the playway News - September

Welcome, Everyone!
Hope every one of you had a great holiday! Welcome back!
We are delighted to welcome our new additions Vasilisa, Milena, Harish and Jailen to our play circle. Hope you will enjoy the experience you receive at the playway.

Thank You
Thank you for choosing the playway as your child’s first stepping stone. We strive to give your child every opportunity to enjoy the early years and your family to become a part of the activities at the playway.
Thank you parents, for your active participation at the parent conferences July 2009. We were delighted to have that very important meeting with you. I sincerely hope you too enjoyed looking through your child’s efforts through his/her work with us and openly discussing many aspects of your child and his/her development. But I would like to stress the importance of daddies' participation as well. Hope we shall see more daddies at our meetings in December.
As you know, both the children and the teachers have enjoyed every activity to the utmost and both parties have learned immensely while doing so.
Thank you parents for joining in the activities that were lined up throughout last term. You have been of immense help in bringing extra colour to our programme.

The Field Trip

Rahmah’s parents supported Rahmah to share an experience she enjoyed, with her friends when they invited all the children at the playway for an exciting morning at the Fingara Cricket Club.The field trip was entirely sponsored by Mr and Mrs Cader. Thank you Mr and Mrs Cader, we all enjoyed the trip very much.

Our Current Theme: How does my garden grow?

Planting Song
Author Unknown

I took a little seed one day
About a month ago.
I put it in a pot of soil
In hopes that it would grow.

I poured a little water
To make the soil just right.
I set the pot upon the sill
Where the sun would give it light.

I checked the pot most every day,
And turned it once or twice.
With a little care and water
I helped it grow so nice.

Through this theme we aim to create awareness in children of their immediate environment: their garden. The growth of a plant is an exciting experience to a child. He/she will be exposed to the wonderful world of plants and their growth through active involvement in growing seeds, watering, caring for and harvesting. The children are encouraged to ask questions, explore and find answers.
• Please send in used ice cream, margarine or other variety of tub that can be used as a plant pot.
• The children will be bringing plants to care for at home and your corporation in this regard is highly appreciated.
• If your garden has a vegetable plot, fruit trees or a pond with water plants I would greatly appreciate you letting us know, so that we could arrange for the children to enjoy a day in your garden.

Birthdays in September…

Hope all of you
will have
loads of fun!!!
07 Harish will be 2
12 Mikayla will be 2
16 Apoorva will be 4
20 Maya will be 1
25 Jaana will be 3
26 Akaash will be 3

Dates for your Diary:
25, August The play starts at the playway
1, September New playmates arrive
4, September Poya Holiday
9, September Gardening
11, September Cookery Day: Salads
21, September Public & Bank Holiday: No Play
30, September To Market, To Market, To Buy a…


Good News
Amaal gave birth to a baby boy on 18, August 2009. She and her husband, Shafraz have named him Aadam. Both Amaal and Aadam are doing well. Congratulations, Amaal!

The photographs are uploaded to the blog. Please visit. We are in the process of creating a new web site and we are confident that it will be an easy access for information about the playway.

REMINDER Fruit Break: Don’t forget our fruit breaks!
Please do note that on both Tuesday and Thursday usual break time is given a special twist with the playway fruit breaks. Send your child a fruit and/or fresh fruit juice that he she will enjoy. Please let me know if your child is allergic to any kind of a fruit or other food item as children sometimes share food during breaks.

REMINDER Chocolate Wednesday: Every other Wednesday we enjoy chocolates during our break times as chocolates have been proven to be good for children occasionally and in small quantities. Please send your child’s tooth brush (labeled with name) along with the chocolates to brush their teeth after eating the chocolate.

REMINDER Physical Education: During Wednesday and Friday mornings the 3 Plusses (Blue Whales) will engage in 15 minutes of PE in the garden. Tuesday and Thursday mornings is the time for the 2 - 3 year olds (Baby Dolphins) to have their PE lesson. Please send them in their the playway T- shirts with shorts and sneakers on the right days.

REMINDER Book Pool: We are extremely happy to note that our “A Book a Home Program” is doing extremely well. The response from the children and parents is great. The aim is to arouse curiosity and love for books in children. A book read aloud by the mummy or the daddy can develop pre-reading skills and highly recommended. Your child is at his/her peak considering language absorption. Please read as many books to them as possible. And also you could set an example by reading for your own enjoyment in their presence.
While saying a big thank you to the parents who send books regularly to the book pool, a reminder is sent to the others who have not yet done so. Please send one of your child’s favorites so he/she can share it with his/her friends. Books shared thus far have been returned to the owner in their original condition. Books submitted will be noted and returned at the end of each week. Please send a book once a week and take a book home daily.

