hummus88's Blog

Assignment
Date: Apr 26th, 2007 4:34:27 pm - Subscribe
Mood: wanted


Miss Harriet Wood
4 Whatbarns Farm Cottages
Westmill
Buntingford
Hertfordshire
SG9 9NJ
23rd April 2007

Miss H. Johnston
Happy Days Nursery
12 Vale Rd
Knibbleswick
Mothershire
AD12 8MN

Dear Miss Johnston,

I am writing in response to the job advert offering the position of nursery nurse at Happy Days Nursery Ref: BU123

To show my interest in this application I shall explain why I am a suitable candidate for the position and how your nursery will benefit from my qualifications and skills.

My career direction is aimed towards working with all people involved in the care of young children. This choice is centred on working with children in early years, especially younger children as this is the time when they need the most care and attention.

In your advertisement you asked for someone who holds a level 3 qualification. I have recently achieved the Diploma in Childcare in Education at Hertford Regional College. This two year course has provided me with extensive knowledge into child development, legislations and anti-discriminatory practice, health and safety, food hygiene. I have also studied birth to three matters and am well versed in all aspects of it. I have experienced placements in settings such as schools, nurseries, and family homes.

You asked for someone who is dedicated. I believe I have this quality as can be seen in my approach to time keeping; ensuring I arrive early, and remain after the session has finished. I would use this time to discuss activities led and how to adapt and improve them, and to prepare further activities for the next session. This would include preparing materials during the lunch break, conversing with parents about issues that may have arisen, and keeping the environment safe and secure for use both before and after sessions.

Additionally you request someone who is caring. I feel this is also a quality I possess. My placement experience shows this in the family home where I supported an older child who was feeling left out during activities focused on the younger siblings. By encouraging her to participate, I was able to enhance her feeling of being wanted and needed in the activity, as well as providing an opportunity for sibling bonding.

I have also shown myself to be caring in an instance in a Nursery class in the autumn term. This involved reassuring and comforting a distressed child after a toilet accident by being compassionate; empathising with the child, understanding her point of view and how others may react.


I am enthusiastic as I thoroughly enjoy working with children, helping to mould minds and provide experiences to benefit, educate, and create enjoyment for children. This has been shown through creating Easter based activities I gave for class participation, which allowed children to experiment and try many different styles of creativity.

Another example is from the summer term in the Reception class when the weather was good. I discovered that the children were enjoying playing with racquets and balls, but were having difficulty in keeping the game going. I intervened, joining in and introducing new ideas, and ways of making the game better, by encouraging team work, demonstrating skills to improve their abilities and creating a set of rules that have become accepted as the norm.

In family placement I had many responsibilities such as weaning, bottle feeding, bathing, nappy changing, settling, and bedtime routine. I also negotiated a double buggy on narrow paths, regular weekly food shopping and other journeys. This placement also allowed me to implement routines, and to create, plan and provide successful age appropriate activities.

When babysitting I had sole care of a 3 year old and a 6month old. I was in charge of preparing balanced nutritious meals, housekeeping, providing activities and stimuli to promote development and bedtime routine, adapting to the child’s need as they grew older.

I would work well in your small team as I have had lots of experience working on individual and group tasks, working in cooperation to achieve goals, as well as communicating well with staff members of all positions.

I can also offer my ability to adapt, remain patient, to be approachable, and an overall friendly nature. Finally and most importantly I am a strong communicator and negotiator who can work well in a team and on individual tasks.

I have learnt that without these skills and qualities I would not be able to fulfil my role. Without knowledge of child development I would not be able to meet children’s basic health, physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive needs. Without communication I would find it difficult to keep up to date with situations that occurred, may miss signs of concern, and compromise child protection issues. It would also prevent good team work as communication is a key factor in working together using every member’s skills and ideas. After the duration of my course I feel that I have the skills and abilities required and that I can use them as a nursery nurse practitioner at Happy Days Nursery.

Please see my attached CV for further details

Yours sincerely,





Harriet Wood

Comments: (0)

Shadows - Chapter 2
Date: Apr 22nd, 2007 5:06:53 am - Subscribe
Mood: moodless


Chapter 2 - Retrieval

The door opened and Pete was picked up and taken to the couch by two figures. When he came round, Pete felt his usual self, sat up and looked around for signs of people. Behind the couch sat two figures. Around them were 10 tall candles burning with black flames. Pete felt compelled to join them, but as he approached a barrier of shadow formed between the ten candles encircling the figures. Two candles blew out. “Damn!” exclaimed one figure as the other eight candles blew out. Turning to Pete the figure spoke again, “Dude, now you’re up you gotta help too.”

Pete gave the figure a look of bemusement as if he hadn’t a clue what he was talking about. He sat down on the rug and looked at the figures. “Has he done this before?” asked the second figure. The first figure looked at the second, “Who Pete? Yeah, loadsa times. Ain’t ya Pete?” Pete smiled nervously and sat very still. The first figure noticed Pete’s nervousness, “Pete? ...” he paused. “C’mon, if you’ve forgot… It’s been a while, but we gotta do it tonight.” Pete nodded and pulled a lighter from his pocket. Grasping the small device in-between his thumb and forefinger he moved the flame over the wick of all ten candles, staying inside the circle as he did so.

As he lit the tenth candle his wrist stung again. The dots penetrated his skin and seemed to form holes straight through his wrist. Pete blinked, sat down and stretched his arm into the centre of the circle. The other figures did this too. A voice sprung from the first figure, “I am Teek. My voice is true. My shadow self must be renewed.” This was followed instantly by the second figure, “Magz I am. My voice is true. I call upon my shadow too.” Pete seemed aware of what was happening but his senses forbade him from making sense of it. Eyes open a voice came from Pete, “Pete; am I? My voice is true; I make a shadow self anew.”

