Learning Across the ELC

Learning in the Banksia Room

Exploring Our Loreto College Community: A Visit to the Senior School

As part of our Term Inquiry on the ‘Language of Community’, the Banksia Blue children embarked on a special community walk to explore the senior school grounds. Together with their Preschool Blue friends, the children visited key landmarks including the Mary Ward statue, the Indigenous Garden, and the oval. From the moment they stepped onto the senior campus, the children were filled with awe and curiosity. They also enjoyed exploring the intricate symbols embedded within the Labyrinth during their visit to the Indigenous Garden. The children were captivated by the symbols and patterns, sparking conversations about meaning, storytelling, and the rich cultural history they represent.

The highlight of the visit was undoubtedly the fishpond. The children gathered around, mesmerised by the gentle movement of the water and the fish gliding beneath the surface. Laughter and excitement filled the air as they shared their discoveries with one another. This visit provided a rich opportunity to strengthen our understanding of community spaces, appreciate Indigenous perspectives, and foster a sense of belonging and connection within the wider Loreto College community. After our community walk, we reflected on our observations and favourite moments — from discovering colourful flowers and native plants, to feeling a sense of calm by the fishpond, and discovering the ancient stories told through the symbols in the Labyrinth.

Mrs De Alwis- “Who can remember the name of the important person in the statue?" 

Dolly – “Mary Ward”

Mrs De Alwis- “Why is Mary Ward important to Loreto College?”

Neve – “She helped the other people.”

Observational Drawings of Natural Materials 

The Banksia Blue children have engaged enthusiastically with the clay provocations during this term. Some of the children created drawings of the natural materials they used to make clay impressions for the gifts prepared for guests attending this year’s Reggio Emilia Conference in Adelaide. They enthusiastically shared the meanings behind each of their drawings, expressing their thoughts and intentions with pride.

Lillian (Pinecone)-: “I did long lines for the pinecone. It’s a brown cone.”

Shelley (Banksia Flower pod): “I did the Banksia flower.”

Olivia S (Banksia flower): “It’s soft at the bottom. It feels like the petals are dry.”

Neve (Oak tree leaves): “I did the sun, the flower and the Oak tree leaves.”

Edwina (Oak tree leaves)-: “I did some of the yellow leaves (Oak tree leaves).”

The Banksia Blue Team

State Opera South Australia visited our Performing Arts Centre this week, to perform 'The Frog Prince' as part of the DreamBIG Children's Festival. This classic tale was told with a modern twist, a focus on friendships, recycling, reusing and reducing waste. It featured operatic arias by Mozart, Rossini and Bizet. The experience connected with many of the storytelling concepts we have been investigating in Preschool this term and it was so fabulous to continue unpacking multimodal storytelling, seeing how a story in a book can be adapted to a stage performance with narratives in opera. We could also see how characters can be bought to life with simple props and colours, and how settings can be created. It was an added bonus that the story was about a polluted water system and creek, with children making connections to our investigation of the story of First Creek, and the importance of looking after it and keeping it clean. The Reception and Year One students also shared in this wonderful experience.

Ollie Lauder 

ELC Teacher