Little Hands, Big Adventures

As we reach the end of this busy term, our days continue in full swing! It has been a spectacular Autumn, and our dedicated team continues to transform our hall into a vibrant world of discovery every morning before the children arrive.

Back in September, we kicked things off with our "All About Me" topic, sharing wonderful stories about home lives, hobbies, and favourite foods. This was the perfect springboard for celebrating Harvest. The children enthusiastically dived into messy play, scooping out pumpkins and watching seeds "dance" in carbonated water.

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We also explored our "People Who Help Us" topic, asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Classic answers like firefighters, doctors, and bin men sparked lovely conversations about kindness and our local community.

Speaking of everyday superheroes, we recently said a fond, tearful farewell to Hannah Gibson, who left Stepping Stones after nine years of wonderful service. We thank her from the bottom of our hearts! We are also incredibly fortunate to welcome Catriona Howard into the office. Having worked closely with us for years, Catriona brings a wealth of experience and already knows where everything is hidden!

Outside, Autumn arrived with gorgeous mahogany conkers, but also a playground mystery: Where are all the acorns? Using technology to research, the children discovered that last year was a "mast year" of overproduction, so the oak trees are taking a well-deserved rest to save energy. As we hit the mid-term mark, our staff relate to those tired trees completely! Looking ahead to November, we will bring our senses alive exploring the colours of Bonfire Night and creating poppies for Remembrance Sunday.

Finally, as we pack away for the day, I want to thank our committee and staff. National trends show that traditional, community-focused "daily pack-away" nurseries are becoming a rare treasure across the UK. Setting up and packing away our nursery every single day takes an immense amount of love and energy, but it allows us to offer a warm, flexible, and independent early education right in the heart of our parish.