Early Years

Here's wishing you all a wonderful summer break.

Keep an eye on the site for changes and for news of autumn activities.

If you want to know more about NewcastleGateshead's first festival specially for all Children and Young People, register for more info at www.newcastlegateshead.com/cyp
It runs from September-November with something for everyone aged 0-18. Keep eyes here for all the news!

Best wishes for a wonderful summer - see you in September!

Caroline, Karolynne, Jeanne and Ednie

From Gateshead Council Sport and Leisure Team

Get the kids active this Easter at one of the many courses planned across all our leisure facilities.
There’s something for everyone, from football, basketball, hockey, skiing, rugby, swimming and lots, lots more!
If the kids are water babies, then there’s plenty of water activities too. Whether they’re learning to swim or want to take part in Aqua Games. They can even learn lifeguarding skills at one of our Rookie Lifeguard Courses taking place at Gateshead Leisure Centre and Dunston Pool. All this and more!
For full details on all courses and activities contact your local leisure facility or visit www.gateshead.gov.uk
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Did you know that Children's Centres are now open to all, regardless of postcode?

Our Early Years Service has given us this round-up for the website:

Sure Start Children’s Centres are a new way of offering services for children under five and their parents and carers.

There are currently ten Children’s Centres in Gateshead, with another six due to open shortly. See the list below for contact details.

Sure Start Children’s Centres offer:

§ Quality Nurseries offering full day care
§ A range of fun activities and services
§ Training for employment
§ A range of health services such as baby clinics
§ Support and advice
§ A one-stop shop of information and advice on services for children and families.

Sure Start Children’s Centres are based on the concept that providing integrated education, care, family support, health services and support with employment are key factors in determining good outcomes for children and their parents.

Sure Start Children’s Centres build on existing good practice and builds on principles developed within original Sure Start programmes.

The government is committed to delivering a Sure Start Children’s Centre in every community by 2010 and already there are plans for 2500 Centres to be open nationally by 2008.

The governments ten-year strategy for childcare recommends that more co-located and accessible services be set up, and children's trusts given the ability to develop children's centres in response to local demand outside areas of priority government funding.

Some of the Centres in Gateshead have been developed in brand new buildings, and others are in buildings such as primary schools and community centres.

This offer comes from the PSLA - one of our Cultural Partners:

Are you thinking of doing something for yourself which will still fit into family life?

At the Pre-school Learning Alliance, we understand that you are your child’s primary educator and carer and that you want to be there for the special times at school.

Why not come along and build upon all the knowledge and experience you have gained while being a parent?

We will be running a level 2 course: Supporting Play and Learning in an Early Years Setting

This will fit around your demands as a parent.

The course will last 12 weeks (Mondays, term time only) and will start on Monday 16th of April. If successful, you can progress to a level 3 qualification course: The Diploma in Pre-school Practice. Both courses are accredited by the Council for Awards in Childcare and Education.

The venue is the Gateshead Pre-school Learning Alliance, 8/9 Gladstone Tce, Gateshead, NE8 4DY.

If you are interested please ring Margaret Hanson on 0191 4771254 between 9.30am and 2.00pm.

Tuesday 12th December, 1.00pm - 3.00pm
Gateshead Leisure Centre

Tickets are now on sale for the Under 5’s Christmas Party at Gateshead Leisure Centre. With lots of prizes to be won in the party games, there’s also face painting, badge making, a bouncy castle, parachute games and lots more, and of course Santa will be there with a present and a goody bag for every child.

Tickets cost only £4 per child and are available now at Gateshead Leisure Centre’s reception.

Don’t miss out, pick up your ticket.

For further information contact: 0191 433 5733

Foundation Stage-Early Years/KS1/KS2 Music

We're pleased to announce a whole day course for teachers led by Kevin Hamel (author of the critically acclaimed website www.tuned-in.org) and Zozo Shuaibu - a fun, hands-on exploration of the tuned-in resource, offering know-how, support and tips for both the "terrified" and confident teacher.

