Early Learning
Possums
Many children in the Possum group have a strong interest in learning about our wider world. We have been learning some greetings in different languages, recognising flags from different countries, and looking at countries and continents on a world map.
We decided to explore some countries in more detail, with the aim of enriching learning through hands-on and multi-sensory experiences, as well as building some meta-cognition around the concept of learning.
Through learning about Egypt we have begun a process of learning through thinking about what we already know and what we want to know, then reflecting on things we’ve learned. The children were very interested in animals, and had a few ideas about what animals might live in Egypt. As we began learning, more questions emerged. We learned information through videos, searching online, reading books, and we were lucky enough to enlist the help of Mr Adams.
Mr Adams, our Business Manager, used to live in Jordan, and has visited the Pyramids before. After learning about Egypt all of the Possum children (and teachers) would love to visit the Pyramids, so this was very exciting to hear about. We greeted Mr Adams with an Arabic welcome: “Marhaba”. Mr Adams answered some of our questions about life in Egypt, although he wasn’t sure how they got the pointy bit at the top of the Pyramids. The most exciting thing was that Mr Adams taught us what Falafel tastes like! Most of the Possum children hadn’t had them before, and most loved them.
It has been so much fun learning about Egypt, and in particular watching this biblical location come to life as a real place for the children. We have learned that Jesus lived part of his life in Egypt, and learned some of the story of Moses. The children were amazed to see the Pyramids illustrated in the story of Moses after seeing real life photo and video footage of them.
We love that our Business Manager came over and cooked for us to help the children learn in a meaningful way - thank you Richard! Or as he is now known in Kinder, “The Falafel Man”.
We love connecting with the School in other ways as well. On Wednesday we were lucky to have some Year 6 students help us make Hot Cross Buns. While the buns were cooking, they read us some stories! It is a lovely element of King’s College that our young children are not only supported, guided and cared for by adults in their life, but by older students as well. The Year 6 students also seemed to enjoy it, asking if the Kinder children could join their cooking class more often! Read more about our visit to Year 6 here.
Beth Parker
Head of Early Learning
Kinder Principals
Some of the Possum children delivered some freshly made Hot Cross Buns to Mr Rouse this week. After having a chat about some serious business, Principal Billy and Principal Joey each took a turn in the big chair. Billy was very surprised when the phone rang, but luckily it was just Ms Parker, calling about a raise! The Possum children loved visiting Mr Rouse’s office, and Boh extended the invitation back to Mr Rouse: “come to Kinder any time, and tell us if the Hot Cross Buns were good”.
Beth Parker
Head of Early Learning
The Echidna Pre-School of Performing Arts!
This term in the Echidna room we have plied, presented personal pictures, photographed our friends (plus a selfie or two) and performed puppet shows that a trained marionette would envy! We have had coronations as we crowned birthday monarchs, we tripped the lights fantastic on the Auditorium stage with a rousing rendition of The Wheels of the Holden, we re-enacted the carrying of a ten-kilogram block of chocolate prize from the Koroit IGA, and we have discovered new and unusually named musical instruments such as the Lollipop Drum and the Whacker Clackers.
With Mrs Ezzy’s multiple instrument playing skills accompanying us, we have embraced such movement based songs as My God is So Big! (Ukulele) and L.O.V.E. (Violin). Mrs Ezzy has also added her dulcet harmony tones to every song we sing which I am very thankful for it as it covers up my enthusiastic but quite out-of-tune vocalising. We have danced an Irish jig under the tutelage of Kathleen, put foot bells on our feet so we can literally dance with bells on, enjoyed the sound of buttons dropping into a plastic container, rested to comforting sounds of scripture put to music, and learned rhymes and actions to old favourites such as Pat-a-Cake Baker’s Man.
Unfortunately, the Echidna Pre-School of Performing Arts is not taking any more enrolments for the year because we are full up to pussy’s bow. But in the meantime, we will continue to use all the aforementioned Arts to further your children's learning in the areas of language, melody, rhythm, and timbre as they develop vocabulary, word power and phonemic awareness in a play-based environment. And that’s how we sausage roll in the Echidna Room!
Judi Missen
Early Learning Educator