In this edition
From the Director of Early Learning
Dear Families,
The recent Twilight Picnic gave us the opportunity to connect with so many of our families. It certainly highlights what a strong and vibrant community we are. With over half of our first term already gone, we reflect on the relationships we have been able to build in this short time. It is so rewarding to see that the children have formed trusting relationships with educators and that the educators are getting to know the adults in the children’s lives. This is where we can begin to build true partnerships with families for the benefit of everyone, especially the child.
In the last week, the teaching team reflected on the difference between family involvement and family participation. Family participation matters as it focuses on the reciprocal relationships between home and ELC.
Why is this so important?
• Knowing that there is mutual respect with the family strengthens a child’s identity and sense of belonging and enhances their learning
• Knowing children includes knowing the family and the cultural and community contexts of their lives
• Families bring insights that offer a richer picture about their child.
We know that it is so important to build trust between home and ELC. We encourage families to consider their perspective on partnerships between the education facility and home and how we can maximise this practice. We believe that our children are raised by a community and view this as complementary practice.
With our ongoing learning across the centre we are looking to ensure that we are hearing the educator, child and parent voices. The educators will be extending invitations to hear your voice and further build their working partnership with you. This may include your input into goal setting for your child.
Our upcoming Parent Teacher Conversations are a wonderful way to develop these partnerships between home and school. This is when we can truly make a difference to a child’s learning journey as we broaden our understandings about the child. We need to move beyond the simple conversations with the endeavour of expanding our understandings about the child. Educators must understand the values and expectations of each family in order to respond appropriately to the child.
Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning
Save the Date
- 3 – 5 April : ELC Photos in the mornings
- 3 – 5 April : ELC Parent Teacher Conversations
- 14 April : Easter and School holidays
- 18 – 28 April : Vacation Care Program
Letter from Miss Qian
亲爱的家长：
转眼已经到第一学期第八周，我们希望在过去八周里，您的孩子在圣彼得女校ELC过得开心快乐并且学有所获！
圣彼得女校ELC非常重视中国家庭和中国文化，也非常希望我们中国家庭能够积极地参与到我们的各项活动中，这不但是我们互相了解的机会，也能促进孩子们更好地融入到我们ELC，增强他们的归属感。在各项社区活动中，我们也将不遗余力地满足中国家庭的需求，目前园长和ELC之友的成员们正在考虑计划一些专属于中国家庭的活动，如果您有什么好的建议，请您联系我们的中文老师Ms Qian或者园长Mrs Kate Mount。我们期待听到您的声音！
以下是她们的邮箱：
Mrs Kate Mount kmount@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Ms Qian qpu@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
最后，祝大家心情愉快，万事如意！
圣彼得女校ELC
Parent Teacher Conversations
Our ELC Parent Teacher Conversations will take place between Monday April 3 and Wednesday 5 April. We strongly encourage you to take this opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher as it provides us with the opportunity to share your child’s learning journey and significant moments, as well as the documentation we have to support this. From these discussions, Term 2 goals for your child will be created to ensure they reflect both the parent and the educator’s perspectives.
These appointments are designated 15-minute timeslots per family to meet with your child’s teacher. Sign on sheets will be placed in each room for you to book your appointment. Times available for each teacher vary but most of the times are during the afternoons, from lunchtime until 6pm.
Sign on sheets will be available in the rooms from Wednesday 22 March. If you are unable to visit the centre to book your appointment, please email your teacher from this date to be allocated a time.
Stonyfell Room: Miss Laura Reiters lreiters@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Bell Yett Room: Mrs Leanne Williams lwilliams@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au or Mrs Nell Tierney ntierney@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Ferguson Room: Ms Mel Angel mangel@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Hallett Room: Mrs Pam Reid preid@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Please note that where relevant Mrs Kirsty Porplycia will also attend these conversations. Kirsty can be contacted at kporplycia@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
Please do not hesitate to contact me on 8334 2245 with any queries.
