Early Learning Centre

Thank you to all our parents who are supporting the health and wellbeing of our staff, children and families.  We know it is difficult deciding to keep your child home when they have mild symptoms, but your support is very much appreciated.  Let us hope it is only for another week or so that we need to be hypervigilant.  We have plenty of test kits, so if you are in need of additional kits please just take a box.

Piccolo (ELC3)

We had a busy start to our week this Wednesday.  Rest assured that it is quite normal for your child, from time to time, to feel sad when saying goodbye at drop-off.  We encourage parents to maintain your normal drop off routine, and while we know it is hard to leave your child when they are upset, we nurture and comfort them until they have recovered and are ready to play with their friends.  You are always welcome to call or email if you would like to check up on your child, and we do try to post of photo of your settled child on Storypark.

Piccino (ELC4)

We have had a bit of a mixed-up week this week, with illness among staff and children.  We have hoping for a more settled week next week.  On Thursday we will be celebrating National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Children’s Day.  We have some resources from the Aboriginal Children’s Day website which the children will engage with along with a special activity pack for the children to take home and share with their families. 

There is a 50/50 chance of rain on Friday, but if it’s fine in the morning, we will head on up to HIRL for our Nature Exploration Session.

Fine Motor Skills

Fine Motor Skills are about our hands and how well we use them. Just like any other muscles or body parts, we have to use them a lot to make them stronger and more coordinated. 

Our ‘Fine Motor Skills’ help us do A LOT of things every day, including holding a pen/pencil, doing up buttons, zipping, opening/closing packets and containers, typing etc. When we give children opportunities to practice using their hands, we are helping them to become strong and confident.

At the Early Learning Centre your child is exposed to many opportunities to practice and develop their Fine Motor Skills.  It might be with clay or play-dough, drawing, cutting, building (big and small blocks), pattern making and turning the pages in a book.  Your child also develops their Fine Motor Skills in other areas as they manipulate tools and resources.  We also encourage children to open their own food packets, lunch boxes and put on their own shoes and socks.  In all of these things your child is developing their Fine Motor Skills.

Here are some ideas you can do at home to support your child’s Fine Motor Skill development:

• Using pegs / tongs
• Threading beads / pasta
• Posting money into a money box, moving the coins around in our hands
• Painting, chalk drawings, water paintings on concrete, writing in sand with fingers
• Play dough
• Lego
• Cooking (mixing, kneading, rolling, peeling)
• Popping bubble wrap

For more ideas visit: https://earlychildhood.qld.gov.au/early-years/activities-and-resources/resources-parents/play/developing-motor-skills

Frances O'Brien

Director Early Learning Centre