Newsletter April 2026

DEAR PARENTS,

What another extremely busy term!

It ended with a wonderful Easter Egg Hunt and Hat Parade. A huge ‘thank you’ to Amanda & Lyndsey (our Chair & Vice Chair respectively) and everybody who contributed to making it such a memorable afternoon.

We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, Red Nose Day, Valentine’s Day and World Book Day, with the children wearing some fabulous costumes and bringing in and sharing their favourite books. To continue to encourage our love of books, don’t forget our book swap stand outside by the trolley, so you can swap books any time you like.

We went around the moon and back with the Artemis II rocket. We experimented with different coloured water to make ‘potions and perfume,’ used tea leaves to make lovely ‘cups of tea’ all with different scents, and without knowing it, as we used the pipettes, we were strengthening our hands to develop our fine motor skills.

We were young scientists: proving that flowers drink water; trying again and again to prove you can pick up an ice cube with a piece of string; & with the right ingredients, quantities and patience we made a volcano erupt!

We made our mummies cry with our Mother’s Day creations, developed our number and writing skills, showed our artistic skills with some brilliant paintings of daffodils …and lots, lots more.

See below for some dates for your diaries, including our 60th celebration, and some important reminders.

Wendy Perkins (Manager)

Currently listening to ‘Everyday People’ by Sly and the Family Stone

‘Different strokes for different folks/And so on and so on and/Scooby-dooby-dooby/I am everyday people.’

TERM DATES

Monday 4th May – Pre-school closed

Monday 25th May – Friday 29th May – half-term break

Monday 1st June – Pre-school re-opens for am & pm sessions

Wednesday 15th July – last day of Summer term

DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES

Thursday 7th May – Parent Consultations  – 1:30 to 2:30

Thursday 11th June – Sports Day – am children

Thursday 9th July – Pre-school trip to Kent Life (leavers only)

Wednesday 15th July – Teddy Bear’s Picnic, Graduation Day & end of term.

Saturday 18th July – 60th birthday celebration

60th BIRTHDAY

Join us at pre-school between 1-4pm to celebrate our 60th birthday

Re-live those happy days, meet old friends, refreshments, games, stalls, surprise guests … and lots more.

More details soon.

POST & ART
Please do check your child’s bag each day for letters, & your child’s drawings, paintings & creations.

WATER BOTTLES
As part of our Healthy Eating ethos, we sell water bottles for the children printed with the St. Luke’s teddy logo. These cost just £2 each. All bottles should be marked with the child’s name & children are encouraged to take a drink at any time. Bottles are refilled when running low. The bottles need to be collected at the end of each session, washed at home & returned to pre-school at the beginning of the next session. Lastly, a reminder that the bottles should be filled with water only please: any squash will be replaced with water.

HEALTH & SAFETY
Handrails – Please do not allow your child to climb the yellow disability handrails, whilst waiting to enter the pre-school or upon exiting the pre-school. There is only concrete to fall on!

Car park entrance/exit – this is for cars. For your safety & that of your child, please use the pedestrian entrance when walking or wheeling your child to & from pre-school.

ARRIVING & COLLECTING
Please make sure you arrive & collect your child on time as lateness affects both the running of the pre-school & your child’s routine. If you know you are going to be late, please contact the pre-school on 01634 819809 during session times.

If your child is unwell & will not be attending, please telephone the pre-school before 9.30 on the same day. Calls can be made out of hours to the answerphone attached to this line. We also need to know the reason why your child is absent, in case there is a contagious illness circulating, so we can inform other parents. Please do not leave a message on Facebook. Tell us if you know you are going to be away, on holiday for eg. ahead of time: just let the staff know or leave a message on the answerphone or email the office

Children must not be left on the premises without a parent/carer before or after the session times as the pre-school’s insurance would be invalidated.  If children are on the premises at any other time, the pre-school cannot assume any responsibility for their care & safety & the parents/carers are solely responsible for them.

Please arrive on time, queue in an orderly manner along the path (not the disability ramp) outside the building & await your turn to enter.

Place your child’s lunch bag and drink bottle on the blue trolley.

Hand your child’s coat & bag to your child.

If someone other than yourself or the regular carer will be collecting your child, please advise the teacher on the door. This is a very important detail as your child’s security is compromised if staff are unaware when there is a change in the person collecting your child.

Parents are asked not to use their mobile phones while on site, particularly during drop-off/pick-up, to focus on the child and engage with staff. Parents taking calls upon arrival or pick-up will be politely asked to end the call.

TAG RUGBY

Play tag Rugby League at Medway Dragons with Mr B, on Saturdays from 10:00  to 11:00, starting Saturday 9th May, at the sports ground (with new clubhouse) or next to it on The Great Lines Park, at the end of Sally Port Gardens, Gillingham, Kent ME7 5BU

It’s free!

Boys and girls. Pre-school to Yr 2. All that’s needed is a smile, a drink.

Any questions, contact Mr B on 07776 132657

SHOPPING WITH EASYFUNDRAISING
Fundraise whilst you shop online. NO COST, NO CATCH. RAISE FREE DONATIONS FOR US EVERY TIME YOU SHOP ONLINE @ easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/stlukesrochester/
or use the app.

Collect free donations for us every time you buy something online: your weekly delivery from Sainsburys; buying electrical goods from Argos; some bedding from John Lewis or booking holidays …
Help out when you check out – it doesn’t cost you a penny extra. You can make a big difference on everything from groceries to getaways.

THANK YOU.

KEEP IN TOUCH
tel: 01634 819809
email :office@stlukespre-school.co.uk
Website www.stlukespre-school.co.uk - The ‘Calendar’ feature has the ‘Term Dates & Dates for your diary’ & if you click on the event date, all the details (when, where & what) about the event.