Yours sincerely,
Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning
尊敬的家长：
ELC一对一家长见面会将于4月3日（星期一）到4月5日（星期三）进行，每个家庭将会有15分钟的时间跟您孩子所在班级的负责教师进行一对一谈话，主要针对您孩子本学期的发展情况以及未来发展目标等进行沟通。每个班的签到处会有时间表，您可以根据自己的时间灵活安排您跟老师的会面时间，每个班的时间略有不同但大部分都集中在午餐时间到下午6点之间。
一对一家长会的意义在于帮助您更好的了解孩子在ELC的发展，也能促进老师更加了解您对ELC及对孩子教育的期待，从而在双方的共同探讨中一起为您的孩子制定第二学期发展目标。
时间表将于3月22日（星期三）开始填写，如果您不能亲自来填写及选择时间，您也可以发送邮件至您孩子的负责教师的邮箱：
Stonyfell Room：Miss Laura Reiters lreiters@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Bell Yett Room: Mrs Leanne Williams lwilliams@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au or Mrs Nell Tierney ntierney@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Ferguson Room: Ms Mel Angel mangel@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Hallet Room: Mrs Pam Reid preid@stpetersgiirls.sa.edu.au Hallet班级Mrs Kirsty Poplycia 也会根据需要参与到见面会中，她的邮箱是 kpoplycia@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
如果您有任何疑问，您也可以致电83342245 联系我，我将不遗余力为您解答。
园长
Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning
ELC Photos
We would like to make you aware that ELC photos are fast approaching and shortly we will be sending home an order form and letter outlining the information about how these work in the ELC. ELC photos will be taken on Monday 3 April, Tuesday 4 April and Wednesday 5 April. Children need to be dressed in their ELC uniforms on each of these days as we take a group shot every day.
Vacation Care
Our upcoming Vacation Care period is fast approaching. As our official term ends on Thursday, April 13 and does not recommence until Monday 1 May, the centre provides a Vacation Care Program for the school holiday period. Complete the booking form below to secure your child’s place. You will note there are half day and full day options available.
For our new families, please also note that your regular bookings during term time do not apply for Vacation Care. You can book as many sessions as you need during this time.
Our Vacation Care Coordinators are Miss Galia Kay and Miss Annabelle Redmond. We will place additional information and forms to support families in the front foyer as you enter from Hallett Road.
Note that the ELC will be closed on all public holidays.
Please address any queries to Miss Kay or Miss Redmond, their emails are available on the booking form.
Bookings close on Friday 7 April.
Friends of ELC
Friends of ELC would like to thank everyone for attending and supporting our recent Twilight Picnic. It was a huge success, with families enjoying the lush gardens on Chiverton Lawns. This space really encapsulated community – with a beautiful atmosphere of new and old families, extended families, children playing and educators mingling.
The barbecue enabled families to come and have an early dinner and enjoy the opportunity to unwind before the long weekend. We were really pleased with the number of families who attended. The money raised from the raffle and food/wine sales will be going towards some new outdoor benches in the ELC gardens.
The most exciting aspect for all of us was seeing the joy on the faces of the children as they introduced their families to some of the other special people in their lives. Some had been anticipating this event for several weeks.
We look forward to continuing this strong sense of community and opportunities to bring everyone together as the year unfolds.
Friends of ELC
ELC Twilight Picnic reflection
Sometimes children surprise us with the scope of their memories and how deeply they feel about certain experiences. At the beginning of the year, Mrs Mount was chatting with Kyan and asked him what he was most looking forward to doing at ELC this year. ‘The ELC Picnic’, he replied. The ELC Twilight Picnic is an annual event that makes a time for us all to deepen connections and celebrate what we have built together so far. For many, the relationships began in Playgroup with Mrs Mount before starting as a student in the Stonyfell Room. In 2017, this special occasion coincided with our Inquiry across the Centre into ‘Who we are’. We have focused on experiences that delve into our identity and the groups to which we belong; how we can shape different groups with what we bring to them, as well as how those groups shape us. The Picnic was a wonderful opportunity to bring those groups together. Prior to the evening, we discussed with the children what they were looking forward to:
Indyanna – I’m not coming, will you miss me?
