March 2022

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Knowle Green Day Nursery celebrate Persian New Year

Festivities were well underway at Knowle Green Day Nursery in Staines as children and colleagues celebrated Nowruz, otherwise known as Persian New Year.

At the award-winning setting on Knowle Green, children were delighted to learn more about the festival, which is the most important event in the Iranian calendar and symbolic of the start of spring, from their resident expert and Nursery Practitioner, Eila Ahmadi, who imparted her wisdom and shared examples of traditional practices with the captivated group.

To further the learning experience, children were delighted to showcase their creativity by taking part in the custom of painting eggs, before proudly putting them on display.

Knowle Green Day Nursery Manager, Jen Ralphs explained;

“We have several families at Knowle Green that celebrate Nowruz so it was lovely to share this special occasion with them and gain a better insight into such an important part of their culture. The children had a brilliant time and are always thrilled to learn about different events, as well as the creative opportunities this brings within nursery.”

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Pennypot Day Nursery raise vital funds to help Ukraine

Kind-hearted families and colleagues from Pennypot Day Nursery in Chobham have shown their support for the people of Ukraine with a series of fundraising initiatives at the setting.

From dressing in the colours of the Ukrainian flag to show solidarity, to holding bake sales complete with homemade themed treats and creating a takeaway coffee shop for busy parents in the mornings, the team from the award-winning day nursery on Pennypot Lane pulled out all the stops to raise vital funds for the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

As a result of their efforts, Pennypot Day Nursery, along with 44 other Childbase Partnership settings, have so far raised over £7,500 for the cause via the British Red Cross, with further fundraisers planned across nurseries which will go towards helping those affected and displaced access food, water, shelter, medicine and clothing.

Pennypot Day Nursery Manager, Carol McDonough explained;

“It has been heart-breaking to watch the situation in Ukraine unfold and to feel so powerless. However, it has been lovely to witness the overwhelming desire to help from our incredible families and colleagues, who are always thinking of ways to better the lives of others, whether that be in our local community or further afield. We stand with Ukraine and will continue to do what we can to support the country and its brave citizens.”

Ukraine Native and Pennypot Day Nursery Chef, Ganna Verney said;

“I have been blown away by the kindness that our colleagues and nursery families have shown towards my country. I am so grateful that Childbase have chosen to support this appeal and it really restores my faith in humanity to see all the creativity and effort that is going into trying to help.”

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Green Park Day Nursery Deputy takes on 10k run for charity

There was plenty to celebrate at Green Park Day Nursery in Reading as devoted Deputy Manager, Grace Critcher, completed a 10k run to raise vital funds for charity, Bliss, in the latest in a series of fundraising initiatives at the award-winning setting.

Having adopted the charity as a nursery for a year-long fundraising drive, Grace was delighted to finish the course at Milton Keynes Festival of Running in an impressive 1hr and 11 minutes, raising a total of £190 for the charity, which supports babies born premature or sick, with donations still incoming from supporters at the nursery on South Oak Way.

Green Park Day Nursery Deputy Manager, Grace Critcher explained;

“I am so thrilled to have been running for Bliss, the atmosphere on the day was brilliant and I’m very proud to have raised money and beat my personal target in the process. It was inspiring to see everyone challenge themselves for such worthy causes and cheer each other on, I’m now even considering a half marathon!”

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Celebrating 20 years of service at Knowle Green Day Nursery

There was cause for celebration at Knowle Green Day Nursery in Staines as the team honoured their beloved colleague and Business Administrator, Emma Packwood, as she marked her milestone 20^–year anniversary at the award-winning setting.

From Third in Charge to Deputy Manager, Emma progressed through several different roles at the day nursery on Knowle Green over the years whilst caring for her own growing family, and has helped to positively shape the lives of hundreds of children, as well as taking part in countless fundraising ventures including sponsored cycles and summer fayres, contributing to the £30million plus total raised by Childbase Partnership for charity in the past 30 years.

