What a year! From starting in September 2021 still under Covid restrictions to where we are now has been a long journey which has been made possible by so many people.
Our first thanks have to go to all of our amazing children. Yet again they have showed brilliant resilience and cooperation throughout this year. When we returned in September Covid restrictions were still very much in place and our children took it all in their stride, still coming in with wonderful smiles and eagerness to learn and have fun. This was of course fully supported by all our parents and carers who continued to respect the procedures we had in place and supporting us to enable us to make Stepping Stones the safest environment possible.
Thank you to everyone who gave us a glowing review on Day Nurseries resulting in us being in the top 20 Nurseries in the area, such an achievement. Our fundraising projects such as the Cinema Club and the Pumpkin planting have been a roaring success raising money for us to buy wonderful items such as a Castle and a Sandpit for the children to enjoy. These events and projects could not happen without our parents whose time and dedication we are extremely grateful for.
Thank you to our Committee team, Louise, Francesca, Catriona, Katy, Julia and Lucy. They have been an invaluable group of people helping and supporting us throughout the year from leading the fundraising, supporting financial decisions building our fabulous website and so much more. A special thank you must go to Louise who will be stepping down from her role as our chairperson at the end of this academic year. Louise was integral in the conversion of the charity to a CIO. We want to thank Louise for all her time and support not only as our chairperson but as a parent who has always championed Stepping Stones.
Thank you to our external team, Bea from Wholesome Hedgehog Yoga, Neil from Coolsportz, Kate from La Jolie Ronde French, Gill from Noah’s Story Box and more recently Sam from Dramatots who have offered the children a broad spectrum of activities to enjoy and embrace. We feel so fortunate to be able to offer these extra curricular activities here at Stepping Stones.
The Jubilee in June was a wonderful opportunity for Stepping Stones to be part of the community, contributing to the Jubilee Tree and bench in the village and creating our very own Queen scarecrow which we proudly displayed outside the Church centre. It was wonderful to have discussions with the children about the Queen and listening to what she means to them. “She is the Queen of the Palace, and she writes everything about the world” was the thoughts from one of the children.
Thanks to other members of the community too. Sarah Folwell and Iman Butterworth who have donated some wonderful toys and equipment for the children.
We are very grateful to the local primary schools in the area who have spent time visiting us and meeting our new pre-schoolers in readiness for their start in September. This early introduction really does help the children with their transition.
Thank you to the Church Centre and the support of Steve Aitken the outgoing chairperson throughout the year. We look forward to working in partnership with Alison the Vicar and new chairperson going forward.
Thank you to the staffing team here at Stepping Stones including our wonderful volunteer, Sarah. The passion commitment and dedication these ladies have is second to none. This is more than just a job to them, it’s a way for them to give back to the community and make a difference to children’s lives. Going above and beyond, working in their own time whether it be resourcing activities at home or thinking of new ideas whilst on their own holiday’s that they can bring back and share with the children is one of the ways they differ from the rest.
Our final thank you goes to all our wonderful parents who have contributed to our wonderful end of term gifts, cards and vouchers. We are really touched by your kind words and generosity as always.
We would like to wish the pre-schoolers and their families all the best for their onward journeys to their new school. You will all be missed greatly but we can’t wait for you to start your next chapter. We would love to see any first day of school photos if possible!
For the children and families that will be returning in September we hope you have a wonderful and restful Summer. We cant wait to see everyone back in September along with some new faces to join our Stepping Stones family.