Hello everyone, and welcome to Ballykeel Nursery! The adults in our class this year are Miss Millen (Teacher), Mrs Richmond (Classroom Assistant) and Mrs McNeilly (SEN Assistant)

November- December  

We are delighted to have the children all settled into a sound nursery routine. This is the second half of the first term and it is one of the most exciting, and busiest times in Ballykeel Nursery Unit! This is a perfect time to start feeling festive and share in the children’s excitement which surrounds the run up to Christmas. We have lots of events and activities taking place in Nursery, we hope you’re ready to get involved! 

Topics this term: 

As well as other subjects which may emerge from the children’s interests, we will plan to look at the following themes; 

Signs of autumn; colours observed in the outdoor environments, changes in weather, and items and objects which can be found at this time of year. The children will be using autumnal colours: brown, yellow, red and orange, in their creative activities and will be encouraged to bring in items and share their experiences to contribute to the learning and understanding of autumn. We will continue to talk about preparing for winter (both people and animals). We will be sharing a selection of stories about woodland and various animals. We will look at the changes in the weather and the need to dress appropriately according to these changes (coat, hat, gloves, etc. as the weather gets colder and waterproofs for wet weather). 

Fairytales;  Welcome to the magical world of Fairytales!  We will be sharing these magical stories and exploring a wide variety of exciting activities related to this wonderful topic.

Christmas and the Nursery Singalong   

In November and December we will be talking about Christmas. We will continue to look at the changes in the weather – you never know, we may even see some frost or snow! We will talk about the Christmas story and the meaning of Christmas. We will also be practising for our Nursery singalong. We are delighted that we are able to invite you into school to join us for some festive singing on 04.12.24. After the performance we have a special open morning arranged to give you the opportunity to visit the Primary School.

The children will also be writing letters to Santa, creating pieces of festive art and craft and sharing their experiences with one-another. We have a busy time ahead and we hope the children will enjoy all of the festivities. 

A few other reminders  

Lending Library- The Lending Library service will continue to run with books being sent home on a Friday and returned every Tuesday. This is a great opportunity for you to enhance your child’s learning and development, potentially across all areas of the curriculum. It is also a great, and inexpensive way for your child to experience and explore a wide range of books and stories! 

Name It - please ensure all items of clothing (uniform, coat, hat, shoes etc) have your child's name on them. It's a good idea to check these regularly as sometimes they can fade or come off in the wash. 

Nursery News - our noticeboards in the hall will be used to display any important information/reminders, as well as these being sent on Seesaw. Please ensure your Seesaw is turned on and checked regularly as this is our main means of communication.

Nursery Newsletter - our newsletter will be posted on the school website, sent on Seesaw and displayed on the board in the hallway. Please read this information carefully and try to encourage your child by talking about the topics that we are covering.

We hope your child has a memorable year in Ballykeel Nursery Unit; please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any concerns or questions. 

Miss Millen and Mrs Richmond