers, rain coats, hats, wellies etc. Please name your child’s clothing for easy Identification.

Jewellery
Jewellery should not be worn in preschool, in particular hooped earrings please. This is a health and safety requirement and we cannot be responsible for lost items. For health and safety reasons, and to prevent choking hazards, hair beads are not permitted.

Updates
Please remember to inform us if any information changes for example:
Your phone number
Your home address
Your email address
Your child’s allergies
Your child’s medication
Your emergency contact details

Collecting/Dropping Children Off
Until further notice children will be dropped off through the church at 9AM, they will also be collected via the front entrance at 12.00PM.
Afternoon drop off and collection will be via the car park entrance. Thanks you for your understanding.
No unauthorised parking. Please make sure your child is with you at all times as the car park is still in use.

Letters and Newsletters
If you require any
additional copies of any
correspondence sent to you advise Ruby or Iva.

Mobile Phones
These must not be used once inside the Pre-school.

AGM
Date for the next Annual General Meeting TBC More details too follow.

Spare Clothes
Please provide your child with spare clothes in case they need to be changed. Please make sure you have labelled them with your child’s name.

Fees
For any parents not
receiving the Free Early
Education Entitlement who are
paying fees, could you please ensure that any money due is paid on or before your child’s first session of the week. Fees are payable in termly, monthly or weekly in advance if you prefer. Special brown envelopes for consumable fees are available. Please note that fees need to be paid directly into the bank. (The bank details are on your child’s invoice). Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.

Sickness, Holidays & other absences
Please ensure that you let us know as early as possible that day if your child will not be attending for any reason. This is an important requirement for all parents and carers.

Follow up information
If we have any urgent or follow up notices we will email them. So ensure you give us an up to date email.

Scooters
Please do not leave any scooters unattended, as the pre-school cannot be responsible if they break or disappear. They are also a health & safety risk.

We encourage children to eat healthy. Children who stay for lunch are not permitted sweets/bars of chocolate or fizzy drinks in their lunch boxes. We ask that children do not have grapes or cherry tomatoes in their lunch boxes unless they have been cut in quarters, as they are a choke hazard. For more information please see our packed lunch policy.

Information sharing
We would love to hear if your child has done anything during the Summer break. You may wish to include photos which then can be added to our parent/carer notice board.

Children’s in tray
Please remember to empty your child’s in tray regularly. This will give you an
opportunity to discuss what they have made and what they did at the pre-school.

Recycling We need your newspaper,
plastic pots, empty cereal boxes and cartons for our junk
modelling. No plastic/bottles or toilet roll tubes please.
Thank you.

Photography Day
Tuesday 17th October. Starting at 10.45am Approx. Please bring siblings and children not attending, who wish to be photographed, at the start of the session.

Holidays
Please be aware that the
Local Authority will not
grant holiday during term time as this could affect your child’s Free Early Education Entitlement. As a setting we can only sanction 2 weeks holiday (during which fees are still payable). Parent/carers who have arranged for their child to be taken out during term for a longer period of time will forfeit their child’s space. You may
re-apply when you return and if there are any vacancies we may be able to offer one to your child.