November 13/14/15 2006
09.00-16.00
Gateshead City Learning Centre (Watermark)
FREE - Contribution to supply cost available

BOOK NOW - SPACES LIMITED
0191 4602900

Download Poster (Word: 124KB)

visit tuned-in.org online

A Fun Evening with Anna and Abi of Piccolomusic:
Evening seminar for those working with Babies and Young Children

Develop your skills, boost your confidence, and meet others who are working in this area. Sing along, learning new songs, tips and ideas for bringing songs to life for children.
This seminar is ideal for people working in nurseries, crèches, libraries, playgroups, nursery and reception class, parent and toddler groups, parent craft and post natal groups and out of school clubs, and who are starting or have recently started singing with children. Parents are also very welcome.

Thursday 16th November 2006
7 - 8.30pm, with time to meet and chat/network/look at resources afterwards in the bar/cafe.

Content:
· Learn the main different song types and their uses
· Learn an action song, actions to start you off, then how to adapt it

· Learn what works best with different ages and adult/child ratios

· Learn methods for singing to encourage co-ordination and speech development and techniques for encouraging adult participation

Venue: Caedmon Hall, Gateshead central Library, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 4LN
Free parking outside; Disabled access
Bar/cafe open afterwards together with an opportunity to buy Piccolo CDs and resources
Booking by Post , telephone, or on-line:
· Cost of workshop per person : £15 (includes hand out & training CD)

· Bookings of 5 or more people at once : £12 each.

· Sorry, no refunds once payment has been made.

· E mail names, addresses, phone numbers and number of places required to anna@piccolomusic.co.uk. An invoice will be sent out. OR

· Telephone Anna or Abi on 0191 2528765 with your details. OR

· Post booking details to Piccolo,17 St Oswins Ave, Cullercoats, Tyne & Wear NE30 4PH with cheque payable to A Scantlebury. OR

· Credit/debit card payments-email us to pay online via PayPal

Thank you for your time, and please forward this e mail to anyone you know who may be interested in this event.

Best Wishes

Anna Scantlebury and Abi Cottom

www.piccolomusic.co.uk

The National Day Nursery Association is one of our Ambassadors Cultural Partners.
Their latest conference is:
The Childcare Act and Market Facilitation: private, public and voluntary working together
5th Dec 2006
London.

The event will address the important issue of how local authorities work with private and voluntary nurseries when commissioning childcare services to achieve their targets.
Key speakers include : Beverly Hughes MP, Minister for Children; Dame Pat Collarbone, Executive Director, Training and Development Agency for Schools; Andrew Wells, Audit Commission Lead of Children's Trust Arrangements and Purnima Tanuku, Chief Executive of NDNA.

Book early to benefit from the early bird booking rate. More details and a booking form can be found at www.ndna.org.uk - events and campaigns.

You can no log on, find out what the ideal virtual school looks and sounds like on the Virtual Vision website and post a comment (scrolling to the Explore menu (right hand side) and clicking onto 'Thoughts and Ideas'):

Click onto:
www.virtual-vision.org

Virtual Vision - Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd of June 2006

We invite you to review our flagship project, where Gateshead teachers worked one-to-one with our Cultural Partners to create a virtual creative school, creative curriculum and creative management model.

Margaret Hanson of the Preschool Learning Alliance sends this message to Early Years staff:

SATURDAY OPENING

For all you busy people out there,
The Pre-school Learning Alliance Shop is open this coming Saturday 18th March

10.30am – 12.30pm

Come along and take advantage of our competitive prices

Everyone welcome!

The Pre-school shop is situated in John Haswell House,
8-9 Gladstone Terrace, Gateshead (opposite the Swallow Hotel car park).
For further information telephone 0191 477 1254.

