Nursery & Preschool, Sidcup - Newsletter Nov - Dec 2025
A Very Special Term
What an extraordinary few weeks we have had! November began with the official opening of our beautiful new building - a wonderful celebration with so many visitors and the honour of the Mayor of Bexley cutting the ribbon. We moved straight into festive celebrations in December with Christmas songs, parties, and joy at every turn. This newsletter brings together the highlights from this special term as we reflect on the learning, laughter, and lovely moments our children have shared.
Our Learning Journey
Phonics & Early Reading
This term we have focused on our Little Wandle Early Phonics programme, helping our older children build confident reading skills. We started in November with Tuning into Sounds activities - listening games that help children identify individual sounds in words. Our focus sounds have been S (sock, sun, snake, star) and N (nurse, nose, nest, net). As we moved into December, our older children progressed to initial sounds and blending and segmenting words. The children have been absolutely brilliant and are developing real confidence with their phonics skills!
Themes & Stories
In November, our Autumn theme brought wonderful learning about squirrels and owls. The older children enjoyed Owl Babies while our younger friends loved Wow said the Owl. We discovered fascinating facts about how squirrels collect and hide acorns, use their bushy tails for balance, and leap from tree to tree. As December arrived, our stories became festive: older children enjoyed Jesus' Christmas Party and our younger children shared Dear Santa. Every story brought new ideas, conversations, and inspiration.
Mathematics
In November we explored shapes, using descriptive language like corner, pointy, sides and curvy. As we moved into December, our children became confident mathematicians, working on patterns and really enjoying discovering how patterns work. It has been lovely to see their confidence growing week by week.
Creative & Festive Learning
Our craft table has been a hub of creativity. In November we made colourful squirrel designs, firework paintings and Humpty Dumpty, which became our nursery rhyme of the week. We also created wonderful firework ribbon sticks and waved them in the air to celebrate. In December, our festive crafts included special Christmas cards for families and lots of Christmas celebrations. Every creation is a memory of the care and joy we share together.
Outdoor Adventures
We have really enjoyed our time outdoors this term. November brought autumn explorations - discovering leaves, acorns and pine cones, watching squirrels and owls, and creating beautiful sensory experiences. Please continue to ensure your child has a change of clothes in their bag and a pair of wellington boots, as outdoor learning is a cornerstone of our curriculum whatever the weather.
Our Special Celebrations
Children in Need (November)
Our children looked wonderful in their pyjamas and we loved celebrating Children in Need together.
Christmas Celebrations (December)
December has been absolutely magical. We began with a beautiful Christmas songs event - thank you to everyone who came and enjoyed watching our children shine on stage. Every child was brilliant, and we were so proud of them. We held festive Christmas parties with singing, dancing, games and party food. A huge thank you to everyone who generously donated party food - your kindness made the celebrations truly special. We also had our Christmas lunch together, which the children loved, and we were thrilled to see so many wearing their Christmas jumpers while supporting the Save the Children charity. Thank you for your generosity and support.
Key Dates & Important Reminders
Reminder: Wellington boots and a change of clothes (including pants and socks) are essential all year round
Learning at Home
We love when learning extends into family time. Here are some lovely ways to continue our learning at home:
Go on autumn walks and collect leaves, acorns and pine cones
Talk about shapes you see at home - can you spot corners, pointy bits, sides and curves?
Play I spy using the S and N sounds - can you find things around the house that start with these sounds?
Share a Christmas story or sing One, Two, Buckle My Shoe together
Look for patterns everywhere - in nature, in your home, in songs and rhymes
A Warm Goodbye
What a joy it has been to share this special term with your children. We feel deeply grateful for your continued support, your generous donations, your kind Christmas wishes and gifts, and your trust in us. As we head into the Christmas break, we wish you all a very happy Christmas and a joyful New Year. Enjoy making special memories together as a family.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Tuesday 6th January 2026 with warm hearts and exciting new learning adventures ahead.
With warm wishes from all of us at St Peter Chanel Pre-School & Nursery