The candles flickered, a cold feeling spread throughout his body, tingling as it moved from limb to limb. Open eyes and grinning faces spread across the three figures inside the circle of candles. Teek stood up, arms outstretched to meet the arms of his friends. The motion was copied by both Magz and Pete. A group hug was formed and Pete’s memories came flooding back.

Pete remembered his first time calling upon his shadow and how exciting it had been, having all that power. His memories flicked forward to when he had left. No warning was given, Pete had merely disappeared and nobody knew where he’d gone, whether he’d come back and so everyone continued as normal.

The flashback ended and Teek was pointing at the door, “So Pete, you gonna crash here or at your pad?” he asked. Pete’s face was blank, recalling vividly the image of him ultimately powerful and out of control. Magz leaned over and kissed his cheek, looking deep into his eyes. “C’mon Pete,” she whispered. Snapping back to reality he looked deeply back at Magz.

“Yeah,” he answered faintly. “Yeah, okay” he said more firmly. Heading for the door his gaze wandered to a chart on the wall. It seemed to have dates scribbled all over it, and feint imprint of a footprint shadowed underneath the writing. The day circled in red ink was today’s date, October 26th.

His thumb raised in acknowledgment to Teek, Pete opened the door, Magz a step behind him, walked out onto the first floor landing.

In front of them stood Pete’s pad, marked with a white lightning bolt on the door. Home, he removed a silver key, long and thin with square teeth black from use. Poking it in the keyhole jostling it into place, he turned the lock and opened the door.

Comments: (0)

Randomly
Date: Apr 19th, 2007 1:02:21 pm - Subscribe


I just thought of something really weird. you know how people have inner monologues, well um, you know how people leave voice recorded memos to themself...well i dont lke the way my voice sounds when its recorded so I would think that eventually they will make like a "thought diary" ... like in the Final Fantasy film - where she records her dreams - I would be able to record a mental blog (keeping a diary but without it being written down either by writing or typing)

That would be really cool. Especially for people with bad memories, wasters, or amnesiacs who needed to remember what happened the day before!





But besides that random thought.... I thought I'd post the intro to one of my stories........

Dont judge it too quickly! Im still working on all the pieces I started so.... Lemme know what you think. I'll post it in parts..... so you can read it in snippets.



Shadows

Chapter 1 - Arrival


Doom lingered over the red rusty car as it approached its destination, rain pounding against it from all directions. The car echoed upon the impact of each drop which led to Pete's patience snapping. The journey was taking a lifetime and the weather had extended the duration. Having lost his patience, Pete leaned forward to look closely through the rain-drenched window. Taking a deep breath he pulled over and stopped the car by the curb.


Moving the dial on the stereo clockwise to reach 97.5FM, turning the volume to seven, and a voice came out; "… in the south and west regions. Everywhere else heavy showers throughout the day and overnight. There's a high chance of thunderstorms, and possible hail showers in the most northern parts. *Crackle* This is Mighty Radio, home of Jeffery May the morning man, Mighty music with Jeffery May, mornings from eight on ninety-five point seven Mighty Radio *Crackle* Back to Soul at seven.





Turning the key Pete pulled it out and unclipped his seatbelt. Pushing the door open, he swings his legs round and steps out into the drizzling weather, his head bowed he clenches his fist, closes his eyes and counts to three. He shudders as something brushes past him, stepping back bumping into the red car behind him. He looks up, brushing his long fringe out of his face and can see nothing but the rain-filled sky and the puddle-coated pavement. Stepping up onto the curb he felt a tingle run down his spine, his shirt pale and see-through stuck to his body, his jeans clung tightly to his legs as he walked up the pavement to the path of the buildings courtyard. Taking the path, Pete found himself in a bricked courtyard, pergolas coated in sodden vines and flowerbeds swimming with water.





This square courtyard led to a T-shaped path, of which Pete walked up the length of it. Which way he went next seemed unimportant, but he turned right. He was greeted by a hissing cat as e walked in front of its route. Walking around it, he continued on to the flat blocks upon which he could see its sign hanging from one nail, and vandalised with a green scribble in paint. Pete knew that underneath it read "Stratton Courtyard Block D", the most ill-kept block of the courtyard. Remembering the last time he was here Pete recalled D block looking pretty much the same, he climbed up the three steps and examined the buzzers and their dirty labels. The first buzzer, "S...a….k…in…" was all that he could make out. The next two were blank from wear and the fourth was damaged. The fifth buzzer had green paint across it. Pete pressed his finger on the fifth buzzer. A crackle came from the speaker. "Dude? That you?" it asked huskily.







Sighing, Pete answered, "Yeah. Yeah it's me. Buzz me up." Feeling nervous for no reason, he rushed at the door as it buzzed. Inside the building it smelt of burnt pans, taking the foul smelling staircase he went up one flight of stairs. Two doors opposite each other were on this floor, one stained with the same green scribble, the other a white streak of lightning painted upon it. Pete knocked on the green door which opened after the second impact of his fist to the door. Instinctively remembering where the bathroom was Pete walked straight through the room and turned left, opened the door and relieved himself. While washing his hands he stared in the mirror. Returning the gel to the shelf he felt pain in his wrist. He turned his left hand over to find three dots, tattoo-like, that wouldn't rub off but seemed to have penetrated his skin. Pulses ran up his arm in three places at once, his vision began blurring and he fell to the floor.


Comments: (1)

what im made of
Date: Nov 2nd, 2006 9:44:09 am - Subscribe
Mood: kinky

How to make a Harriet

Ingredients: 1 part intelligence 5 parts arrogance 1 part beauty

Method: Combine in a tall glass half filled with crushed ice. Add lustfulness to taste! Do not overindulge!