THE BOOK CORNER FOR MUMMIES & DADDIES
There are a few good books from my personal collection for your use at the playway on themes related to early childhood education. Please feel free to check out a copy and return it within a month so that other parents can have access to the same.

Recycling begins at the nursery

Please send any item that can be recycled at the nursery. Used CDs, clean empty cartons, disposable cups and paper plates, toilet paper rolls, tissue boxes, old hand bags, shawls, fancy slippers, costumes and old telephone directories to name a few.

Have a Sensational September
Neelika Edirisinghe
Director, the Playway nursery

A Joyous June! – An Update on our Activities at

A Warm Welcome to Thenuk and Melina, the latest additions to the playway family. We are delighted to have you in our play-circle. Hope you enjoy your time the playway.

Tales That Rocked the playway: the playway team presented Three Little Pigs, The Three Billy Goats Gruff (with Stick Puppets), Goldilocks and The Three Bears (in May) and The Little Red Riding Hood as well as ‘Thoppi Velendha’ in early June giving the young audience a great opportunity to enjoy these popular stories from around the world. The students followed the presentations by acting out their own versions spontaneously. The experience children gained will last a long time. The photographs will be uploaded to the blog shortly!

Thank you teachers for creating the props within a very short time and volunteering to act, giving life to many favorite characters from around the world.

Thank you Isaac A student from New Zealand who spent most of his life in Laos and then Sri Lanka read three of his favorite childhood stories adding variety and meaning to our theme “Tales around the World”.

Thank you Yulia: Yulia read one of her favorite stories, A Porcupine Named Fluffy to the Busy Bees on a very busy Wednesday when she visited the playway.

Ms Masha from the Russian Centre library will be presenting Alonushka and Ivanushka, a very famous Russian children’s story at the library on June 17. The children will also be given an opportunity to explore the children’s books at the library at this occasion.
The Screenings of ‘Thoppi Velendha’, the famous Sri Lankan Folk tale, Three little Pigs and The Very Bad Wolf also gave the children tremendous opportunity to explore the theme “Tales around the World” and have loads of fun at the same time while doing it.

Integration: The art and craft, number, language lessons, PSE, PE, music and even cookery lessons were integrated with these stories. When we cooked the Enormous Pancake the children could not resist the aroma it produced. They demanded that they be washed and prepared for their snack at once. Luckily, this enormous pancake did not run away!

Daddies Week at the playway
It is wonderful to announce the tremendous interest the families have shown regarding this event. Many daddies have signed up for the week long celebrations. Please check out the schedule:

15, Monday Thayba’s Daddy Cricket and Base Ball BASH
16, Tuesday Karan’s Daddy Football at its BEST!
17, Wednesday Mikayla’s Daddy PE for All
18, Thursday Akaash’s Daddy Racing Car Fever
19, Friday Maya’s Daddy Cuddly Story Time with Daddy
Ishaq’s Daddy Goody Bag Surprise

Thank you daddies for making this week and your children’s lives very special

Top Secret: In the meantime, the children at the playway are busy making very special gifts for their daddies!

Happy, Happy Birthdays
Karan celebrates his 4th birthday on 20, June, while Nikitha his 2nd birthday on
26 June. Everyone at th playway and the staff of the Russian Centre wish you two fun filled birthdays.

Have a Joyous June,
Neelika Edirisinghe

the playway News - June, July

Hello Parents

June is here and is full of good things… Daddy’s Day and Favorite Book Character Day: just to mention a few.

IDP FUND: A big thank you to everyone who contributed towards the IDP Fund. It was enough to feed an army. The children got together and sorted, discussed and packed the stuff before I handed them over to the BMICH officials. The biggest lesson the children learned from the experience was to lend a hand to the needy. Karan even carried his contribution up the stairs all by himself in his eagerness. It was a very meaningful task for the children.

WELCOME: We are delighted to welcome little Maya and Kehathi who join our play circle in June. We welcome them to the playway family with warm hugs and kisses! Hope you enjoy the experience…
Another warm welcome to Ms Gayani Nelson who joins our team as a teacher. She holds a Diploma in Preschool and Child Care Management from the Mother’s Touch Teacher Training School. She is a product of Samudradevi Balika Vidyalaya, Nugegoda. She is an experienced and mature teacher who will undoubtedly add strength to our team. We wish you all the best here at the playway.

