January Newsletter 2017

Dear parents and friends ofCowgate,First of all HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!Welcome back, we hope you had awonderful holiday. This Januarynewsletter begins news of our‘meet the team member’ Kasia; itbrings thanks to you; news of ourplans for 2017; parentalcontributions (please rememberyou are all invited to contribute toall our monthly newsletters); whatwe are hoping to cover on our in-service day and our Parent’sEvening.

Meet the Team – Kasia Luborminska

What's your top handy hint for treating children as creative and productive people?Providing the children with place, time and various resources such as scissors, paper, glue and allowing them to run with their imaginations as they are endless. All they need is our attention

What's your favourite way to spendthe weekend?I like to explore Scotland. Edinburghis a beautiful city to live in butsometimes is just too busy for me.That is why I love to spend theweekends with my sister and herdaughter in the Scottish Highlandswhere it is quiet and green.

If you could choose any holiday destination, where would it be and why? Since I’m in Scotland, the mostimportant condition which I take intoaccount when choosing a holiday isweather, but my choices are still smallcities. The holiday destination of mydream is Australia

Which part of Cowgate's ethos do you feel most passionate about? I think what is most fascinating is that children have theopportunity of freely discovering the environment aroundthem. The ‘Cowgate Team’ gives the children the freedomof choices and children’s views and opinions are always inthe centre

What would you put in to 'Room 101'?All spiders, sharks and dangerouscreatures so that I will be able tovisit Australia without fear.Aggression and intolerance

What would your Desert Island Disc be?It is hard to decide because I like almost all types of music. It all depends on my mood

What is your funniest Cowgatestory?Every single day brings somethingfunny. It is hard to choose onesituation but I know when I getback home there is always a smileon my face

Our plans for 2017

Thank youBefore I inform you of our future plans, may Itake this opportunity to thank you for yourkindness and generosity you showedtowards the staff team this Christmas time.Your thoughtful gifts meant so much to staff– as they know this is an indication of yourappreciation for their hard work anddedication. However…should you find it inyour heart to donate a little something toMeskele (the young girl whom we sponsorthrough PLAN international]http://www.bing.com/search?q=plan+international&src=ie9tr we would be very grateful.To date the fund for Meskele has reachedthe grand total of £19.35 and we need toraise £144.00 annually. So we have a littlebit to go…

Painting the HallDave will be painting the hall in January. Please can we ask that you take yourchildren’s spare clothes and boots home. Any clothes left over will be donatedto ‘Doorstep’ early years setting in Mumbai, India.

Buggy StoreIt is with the greatest of pleasure I write to tell you that our new buggy store isdue to be erected on 13 January 2017, so from 16 January please use the doorbelow for all buggies. June can provide you with fobs. We are so very happyabout this new development as this will support our fire safety evacuation.

New changing areaThanks to one of our [ex] parents’ Dave Campbell’ for creating an enchanting cover for the small window in the changing room. It is very attractive and our children love to look at it.

Meskele

BulgariaYou may remember in December thatwe hosted a group from Bulgaria.You may not know that, after visitingCowgate, they invited Teresa and I togo to Bulgaria to set up ademonstration school. The firstFroebel inspired school in Bulgaria.The main aim of the demonstrationschool is to illustrate best practiceand support children who have,overall, led difficult and fracturedlives, e.g., some have beenorphaned, others are street children,and others are disabled.Teresa and I will be going on 19 and20 January. We have already startedto do a little fundraising forresources. We will keep you updatedon the progress of the project. Allour staff team are participating insupport of the project in one way oranother. i.e., by supporting Teresaand I to go or by making pom-poms(Liz), by knitting dolls clothes(Maureen), by making mobiles(Gosia), by proving heuristic playresources (Michelle), by sewing(Margaret) and so on. It is ourintention that we will create abeautiful, natural space.We have approached CommunityPlaythings, Cosy and YPO for theirsupport.

