Congratulations to you all! Here we are at the end of February. Hopefully your children have all settled into their new routines in their new rooms. It has been a very smooth process. The new Xplor Home App is up and running if you haven’t transitioned please do so as soon as possible. The new option to scan the QR code seems to be smooth and seamless. You can still sign in and out using the Hub (iPad) as you did in the past. The biggest change is that you must be inside the centre to sign in and out for the security and safety of your children.

Thank you to the parents that were able to attend the Kindergarten program information evening last week, we received some great feedback from families, which you can see in the hallway. If you didn’t attend and would like to provide some feedback please add to the posters. Attached to the email is the year planner with key dates, we will add items as they come up also.

ELC NewsletterIssue 2

ELC News

Parent information pockets are also outside your child’s door please check these weekly for notes, messages, invitations and also book club brochures.

Reminder to complete an application form for St Andrews College. This is a separate enrolment to the Early Learning Centre. Prep interviews are commencing shortly.

SUN SAFE POLICYPlease ensure that your child is wearing sleeves to help reduce exposure to UV and sunburn to your children.

February’s game to play with your children to enhance memory and literacy skills at home: Spot O! Count the colours of the cars, when you see the yellow car call out Spot O! The person who spots the yellow car first wins. Playing games with your children is an easy way to build language, concentration and engage especially when in the car.

Our first parent check-in meeting for the year will take place on Monday 2 March at 9:30am – 10:30am. Come and join me for an informal get together to review a few policies and have a chat about how the year has begun for your family in the ELC.

Any questions or concerns please come and discuss with myself or the team.

Enjoy the month ahead.

Bronwyn WatersELC Director

JuniorKindy

We have all settled in well into the new room and are beginning to make new friends. The children have become more confident in joining in on the activities and trying new challenges.

This month we have started our cooking for our charity ‘Walk with Us’ (a local charity that provides a meal for the less fortunate each Monday night in Burleigh). We made mini pizzas which involved the children grating the cheese and cutting up mushrooms, ham and capsicum. All of this helps the children with their fine motor development and eye hand coordination. We have been talking to the children about why we help others who may not be as fortunate as us. This has opened many conversations about why everyone doesn’t have a house etc.

On a Monday, Miss Rachel has started her sports program and the children have been participating in ball skills, gross motor development when doing an obstacle course and the social skills of sharing and waiting for a turn, this has been the most challenging part of the sports program, to date.

In Junior Kindy on Wednesday’s we have commenced Jesus time with either Pastor Nathan or Pastor Andrew. They come to the room to talk to the children about different

bible stories and sing Christian songs. On Friday’s we have started our Japanese lessons with Sensei Sharon. The children have been learning their colours, which has been an extension of our learning as the children have been doing a colour transition for a few weeks. We have added a display to the room which shows the colours in Japanese.

In the last few weeks, as we got to know your children, we have discovered an interest in wild animals. To extend on this learning we have made an animal habitat with information books for the group to participate in.

If any families have any items they would like to add to this area for example books, photo, posters, that would be fantastic.

A FEW REMINDERSPlease label all your children’s belongings we have a lost property area at our front door. Pack at least one set of spare clothes and bring a piece of fruit to share.

Miss Mardi, Miss Stacey, Miss Allie, Miss Shelley and Miss Jana

Pre Prep 1It’s raining, it’s pouring, Pre Prep 1 is exploring...

The children embraced the rainy weather with a smile on their face and with excitement to play. Dressed ready in gumboots and raincoats or barefoot in spare clothes, the children explored and played in the outdoor area after the rain. All those wonderful rain puddles created some magic moments of learning for us. The children caught the rain in their hands, splashed and jumped in puddles, floated leaves down a stream and made their own waves.

We had our first visit to the library this month, which everyone loved. Library is currently on a Monday but this will change each term of the school year, so every child will get a turn throughout the year. We have also started our specialist lessons including, Jesus time with Pastor Nathan and Pastor Andrew, Sports program with Miss Rachel and Japanese lessons with Sensei Sharon. These programs provide us with a wonderful connection to the college and the children love to see the different teachers and members of the college visiting us here at kindy.

in the mirror and discussing their physical features and drawing their self-portraits.

