Boronia Group Term 3, 2022

Boronia Group News Term 3 2022

Term 3 has brought about new adventures and learning opportunities for the children in Boronia Group. 

The children have continued to gain confidence in their abilities to engage in a variety of learning opportunities both inside the kinder room and in the yard during outdoor play. Role play and dramatic play has been part of our weekly sessions, extending on language development and imaginative play. 

Through role play, the children are able to begin to develop skills such as turn taking, sharing, negotiating, sharing ideas and opinions. The children have explored building using various construction sets (adding in tools and vests, hats to our block areas), a flower shop, café (restaurant) and Outer Space. Taking time to make our own playdough, kneading our dough working on strengthening our fingers and hands. We have introduced the high five smiley ball when coming into the kinder room. Working on our relaxation techniques and breathing, we have added in a yoga space with a mirror, mat and yoga cards to copy the yoga poses. 

This term we have noticed that the season has changed from Autumn to Winter. With this we have observed how the tree in the middle of our yard and those along the fence have lost all their leaves. Even with the weather being cooler, the children have been outside in the yard: climbing, investigating, creating in the sandpit (mud kitchen) and enjoying the creek and mud pit. Taking opportunities to celebrate our achievements no matter how big or small. “I did it!” The use of natural and other loose parts has been incorporated into our role play areas this term. Using these loose parts (e.g. sticks, leaves, pine cones, small stones, faux grass etc), provided the children with an opportunity to learn to balance uneven stones, wooden pieces to create towers, stacks and various scenes, telling ‘stories’ in their own way. 

Using these as provocations, the children develop language, communication, imagination and social skills. The children have begun to explore an interest in what we eat and the worm farm as the term progressed. Asking where our food comes from and will the worms in the worm farm eat this or that food. This has encouraged us to talk about our snacks during mealtimes, playing the lunchbox game and discovering healthy food and sometimes food options. From this, we read the story Jack and the Beanstalk; the Garden Stew and decided to plant our very own beans. As a group we planted beans in various containers (soil, cotton wool, water and an empty container). The children decorated their own containers and planted their beans. We are excited to have watched them grow. 

During this term we have also noted that we can have some ‘Big Feelings’. Have you ever had some really big feelings?

Happiness, Sadness? Anger Frustration? As a group we are working on our personal space bubbles and starting the conversations about and identifying our emotions. Through reading stories and talking about /acknowledging how we feel, we are beginning to name our feelings. Using this as a stepping stone to providing the children with the tools and abilities to work through their big feelings. 

Our end of term incursion by Carp Productions – “Don’t worry, Be Happy” was a BIG hit and the children all enjoyed the experience.

We also had some very special guests to join us to celebrate Father’s/ Special Person’s Day. The children were very proud and excited to have their special visitors come and join them at kinder for the morning.

We look forward to seeing you all again in Term 4.

Bye for now, Yvonne, Alyson, Julie