Parental ContributionsImportant email from Rachel, mother of Daniel:-

Hello LynnI thought I would send this on. I knowCowgate is not the sort of place toprevent good childhood experiencesthrough being over cautious, butwondered what your view is on this?Cutting grapes in half quite common.Is that something you/your staff doat Cowgate?ThanksRachaelhttps://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/dec/20/lack-of-awareness-of-grape-choking-hazard-putting-children-at-risk-say-doctors

I was able to reassure Rachel thatwhen preparing snacks both thechildren and staff members cut thegrapes for snack.However, we (as a team) reallyappreciate hearing from parentsabout such issues. So THANK YOURachel.

Learning JournalsThank you to all the parents whohave contributed to their child’slearning journal. Please let us knowif we can make the recordings moreaccessible to you in any other format.

'A Wee Stickland Saga ...... the NextChapter.'It was just over five years ago that ouroriginal pioneers returned from the veryfirst adventure, oxygen fuelled cheeks andtomato soup moustaches .... declaring"We've been to Stickland". Since then ourchildren have journeyed and mapped itstwenty six acres. We have immersedourselves testing Stickland's affordance,"Intuitively children use theirenvironment for physical challenges andplay; they perceive the functions of thelandscape and use them forplay."(Heft,1988)We have; squelched, rolled, climbed, slid,swung, foraged, balanced and nestled inour wild place."Place is space imbued with feelings andmeaning....we feel attachments to a placeand such attachments would appear to bean important human need and a way inwhich we gain a sense of self andbelonging to the world."(Tovey 2007:57)

‘This is flat and not too wobbly’

'Heidi's Bridge‘

Our New Year AdventureWe have been invited by the Bonaly team to participate in a collaborative five year plan. Our first adventure is to relocate our yurt( also referred to as the 'urt' the 'hurt') We have located three possible sites. The children travelled the site, tested the levels (with the aid of a found plank......and standing on one leg to 'see if it's flat') drainage, wind directions and accessibility.We have been inspired by a view of the Railway bridge and Heidi's human bridge to measure a ' yurtish' shape. Each measurement ended with a soft landing.We also plan to build a wooden base and floor for our yurt. We would welcome your help, skills and tools ,'my mum has a hammer, I'll bring the nails'. OQVSWhilst we await news of our new ' place', here are some thoughts from our children;"We can turn it into a boat .... and float it down the river""We could swing it from a tree, but not near the holly 'cause it's too prickly.""Away from the paths".

As part of the Centre beautifying process,the Hall dresser gets a makeover. Karen hasbeen busy with her crotchet hook. Thankyou Karen, it looks lovely.

Here's to the New Year,"Kith kindles the kinship which children so easily feel for the natural world and withoutthat kinship, nature also loses out bereft of the children who grow up to protect it..human nature is nested in nature which co - creates the child". Griffiths (2013)

' on top of the hill, on top of the hill‘

"Real life adventures, playing naturally.... in a digital age”"Children want space at all ages. But from the age of one to seven, space that is ample space, is almost as much wanted as food and air. To move to run, to find things out by new movement, to feel one's life in every limb, that is the life of early

childhood.“ McMillan (1930)

WOODWORKINGWoodworking in early education dates back to the late 1800s, and severalpioneering philosophers advocated the use of tools and woodworking with youngchildren. The Sloyd movement in Scandinavia encouraged woodworking and had ahuge influence on educational thinking in several countries around the world atthat time.One of these pioneer philosophers was Friedrich Froebel, the founder of theKindergarten who’s ideas were embraced by leading English Educators. Workingwith the hands was thought to impact on brain development and give learninggreater relevance and context.Woodworking was an extremely common occurrence in nurseries right through the1950’s, but in the 80’s and 90’s health and safety became a widespread issue,resulting in woodworking ceasing to exist in nurseries altogether.However the climate is changing and woodworking is beginning to make areappearance in early education, supported by the government adopting therecommendations of Lord Young’s Health and Safety Review 2010 (hse..gov.ukcommon sense, common safety report).

Woodwork has great learningexperiences for young children, it's anactivity that children enjoy doing andthey can become absorbed for longperiods of time. It covers all of theCurriculum Areas of Development, itencourages early maths, physicaldevelopment, creative thinking, co-ordination, scientific investigation,language, communication and socialskills. It is also good for building on selfesteem and confidence.By being allowed to use real tools,children feel that they are being givenresponsibility, they can gain newskills, they can accomplish challengesthey though were difficult and theybegin to take pride in their creations.When working with wood the childrenare often found deep in concentrationand engagement with what theydoing.

