News | Offwell Under Fives Preschool - Cotleigh, Honiton. East Devon.

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Summer 2011

Spring Term 2011

Autumn Term 2010

Summer Term 2010

Spring Term 2010

Autumn Term 2009

Offwell Primary
School Newsletters

28th April 2011

6th May 2011

13th May 2011

Summer Term 2011

School's Out for Summer...

Offwell Under Fives...get your party clothes on!

Come and Celebrate with us at our annual
End-of-Year Party

Check out the "party list" on the foyer door at Pre-School

Hope to see you all there

The Definite " Not To Be Missed" Event ...
Offwell Under Fives Leavers' Celebration - "Class of 2011"

Monday 18th July from 10am

One of the biggest highlights of the year is the Leavers' Celebration; in which we invite all the children and their families to say a fond farewell to the children, who in September, will be putting on new school uniforms and moving up to Big School!
It's an excellent opportunity for our children to reflect on what has happened over the past year and for them all to perform a “little special something” for the audience!

Our leavers will be presented with a book and book plate to commemorate their time with us and their move up to Big School. Each child will also be given their development folder to keep, packed full of photo’s and info’ of what they have achieved whist at pre-school along with a laminated personalised “report” read out by their key worker...lots of tissues needed for this one & don't forget your camera!

The event will also be marked with: a Fundraising Raffle, along with games and stalls for the children and yet even more scrumptious cakes and biscuits from our excellent bakers!

And this year our Leavers' Celebration will be even more poignant as we are also saying Goodbye to two, very highly valued, members of staff : Michele Young & Julie Williams

Offwell Under Fives Blog for Michele & Julie

~ Please click the picture above to visit our Blog for Michele & Julie ~

Michele Young has been working with us for almost 5 years ...and before that, she was on the Pre-school committee for 3 years!

On joining us as a volunteer assistant, Michele quickly made her mark and applied for, and got, the position of Pre-School Assistant; then, going from strength to strength, with her qualifications (and currently undertaking her Level 5 in Leadership and Management, she became our Deputy Play-leader!
Michele’s name is quite frankly, synonymous with Offwell Under Fives!

We would like to be very clear about why Michele Young is leaving us at the end of the school Year. It's simply, because of her desire to learn and grow further; Michele felt that it was time to progress to a new challenge: she has applied for, and accepted the post Of Pre-School Leader at another local Pre-School. We would have loved to see her stay, but certainly understand her need to advance beyond the positions we have available. We wish her every happiness & success in her new role.

Julie Williams has been with us for nearly 4 years now, firstly as a volunteer, then as a Pre-School Support Worker, and finally as our Pre-School Assistant. She has been a highly respected addition to the team and will be sorely missed my staff, Committee, parents and of course the Children.

Julie has taken on a new role only because of her desire to learn and grow further in a Full time position ( Offwell Under Fives is only open in the mornings). Julie will join the team at Offwell Primary School as a Permanent Full-Time SEN TA; we wish her every happiness & success in her new role.

Hope to see you all there, to help make this this leavers celebration - one to remember!

We've also said "Farewell" this week to our Chairperson...

Ursula Easton joined our committee last September when her daughter started at pre-school; she's leaving us now because her daughter is venturing off to "Big School"

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ursula for all her hard work over the year.

The roles within the committee are by their very nature transient, as most committee members only stay on the committee whilst their child is attending Pre-School. New Members are needed every year...

Grow your own Potatoes? We have.

Thanks to the lovely folks at the potato council we signed up to the “Grow Your Own Potatoes" scheme: a project that teaches primary aged children ALL about potatoes. They sent us a fantastic kit including Grow bags & Seed potatoes and Posters and Stickers. The children thoroughly enjoyed planting and tending to their potatoes but the real magic happen when they harvested them.

On your marks...Get Set...& Come and join us for our Annual Sports Day!

Monday 11th July at 10.30am

It’s always a really enjoyable day for the whole family: the children take part in all manner of sporty activities with old favorites such as the sack race & the egg and spoon, to trolley dashes and a pushchair race . We'll even have members of our Toddler group “at the ready”...some of them are really quite speedy! Afterwards the children will be treated to a well deserved drink and a biscuit and will each be presented with a winner’s medal and a Sports Day certificate whilst parents and visitors can enjoy refreshments in the hall...Hope to see you all there

Guess who came to Pre-School?

Our equine adventure continues - Vikki and Ian of Sparkys taxis came into preschool and brought with them...a horse and carriage!

The children were so excited; they all got the chance to have a ride in the carriage around the village green and, of course, a stroke of the hard working horse.

What a truly unique experience it has been for the children, after all, how many of us get to ride in a horse drawn carriage! We’re sure they’ll have very special memories of this for years to come!

We’d like to say a Huge Thank you to Vikki & Ian from Sparkys Taxis in Honiton, &.if you’re in need of a taxis, call 01404 47670... however, they can’t promise it’ll be a horse and carriage that turns up!

Didn't we have a lovely time the day we went to the...

Since our Village Hall is being used for the local elections we thought a Day Trip out to the Donkey Sanctuary might be a rather exciting way to spend the morning.

Our Preschoolers love adventures – especially those that can fit into a few hours; plus young children are always learning: when they observe, touch, see and smell-they are learning. It is a never ending part of their young lives.

This ‘learning’ fact is a big reason why it is important for children to experience new things and new environments.

On our arrival at the Donkey Sanctuary, we were met by one of the staff, Melissa, she walked us up to the stables where we spent a good half hour grooming the donkeys. Then, three at a time, we were able to lead the donkeys around the paddock.

We stopped for a snack in the education centre and then headed off to “get lost” in the maze; this was followed by more stroking of the donkeys until, finally, the little grumbling tummies decided it was time for lunch and we all ended up in a very pretty garden where we all enjoyed our packed lunches.

Great fun was had by all - and all for free! We have sent Melissa some drawings of our visit along with a big thank-you. Just to remind you all that The Donkey Sanctuary is a registered Charity and totally relies on the generosity of the public. Here is what some of the Children had to say:

"I liked it when I saw the donkey and then I stroked it and I liked it!"

"I liked the maze... we had to find our way out!"

"I liked taking them for a walk"

"we brushed them with lots of brushes"

Welcome Back

The Summer Term
Starts on:
Wednesday 27th April.

Welcome to all our new children & their families - we hope you'll all be really happy with us!

Highlights this term include our Trip to the Donkey Sanctuary, our Annual Sports Day and of course the leavers celebration for all our children off to "big school"