Early Learning
Sausage Roll-a-thon
The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework states that effective practice is strengthened when early childhood professionals encourage everyone’s contribution and provide inclusive environments to support this. This is my justification for the first Sausage Roll-a-thon in the Kinder. I was following the interests of the Early Learning Teacher, Ms Parker, who not only is interested in making Sausage Rolls, but consuming them as well. When I polled the Kinder audience, they indicated interest in the making and eating as well, so everyone was included and the experience was locked in!
We gathered our trusty crew of parent helpers and popped them into food safety gear - lovely aprons from me, and the all important hair nets from Mr Missen. Children chopped and sliced with knives, and diced with my new handy dandy electric food chopper, then methodically laid fat, juicy Koroit Sausages in the pastry (work smarter, not harder, as per our Kinder motto) and off to the oven they went. Norma continuously rotated trays through the ovens, Lisa handled the veggie cutting, Emily covered the snags in the pastry, and Ebony was Our Girl Friday and stayed on to clean up the dregs. We managed to churn out over one hundred tasty savoury little morsels of all shapes and sizes.
Morning tea snack time became a brunch affair, and it was a thumbs up from everyone regarding taste satisfaction. We couldn’t do this without the support of parents, so a BIG shoutout for their help, (and for being such good sports!) and well done Ms Parker for achieving her PB regarding Sausage Roll consumption – ten in one sitting!
Judi Missen
Early Learning Teacher
Echidnas
Our Butterflies finally emerged last Friday morning. The Echidna Group were surprised to discover that the Butterflies were real, living, fluttering creatures! All six Butterflies survived metamorphosis, with most emerging over the weekend (Ms. Duggan took them home while they hatched). Some of the boys also found a Caterpillar in our Kinder yard; after discussing what they should do with it, the boys agreed that it would need to eat lots of leaves so it could grow big and fat, and make itself a chrysalis to turn into a Butterfly. Jacob very gently carried the Caterpillar to our thriving vegetable patch where it could find food. The boys wondered what kind of Butterfly it would become?
On Sunday, all the Echidna and Koala three year-old children were invited to share in the final stage of our Butterfly life cycle study: The Big Release! Lots of children joined Ms. Duggan in the Botanic Gardens on a very sunny afternoon to watch all six Butterflies fly off into freedom. After flying away, some of the Butterflies flew back towards the children, who had fun chasing them around the park; maybe the Butterflies were saying Goodbye? Thank you to all our families who were able to come and farewell our magnificent Monarch Butterflies. It has been a very special adventure watching their life cycle.
Sian Duggan
Early Learning Teacher
Adventurous Play Policy
I am completing a research project for my Uni studies which involves writing an Adventurous Play Policy for the Kinder. Many thanks to the parents who completed the survey that was emailed out. I have provided links below for those who indicated they would like more information:
Risky Play is Not a Category – It’s What Children DO
Talking About Practice: Adventurous Play— Developing a Culture of Risky Play
Judi Missen
Early Learning Teacher