Early Learning
Kinder Train
Last week we had the most exciting delivery to kinder, of a train we can all ride on! We would like to thank the PTFA for this amazing new resource. Here are some words from some of the kinder children:
"I like the steering wheels" - Alfie
"I like the seats" - Wren
"I like it when me and Finley are the engine" - Harry
I like when Harry and me drive in the front" - Finley
"I like the hidey hole bit" - Isoa
"I would like Eliza to go on the train forever" - Evelyn
"I like the engine and the seats" - Stevie
"I like the tunnel" - Luna
"I like everything" Isaiah
Thank you so much to our PTFA - you are all welcome to come and have a ride on the train any time you like!
Beth Bennett
Head of Early Learning
Possums
This term the Possum children have been very engaged in storytelling, imagination, and collaborative creating. After our Flying Bookworms incursion, many children were inspired to act out stories together. They have been planning plays, choosing roles, making props, and performing for each other.
This imaginative thinking has continued into many other areas of our program. After making passports together, we flew on Possum Airlines to England, where we enjoyed a Devonshire tea and explored a range of England-themed experiences. The children (and teachers) took their travelling very seriously, and no one lost their passport! Our next exciting moment of global learning is happening this Friday when Harry's family are coming in to teach us some Shona greetings from Zimbabwe.
Children’s creativity and problem-solving has also continued through their strong interest in box construction and making. During our Urban Upcycle incursion, children transformed recycled materials into imaginative creations, using persistence, creative thinking, and Nicole's amazing glue guns which boast a temperature of "a million trillion billion" degrees. In the coming weeks we will reflect on this experience, and think about the resources we were inspired by, and might like to include in our Makery.
Another big highlight this term was when Wren’s Dad, who is an artist and architect, transformed our collaborative painting of a house into an animation showing what the house could look like in real life (video below). The children were fascinated seeing their ideas brought to life, and it sparked lots of conversations about design, imagination, creativity, and different jobs.
Thank you Lewis for such a cool experience!
He showed us some artwork and some models - Stevie
His job is doing arts and craft and science - Evelyn
He is an architect. He can turn the art into real life - Evie O
The transform of our house that we made was so nice, I thought it was like a animated movie - Isoa
I was surprised! - Kiana
I liked his photos - Grace
I liked the maze - Noah
As the Possums create, build, imagine, and tell stories together, we are grateful to God - the First and Best Creator - who made us in His image so that we can enjoy creating too.
Beth Bennett
Head of Early Learning
Echidnas in Space
At the end of last term, as the Artemis I Mission captured the world’s attention and renewed interest in space exploration, curiosity about space was sparked in all of us in the Echidna Room.
We have spent four weeks this term with space embedded into our program - and realistically, we could spend the rest of the year exploring it! But time waits for no 4/5-year-old kinder student, so we packed as much into the four weeks as we could!
We learned how to sign in AUSLAN to the old favourite, “Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, We’re Going to the Moon,” we experimented with different walking techniques that may or may not work in outer space, we learned about planets and how God placed them all so perfectly in our universe, and we created amazing collages and astronaut artwork.
The children practised their “space faces” as we discussed how we might react if we were in a supercharged rocket heading to the moon, what we would do if we saw an alien, and how we might feel walking on the moon.
We also learned about the Aboriginal Celestial Emu in the Milky Way and discovered how Indigenous Australians used the night sky to help understand nature and the world around them.
Our favourite topic was space junk, so our universe collages included treasures we found in the storeroom (bread bag ties), recycled pieces from an old space calendar cut into circles, paint chips, broken buttons, and some random bits and bobs we discovered on the kinder floor… which we still can’t identify (eek!). The highlight for the children - and yes, for me too - was creating glitter planets using double-sided paper and far more glitter than necessary!
By the end of these four weeks, the children had discussed meteors landing on the kinder roof, created space exploration stories using a felt board, and sung and danced about all things space, all while continuously thanking God for the beautiful cosmos He created.
As a side note, Mrs Ezzy and I stand by our kinder room ethos - everything is better with glitter!
This learning experience supported children’s creativity, communication, scientific thinking, imaginative play, and collaborative learning, while fostering curiosity and wonder about God’s creation in alignment with VEYLDF Outcomes 4 and 5.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” - Psalm 19:1
Judi Missen
Early Learning Teacher
Wombats
The 3 year old Wombat Group have been talking about cooking and baking at home, and some children wondered if we could do some baking at kinder? On Tuesday we baked yummy banana and choc chip muffins. Apart from the delicious results, there were many benefits for learning.
In the language area, they listened and followed directions, building vocabulary and predicting the outcome. Fine motor and coordination skills were practiced with pouring, mixing and placing spoonfuls of mixture in the muffin tray.
Social and emotional skills were in evidence as they took turns, waited patiently, showed pride in their efforts and chatted about the importance of safety and having clean hands for cooking. We loved our yummy muffins and took some home to share.
Thanks to the parents and grandparents who joined in and enriched the experience for everyone. Cooking together is a wonderful activity in that it supports all 5 outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework.
These commandments are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home or walk along the road. - Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Robyn Parker
Early Learning Teacher