Boronia Group

Boronia Group Term 1 2024

Welcome to 3 year old Kindergarten. A new adventure for many children, coming to Kindergarten for the very first time. The children have steadily settled into the morning arrival routine and transitions. As they have gained confidence and security in the environment, they have begun to readily explore both inside and outside of the kinder room. 

As part of our learning this term, our focus has been on settling into kindergarten, getting to know one another and establishing a sense of connection. Introducing the visual day at kinder board, transitions games and songs, learning our Acknowledgment to country and our greeting song during our mat time.   We have our ‘Who is at Kinder picture wall’ onto which the children are able to stick on their picture cards. It is both a visual for the children and a way of fostering a sense of belonging. Role play and dramatic play has been part of our weekly sessions, extending and building on language development and imaginative play. Incorporating the children’s emerging interests this term, we have explored a home corner, Dr’s surgery and Space. The larger roleplay areas allow for the children to begin to learn how to share spaces with others, observe others at play and express their own imagination. This role play has been extended out into the yard with dolls, hanging the dolls washing; playing in the mud kitchen and sandpit. Small world play – allows for a child to make use of smaller imaginative items to role play with in a smaller space yet equally important play space. Boronia group have been avid puzzle builders this term. Puzzle building in small groups and on their own – looking at the whole picture, breaking it apart and putting it back together again. We have looked at colours around us this term and we spent some time exploring mixing our own colours using paints at the easels, hand / finger painting and water colour painting. 

During play outside, the children have continued to gain confidence in taking part in riskier play and giving it a go. Trying the obstacle courses, balancing blocks, whizzy dizzies, and manoeuvring their way through, under and over the stone creek, sandpit and mud pit. Using the ramp to roll down on the green bobsled and moving around the yard. By encouraging simple observations and discussions about the nature we find in our kinder yard, we begin to introduce the ideas of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to the children. 

What is the value of play and learning through play? They are just playing? Play is multifaceted with many layers. These various layers provide opportunities for children to learn as they discover, create, improvise and imagine. It allows for children to begin to develop capacities to discover these new ideas, test out ideas and theories they have, develop social interactions with other peers, developing both group and individual language and communication skills. (The Education Hub).  Learning by giving it a go; that making a mistake is ok. We all learn from these.

A few housekeeping reminders as we continue through Term 1 and into Term 2:

• Clothing: Layering is ideal It assists with the differing temperatures. Please send a warm jacket or jumper, as we do go outside and play even when it is cold.
• An adequate number of changes of clothes and a pair of shoes that are labelled for those days when we get extra messy or wet during play. Please pop in a plastic bag into their bag to send home any wet clothing.
• Illness – If your child is sick, please keep them home until they are well to return to kinder. Term 2 begins on Monday 15 April 2024Have a safe holiday break.