Food

At Marshwood we promote healthy eating. Please provide a piece of fruit or vegetable for the children to share at morning or afternoon tea. There is a snack table available for the children to eat morning tea when they choose to. As allergies are becoming more common and more serious we are a ’nut free zone’ and we discourage the sharing of food. If your child has food allergies we ask that you supply some special treats appropriate for your child to eat in place of birthday treats etc. Children attending full days need to have a healthy lunch supplied by parents. Please limit sweet food at Marshwood.

 

Birthdays

We like to celebrate your child's birthday. You are welcome to bring cupcakes, mini muffins or pikelets to preschool for them to share with the rest of the class, but we also like encourage healthier options such as fruit kebabs or a fruit platter.  Other suggestions that are very popular are sushi or vegetable sticks and dip.  

 

Clothing

Your child should be dressed in clothes appropriate for preschool. Children get very busy and do tend to attract dirt! A change of clothes should be kept in their schoolbag. During winter months please keep a clearly named pair of gumboots at preschool. Children can wear shoes or slippers in the classroom if they wish.

 

The New Zealand sun is very harsh and children can burn within minutes. We provide sunblock however, they should arrive with sunblock already applied and this will be reapplied if they stay all day.  Throughout summer your child should have a named sunhat and be dressed appropriately to protect them from the sun. We discourage singlet tops as they do not provide adequate sun protection. If your child has sensitive skin you may wish to provide suitable sunscreen for their individual use.

 

Toys

We discourage children bringing toys from home to Marshwood (except for a new child needing a security teddy or blanket). They tend to get lost or broken, can cause disruption or conflict and will distract the children from the materials in the class. Please leave all toys at home, in the car or in their bag.

 

We welcome books or items of interest that your child may like to share at circle time relevant to any topics
being studied.