Early Learning
Possums
The Possum group have noticed lots of growth in our Veggie garden lately. We spotted the Broccoli, Cauliflower and Carrots, but we weren’t sure what the purple vegetables with big green and purple leaves were! Summer’s Bunnies thought the leaves were the best part, but Ms Parker thought the yummiest way to taste Beetroot would be with a roast Beetroot dip. Together we followed the recipe, which involved wrapping the Beetroots and some Garlic in foil to roast them, grinding some Cumin and Coriander in a mortar and pestle, cutting Lemon and squeezing out the juice, chopping up the Beetroot (resulting in very purple hands!) adding Yoghurt, Salt and Pepper, and blending it all up! Many children hadn’t tasted Beetroot before and most were keen to try the dip.
In Outcome 2, the VEYLDF describes children becoming aware of the impact of our physical environment on our lives and learning to care for the environment. This can be seen throughout the process of growing food and then seeing how we can use different cooking skills to prepare and eat that food.
We have also been thinking about food from a biblical perspective lately, as we reflect on the service that Foodshare provides to our community. Children with their families have been donating food by bringing it into Kinder. We remember that God loves it when we love and help others, and buying food for people who need it is a way of showing God’s love. We heard the Bible story of Jesus feeding the 5000 (Matthew 14:13-21) and learned that Jesus can use a giving heart to do amazing things!
Beth Parker
Head of Early Learning
Echidnas
Lots of life cycle science is happening in the Echidna Group program this term. The children have grown alfalfa sprouts in their own miniature greenhouses from seeds and are checking the progress of their sprouts each session. They have been learning about how fruit trees grow from seeds, the difference between roots and shoots, the sequence of flowers before fruit, and then begins the life cycle all over again! The Echidnas reenacted the growth of flowers through some interpretive dance and storytelling to classical music (Grieg's Morning Mood).
This week the Echidnas were excited to discover a Butterfly hatching kit in our Kinder classroom! Our Monarch Butterflies are in the chrysalis stage of their life cycle, and the children are watching very closely for any signs of them hatching. While we wait and observe, we have watched a Butterfly science video and timelapse film of other Monarch Caterpillars going through the process of metamorphosis. This was fascinating and we shared the film with our families to watch together at home and share our knowledge of the butterfly life cycle with them. It's incredible how God has designed life and set patterns in place for plants and creatures to flourish and to continue in cycles.
"Children explore relationships with other living things and non-living things, and observe, notice and respond to change" - Victorian Early Years Learning & Development Framework.
On Thursday, the Possum and Echidna groups enjoyed an incursion with the local fire brigade. We learnt about the equipment firefighters need to keep safe when fighting fires; Mrs. Missen modelled the equipment! The firefighters taught us what to do in a fire emergency and how to phone 000 for help. The best part was when everybody had the opportunity to spray the fire hose and turn it on and off. We also got to climb up into the big fire truck! What an exciting start to the term!
Sian Duggan
Early Learning Teacher
Western District Foodshare
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:17-18
The Bible tells us that God wants us to have concern for the needs of others and to give generously. In the book of 1 John we read that when we see a brother or sister in need we are to love not merely with words, but with “actions and in truth”. In Deuteronomy (15:10) Moses urged the Israelites to “give generously to the poor” and in Proverbs (14:21) it states that “blessed are those who help the poor".
Over the last few weeks, the Wombat and Possum groups have been collecting pantry items for Western District Foodshare. We are currently exploring the concepts of generosity and compassion with the children through discussion, story and imaginative play. We hope to encourage a spirit of giving in the children and a heart for the poor. Looking after the needs of others is what we are called to do. It pleases God to see us taking care of others this way.
Hayley Pallister
Early Learning Teacher
National Water Week Poster Competition
This year, some of our Kinder children completed a poster for National Water Week, representing the theme “United by Water”. We congratulate Buddy, who won first place with his poster in our local competition and went on to place third in the state competition!
Beth Parker
Head of Early Learning