Chace – And miss me?
Josh – Will you miss me on my holiday?
Crystal – I miss you
Eden – I miss Ava, are you coming Mrs Reid?
Eden – Are you bringing your family?
Pam – No, do you think I should?
Eden – Yes, I like them
Pam – But you havn’t met them
Eden – I want to
Crystal – I have, I like them. I met them in the Ferguson Room.
Yes, they should come.
This caused us as a team to reflect on why our families were not coming! It seemed obvious once the question was posed. Because our ELC community is more than just a place of work for us; the time we spend there in dialogue with one another, with the children and the families with whom we live and learn alongside every day means that it is a place where we too belong, not just as employees but as a whole person with significant others that must be part of significant events such as this.
The evening itself was nothing short of perfect. The beautiful setting of Chiverton Lawns coupled with a mild summery evening enabled everyone to relax on picnic rugs and mingle together. The children were excited to find one another, at first a little shyly, then chasing each other happily. They tugged at their parents to come and say hello to their teachers and it was clear they were so proud and excited to have this opportunity for the special people in their lives to meet. This was a timely event to add to our learning and understanding of who we are.
Mel Angel
News from the Stonyfell Room
Deepening our connection to each other
As educators we are often asking ourselves how we can deepen our connections to our families and children? We are wanting to further enrich our lives at ELC and to foster our connection to each other.
Last week, as a community, we gathered together on the Chiverton Lawns and enjoyed our Twilight Picnic. We see this as a very special time when we are able to gather as a wider ELC community and are able to spend an evening eating, playing and sharing.
The Stonyfell Team have been provoked by this special event and wanted to explore its meaning in a deeper way. We have asked ourselves the following questions:
• How does an event such as the Twilight Picnic impact on our children and families?
• How do our community gatherings extend beyond the event and shape our identity?
• How do these gatherings make us (children, families and educators) feel?
With these questions in mind, the children and educators have been reliving the picnic through role play and photos. The children have delighted in setting up a space on the lawn with our picnic items and have been able to discuss and share their memories from this night. We encouraged the children to take turns and work together in collaboration to create a picnic. We observed the children during this time and many were keen to talk about being with their families. It became clear that they also valued having their teachers and families could together, this was very special for them. We want to keep this conversation going and would love to hear your perspectives about events such as the Twilight Picnic and how they impact your lives. If you would like to share your thoughts, feedback and feelings about this event or others you have attended then I invite you to email me at lreiters@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
We are keen to include our parent voice and greatly value your perspectives, thoughts and feelings. Thank you in advance for your support.
Laura Reiters
Stonyfell Room
News from the Bell Yett Room
Building A Community
You will often hear us talking about the importance of relationships. There are many different but equally important relationships within the ELC including those between children, children and educators, and educators and families.
We place great value on these relationships. Most recently, our Twilight Picnic, was an opportunity to enhance all of the above relationships and support the building of community. For those of you who were able to attend, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did, and we look forward to our next opportunity to come together. We frequently refer to the Bell Yett Room as a community of learners. Through our inquiry we are investigating the idea that belonging to groups can enhance our identity. This has required the educators to be thoughtful about not only how we can create a community but what skills the children need to function as a group.
One of the many ways we are developing our community and the necessary skills is through our Morning Meeting. The singing of our Good Morning Bell Yett Friends song, is a signal to the children that our important time together is beginning. We greet each other and discover which of our special friends are here. We have then been using this time that we are all together to create our Essential Agreement. This has been a major catalyst in the development of numerous social and communication skills that enhance group function.
