Focus On: 

Little Hands, Big Impact

The Koalas have been learning about MECS Threads and putting them into practice since the start of Term 1. One of these threads is the Community Builder thread where children learn to demonstrate values that benefit other people or serve the needs of the group. 

In the kindergarten context this means:

·       Creating a supportive and caring environment where everyone benefits

·       Having strong relationships, include everyone, and encourage a sense of belonging

·       Fostering freedom and unity among people by promoting humility and selflessness

·       Actively engaging with others and help everyone grow together in faith and love

·       Reflecting God’s desire for a connected, loving community

(excerpts taken from Threads – Child’s Voice)

As a group, children have been learning about the various ways to apply these principles into their daily action through the educators’ prompt feedback and positive reinforcements. For example, when children help to tidy things that (s)he has not been playing with, demonstrate care and consideration towards a peer that got hurt, and take initiative to include quieter peers in play. The teaching team would then provide recognition to these children by presenting them with MECS Threads certificates in front of the whole group, explaining what they did as a Community Builder, and adding the certificates to each child’s Identity String displayed in the room. This will also be communicated to the children’s family through School Box. Over time, children would have various threads certificates that build their strong and positive self-image as a Community Builder.

Our hope is that children will develop a strong understanding of MECS threads, embody these values and have the threads shape their identity as a precious child of God during their kindergarten year. This will serve as a good foundation for continuing their threads journey into their later years of education at MECS.

Poppy Ivone

4 Year Old Kindergarten Teacher