We would like to take this opportunity to welcome our new and existing families into the room for 2022. We have enjoyed spending this first term getting to know you all, and, in turn, building strong and secure relationships with the children through the sharing of stories, play and lots of cuddles!
We were all very excited at the new addition to our pet family with Raffael (Raff) joining us this year. It has been a wonderful learning experience for the children as they have been able to see educators care for Raff each day and role-model they ways in which we should look after our pets. Experiences such as feeding Raff each morning, cleaning out his tank, filling it with water, putting him under his UV and heat lamp for a period of time, have all been opportunities that children and educators have taken to ask questions and have discussions around each experience and why each educator needs to do that particular experience to help care for Raff.
Once again, we have been fortunate enough to use our community garden as an alternative space to take the children to explore the produce on offer. It is a wonderful sensory experience for the children as they are able to use all of their senses to explore the garden, seeing and touching the beautiful flowers and herbs, and visiting our chickens, Elsa, and Kristoff, to see if they have laid any eggs, which we are then able to pass on to the wonderful ladies in the kitchen to put into the meals that they create for us.
Literacy can be represented in a variety of ways from music and movement to reading a story, art and craft and even talking! This term we have focused on representing literacy in different aspects within the program, showing children that it can mean more than reading a story. We have provided the children with opportunities to be involved in dramatized versions of stories, acting out “We’re going on a bear hunt” and then providing the children with a visual board to track the journey undertaken by children, and, all the physical elements including the river, grass, mud for the children to assist them to re-create this story and re-tell their own version. The children were able to see a visual representation of ‘Goldilocks and the three bears’, ‘The gingerbread man’ and ‘The three little pigs’, again we provided the children with a life-size brickhouse, a straw house, and a stick house that the children assisted Asha to create, to
assist them to re-create this story and to be able to re-tell their version.
The EYLF describes literacy as follows: Literacy is the capacity, confidence, and disposition to use language in all its forms. Literacy incorporates a range of modes of communication including music, movement, dance, storytelling, visual arts, media, and drama, as well as talking, listening, viewing, reading, and writing. Contemporary texts include electronic and print based media. In an increasingly technological world, the ability to critically analyse texts is a key component of literacy. Children benefit from opportunities to explore their world using technologies and to develop confidence in using digital media’. (EYLF, 2009, p. 38)
We have also introduced two new friends to the 3-5 room this year, koalas, Marshmallow & Theo. They will be available for the children to take home each week, for one week to see new people and new places with you and your family. Each koala will be sent home with a travel log so that you can stick in pictures of your adventures to share with us all at group time. Group time is an opportunity for children to be introduced toto new concepts and ideas, share in learning experiences, and discuss these concepts together as a group. This assists the children to develop a sense of belonging and togetherness with peers.
Fiona – Room coordinator, Full-time (diploma qualified)
Krystal – Team leader, Full-time (diploma qualified)
Asha – Program Planner, M, T, TH, F (diploma qualified)
Lina – Room assistant, M, T, W, F (diploma qualified)
Daina – Room assistant, Full-time (cert III)
Abi – Room assistant, Full-time (cert III)
Melissa – Room assistant (cert III, training diploma)
Ulrica – Program planning cover Tuesday, Cover for Asha & Lina days off Wed & Thurs (diploma qualified)
Hannah – ISF (Support person for children with extra needs) M, W, F (diploma qualified)
Educators that cover RDO’s, sick days or extra educators in the room are as follows:
Deb – (cert III), Cat (cert III), Liseth (diploma qualified), Deanna – (cert III), Rachel – (cert III), Maddy (cert III), Deepali (training – Bachelor of Teaching), Hannah – T & Th (diploma qualified), Poppy – (cert III).