As well as being presented with flowers and gifts to mark the special occasion, colleagues reminisced over the highlights of Emma’s past two decades at Knowle Green, which have included family fun days, Childbase company balls and festivals and scooping accolades including Eco-Schools ‘Green Flag’ status and a ‘Nursery of the Year’ title.

Knowle Green Day Nursery Business Administrator, Emma Packwood explained;

“I joined Knowle Green back in 2002 and the time has truly flown since then. It has been wonderful to witness so many children grow up and begin their journeys with us, I have made friends for life and have so many cherished memories from my time here. I am delighted to be celebrating this anniversary and am looking forward to the future.”

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Celebrating St Patrick’s Day at Windmill Hill Day Nursery

Festivities were well underway at Windmill Hill Day Nursery in Swindon as children enjoyed a series of themed activities as part of annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

To honour the patron saint of Ireland, children at the award-winning setting on Windmill Hill Business Park, Whitehill Way, were delighted to showcase their creativity by making their very own lucky shamrock wands, as well as potato printing the clover emblem using different shades of green, face painting and talking about why the day is special to so many.

Windmill Hill Day Nursery Quality Manager, Gemma Gill explained;

“We love to mark a series of cultural events throughout the year to give the children a wider understanding of the world around them, as well as to celebrate the diversity both in nursery and our local community. We had a fantastic day and this was a brilliant opportunity to learn more about Irish traditions and history.”

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Special visitor for Knowle Green Day Nursery children

Following on from their Chinese New Year celebrations, which included making special decorations and tasting traditional foods, children from Knowle Green Day Nursery in Staines were delighted to receive a visit to help further the learning experience.

At the award-winning setting on Knowle Green, pre-schoolers were visited by Childbase Partnership’s International Education Director, Jeanne Barczewska, who shared her knowledge on China and its rich culture, having helped to support the company’s purpose-built Zhixu Kindergarten for children aged between six weeks and six years in Shanghai.

During the session, Jeanne shared pictures of her visit to the country, as well as answering questions and showing colourful, themed storybooks to the captivated pre-schoolers, before finally helping them to learn ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’ in Chinese.

Knowle Green Day Nursery Manager, Jen Ralphs explained;

“We were thrilled to have Jeanne visit, and this proved to be a fantastic opportunity for the children as they learnt so much. It was wonderful to have such a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips, and this was a brilliant way to spark further curiosity as we extend the topic.”

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World Book Day at Windmill Hill Day Nursery

There were smiles all round at Windmill Hill Day Nursery in Swindon as children and colleagues dressed up as their favourite literary characters to celebrate World Book Day.

From ‘Dear Zoo’ to ‘Ten Little Dinosaurs’, each age-appropriate room at the award-winning setting on Windmill Hill Business Park, Whitehill Way, was challenged to take inspiration from a beloved storybook, before taking part in a series of activities to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the occasion, which encourages a lasting love of reading amongst children.

As part of the festivities, children re-enacted popular stories including ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ and settled down to read books in cosy corners, as well as exploring themed tuff trays and story sacks filled with props to support the tales being shared.

Windmill Hill Day Nursery Manager, Lora Worthington explained;

“Our children adore books and every year we look forward to seeing the amazing effort that goes into their costumes. We had a brilliant time celebrating and this presented endless opportunities to showcase creativity. Storytelling is not only essential for capturing the imagination, but building literary confidence and communication skills too.”

Month: March 2022

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Knowle Green Day Nursery celebrate Persian New Year

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Pennypot Day Nursery raise vital funds to help Ukraine

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Green Park Day Nursery Deputy takes on 10k run for charity

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Celebrating 20 years of service at Knowle Green Day Nursery

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Celebrating St Patrick’s Day at Windmill Hill Day Nursery

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Special visitor for Knowle Green Day Nursery children

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World Book Day at Windmill Hill Day Nursery

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Cedars Day Nursery - Leighton Buzzard