We have also been learning about our emotions and feelings. The children have embraced the language from the book ‘Have You Filled A Bucket Today?’ and have become bucket fillers in our classroom.

This term we are building a sense of identity and belonging. We have been looking at who we are as part of our unit of inquiry and exploring how we are the same and different. The children have been looking at themselves

Through different activities and transitions we have been looking closely at different feelings, what they look like and feel like. The children used loose parts to make emotion faces and we set up an area for the children to use to explore how they are feeling. The children really enjoyed painting their friends’ portraits by holding a clear sheet in front of their face so their friend could paint their features and portrait on the clear sheet. This experienced was filled with lots of giggles and laughter.

Pre Prep 2

What a busy month we have had in Pre-Prep Two. Over the past month, the children have settled in well and have spent a lot of the time developing friendships and making connections with educators. We have been talking a lot about the ‘Have You Filled A Bucket Today?’ a bucket story and making attempts to incorporate the language from the book throughout the day. The children have responded well to this concept and are beginning to show an understanding of how others are feeling and ways to be kind and respectful.

Our unit of inquiry is progressing well with the children beginning to understand the central idea. Who we are aims to help the children learn more about themselves and how people are the same and different. We have explored the question ‘Who we are and are we all the same?’ which has given us an insight into the children’s identities and families.

The children have also been sharing their family photos with the class and talking about what they like to do with their families. The children are loving this and have demonstrated great confidence while talking in front of the class.

This month our home corner transformed into a restaurant following on from the children’s ideas and interest. The restaurant role play area was a great way for the children to develop social skills and early literacy and numeracy connections. They have been very busy cooking up a storm, taking orders, making signs, menus and money and making connection with new friend through role play.

REMINDERS• On Mondays wear suitable walking shoes for our

library visit. No thongs please.• Remember to sign you child in and out via the Xplor

App as you arrive and leave Kindy each day.

Thank you Miss Renee and Miss Stephanie

This month we had our first attempt at cooking for our local charity Walk With Us. This experience allows educators to discuss the importance of being grateful for what we have and devoting our time to help prepare delicious food for others who are less fortunate.

A highlight of the month was our visit to see the St Andrew’s Aged Care residents. It was a long walk for the children (and in the rain), however they all did such an amazing job. It was lovely to see the smiles and joy that the children

brought to the resident’s faces as they read stories, sang songs and drew pictures with them. We look forward to the next time we visit.

REMINDERS• Please bring a piece of fruit every day to share• Sheets for rest time • Spare clothes

Miss Teresa and Miss Ellie

MARCH2 ‘Family Check In’ morning tea and policy input 9:30-10:30am

6 Picnic in the Park (P&F Event) Junior School Oval

17 St Patricks Day (Ireland)

15 - 21 Harmony Week - encouraged to wear orange

18 P&F Meeting - Lighthouse boardroom 7:00pm

30 ELC photo day

31 St Andrews Lutheran Aged Care visiting ELC

Mini Cross Country - Junior School oval 9:30-10:00am

Days of significanceMarch

https://www.entertainment.com.au/orderbooks/14404l5

PRESCHOOLERS OVERCOMING PHOBIAS

TREATMENT FOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

3–5 YEARS WITH SPECIFIC FEARS AND PHOBIAS

FREE

For further information or if you would like your child to

participate, call (07) 5678 8317 or email pop-gc@griffith.edu.au

CRI

COS

No.

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23

3E

DOES YOUR CHILD• Become excessively afraid of certain situations

or objects, such as dogs, the dark, costume characters, high places, water or animals/spiders?

• Get very upset, cry, or cling to you when they are confronted with their fear?

• Avoid going to certain places or doing certain things because of their fear?

• Has this fear been a problem for some time— for at least 6 months?

Your child may be experiencing a specific phobia and Griffith University can help.Griffith University is offering free assessment and treatment for children ages 3 to 5 years with a specific phobia. It is part of a nationally funded treatment study, being run by a team of international experts in child anxiety, led by Associate Professor Lara Farrell (l.farrell@griffith.edu.au).

The program aims to learn more about childhood fears, and involves testing brief, one-session interventions for childhood phobias as part of a randomised controlled trial. Researchers will track your child’s progress over the course of 2 years to monitor your child’s long-term success following treatment.