MATERNITY LEAVE: Ms Amaal Junaid, a teacher who is loved dearly by all the students and the staff at the playway departs to have her baby. Her last day at the playway was Friday, May 29: a sad day for us all. The children heaped her with hugs and kisses while the staff saw her off with best wishes. She hopes to return to the playway with her baby when they are ready.

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAYS Karan will be celebrating his 4th Birthday on the June 20. Nikitha will celebrate his second birth day on the 26th June while Atara celebrates hers on the July 9. We wish them the best on their birthdays. Hope you have lots of FUN!

CURRENT THEME: Tales around the World remains the theme for the Busy Bees while the Yellow Butterflies move on to explore farm animals and life on a farm within the theme “On the Farm”.

A DADDY SPEAKS… (Author Unknown)
Just for this morning, I will let you
choose what you want to wear,
and smile and say how perfect it is.

Just for this morning, I will leave the
dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put
that puzzle of yours together.

Just for this afternoon, I will unplug
the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with
you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

Just for this afternoon, I will not yell
once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and
whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one
if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon, I won't worry
about what you are going to be when you grow up, or
second guess every decision I have made where you are
concerned.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you
help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you
trying to fix them.

Just for this afternoon, I will take us
to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can
have both toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in
my arms and tell you a story about how you were
born and how much I love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you
splash in the tub and not get angry.
Just for this evening, I will let you
stay up late while we sit on the porch & count all the stars.
Just for this evening, I will snuggle
beside you for hours, and miss my favourite TV shows.

DADDIES! Please take time off from your busy schedules to spend with you under fives for you are a very important person in his or her life!
We shall celebrate the Daddies of the playway on the Friday 19, June. the playway will honor the daddies by declaring a week ( 15-19 June) for daddies, during which daddies will be a part of the nursery’s daily program. We invite daddies to come forward to read to us, teach us games, play a musical instrument for us, take us for a ride or show us an interesting place in Colombo. (A factory you own, a hotel kitchen you have access to, a farm you know in Colombo or suburbs or a sports/swim place you visit etc.)
Please contact Neelika with any suggestions for activities during this week on 0772919386.
REMINDER Fruit Break: Don’t forget our fruit breaks!
Please do note that on both Tuesday and Thursday usual break time is given a special twist with the playway fruit breaks. Send your child a fruit and/or fresh fruit juice that he she will enjoy. Please let me know if your child is allergic to any kind of a fruit or other food item as children sometimes share food during breaks.

REMINDER Chocolate Wednesday: Every other Wednesday we enjoy chocolates during our break times as chocolates have been proven to be good for children occasionally and in small quantities. Please send your child’s tooth brush (labeled with name) along with the chocolates to brush their teeth after eating the chocolate.

REMINDER Physical Education: During Wednesday and Friday mornings the 3 Plusses (Busy Bees) will engage in 15 minutes of PE in the garden. Tuesday and Thursday mornings is the time for the 2 - 3 year olds (Yellow Butterflies) to have their PE lesson. Please send them in their the playway T- shirts with shorts and sneakers on the right days.

REMINDER Book Pool: We are extremely happy to note that our “A Book a Home Program” is doing extremely well. The response from the children and parents is great. The aim is to arouse curiosity and love for books in children. A book read aloud by the mummy or the daddy can develop pre-reading skills and highly recommended. Your child is at his/her peak considering language absorption. Please read as many books to them as possible. And also you could set an example by reading for your own enjoyment in their presence.

While saying a big thank you to the parents who send books regularly to the book pool, a reminder is sent to the others who have not yet done so. Please send one of your child’s favorites so he/she can share it with his/her friends. Books shared thus far have been returned to the owner in their original condition. Books submitted will be noted and returned at the end of each week. Please send a book once a week and take a book home daily.

THE BOOK CORNER FOR MUMMIES & DADDIES
There are a few good books from my personal collection for your use at the playway on themes related to early childhood education. Please feel free to check out a copy and return it within a month so that other parents can have access to the same.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Friday, June 5 the playway presents Red Riding Hood
Friday, June 12 the playway presents Thoppi Vellenda
June 15 – June 19 the playway Daddy’s Week
Friday, June 19 the playway celebrates Daddy’s Day
Tuesday, June 30 the playway Favorite Book Character Day
July 22, 23, 24 the playway Parent Conferences
Tuesday, July 28 the playway Sports Day
Thursday, July 30 Play breaks for Summer Holidays!