Don’t forget our weekday opening hours:

Tuesdays
Wednesdays
Thursdays
11 – 2pm

NES Arnold's Early Years catalogue for 2006 is out now: send your order for catalogues to:

NES Arnold
FREEPOST
NWW3042A
Marketing Department
EY2/JAN
Hyde
SK14 4ZZ

25th November - 24th December 2005. admission free 10am-4pm. Mon-Sat.

See them run - Saturday 10th and 17th of December 10am - 3 pm
0 gauge electric, clockwork and maybe live steam! . Lionel , Bassett-Lowke, Hornby

See vintage trains dating back to before the First World War and meet members of the
Hornby Collectors Association at special running days at Newcastle Arts Centre.
Bring the children to see the toys of grandad's and maybe great grandad's era!.

See them run, see the smoke! hear the bells and horns as they wizz round the Christmas Tree.

See the exhibition which includes the original 1920's cigarette card promotion which encouraged
families to smoke thousands of cigarettes to get a toy train for free! or risk electrocution
with early electric toys connected directly to the mains power supply!

Collectables for sale at sensible prices. including Hornby 0 and Bachmann brass
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Text and photography Mike Tilley © 2005 tel.0191 2615618

A special welcome to teachers new to working in Gateshead and to those who have taken on the mantle of Cultural & Creativity Ambassador in their school this year. We have just added the Culture Showcase Directory (2004) to the site and we hope to expand the list of links later this month.
Look out for our new 'Frequently-asked questions' page this week.
If you are a Cultural Ambassador, you should have a 'Council Partners' pack of print waiting for you and we'll be sending an e-bulletin this Thursday, the 8th of September.
As ever, the Arts Development Team can be contacted on 0191 477 5380.

The Arts Team have been busy over the summer arranging Continuing Professional Development sessions for our special teachers. Please look out for notices of the following in your fortnightly e-bulletins:

Dance for Secondary Ambassadors on 6th October
Wildlife Gardening in Schools for all levels on 13th October
Local History 'CPD PLUS' for all on Hallowe'en (31st Oct)

Others to be confirmed:
Animation for Secondary Ambassadors
ICT basics for all
Music for Secondary Ambassadors

Gateshead Schools Music Service is the contact for the following:

"Music in the Foundation Stage: a scheme of work" by Anne Porter. This comprehensive file is designed to support non-specialist and specialist musicians alike. In addition to much valuable material, there's a supporting CD recorded by Anne Porter, and a CD-Rom with a great deal of downloadable material.
£35.00 each. Contact Barbara Murray, Gateshead Music Service.
Tel: 0191 433 8685. Email: barbaramurray@gateshead.gov.uk

Dear Colleagues and Parents,

On behalf of Gateshead Early Years and Childcare Service I would like to invite you to an event to raise awareness of the Flagship Children’s Centre and Children’s Centres in general.

The event will comprise a mixture of both fun activities for parents and children but also enable everyone who attends to be consulted on the building design and services, which will be delivered within.

Please join us in the marquee on the Tynegate site, off Sunderland Road, Gateshead, on Thursday 4th August 05, 12.00 – 5.00pm. Parking for disabled badge holders is available on site, all other attendees may use the Matalan car park in Gateshead. I hope you will be able to attend and help make the day a success.

If you require any further information regarding this event, please contact Kelly Nicholson, Events Manager on telephone number 0191 4338507 or by e-mail kellynicholson@gateshead.gov.uk.

Yours faithfully

Pam Stephens
Early Years and Childcare Service Manager
Children’s and Young Peoples Services
Learning and Children
Dryden Professional Development Centre
Evistones Road
Low Fell
Gateshead NE9 5UR
Early Years Services Tel: (0191) 4338500 Fax: (0191) 4915971
Children's Information Service: Tel (0191) 4915979

For Early Years practitioners trying to book guided tours of Seven Stories' exhibition 'Happy Birthday Miffy!' in the Great Hall at the Discovery Museum, please read on for an important message...

