News...

1. Fundraising - can you help out?
We have an opening for a new committee member to join the fundraising team. After many years and much hard work Sara will be leaving us in July – a massive thank you from all of us. We need someone to take over school link and yellow moon (naming brochures and sending the order off) – if you are interested please speak to a supervisor.

1. Guide Dog Visit - Mon 22nd March

Children met Whitney a working guide dog and Della a puppy in training.

As part of the visit the children were encouraged to close their eyes and try to imagine what it would be like if they were unable to see.

The children learned all about the dogs and the job they do to help their owners. See photos on our Guide Dog Visit Gallery - click here.

2. Stockley Farm Visit - Tuesday 18th May
The visit included a tractor ride, a woodland walk and the chance to meet Daisy.

3. The Wild Road Show
On Tuesday 23rd February The Wild Road Show visited the Hollies. This workshop provided the opportunity for the children to gain hands on experience and interaction with animals including a Bearded Dragon, a Tarantula, a Giant Snail, a Giant Cockroach, a Giant Millipede and a Tree Frog.

See the Wild Road Show photo galleries by clicking here.

4. Hollies Make a Rainbow of Hands and Show Hands of Friendship!

**READ about Gerry's latest visit to Uganda - click here to download**
Towards the end of October we made a Rainbow of Hands and at the same time we made handprints to send to our friends at St Lawrence in Uganda in reply to the wonderful ‘Hands of Friendship’ we received from them last November.

We have been supporting young children in Uganda since Gerry Hambridge, who was Supervisor at the Hollies for many years, starting making annual visits to Uganda in 2002.

Gerry has been back to the Hollies to talk to the children about her latest visit to St Lawrence Nursery & Primary School, Kamuli, Uganda.

The Nursery rent a building but have very few benches, no tables or desks and nowhere for the teachers to work at so we have been raising more funds to buy equipment.

Find out much more about the Rainbow of Hands and Hands of Friendship week by downloading the letter handed out to parents here. We also have our own section with photos of St Lawrence Nursery here.

4. Harvest Festival 2009

This year the Hollies harvest boxes were donated to the mustard tree charity for the homeless in Manchester.

The children made the boxes and filled them with donations sent into our pre- school.

5. Lollipop Lady Visit

Our lollipop lady visited earlier this term to talk about road safety and we practiced crossing the road outside school.

6. OFSTED Insepction - 13th July 2009
The Hollies Pre-School was inspected by OFSTED in July and we have now received our OFSTED report and are very pleased with the outcomes. A copy of the report can be viewed on the OFSTED website – here (bottom of page). You can also download a copy from the Letters page.

7. Newsletter - September 2009
You can choose to read the newsletter on the website here or download and print it from the letters page.

8. The Hollies Official Opening Ceremony

On Saturday 20th June 2009 Gerry Hambridge, who was in charge of running the Hollies for many years at its previous site, cut the ribbon to officially open the new Hollies Pre-school building.

Staff, children and parents past and present gathered outside to witness the ceremony in between light rain showers.

Gerry was so pleased to receive the invitation asking her to open the ‘new’ Hollies Pre-School. In her opening speech she said:

"I have been involved with the Hollies since 1985 and, as Supervisor for many of those years even looking after Debbie’s children when they were tiny and those of several other members of the staff here today"!

"It is almost ten years to the day since I handed the keys over to Debbie and I always felt that the Hollies would be in good hands and I have been proved right – the Hollies continues to be a very loving place for children to grow and develop".

"I remember the years of struggle being based at the scout hut but the children have always been well cared for and content. We always dreamt of having our own premises but I never thought that dream would come true! I was obviously underestimating the courage, hard work and sheer determination of the staff, committee and parents at the Hollies as the group has gone from strength to strength. So it gives me great pleasure in announcing the re-opening of the Hollies Pre-School – may all who sail in her be as happy as the thousands of children that have come before"!

Since leaving the Hollies Gerry has been travelling to Africa, firstly to Tanzania and then Uganda. She has shared her experiences with the 'Hollies' children, made miniature Kilimanjaro’s and mud huts with them and told them stories of her adventures. Best of all has been the special relationship that the Hollies has built with the nursery children in Uganda exchanging drawings, gifts and messages. Find out more about the special relationship Gerry and the Hollies have with St Lawrence Nursery, Kamuli, Uganda here.

9. Our classrooms

See photos of our new classrooms here and children playing at the Hollies Pre-School here.

Application forms are available to download from here or can be collected from Lower Park School reception or the Hollies preschool. If you have put your child’s name down on the ‘wish list’ the forms will be emailed to you.

Forms must be returned to the address on the application form as any that are given into the school or the preschool will not be processed. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

10. Hollies Pre-School Support St. Lawrence Nursery in Uganda

The Hollies Pre-School has supported Afuwa Nangobi and the Maria's Care Nursery in Kamuli since Gerry Hambridge got involved in charity work in Uganda in 2002 after she retired from her position as Supervisor of the Hollies after many years.

We now want to support Afuwa, previously the Head Teacher of Maria's Care Nursery, as she works hard to build up a new nursery in the village, the St. Lawrence Nursery & Day Care School, offering our support in friendship, guidance and through fund raising, the occasional provision of educational materials.

We have a fundraiser each year. Last year the money we raised was used to buy books for the nursery. Find out much more and see photos of the children playing, reading their new books and their school by clicking here.