Our Morning Meeting is also a vital part of our day as it is when we discuss our plans for the day. We offer the children a provocation or invitation to explore. We move into small groups that provide the opportunity for further skill development while we engage in our inquiry learning. Our Morning Meeting not only sets the rhythm of the day but it is a vital part of building our community of learners. If it is possible, we encourage you to arrive at the ELC prior to 9.15am so your children can take part in this important part of our day.
Leanne, Nell and the Bell Yett Team
News from the Ferguson Room
Why are young children so attracted to building with blocks? This term we have noticed that all of our children, both boys and girls, have devoted a considerable amount of time to constructing things with the large wooden blocks ranging from fire engines, aeroplanes, castles, and houses. There is no doubt that these open-ended wooden shapes invite imagination and creativity; when we ask the children they tell us what they are thinking of:
• A rocket – Jacob
• A tower – Darcy
• A castle – Lila
• A crocodile – Lily
• A fire engine – Harry
• A bridge – Winnie
• A princess – Molly
• A stage – Matilda
• Obstacle course – Hannah
• A rocket ship – Harrison
• A house – Emma
Yet it is not what the children construct but how they are doing it that we as their teachers are interested in observing. Building with blocks has become a metaphor for building relationships and knowledge of each other in the Ferguson Room. As Term 1 has progressed we are noticing a high level of group function and it is experiences such as the block building that have contributed to this. As they work on building the objects of their imagination, children must develop dispositions such as cooperation, persistence, the ability to negotiate, communicate and collaborate. It is interesting too that the large block area is one where very little conflict arises; the combination of purposeful work, being creative and having problems to solve engages children’s minds and bodies, provides a platform for agency, and is often in this area that they are the most content.
As part of our inquiry into who we are, some of our bi-lingual children have been teaching us their home language. They have been assisted by their families who have been a wonderful support to them and us, and we are very grateful. Recently, Jayden Jung’s mum, Heeyoung, sent us a link to a Korean song on Youtube that Jayden is very fond of. It is called Three Little Bears. Jayden and Ava Conn have been teaching us the words and we have been having so much fun with it. You may like to watch this at home and ask your child about the different ways they can say ‘Good Morning’.
Mel Angel
Ferguson Room
News from the Hallett Room
Last week the Hallett Room were given a provocation. The provocation was abstract and encouraged the children to think differently about their identity and that of others. Miss Caterina and Mrs Reid presented their ‘self-portraits’ in an unconventional manner. The children were confused by this concept of a portrait being presented in the form of a handbag filled with personal possessions. The children discussed how they had drawn their portrait in the Atelier with Miss Caterina and that ‘this wasn’t a self-portrait’. Mrs Reid and Miss Caterina shared the special items that were in their bag and the children were captivated by their ‘stories’.
Recently, the educators have engaged in rich dialogue and discussion about ‘culture’ and ‘cultural identity’. An important aspect for us in the Hallett Room is to help develop the children’s understanding about identity – being more than just what a person looks like and rather who they are as a person. Culture is important for us to learn about and embrace, and as the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework states, it is children’s right to have their cultural identity, language and values respected – whether these values relate to the country in which the child is living or to the country from which the child may originate. It is therefore more about getting to know people, their interests, and their loves – their uniqueness, and this is what we want to inspire in our children.
Over the next couple of weeks, the children will be coming home with their own ‘Self-Portrait Bag’ which will be in the form of a paper bag for you to help your child collect some items that they can share with others, helping to show who they are. These items may include a couple of photographs, something that brings back memories of a favourite holiday, a piece of clothing, artefact or a favourite food. If your child insists on a special toy, we please encourage you to engage your child in a discussion about this item and if they are happy for it to remain at school for a period of time. Many children who have shared their interest in placing a toy in their bag have been encouraged to use technology and to capture a photograph to share.
Through this process, we hope to highlight to the children the depth of identity. Our aim is to help build the foundations for our children to be global citizens, who will show compassion and empathy to all around them.
Pam Reid
Hallett Room