Wattle Group

What an eventful end to the term we’ve had! We want to extend a heartfelt thank-you to all our families for your understanding and support during this time. A big thank-you goes to our director, Louise, for her tireless work with the council and the Department of Education and Training (DET) to get us back up and running within a week.

This term, the children have adjusted remarkably well to the changes in the yard. They have thoroughly enjoyed watching the builders in action and exploring the new features of the yard. Their enthusiasm for the construction process inspired us to integrate this interest into our program.

We introduced the children to the stories Iggy Peck, Architect and Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty. These books sparked curiosity and creativity, serving as a fantastic starting point for hands-on activities.

Using a variety of materials, the children have explored concepts of construction and design. They’ve drawn inspiration from real-world structures, such as bridges, and embarked on building projects of their own—creating houses, car parks, towers, and even castles.

One of the highlights has been the collaborative creation of marble runs. This activity challenged the children to problem-solve, think critically, and unleash their creativity. Watching their designs come to life has been a joy, as they worked together to refine their ideas and test their solutions.

Science has been a highlight of our program this term. Through group activities and individual play, the children explored concepts like magnetism, states of matter (solids, liquids, and gases), and density. Our aim is to foster curiosity, inquiry, and a sense of wonder. While we introduce scientific concepts and discuss why things happen, the focus at this age is on experiencing and observing the phenomena, sparking their natural inquisitiveness.

Music and movement have continued to play a vital role in our program. This term, we introduced new songs and resources such as the parachute and stretchy bands. These tools allowed the children to explore the relationship between movement, sound, and rhythm. Collaborating with peers, they practiced moving to the beat of the music while enhancing sensory and spatial awareness. These playful activities also introduced musical concepts like tempo, dynamics, and coordination.

Lastly, the children have been hard at work creating end-of-year gifts and crafts. They have also enthusiastically worked on creating costumes for our end-of-year concert, inspired by a classic storybook. We are so excited to share this performance with our families and celebrate the children’s achievements over this past year.

We are so proud of the skills, creativity, and enthusiasm the children have demonstrated this year. It has been a joy to watch their growth, and we look forward to seeing where their imaginations and curiosity take them next year!

Emma.