Kindergarten News

Dickins Room

What a fantastic first week back we have had with our Marram and Wimbi classes! The week has been filled with children eagerly engaging and exploring the program and connections with their peers.

Our Wimbi class loved playing some new games, sitting for over 30 minutes both days, engaging, turn taking and laughing as we played bug in a rug and doggy doggy, who's got your bone.

The children are working so wonderfully together, communicating, co-operating and sharing ideas freely.

We had a delivery of new blocks over the holidays, and this has really taken the children's paricipation in building to a new level outside. The children have used these to create 'cubbies, houses and even a laser space station!'.

Our Marram class started the week inquiring into nature with a baby bird we found in the yard. We unpacked concepts of conservation and engaged maths and science skills to determine that it was a baby spotted turtle dove using an app on our ipad.

We have spent time on the oval, creating amazing art pieces, working co-operatively outside as well as looking at how seeds grow. We planted some seeds this week and asked the children how long they might take to germinate. There was a WIDE range of thoughts.. here are some of them..

Ayna: 5 days

Angela: 16 weeks.

Ollie: 20 days

Arnab: 100 days.. We can't wait to see if our predictions are right..

Al, Mardi, Jo and Cristina.

Moore Room

We have had a wonderful start to term four. It is very exciting to witness the growth of each child throughout the year and this term we get to, not only, explore deeper concepts but begin transitioning into primary school. It is such a joy to see this happen through play based learning as we look at pre-numeracy and pre-literacy through this lens. We have enjoyed the school gardens whereby we look at shapes in the environment and make meaning of and utilise this to support these areas. We have begun to make our own dice and will begin games around addition and turn taking. The new outdoor blocks has supported pattern making, collaboration and spatial awareness as well as describing shapes, counting the number of different blocks and turning this into a reading area through children’s initiative whereby they are sharing a story line and contributing through discussions.

We have also been creating some spring pictures through ‘still art’ from blossoms found around the kinder and school. This has led to planting flowers in the pebble pit and utilising the art easel outdoors. We have found some caterpillars outdoors which has evoked the question “what do they eat to get fat to get into their cocoon”. We have also been asked the question “how does nectar get into the flowers for the bees to get”. We love these deeper enquiry questions and look forward to this unfolding.

During group time the children are requesting ‘musical statues’. This allows for children to be active listeners to not only the music but also through their bodies. We are also demonstrating great sportsmanship with ‘great try’ as the numbers become one or two winners. We have started our calendar whereby we look at the written day, numerical day, month, year, season and daily weather. We are taking turns to change each of these which allows for the children to engage in contributing through mathematical and literacy formats and allows for those that are a little shy in speaking in front of a group to practice going up the front of the class.

Please lookout for the weekly reflection that will let you know upcoming events.

Have a fabulous week!

Kelly-Anne, Jen, Julie and Mardi