First Steps Centre
Kinder Dates and Notifications:
We had our Assessment and Ratings visit last Wednesday, and are eagerly awaiting our report and results. This process is one where all areas of our curriculum, regulatory and practice are assessed and a National Quality Rating is given. It is a huge undertaking, one that is underpinned by the daily commitment and dedication of staff and leadership in everything we do.
A massive thank you to all our incredible staff, leadership and families for your support, dedication and trust in creating such an amazing education service for each child to flourish in.
26th May - Sorry Day
27th May - Reconciliation Week
10th June - King's Birthday public holiday
11th June- Berry Street PD (day 2). Marram and Gawarn classes will have regular CRT staff
25th June - Parent Teacher Interviews (Marram)
26th June - Parent Teacher Interviews (Budja)
27th June - Parent Teacher Interviews (Gawarn)
28th June - End of Term
Three-Year-Olds
Last week, we took part in the National Simultaneous Story time by listening to the book Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker. We also watched a video of a bowerbird at work, decorating its bower. This week, we revisited the story to look at the sustainability and recycling aspects of the story. The children were invited to take part in a scavenger hunt to find blue 'treasures' in the yard. We then made our own stamps from these recycled objects and have been enjoying exploring the textures and shapes they make. Children are very interested in camping and we have extended this interest with small world play and a new group time song called Breathe, which asks us to stop and listen to Country and recognise the sounds of animals, birds and weather.
Four-Year-Olds
Budja - We have been making the most of the beautiful weather outside. The children asked for the stilts, which has been great for practising balancing and perseverance. The children have been making collaborative artwork together at the art easel using paint and collage materials. We recognised National Reconciliation week by reading stories from First Nations authors ‘What Colour is the Sea’ and ‘Two Hearted Numbat’. We also sang along to Torres Strait Islander songs ‘Inanay’ and ‘Taba Naba’.
Marram - The children have been enthusiastically enjoying music and dancing outdoors. They particularly love the songs "The Floor Is Lava" and "Freeze Dance," which bring so much engagement and laughter. This week, we also introduced box construction with recycled material. The children showed a strong interest and have utilised their creativity, problem-solving skills, and hands-on abilities to create special constructions with new and familiar resources. Additionally, we have focused on teamwork for routines and transitions. The children have been collaborating beautifully with their peers, demonstrating an increasing level of teamwork skills and responsibility.
Gawarn:
Our children have had a very busy and focused week! We enjoyed the warmer weather this week and took the children to the school playground, which was such an incredible time of interaction, challenging our gross motor and spatial awareness as well as some amazing connections with one another AND one of the foundation classes that came for a quick play.
Our sessions have included a lot of incidental learning moments this week, the weather on Thursday provided opportunities to engage science- as we engaged in prediction, concepts of wind, discussions around rain and how we can best support ourselves to remain safe and calm.
The Kindergarten team!