OSHC News
Our Month in Review
Some happy snaps of our month!
Our OSHC Indigenous Garden
Curriculum day was a perfect day for planting in our garden. After purchasing more than 20 species of plants we realised that they weren’t labelled and although we had a map of where each plant was to be planted, we had no idea which plant was which, with the exception of the ‘Cushion Bush’! Leucophyta brownii, commonly known as the Cushion Bush is a perennial, evergreen, coastal shrub and our students just love it!
“I love the Cushion Bush, it is so soft and Sharron (EcoCenter Facilitator) told us that the local Boon wurrung people used to put their babies in this bush.” Mia S (4C)
Lucky our students were persistent and resourceful and used the iPads to research images of the plants, they then took time to compare the pictures and through a range of processes, were able to work out (we think!) each plant and where they needed to be planted.
Thank you to the whole school community who have been supportive in helping to get our garden project underway. Special thanks to Allan Sheppard (Amanda's husband) for building our picket fence. A big thank you also must go to Craig White (Aaliyah's dad) and Anthony Stephens (Josh's dad) for sharing their gardening expertise with us and for their continual support and guidance throughout this project. Watch this space to see what other plans we have for our garden!
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Jill from the Bayside Indigenous Nursery who over the past 6 months has donated a lot of her time to help get our garden up and running. From taking our ‘Tomorrow’s Leader’s for Sustainability' students on a tour of the nursery, to sharing her knowledge of the local area and helping to write up plans and suggesting plants for our garden, Jill has been absolutely amazing and we are extremely grateful for all her hard work!
Reconciliation Week
National Reconciliation Week is held every year from 27 May - 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey - the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively. The theme of the 2019 National Reconciliation week is ‘Grounded in Truth, Walk Together in Courage’.
At OSHC, educators and students have had discussions about Australia’s colonial history and have enjoyed displaying a Reconciliation Timeline. We would love if you spent some time to ‘walk’ the Reconciliation Timeline which is displayed around the program board. It is a great conversation starter and many of the students have spent a considerable amount of time reading these and have even been ‘testing’ each other.
Music Program
We have had some really great feedback from students and families regarding our new OSHC Music Program. Matt and Kate (Educators) have developed a great program that provides opportunities for students to explore different styles of music and instruments and encourages students to relate to others, engage with the joy of musical learning and meet challenges within a musical context. In these photos the musical students had created a beat performed as a team and performed this in front of all their peers.
Sewing Club
Did you know scrunchies have made a serious fashion come back? Sheryl and the students have been sewing the super popular scrunchie and it doesn’t look like the students have any interest in slowing down. I’m am pretty sure Sheryl will have helped make a 1001 scrunchies by the end of the term!!!
It is fantastic to see so many students participating in Sheryl’s Sewing Club.
Outside Play
At OSHC we offer opportunities for children to go outside and participate in physical activities and play as a way of promoting and maintaining healthy habits and developing social skills with their peers. Even if it’s cold we allow children the choice of indoor or outdoor play. Please encourage your child to bring extra clothing such as a jacket for outdoor play at OSHC, particularly in these colder months.
Did you Know?
Did you know that Educators must hold or be actively working towards an approved qualification as determined by Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) to work in OSHC? At OSHC we currently have 20 Educators on our team, 15 either hold or are currently studying an Education Degree at University, three have their Diploma in Children’s Services and two have a Certificate III in Education.
Colgate Community Garden Challenge
Reminder: Our school is competing in the Colgate Community Garden Challenge and we need your help! Please vote for us online and track our school’s ranking at https://www.terracycle.com/en-AU/contests/colgategardenvoting
NOTE: In the section that says 'who would you like to vote for' you will need to type '3193' and wait a few seconds for our name to appear. Each email address is eligible to vote once per DAY, so please keep voting!
Items for Recycling & Craft
Friendly reminder that we are currently collecting the following items for recycling or craft:
- Bottle tops
- Bread tags
- Oral Care Waste (toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss tubs)
- Boxes of all sizes
Quote of the Month
“The way we speak to our child matters, for those words travel beyond their ears. Settling into the creases of their hearts and the crevices of their self-worth” – Author unknown
Feedback
As always, we welcome feedback about any aspect of the program. Please feel free to come in and have a chat with Kelly, Tamara or Amanda, send us an email or leave a note in the Feedback box on the sign-in table.
We welcome your input!
Kelly Szabo
OSHC Co-ordinator