Have a joyous June & July…

Neelika Edirisinghe
Director, nursery.

The playway monthly news - May

Hello, everyone… Welcome back!

Hope everyone had a great holiday celebrating Easter and the Sinhala and Tamil New Year: visiting relations and friends or touring across our beautiful island or even going overseas with your family.
A great BIG welcome to little Aakash Schafter the latest addition to our play group! We are delighted to have you in with us.
Thank you ever so much for your support for the construction work that has enabled us to expand the play /wash area for the benefit of your children. We are delighted to present the comfortable wash room to our under fives at . This became a reality as a result of the able financial management of Mrs Chandi Aluvihare, the cultural officer at the Russian Cultural Centre. Thank you, Mrs Aluvihare!!!
A big thank you also to Mr Ayrat Akhmetov, Director the Russian Cultural Centre and Mr Budhdhapriya Ramanayake, CEO the Russian Cultural Centre for their approval & support on the same.

Flash Back



It was amazing to see our under fives in their traditional outfits on the April 8, 2009 competing for Avurudhu Kumari/Avurudhu Kumara pageant! The pageant was extra special as everyone was present and every participant was a winner.
We really enjoyed the event witnessing the great joys of the children and the parents. Thank you, parents for accepting the invitation and being a part of the show. Thank you very much for the lovely Easter and New Year sweetmeats too. Hope you all enjoyed the event as much as we did organizing it.
Photographs of most of the event have been uploaded to blog at http://theplaywaynursery-srilanka.blogspot.com/.
Unfortunately, the latter part of the event was not captured to our satisfaction. If anyone could supplement this with your own photos, especially of the latter part of the event I would appreciate it very much and would have them uploaded for everyone’s benefit!
The Sinhala and Tamil New year is very important to Sri Lankans as it celebrates love and kindness; people share food and present gifts to their loved ones and the needy, strengthening the bonds among each other.

Love

If you develop love, truly great love, rid of the desire to hold and possess, that strong, clean love untarnished by lust, that love which does not expect to be repaid, that love which is firm but not grasping, enduring but not tied down, gentle and settled, diamond hard but un-hurting, helpful but not interfering, cool and refreshing, giving more than taking, dignified but not proud, soft but not weak, that love which leads to enlightenment, then you will be washed of all ill will.

Gurulugomi
12th Century Sri Lankan Poet

Aid Drive - Charity begins at the Nursery

We are very fortunate to be able to live a safe and comfortable life with our loved ones. At the same time, we must reach out to our fellow citizens undergoing great hardships for reasons beyond their control.
It is time to show that we truly love and care! Let your child bring something small but useful for the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in camps in the north. We, as a responsible community, can attempt to feed and care for another community even for just a few days.
We shall have an Aid Collection Box kept at the entrance to the nursery where your child could drop the items. Please do drop these items as soon as possible, as our fellow citizens need our help now! Once collected, all items will be handed over to the main collection centre at the BMICH.
While your contribution is not compulsory, it would make a great difference to the life of another.

Happy, Happy Birthdays!

Belated birthday greetings go out to Little Ishaq who celebrated his 3rd birthday on the April 21 and to Tharaka who turned 20 on April 12. Hope you both had a great time on your birthdays!
Adhithri will be 2 on the May 5. Hope she will have loads of fun with her friends and family. May her birthday dreams come true!

Our Current Theme: Tales around the World



Inquiry Into: What can we teach young children through stories/tales?
• The children will be taken into the wonderful world of tales with a variety of collected resources
• Tales around the World is mainly focused on “Cultural Differences” in different parts of the world. When children actively listen to a well-read story they develop the power of imagination, estimation, differences in opinions, tolerance towards other cultures and understanding feelings of others.
• The focus can be taken beyond this, enhancing the value of tales even further, when read interestingly and interactively there is a tremendous response to stories. For example, a puppet show will enthrall a young audience.
• A well planned story, when taken beyond preconceived boundaries, can be incorporated into many areas of teaching: language, number, personal, social and emotional education, science, social studies, emphasizing creativity, critical thinking within an organized structure.
• We will also bring drama and theatre into the classroom.
• Parents, if you have books videos, CDs and DVDs, please lend them to us for a short period of time.

