Committee Newsletter to all Parents
Summer half term 2022
Goodbye
We are very sorry to tell you that Mandy Hume has handed in her resignation and will be leaving Poppleton Under 5s on Friday 17 June.
Mandy has worked with the pre-school for 15 years, starting in 2007 as a Pre-school Assistant and spending the last 5 years of her time with us as our Manager, a position which over the last year she has shared with Lizzy.
Mandy has been an extremely diligent and committed team member, and as Manager has worked many hours over and above those for which she was paid making sure that Poppleton Under 5s had everything it needed to run smoothly.
We will certainly miss her good relationships with all of the children and families and her co-operation and support of the various committees with which she has worked closely.
Mandy’s passion for and commitment to the setting cannot be questioned, and we wish Mandy the very best as she has her final day with us on Friday 17 June 2022.
& Hello
While we are all sorry to say goodbye to Mandy, we are delighted to also be able to welcome Holly Baxter back to the team.
Holly is a Level 3 qualified childcare practitioner and has worked for Poppleton Under 5s in the past (most recently just as the covid pandemic hit). She knows the current team and will cover Mandy’s sessions on Thursdays & Friday morning until the end of term.
We have arranged for Holly to start before Mandy leaves so that they can work together and transition over Mandy’s responsibilities for her key worker children (see more below).
We are sure as you say goodbye to Mandy that you will also give Holly a warm welcome.
Transition arrangements
In order to effect an appropriate transition of responsibility within the staff team we have asked Zoe to step up to acting Joint Manager until the end of term and she will work with Lizzy to ensure that our staff ratios are covered and our sessions run smoothly until the Summer holidays.
Before she leaves, Mandy will complete all work on Tapestry for those of her key worker children who also leave at the end of this year, so that the record of your child’s time with us will be ready for you to download in good time.
Holly, Lizzy & Zoe will cover all other key worker responsibilities between now and the end of term and we will email all parents directly with information on who their new key person is to be once Mandy leaves.
You may be aware that the Early Year Foundation Stage changed in September 2021 to relieve early years practitioners from what had in many settings become an onerous administrative role in updating parents about their children’s day at nursery.
While observation and assessment of your child is done on a daily basis, it is now mostly done ‘in the moment’ as the staff work with your children to adapt and engage them in and with the planned activities.
This half term you may therefore notice a reduction in the number of observations that are made on Tapestry, but please be reassured that this does not mean that your child is being less closely supported while they are with us.
Please feel free to chat to your key person at pick up time if you have any concerns or want to share important information with them.
AGM
Just a final reminder that it is our AGM on 16 June 2022 at 8 pm at the Methodist Church in the Old Hall.
We are delighted that parents are now stepping forward to form a new committee for the coming year.
Please do all attend the AGM even if you are not sure whether you want to join the committee. The committee needs the benefit of your input and the support of all parents if it is to continue to thrive.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Anne, Debs, Catherine, Jane, Jemma & Claire