Tuesday, November 4, 2008

The Playway monthly news - November

Hello Parents,

Month of November encourages us to reflect on our achievements and gives room for adjustments. As parents, caregivers and educators we need to do self reflections on regular basis. They answer many questions we raise like where did we do our best, where did we go wrong, where can we do better, what can make a change, who do we have to talk to and how do we achieve our goals and so on.
At the playway we have many positive outcomes to be happy about and many areas to develop. And much more to achieve with careful and achievable short and long term plans.
A BIG Welcome to Adhithri, Dimitri and little Aakash who just joined us. We are very pleased to welcome you to our family of the playway nursery. The children here are positive thinkers and curious independent learners. They are caring and loving. We enjoy every minute we spend with them giving our full focus and expertise to build their self esteem and personality which is the foundation for a very successful and a lasting career of education.

Happy, Happy Birthdays

Dimitri celebrated his 2nd Birthday on 3rd October and Raisa is getting ready to celebrate hers on the 23rd November. We wish them every happiness and loads of fun throughout.

Welcome Aunty Harshini
Ms.Harshini Wijewardene is a qualified Nursery Assistant Teacher who comes from St Bridget’s Convent. She is in the process of getting trained at the playway further. She is fast to learn and has made some very impressive goals in life where teaching young children is concerned. We are very pleased to welcome Harshini to the playway as the successful candidate.
September and October were months full of events where the children at the playway were truly engaged. The Cookery Days, Visit to the hospital, Visitors at the playway, Festivals and Dress up Parades to mention a few.

Thank you Mrs. Wijesinghe, Apoorva’s mummy for coming forward to organize the trip to the Asiri Surgical where the children had a super experience with the friendly doctors.

Thank you Mr. Indu, for enabling us to have a visitor from the Cinnamon Gardens Police Station. The officer who visited us was so… friendly and interactive with the young learner.

A Garbage Collector, Mr. Gnanasiri was met by the children at the playway. They were thrilled to see his cart and other equipment which help him keep our city clean.

Thank you Mrs. Cader and aunty Amaal, for presenting interesting facts about the Festival of Ramadan and presenting children with gifts and sweets.
Cookery day was a big success due to the support of the parents who sent ingredients for the icing of the cake and a special thank you to Mrs. Heenagama, Sanithu’s mum for providing us with two lovely butter cakes for the event.

Our Visit to the Russian Centre Library: Thank you Aunty Amitha for the story you read and for showing us the 15,000 books in the shelves.
Post office; We organized a post office in order to let the children have a first- hand experience at a post office where the children could post their first ever letter to their parents. Hope both parents and the children were thrilled to receive the letter from the “post man’.

Thank you Dr. Vasanthi Ramanayake for your presentation and advice on First Aid at Home. It was well attended and was highly commended by the parents who participated. Hope you will visit the playway again.

Deevali Celebrations: A big thank you to Mrs.Pushparaj, little Adhithri’s mom, Mrs. Rahul, Karan’s mom and Mrs. Heenagama, Sanithu’s mom for providing children with sweets and fire crackers for the event. A BIG thank you to Yoga for enthusiastically arranging everything needed for the occasion. Thank you parents for sending the children dressed up for the occasion.

The Fantastic Dress up Parade was an event not to forget. Thank you parents for being so… creative!!! The children surely had a great experience. I am very proud to note that the children at the playway were truly having a great sense of confidence and do not know what the stage fright is. They are incredible! Dear parents we appreciate your involvement in the event. Hope to see more of you especially daddies’ attendance in such events in the future.

The Movie: Finding Nemo; Thank you, Aunty Chandi for screening the movie and helping us in a number of ways in organizing the event.

Current Theme: Moving from Place to Place.

This topic is a favorite one for preschoolers. The theme deals with transportation and how it has changed from time to time. It will help the children to explore how people travel and the changes that have taken place through the time. They will be exposed to many art and craft activities. Vocabulary will be strengthened and the numbers, colors and shapes will be introduced through the theme. Pictures, Flash cards, models, stories, books, songs and DVDs are some of the recourses we can use to teach the young about the world but I strongly believe that the real life experiences are the best resources. Therefore I am in the process of exploring the possibilities of achieving it through many different ways.
If you are a resource person please come forward and enjoy yourself by getting involved with the activities. If you have any contacts with people who have old cars, jeeps or extra ordinary vehicles it would be a great opportunity for the preschooler to explore how it had been in the past.

Dear Mummy/Daddy,

Please help me mark a smile on the smiley face sheet if I liked the book I borrowed from the playway Book Corner. If I did not like it I can mark it as a sad face. And If I could not read the book with you I should keep it blank so that aunties will know that I need the book back for another day.
Please don’t forget!!!
Thank you


Here are some important dates for your diary

12th Nov. (Wed) Poya Holiday
14th Nov. (Fri) “Car Wash”
19th Nov. (Wed) Bike and Trike Day
21st Nov. (Fri) Trip to Bolgoda for a picnic and a swim.
02nd Dec (Tues) Sing with Me Mummy and Daddy

Please keep the dates in mind and in your diary.
Log on to http://theplaywaynursery-srilanka.blogspot.com/ for updates

Have a Nice November
Neelika Edirisinghe
Director, the playway nursery