Dates for your Diary

Monday, 4 May reopens
Thursday, 7 May Vesak story
Friday 8 May Vesak poya holiday
Thursday, 14 May presents The Three Little Pigs
Friday, 15 May Mother’s Day Celebrations: Mummy, Please Read Me a Story
Monday, 25 May presents Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Friday, 22 May Cookery
Friday, 29 May presents Red Riding Hood

Have a Marvelous May!

Neelika Edirisinghe
Director, nursery

the playway Monthly News - March

The Rainbow

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.
William Wordsworth

Hello Parents,

William Wordsworth in his poem rainbow clearly states that the child is father of man- kind. He clearly sees that the children learn best when they are left to explore, that they are not empty vessels for the adults to fill with knowledge but are born with natural instincts and natural abilities for us to nurture and stimulate to enhance their potential. He says that the best teacher for a young child is the nature. Nature nurtures/ teaches best lessons if the child is allowed to be close to nature.
But alas! How many of us allow our children to grow with nature?
At the playway we try our best to give the child an experience that will last in his/ her memory throughout. We make them experience their surroundings using their five senses in whatever the activity we offer. It is vital for the young learner to be able to walk around and explore his/ her environment provided that it is safe and child friendly. Our main goal is to give this opportunity at the playway and enhance their natural curiosity.

We strongly believe that the children learn through their senses.

Auditory - by hearing through ears
Visual - by seeing through eyes
Tactile - by touching through skin
Gustatory – by tasting through tongue
Olfactory - by smelling through nose

Current Theme for March & April
Creepy Crawlies (Mini Beasts)
We shall be inquiring about the interesting mini beasts through this topic of inquiry. The children will be exposed to a variety of activities where they will be motivated to be natural inquirers. The children will be prompt to ask questions, find answers, investigate different mini beasts: collect them, observe them, draw and paint them, compare and contrast them and discuss about these interesting creatures that are found in abundance in our tropical island.
We shall try our best to bring a change in attitude about these little creatures in the young learner, by giving them the opportunity to observe them closely & carefully.
Moreover, language, math, science, rhythm & music, art & craft and PSE will be incorporated to the theme in every possible way throughout this period.
If you are a resource person please come forward to facilitate the needs: if you have a large garden where many creepy crawlies live happily, own a wealth of books and other related material about creepy crawlies, a collection of models and preserved insects/bugs etc you can help us by giving the children the opportunity to use the resources.

Welcome!
A very BIG welcome to little Mikayla and Nikitha, who joined the playway in February. We are delighted to have you in our play circle. Hope you enjoy the experience!!!

Welcome Ms. Tharaka Peris, our new addition to the team. A product of Methodist College, Colombo, she was qualified in Early Childhood Education at the Havelock Gardens’ Montessori School under Ms. Chereen Dharmaratne. Young and bubbly, she joins as a trainee Assistant Teacher raising the number of teachers at the playway to four.

Congratulations
Congratulations Aunt Shashika, our music teacher, who upon completing her studies in LL.B (UK) through the University of London will be flying there on March 12 for her convocation ceremony. She graduates with one of the highest results in Sri Lanka, Second Class Upper. We are very proud of you!

Happy, Happy Birthday
Happy birthday, Aunt Sashika, who is celebrating her twenty-fourth birthday on March 10. Hope this birthday is very special for you.
Happy birthday Thayba. Thayba will be three years old on March 12. Hope she will have loads of fun with all her friends and family.

Activities – January & February
January and February were months filled with activities at the playway where children enjoyed numerous tasks while learning.
• The first anniversary of the playway nursery
Children had fun celebrating while learning about ‘1’.
• Thaipongal Festival
A simple ceremony, to mark the dawn of Thaipongal. The children learnt what Thaipongal means to Hindu devotees.
• Cookery Days
Children actively engaged in identifying, touching, mixing, & tasting the ingredients. Some of the items that were done at the playway: Feeling - sandwiches, red jelly and Green “mallun”
• Independence Day Celebrations
Children truly enjoyed themselves in their own traditional costumes. They tasted some of the traditional sweet meats and of course joined in a few games.
• St. Valentine’s Day
Children were busy making gifts for their Valentines. Hope you enjoyed the gift!

Throughout our last topic the children inquired about themselves, their homes and families. They discussed how special they are & the similarities and the differences compared to their peers.
However some of the activities on the Topic “Me, Myself & I” will go further into March too as some children need more time than the others to complete certain tasks.

