May2018Newsle.er

DearparentsandfriendsofCowgate,

Thisnewsle.erbringsyouastoryaboutDanielin‘TheFunnyThingsChildrenSay’,newsaboutBradley(whohasrecentlyjoinedusandworksintheBigRoom)in‘MeetthePeople

WhoCareForandEducateYourChild’,andanexampleofthelovelyrelaQonshipbetweenAlexandhiskeypersonEmmain‘SharingPracQce’.Italsoshareswithyousomedatesforyourdiary,anupdateaboutthegarden,andnewsabouttwonewbabysisters,Aggie’sachievement,postersintheBigRoom,akindmessagefromprospecQveparents,andtheMary’sMeals

BackpackProject.

TheFunnyThingsChildrenSay(byLian)Daniel,havingsnack,lookedatmewhilecreaQnghissandwichandsaid,“You’regeWngUn-fat.”IagreedIwasandthankedhimfornoQcing.ThefollowingweekheappeareddelightedthatIwasgoingtoSQcklandwithhimandasked,“Willyousitbesidemeonthebus,becauseyou’renotfatanymore.”Boththeseremarks,madewithinnocenthonesty,filledmewithgraQtude.TomeitdemonstratestheclosenessofmyrelaQonshipwithDanielandhisobservaQonandacknowledgementofmychangingshape.Wanttomakesomeone’sday?BelikeDaniel😄

MeetthePeopleWhoCareForandEducateYourChild:Bradley

WhichpartofCowgate’sethosdoyoufeelmostpassionateabout?

IhavenotbeenatCowgateforalongQmeandamsQlllearningtheFroebelianethosthatCowgatefollows.WhatIwillsayisthatsoformethemostinspiringpartoftheCowgateethosisthefaithweputintheChildrentobetheirownperson,tolearninawaywhichtheydiscoveredthemselvesthroughtheirplay.TheresultsofthisapproachhaveallowedmetoonlybegintodiscoverthecreaQvepotenQalallchildrenhaveregardlessofage.

What’syourfavouritewaytospendtheweekend?

WhenIamnotrevisingforuniversityexamsordoingcourseworkIliketoplayvideogamesandwatchmovies.ImayormaynotbeanunlimitedmemberatCineworldwithanaddicQontocinemafood.

What’syourtophandyhintfortrea<ngchildrenascrea<veandproduc<vepeople?

Iwasrecentlygivenadvicebyahighlyexperiencedcolleagueandtheyadvisedmetotryapproachthechildreninawaywhichdoesnotencumberthemwithpreconceivedadultknowledge,theyadvisedmetointeractwiththeminamoreconstrucQvewaythatallowsthemtodeveloptheirownthoughtprocess.IfoundthishelpfultounderstandinghowIcanbesthelpCowgateworktowardstheirethos.

Ifyoucouldchooseanyholidaydes<na<on,wherewoulditbeandwhy?

Hawaii.Ihavealwayswantedtogothereandjustsitinthesun,enjoylotsofrefreshmentsandreadplentyofbooks.

Whatwouldyoutakewithyoutoadesertisland?

Ummm.IwouldchooseTheGreatGatsbyformybook,myiPadformyluxuryitem,andformyeightsongs.Wellthat’shard.Theywouldbe:FaithfullybyJourney,ForeverLovebyGaryBarlow,PerfectbyEdSheeran,AngelsbyRobbieWilliams,SmoothCriminalbyMichaelJackson,BillyJeanbyMichaelJackson,Don’tStopBelievingbyJourneyandRocketManbyEltonJohn.

Whatwouldyouputinto‘Room101’?

Room101isaTVshowmyGrandmotherlikes,weusedtowatchitwhenIwouldgoaroundtoherhouseforavisit.WhatwouldIputinsidetheroom,well,firstly,anythingtodowithFrozen.Secondly,theKardashians,allrealityTVpeoplereally.Finally,drivinginstructors,thebestexampleofdaylightrobbery.

What’syourfunniestCowgatestory?

Iwashelpingsomeofourchildrenwiththeirartwork,featuringallthepaintandglueimaginable.AderafunadernoonofthisIwalkedhome,haddinnerandspentQmewithfriendsnotrealisingthroughouttheeveningthatIhadglueinmyhairandpaintonmyshirt.

DatesforYourDiary

•  CowgateUnder5sCentrewillbeclosedonMonday7thMay,foranin-serviceday.

•  WewillbehosQngparentconsultaQonsforparentsofthechildrenintheBirth-to-ThreeSpacebetweenMonday21stMayandFriday1stJune.Ifyouwouldliketoa.endaconsultaQon,pleasespeaktoyourchild’skeypersontoarrangeadayandQme.