Woodworking is a very low riskactivity if it is introduced andsupervised correctly, and provideschildren with the opportunity toexperience risk in a controlled wayallowing them to naturally self-riskassess.

Parents Evening - Monday 6th February 2017 - 6.30 - 9 pm

We would like to extend an invitation to our parents to join us for an evening tocelebrate and share with you the diversity of skills, knowledge and interest withinour staff team, and an opportunity for you to enjoy getting to know other parentsover a mulled wine.This occasion will allow you to relax amongst adults and perhaps ask questions youmay not be able to do during a busy nursery day when children are in.

The main talk will begin at 7 pm from Dr Lynn McNair, Head of Centre and TeachingFellow at University of Edinburgh;‘Rules, rules, rules, and we’re not allowed to skip’: Exploratory study on listening tochildren as they transition to school.This presentation will draw from my doctoral study. I followed 16 children as theytransitioned from Cowgate to four primary schools in Edinburgh. I claim in myfindings that despite the freedom children experience at Cowgate they do, veryquickly, fit into the systems of the school institution. However, the children alsoexpressed concern about the discipline strategies used in school – the disciplinestrategies concerned our children whether the discipline mechanisms were directedat them or not. Subsequently I argue that education needs to be transformed – andthat it should take into account dialogic pedagogy.

Followed by three workshops which you can sign up for on the evening;

Teresa Bolger, Early Years Practitioner and Forest School Leader Real life adventures, playingnaturally.... in a digital age

"Children want space at all ages. Butfrom the age of one to seven, spacethat is ample space is almost as muchwanted as food and air. To move, torun, to find things out by newmovement, to feel one's life in everylimb, that is the life of earlychildhood.“McMillan (1930)

Cara Blaisedll, Early Years Practitionerand Teaching Fellow at the Universityof Edinburgh;'Listening to young children atCowgate: transformations andtensions'

In this interactive presentation, I willdiscuss my PhD research that wasconducted at Cowgate from 2013-2014. My research investigates howpractitioners at Cowgate listened toyoung children, what listening lookedlike in day to day life, and whatwere some difficulties and tensions

that arose.

Silvia Facciani, Early Years practitioner will be sharing her Masters research onChildren’s Literacies and Literature.In my research I drew on the idea that children's literature acts as a mirror, awindow and a door for children. In particular, literature enables children toexplore their identities (mirror), see alternative and possible worlds (windows)and cross thresholds in their thinking (door).Taking this in consideration, I have researched on how reading literature in asecond language (Italian) could enable children to reflect on their linguistic andcultural identities, encounter multiculturalism and develop empathy towardsdiversity from a very young age.

Trevor Wemyss, Teacher andForest School Leader will be in thegarden sharing his knowledge ofForest School and Story Telling.

Lian Higgins, Senior Early Years Officer will share her many years experienceand vast knowledge exploring children’s well-being and the physicalmanifestations of stressors and anxieties which may appear unwanted,however can help us develop an understanding that they are not “naughty”behaviours.

Rebeca Perna, Early YearsPractitioner is looking forward tosharing her knowledge and passionon Bilingualism and multilingualism

Also on the evening throughout the centre

More info to follow in the new year……Please save this date, I’m sure you will agree that this will be a very informative and pleasant evening as we strengthen our community.

R.S.V.P. to June please at your earliest convenienceMany thanks and best wishesKaren

Warm wishes until next month

Lynn (and the Cowgate team)

Our In-service day - 9 January 2017On the January in-service day early years staffmembers from early years settings and nurseryschools are invited to participate in the City ofEdinburgh council workshops in the morning. In theafternoon our team are free to consider materials thatconcern our own setting, e.g., our staff members haveall been given a pack.Should any parent be interested in receiving a packand participating in our on-going conceptualisationsof our philosophy please just ask June or myself wewould be happy to provide you with a copy.