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First Class Nursery Newsletter
Dear Parents and Carers,
As we reach the end of the year, we want to take a moment to thank all our children and families for being part of the Birkbees community. It has been a year filled with smiles, learning, and lots of growing. We’re so proud of how far the children have come and grateful for all your support along the way.
We would also like to thank all our parents for supporting learning and taking part in home learning activities. Your involvement really makes a difference to the children’s development.
We are very pleased to share that our Christmas Fayre was a huge success! The event was full of energy, good vibes, food stalls, and fun games. So far, we have raised £237, which will go towards resources and learning for the children in nursery. A big thank you to both staff and parents for all your help and support in making this possible.
Thank you again for your support this year — we look forward to another wonderful year ahead!
📲 Famly App – Update 
Since introducing Famly, we’ve been so pleased to see how confidently everyone is using it. Families are now even more connected with nursery life, and it’s been lovely to see parents engaging with updates and sharing messages with the team.
We use Famly newsfeed to share news, event posters, and reminders, so keep an eye on the newsfeed for the latest updates. We also post pictures of the children and their daily activities, as well as events happening in nursery, on our Instagram and Facebook pages — so take a look there too!
If you haven’t already, please make sure your permissions on Famly are up to date to let us know whether your child can appear on social media.
Just a reminder: please update your contacts on Famly if you haven’t already done so. We require three emergency contacts in addition to the parents.
Also, when January invoices are sent out, please check the box at the top of the invoice rather than looking at the monthly breakdowns.
We’ll continue using Famly to keep communication clear and helpful, making sure you always feel informed and involved in your child’s day.
Medication
As we continue to ensure children’s safety and wellbeing, we kindly ask parents to let us know at drop-off if their child has had any medication that morning—especially paracetamol or ibuprofen—and the exact time it was given. This helps us avoid accidental double-dosing and ensures we can monitor your child appropriately throughout the day.
Please also make sure that any medication given at home, or brought into nursery, is recorded on the correct Famly form so our team has accurate and up-to-date information. Your support with this helps us respond safely and quickly should your child become unwell while in our care.
Term Dates, Holidays & Funding
Please take note of the following important dates for your calendar:
💡 Funding-Only Children
- For children attending funded sessions only, the nursery will be closed from Monday 22nd December 2025 to Friday 2nd January 2026 for Christmas holidays.
- The nursery reopens for all children on Monday 5th January 2026.
Christmas Holidays – Monday 22nd December – Friday 2nd January
Nursery closed – Thursday 25th December – Friday 2nd January
Nursery Reopens – Monday 5th January 2026
🎄 Important – Christmas Eve (Wednesday 24th December)
- The nursery will close at 4:00pm on Christmas Eve.
- If there are not many children attending, we may close earlier.
👉 Please let the management team know whether your child will be attending nursery on this day, so we can plan staffing and activities appropriately.
Our proud moments
Baby room – ‘Makaton Magic’
In the baby room, we have been proudly introducing Makaton alongside spoken language, and the children have already begun using simple signs such as please, thank you, drink, eat, happy, and sorry.
Each week, we have been learning a new song—starting with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, followed by The Wheels on the Bus.
We have also enjoyed learning the signs to two Christmas songs, Christmas Pudding and Father Christmas, He Got Stuck. The babies have tried so hard and are remembering so many of the signs as they join in with excitement.
Bumblebees – ‘Scent-sational Learning!’
In Bumblebees, we have been exploring nature through ice play infused with cinnamon sticks, rosemary, and ginger. The children loved investigating the different scents as the ice melted, helping them to develop and strengthen their sense of smell. We extended this interest into the home corner, where the children explored scented candles and potpourri, comparing the aromas and talking about what they reminded them of. It has been a wonderful sensory experience that encouraged curiosity, language, and discovery.
Pre-School Room – ‘Exploring our world together’
September was full of excitement as we went on a local walk and discovered the Huddersfield Society of Model Engineering. They kindly invited us to watch the boats they build and sail, and we are delighted that we’ve been invited back to have a turn at sailing the boats ourselves!
In October, as part of our Diwali celebrations, we enjoyed a wonderful visit to the Sikh temple. The children learned so much about the festival and the importance of community and togetherness.
In November, we began our new dance and movement classes with Coach Hannah. The children have loved learning different actions and exploring how to join them together to create their very own dance.
December has been all about creating Project Christmas. The children have been busy, imaginative, and full of festive spirit—keep an eye out for the big reveal!
👨👩👧 Family Learning Events
We are pleased to share that our Family Learning sessions have been very successful this year. Parents and carers have given lovely feedback about how much they enjoy being able to step into their child’s learning environment and join in with activities together. It has been wonderful to see children proudly sharing their learning with their families.
We would love for you to join us for our upcoming Family Learning sessions this term.
Exact times for each session will be confirmed closer to the date. If you haven’t been able to come along yet but would like to, please let us know what days and times work best for you — we want to make these sessions as accessible as possible for everyone. These events are a great opportunity to celebrate learning and spend some special time together as a family.
🏡 Home Learning for All Rooms
This term, we have encouraged families to join in with simple, fun activities at home to support children’s learning — and it has been lovely to see the results.
- November – Helping Hands 🏡
Families helped children think about ways they can contribute at home, such as tidying up, helping in the kitchen, or caring for others. Thank you to everyone who shared ideas, photos, and drawings — the children were very proud of their efforts. - December – Salt Dough Decorations 🎄⭐
Our salt dough activity was a festive favourite. Families made decorations at home and returned them to nursery, where they were proudly displayed on our Christmas tree.
Thank you to all our families for your creativity and support this year. Taking part in home activities helps children build confidence and develop new skills.
Next year, we look forward to sharing more simple activities for families to enjoy together and continuing to support children’s learning at home.
Parent Notices & Reminder
✔ Running Late? Call ahead to avoid late collection fees (£10 for the first 15 minutes, then £1 per minute).
✔ Breakfast Deadline: Breakfast is served until 8:15 AM only.
✔ No Toys from Home: To prevent loss or distraction, children should not bring personal toys.
✔ Sickness: Please ring the nursery on each day your child is unwell to inform us.
Funding & Childcare Updates
- 30 Hours Funding Deadline: Apply by 31st December 2025 if your child turns 3 before this date.
- 15 Hours Funding: If your child is aged 2 or 3, they may be eligible for 15 hours of funded childcare per week. Please check your eligibility and apply as soon as possible to secure a place.
- Funding for Babies: Some families may be eligible for funded childcare for babies under 2 years old, depending on their circumstances. Please speak to our team for more information on how to apply.
- More Info: Visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk for eligibility details.
Contact Information
📍 First Class Childcare Huddersfield
📞 01484 950746
📧 firstclasshuddersfield@gmail.com
📍 Address: 16a Portland Street, HD1 5PB
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Thank you for being part of the First Class family! We appreciate your support and look forward to another fantastic half term of learning and fun! 🎉
