Early Learning

Dental Health Week

The Ants, Bees and Monday Wombat groups have been pretending to be dentists at Kinder this week. We have been focusing on some key messages from the Australian Dental Association: 

• Brush teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet and limit added sugar intake. 

• Visit the dentist regularly for check-ups and preventative care. 

Children have been sharing their knowledge about caring for their teeth and eating healthy foods. In the Barker room, children worked in teams to brush and floss teeth on our puppets and teeth models, with some of them using different dental instruments, some holding the torch, and some drying the puppets' mouths. Children have enjoyed the opportunity to use real tools, and to explore what might happen at the dentist through play. One of our Wombat friends got some food stuck on her teeth at home, and informed her parents that she needed to floss! In the Hayward room, children scrubbed large models of teeth inside mouths. They used markers to add plaque and germs, then scrubbed them away with toothbrushes. 

The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework describes children showing an increasing awareness of healthy lifestyles and good nutrition, and increasing independence with personal hygiene. Our Kinder children have shown great interest in this area and we are looking forward to continuing our learning, with some healthy food cooking, some funny songs, and continuing to explore through play.

Beth Parker

Head of Early Learning

Ants

The Ants have begun Term 3 investigating our solar system, building rockets, using space maths, and finding out about gravity, force and velocity. We launched balloon rockets to see this in action; each child was a researcher with their own rockets, lots of repeats and a whole lot of laughter! The Ants have also enjoyed library time with Mrs. Nield, listening beautifully to a story and making a related craft. They have been very enthusiastic about scissor crafts, and their first library visit has inspired their own amazing ideas at Kinder. It's wonderful to see children learning from one another, giving things a go, and celebrating their achievements.

Sian Duggan

Early Learning Teacher

Wednesday & Friday Wombats

Last week our Wednesday and Friday Wombat groups got to experience the process of making chips. The children took turns to cut potatoes at the table. They persisted with cutting big chunks of potato. We discussed the different shapes and fractions, such as halves. Some chips were straight while others had curves. The potatoes sat on the flat side of the chopping board so that it didn't slip away. The children understood the safety of using knives. Jim, Lilly and Tobias stirred the oil and salt into the potatoes. They also learned that potatoes grow underground and are a type of tuber. We identified chips that were not too thin or thick. Jocelyn found some potatoes planted in the yard. Jim and Tobias, thank you for helping to clean the table.

Sharon Harrold

Early Learning Teacher