Storytelling and Story-making with Chris Bostock
Saltwell Park Training Centre
Thursday 23rd June
4.00pm-6.00pm
FREE to Gateshead's Cultural Ambassadors (or a stand-in colleague)

Chris Bostock is the Council's Artist in Residence this year and his Ambassadors CPD will be entertaining and relevant to both Primary and Secondary teachers. Refreshments will be provided.
NB: This notice was sent to Ambassadors in their e-bulletin of 26th May.
Twenty places are available. To book, email Barbara-Ann Brown at: barbaraannbrown@gateshead.gov.uk or send a fax with your name and school to same on: 0191 490 1394.

Wednesday 4th May 2pm-3pm, Free
Gateshead Central Library, Prince Consort Road

As part of Deaf Awareness Week 2005, Marie Callender will be storytelling in British Sign Language to the under 5s and their parents. Interpreters attending - both deaf and hearing children welcome.
For more information, contact Gillian Harrison, Information Assistant (BSL), via email: gillianharrison@gateshead.gov.uk / or via typetalk: 1800 20191 478 4839

The extension of our Cultural & Creativity Ambassadors network to the Early Years settings in Gateshead took place on Tuesday 12th April at Gateshead Visitor Centre. Over twenty settings have already expressed an interest in joining the network and those attending were welcomed by Councillor Linda Green (Children & Young People) and Councillor John McElroy (Culture). The speakers were Ednie Wilson, Creativity Development Manager for Gateshead Council, Moira Stott and Lucie Brownlee of the Council's Children's Information Service, Steph Brandon of The Sage Gateshead and Lorna McNally, Cultural & Creativity Ambassador at St Alban's Primary School. Delegates had an opportunity for discussion and networking with other providers and a selection of cultural sector representatives. If you are interested in joining them in widening the scope of young children's learning, please contact Barbara-Ann Brown or Karolynne Hart at the Council's Arts Development Team on 0191 477 5380.

Saturday 14th April 12noon-1pm
Roland Veitch on guitar and Bill Smith on clarinet and tenor saxophone give an hour of Gershwin, Porter, Rodgers and local folk songs as part of the new Resonate programme at Gateshead Visitor Centre (the former St Mary's Church next to the Tyne Bridge). On the 14th of May there is a storytelling session for children and on the 18th of June the Gateshead Youth Orchestra will play the new 'Tall Ships Suite'. The programme continues right through the year; all activities run from noon and are free.
Telephone 0191 477 5380 for more details.

We have invited all Gateshead's Early Years providers to join the Ambassadors network. The official launch event is at Gateshead Visitor Centre (St Mary's Church) on Gateshead Quays at 3.45pm, Tuesday 12th April with Councillors Linda Green and John McElroy. If you are an Early Years provider or a cultural organisation interested in the scheme, do come along. Nearby car park: Church St.

For those of you who took part in this year's Birdwatch either at school or at home, here are the results on the RSPB website. The Birdwatch takes place each January and schools packs are available. If your school in Gateshead has a Cultural Ambassador, they will receive contact details in the Autumn Term.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/2005results/index.asp

Northumbria University - September 10th 2004

International speakers feature at this conference at Northumbria University in Newcastle, with support from the Sage Gateshead and Sure Start.

To book, follow instructions in the link below;

Download file

A report by the University of Northumbria commissioned by Arts Council England entitled 'Feeding the Mind' is a recent, valuable resource for Early Years projects.
For a copy, contact Cheryl Gallagher, Administrator, Arts and Development
Arts Council England, North East
Direct line: +44 (0)191 255 8541
Fax: +44 (0)191 230 1020

Check out the Sightlines Initiative website regarding the forthcoming touring exhibition of pre-school children's creative work, "The Hundred Languages of Children", which will be at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle from 15th May - 13th June.

Information is available on the Sightlines Initiative website:

http://www.sightlines-initiative.com/