EDUCATION
Edgemoor Nursery School and Day Care Centre Edgemoor Nursery School and Day Care Centre has been looking after the babies and toddlers of local families at our friendly, family-run business in Yelverton Business Park since 1992. March 2020 saw the onset of our most challenging period ever. We have remained open during the whole time of the Covid-19 pandemic, including through school holidays. Debbie Parriss, with her small team of dedicated staff, worked tirelessly during the first national lockdown to support key worker families with their childcare needs, before we welcomed the gradual return of all children from June onwards. Families have been amazing and have adhered to many changing new rules, but most of all, huge credit must be handed to the children who have been with us throughout this, laughed with us, cried at us and sneezed at us! Without them, we would not have got through this. We regularly kept in touch with families by email and sent them ideas for learning; for Father’s Day we sent card and coaster making kits, complete with instructions, to every child on our register. It was truly amazing the response we had from families who really enjoyed receiving and making them, and then giving them as homemade gifts to their fathers. Through the first lockdown, when we were quieter, we used the time productively by decorating the whole of the nursery and giving the front of the building a new lease of life. Externally we created a woodland theme with sky, hills and trees followed by a selection of woodland creatures, all hand painted by Miss Donna and the staff. We then decided to name all the newly painted creatures using significant names that have been important to us all through this pandemic:
‘Sir Captain Tom Moore’ - the badger ‘Bubble’ - the butterfly ‘Whitty’ - the owl (after Chris Whitty) ‘Phil Bellamy’ – the brown hare (our postie) ‘Debbie, Donna, Steph and Lucinda’ – Mummy hedgehog and her babies (Debbie and the three staff members who worked through the first lockdown) ‘Keith’ – the squirrel (Debbie’s husband and business partner) ‘Florence’ - the fox (Florence Nightingale hospitals) ‘Wicks’ - the grey hare (Joe Wicks) ‘Dawson’ – the sleeping fox (the founder of The Range where we bought all our decorating supplies) This will be put onto a plaque and displayed by the front door to remind us in years to come how very thankful we were to these people at this unique time. Edgemoor Nursery now looks more like a children’s nursery than it has ever done in all its years of life; resplendent for next year we will be celebrating 30 years of teaching beautiful, young minds.
Edgemoor Nursery School & Day Care Centre 7:30am to 6:00pm • Monday to Friday • 51 weeks a year From birth to 8 years old • Offering the extended 30 hours of funding
Proprietors: Debbie & Keith Parriss
01822 855644 • www.edgemoornursery.com
Trimal House • Yelverton Business Park • Crapstone • Yelverton PL20 7PE
See our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk
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