TwoNewLi.leSisters

OurhearheltcongratulaQonstoElisaandLucy’sparents,IngaandWolfgang,andAva,TheoandNiamh’sparents,AlexaandMark,onthebirthoftheirbeauQfulbabydaughters.

PostersintheBigRoom

Twonewposters,onthestagesofblock-playandtheimportanceofuninterruptedplay,havebeenputuponthewallintheBigRoom.TheposteronplaywasmadebySco.,oneofLynn’sstudentsontheBAChildhoodPracQcecourseatEdinburghUniversity.Pleasecomebyandhavealookattheposters.

AvaandTheo’sli.lesister,Niamh,wasbornonTuesday10thApril.

Elisa’sli.lesister,Lucy,wasbornonSaturday3rdMarch.

CowgateNewsandNoQces

CongratulaQonsAggie!

Aggiereceivedatrophyforherkaratesportsmanship.WelldoneAggie!

AKindMessage

Lian received a cardwith a kindmessage from two prospecQve parentswhocametovisitCowgateUnder5sCentre.Wewouldliketosharetheirthoughhulwordswithyou.

GardenUpdate

Pleasecomeandhavealookatour‘GardenThoughts’displayattheendofthecorridor.Onit,youcanreadthechildren’sthoughtsandideasaboutthegardenre-development,andtheirreflecQonsonothergardensandoutdoorspaceswehavevisited.

WoodNeeded(fromHelen)

TheBigRoomaremakingapocketpalletgardenfortheGardeningScotlandShow.Thematerialsweuseshouldallberecycled.Wearelookingforplanksofwoodthatareatleast1.20mlong.Weneedsomeali.lelongerthanthis.Itwouldbehelpfuliftheywereatlease20cminwidth.Thechildrenwillbehelpingtogetallthewoodreadybymeasuring,sawingandscrewingpiecestogether.AgroupwillcometotheGardeningScotlandthedaybeforetheShowstartstobuildandplantupthegardenonsite.WehavelotsofnaQvehedgerowplantswearelookingadertogetthemreadyfortheShow.ThechildrenwillalsobecollecQngitemslikestones,logs,twigsanddriedplantstemswhentheyareoutatSQckland.WewantthegardentomakeconnecQonsbetweenthegardenandthechildren’sexperiencesatSQckland,andwewillusetheplantsinthenurserygardenaderwardstoconQnuethisconnecQon.

TheBackpackProject:Mary’sMeals

TheBackpackProjectisasimplewaytohelpchildrenfromchronically-poorfamiliestogettoschoolincountrieslikeLiberiaandMalawi.ItinvolvesmakingadonaQonofthefollowingitems:

•  Backpack/schoolbag•  Spoon(preferablymetal)•  Exercisebook/notepad•  Pencils/pens/crayons•  Eraser•  Ruler•  Sharpener

Veryodenthechildrenwesupportdon’tevenhavebasicthingslikepensandnotepadstoallowthemtomakethemostoftheireducaQon.OntheBackpackProject’swebsite,itsays,“Formanychildren,aMary’sMealsbackpackwillbethefirstgidtheyhaveeverreceived.”(YoucanfindmoreinformaQononthewebsite,h.ps://www.marysmeals.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/the-backpack-project).

ThankyouverymuchtoKaren,June,LianandMargaret,whohavealreadypreparedadonaQon.Ifyouwouldliketohelptoo,thedeadlinefordonaQonsisThursday31stMay.

•  Shorts/skirt&t-shirt,ordress•  Smallball(e.g.tennisball)•  Soap•  Toothbrush•  Toothpaste•  Towel

Awonderfulthinghappenedlastweek.EmmaFaceTime’dli.leAlexBizas.Alex’smum,KrisQnahastakenAlexbackhometoGreecewhilesheworksonaresearchproject.Theprojectislikelytotake3months.So…itisimportantthatwekeepintouchwithli.leAlex,andKrisQnaduringthisperiod.KrisQnaaskedifwecouldSkypeorFaceTime.SoEmmalearnedhowtoFaceTime.DuringthisFaceTimeexperiencethechildrenweresinging,creaQngmusicalcomposiQonsacrossthewater,Alexlovedseeinghisli.lefriends,hejoinedinsinging.Andnow…Emmaplanstodothisweekly!!!WelldoneEmma,thankyouforkeepingthechannelsofcommunicaQonopen.‘Ifachildistokeepalivehisinbornsenseofwonderheneedsthecompanionofatleastoneadultwhocanshareit,rediscoverthejoy,excitementand

mysteryoftheworldwelivein’(RachelCarson,1965,p.55).

SharingPracQce–CommunicaQonandRelaQonships

ThechildrenintheBirth-to-ThreespaceenjoyingtheSpringflowersandhotchocolateoutsideinthewarmerweather.

Withwarmwishes,

LynnandtheCowgateTeam