Farewell Serena

As you may be aware, Serena our Joint Play Leader has left Lydney Early Learners.  She has been with us for eight years and will be sorely missed.  However we wish her much success in her new career, and look forward to her popping in to say hello now and then.

Due to Serena's departure, we have made a number of changes within and additions to the team,  Sam Preest now works alongside Sue Matthews as Joint Deputy Lead.  We have also employed Lisa Drew as a Play Assistant, working alongsde Michelle, Barbara and Brian and we have a Bank Play Assistant in Jill Webber.

All of the new appointees are experienced and well trained in the roles they have been appointed to and were selected by both representatives of the staff team and committee.

Notice of Fee Increase

Dear Parents/carers

After a discussion at the committee meeting on Monday 29^th November, a proposal was made to increase session fees to £ 3.50 per hour for children 3 years and over (for sessions exceeding those funded)  and £4.00 per hour  for children under 3 years old.

It was felt that this increase is required as our fees are well below those of other local pre-schools and nurseries.  Government funding has also been reduced for each session children attend.

 We need to run as a sustainable charity, with sufficient funds to maintain correct staff/child ratios, and to afford new equipment and toys for the children, as well as costs of running the building.

This will discussed further, and voted upon at the next meeting on Monday January 17^th 7.30pm.  If you have any questions or views on this please come to discuss this and make your vote.

If you would like further information prior to the meeting please speak to one of the committee officers- Eddie Pearson (Chairman) , or David Price (Treasurer) who can be contacted via the office.

Thank you

Yours Faithfully

Leona Price

(Secretary on behalf of committee)

Letter from our New Chairperson

Hello All Parents.

I would like to introduce myself as the new Chairman of Lydney Early Learners Centre and request some support. I took on this role a few weeks ago.

I must admit that I was totally unaware about how things work within Lydney Early Learners centre before I took the role on. I assumed that it was just a case of dropping off my child and picking her up when the session has finished –  totally unaware that the centre is a registered charity, has extremely loyal and highly trained staff and operates under very complex and strict educational guidelines, ensuring that all the centres children get the best possible start to their educational journey.

All this of course does not come without financial cost and support. All parents by default are members of and are invited to attend committee meetings. During these meetings a number of items are raised that directly affect how your child is developed in the centre. I am requesting therefore that if you can attend that you do. The next meeting is scheduled  for 7.30pm on the  29^th November .Without more support at these meetings, we as a committee are unable to be sure if decisions made reflect the whole membership so please come along and have your say.

On a separate note we are holding a prize draw and currently looking for prizes that can be added to a list. The deadline for submission of prizes is November 22^nd as we are getting draw tickets printed in that week. Please can you let Donna at the Centre know if you can help. We are aiming to sell as many tickets as possible and to be honest there will be some very good prizes up for grabs.

If you wish to contact me regarding anything to do with the centre please leave a message at the Centre and I will reply a soon as I can.

Regards

Eddie Pearson

Lydney Early Learners is a charity, and needs an overseeing committee. As parents of children who attend you are by default a member of the committee.

To oversee the running of the committee we need the following elected members.

Chairperson ( who oversees the setting and chairs meetings)

Treasurer (ensures money is spent wisely and processes payments and wages)

If you feel you could fulfil one of these roles, or would like to nominate someone for this, please complete the slip below, (by Wednesday 6^th October).

These posts will be agreed upon at our Special general meeting on

Saturday 9^th October 10am.

Please could all parents attend.

Lydney Early Learners needs a functioning committee to run.

Staff will be present to look after children during the meeting.

...............................................................................................................

I nominate ..........................................with their agreement for the position of Chairperson

I nominate ..........................................with their agreement for the position of Treasurer   

 signed ...................................................

Work day

Saturday 9^th October

10 am

Please come and help with gardening/grounds maintenance/painting/’odd jobs’.....

Refreshments provided!

Lydney playgroup re-launches after more than 40 years

A NURSERY in Lydney has relaunched itself this week after teaching toddlers for over 40 years.

Lydney Playgroup and Nursery will now be known as the Lydney Early Learners.

First-founded in 1966

, the group is based within the grounds of Lydney C of E school offering early years care and education to children from the age of two years and six months up until school age.                                                 

Play leader Anne Biddle has been a part of the group for 21 years.

She said: "The group has really evolved over the last 43 years. It originally started in the old church rooms and we moved to our present location more than 25 years ago.

"We have developed as a group with the evolution of early years settings over the last 20 years and we embrace the ethos of the Early Years Foundation Stage which came into being in 2008."

Following a recent change in the committee it was decided the group should take a new name to better represent the service offered to the community. Committee chairman Shaun Thompson said: "Rightly or wrongly the word playgroup has something of a stigma attached to it. We canvassed opinion from parents and the new name was decided by ballot.

"We truly believe the new name represents the group and the children who come here."

And for one parent, Lydney Early Learners offers something of a return to her own childhood. Diane Green attended the group herself as a child back in 1974. Her two sons William and George both attended and now her daughter Molly goes there.

Diane, a management committee member, said: "I really enjoyed my time there and lifelong friendships were made so it felt like a natural choice for my children to go too".

A committee is elected each year from the parents to oversee the running and management of the setting and to raise funds.

Office manager Sally Ledger said "This partnership between the parents and staff is the bedrock of our organisation.

"Without the massive contribution made by our parents the group could not function.

"This was strongly shown during the Easter holidays when a small army of parents and staff turned out to help paint the inside of the building."

And just like years gone by when children played outdoors much more a great emphasis is being put on getting outside.

Children learn about nature through the activities in the garden and really enjoy helping to look after the group's rabbits.

An open day is being held on Tuesday. For more information, visit www.lydneyearlylearners.org.uk or call 01594 841 779.

By eatkinson emma atkinson JLIB_HTML_CLOAKING (25th April 2009)