PE at the playway; the mornings of Wednesdays & Fridays the 3 year olds will be spending their morning 15 minutes in the garden with the teachers taking PE lessons. Please send them in their playway T- shirts, shorts and sneakers.
Thank you for your corporation on our latest plan for dropping and picking of children. It is noted that the new plan works better. In order to observe your child at play a day per family will be soon allocated. On this allocated day you are welcome to come and be with your child, help him/her in her play and discuss any concerns with the teacher if necessary.

The Book Corner for MUMMIES & DADDIES
THERE ARE A FEW GOOD BOOKS from my collection for your use at the playway on Early Childhood Education and related themes. Please feel free to check out a copy & send it back when you are done.

Dates for your Diary
March 06 ‘b’ as in Bikes Day
March 10 Poya Holiday
March 13 ‘h’ as in Crazy Hat Day
March 18 Cookery Day
March 27 Field trip

April 08 Avurudhu Celebrations/Last Day for the quarter

the playway re- opens for Teachers Monday 27th April
the playway re- opens for Children Tuesday 28th April

March for a Merry March
Neelika Edirisinghe Director, the playway nursery, Colombo 07

Hello Everyone!
Welcome back to the playway! Hope you all had a great holiday.
It is with great pleasure we welcome our new playmates, little Akaash, Ishaq and Thayba.
Wish you all a bright and a prosperous New Year! May Every Happiness be yours!

New Year’s Reality Check
By Joanna Fuchs


Another year, another chance
To start our lives anew;
This time we’ll leap old barriers
To have a real breakthrough.
We’ll take one little step
And then we’ll take one more,
Our unlimited potential
We’ll totally explore.
We’ll show off all our talents
Everyone will be inspired;
(Hmm…while I’m writing this,
I’m getting very tired.)
We’ll give up all bad habits;
We’ll read and learn a lot,
All our goals will be accomplished,
Sigh...or maybe not.
Oh well, Happy New Year anyway!

Important News: As you know I am a final year undergraduate at the University of Sri Jayawardenapura. The final exams are re-scheduled for January and consist of six papers. During my absence, Mrs. Gihanthi Abeyratne, a close friend and qualified, experienced teacher formally at Ladies’ College, Colombo 7 will substitute me. Along with Amaal and Harshini, she will ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Our current theme: “Me myself and I”. The children will get a very good opportunity to inquire about themselves and their feelings. We hope to work on the topic to enhance the knowledge on them, family, country and their growth.

Happy, Happy Birthday!!!

The playway nursery celebrates its first anniversary this January. Let’s all sing Happy Birthday, the playway and wish it Good Luck! Also, Aunty Harshini celebrates her birthday on the 15th January and Rahmah on the 31st. Hope both of them will have a lot of Fun on their birthdays.

Book Pool Reminder: We are extremely happy to note that our “Book a Home Programme” is doing extremely well. The response from the children and the parents is great. The aim is to arouse the curiosity and the love for books. A book read aloud by mummy or daddy can develop pre reading ability and is recommended highly. Your child/ children are in their best years where Language absorption is concerned. Please read as many books to them as possible. And also you could set an example by reading for your enjoyment at their presence.

I am positive that you are having a wealth of books at home and would love to share with the children at the playway. Please send a favorite book of your child to be shared. So far the books I send home have come back in their original state therefore I trust that the books that are going home will be safe. Please send a book once a week and take a book home daily. We shall take an account on the books and RETURN THEM SAFE AT THE END OF EACH WEEK.

Fruit Break

Hope the parents do remember that children have appreciated fruit in their fruit breaks and this is a reminder to all the parents to send a fruit that your child loves on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The new families please note that both Tuesday and Thursday are our Fruit Breaks and it will be lovely to send a fruit that your son/ daughter likes to have for the break. A good fruit drink kike an orange juice in a drinking cup is also a good idea for a change.

Every other Wednesday we celebrate chocolates at our break times as chocolates are proved to be good for children in small quantities once in a way. Please send your child’s tooth brush (labeled) on that day to get used to brushing teeth after a chocolate. The good habits children learn at the Nursery will take them a long way.

Dates for Your Diary:

Monday , 12th January 2009 First day at school for the New Year
Wednesday, 14th January 2009 Thaipongal (Holiday)
Tuesday, 20th January 2009 Cookery Day
Tuesday, 03rd February 2009 Independence Day Celebrations
Wednesday, 04th February 2009 Independence Day (Holiday)

Hope you all enjoyed the collection of photographs on DVD! Wasn’t that a treat?

Have a Joyful January
Neelika Edirisinghe
Director, the playway nursery

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