River Room Curriculum

Welcome to the River Room term 4 newsletter

Can you believe this is our last newsletter for the year, this year has flown past. We have had a very busy term with lots of fun, learning and the children learning new words, some walking, achieving skills and building friendships. The children we started with at the start of the year have really grown in themselves, their confidence and their learning and we have loved being on this journey with them and supporting them along the way. We have enjoyed watching them achieve goals, learn something new and build friendships and their language and communication. Some children now having long conversations with us educators and their peers. This is our last newsletter before we say goodbye and all the best for the children moving up to the Sun room. Below are some different topics we have been enjoying this term.

Term 4 Inquiry focus: Transport and emotions......

Emotions:

This term we have been learning about emotions and how we are feeling, the children have been making faces in the mirrors around the room, singing if you’re happy and you know it and have been enjoying posters around the room to look at. The children are really begining to explore their emotions and are learning how to regulate them, we have been supporting them through play, songs and posters and will encourage and support them moving forward.

Transport: This term has been about everything transport from, car wheel painting, train set set up, cars and trucks in sand pit, transport related songs including wheels on the bus, row, row, row, row your boat and the children have absolutely loved Nee Naw the little red fir engine sing along book. We have also been on a lovely walk down to Wellington, where we saw lots of modes of transport along the way including, lots of trucks, buses, cars, vans, motorbikes and even got to see the postman on his bike. Going for our walk supported our learning of our inquiry-focused transport and also gave the children the opportunity to get out and explore the local community, learn about the world around them and supported the childrens sense of belonging.

Open gate play/ transitions with Sun Room.....

This term we started our transitions and open gate play with Sun room, with all children that are moving up into Sun room the opportunity to explore and become familiar with the room and educators before moving up in January. I must say all the children had the greatest times exploring both indoors and outdoors and having group time and morning tea in there at times. We even got to spend a few hours in there on our own when the Sun room children went up to Forest. Just seeing how comfortable the children are in there shows how ready they are to take the next step in their learning journey, and we wish you all the best.

Show and Share book program.....

This term we decided to organize the first ever River room show and share book program where the children had the opportunity to bring in a book from home to share with everyone at group time, this I must say was a huge hit. The children on their allocated day brought in their book and most of them were so excited, some were a little shy, however everyone came up the front and shared their book, some helping tuen the pages, others sitting with the educators and others were happy to past the book onto their educator, get a photo and sit down.  All children brought in their special book and the other children sat down on the mat and really listened and watched, it was really quite lovely to see all the children be so proud standing up there and building up their confidence and sense of belonging. Thank you to all the parents for bringing in your child’s book and for all the lovely feedback, this is something that will continue every year.

Cooking up a storm......

The children are really showing an interest and enjoying tea parties in the sand pit, to celebrate recycle week we had alot of cereal boxes and recycled bottles and the children took these outside and added them to their play. Making porridge, baby cinos, ice creams and cakes just to name a few. The children enjoyed filling up the boxes and containers with the sand and pouring the sand into cupcake trays and bowls and then would take their finished products around to educators and offer them to their peers. The children engaged together and helped each other with their cooking, sometimes in small groups, large groups and sometimes on their own at times. There were many times where the sand pit was so full and all the children were so happy and engaged in their play.

Home corner play......

This term the children have really shown an interest in home corner, role play and dramatic play. Having tea parties has been so popular both indoors and out, taking the dolls outside and pushing them around in the prams, tea parties in the sand pit and cooking up a storm. The children are showing so much care and are really begining to role play, use their imaginations and mimic what they are seeing. Sitting at the table with cups,plates and having converstaions amongst each other, ensuring they bring their babies along, you would think they were a parent group  having a chat at the local coffee shop or a friend group going out for lunch with their children. Its  just so lovely to see their imaginations and learning develop.

Christmas celebrations ......

This term along with our inquiry project has been all about Christmas, can you believe I’m even saying that already, where has this year gone. This term we have been getting all the Christmas presents ready for all the special people in our lives, been busy painting, pasting, crayon drawing, play dough, had a great polar express train set up and have even enjoyed putting up the Christmas tree and decorating it. We have had sensory tubs, Christmas stories and even enjoyed 

Its been a huge and wonderful year, with lots of learning,  goals acheived and lots of fun from all of us in the River room we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas, a happy and safe New Year and all the best for 2026

Danni, Kayleigh, Nicole, Paris, Tanika, Polin