From the Director of Early Learning
Dear Families
This term is racing by, I can hardly believe we are gathering on Friday evening for our Christmas Celebration. It is such a special time when we all come together to celebrate our children and community. I am outlining a few important areas more specifically in this edition, so please take a few minutes to read through each section.
Carols on the Lawn
Friday evening from 5pm is our picnic-style Carols on the Lawn for our ELC community. Trialling something a little different, we have the plan to set the children up in the centre of the lawn without a stage. This will allow families to set up on either side of the children with their picnic rugs. We ask that all families remain seated during the performance so that we can all gain the best viewing position. We will have chairs set up around the outer section of the lawns for people who prefer a chair. Don’t forget to support The Friends of the ELC with their food, drinks and raffle stands. We ask that all families arrive in time for the 5.30pm carols.
Christmas Giving Tree
As we explore rituals in the daily lives of children, we also share special occasion rituals. This is the time we share our big Christmas tree, which arrives in the ELC as a symbol of Christmas and giving to others. Our focus on gratitude will be very prevalent across the Centre in the coming weeks and we hope it filters into your dinner table conversations with your children.
We will be asking families to donate to our Christmas Giving Tree with the important action of the children placing something under the tree that they know is going to benefit someone else. Please read this flyer with information about our charity and what you can donate to the cause.
Reception Transition Visits
Our children going to school at the start of next year are in the middle of their Reception Transition Visits. We value the opportunity to ensure we support all families with their communication and entry point into their new environments and see it as our role to support the children with detailed transition statements and meetings with their new teachers. Please let us know if we can further assist you with this process.
Vacation Care
We are now taking bookings for Vacation Care for the December and January holidays. Bookings are required if you need to utilise the ELC from 10 December through to 21 December and can be done through this booking form. The Centre reopens on 7 January 2019.
I hope this information supports you throughout the coming weeks. It is always a very busy time of year. We endeavour to maintain a calm and predictable environment for your child, enjoying the special rituals in a mindful way.
Please do not hesitate to drop by my office for a chat if you need any further information as the year commences its last chapter.
Kind regards
Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning
Transition from ELC to School
At St Peter’s Girls’ Early Learners’ Centre, we are committed to ensuring that any child leaving our community has a smooth transition to their new environment. We feel this is an essential part of a child’s foundation to their education. We aim to work in partnership with the new educational setting where information is communicated to the educators to provide a seamless transition for both the child and their family.
Over the past few weeks, children from the Ferguson and Hallett Rooms have started their formal Transition Visits to their chosen schools to explore their new learning environment. Some have met their new teachers and have begun building relationships with their Reception peers. We have been thrilled to hear about the children’s excitement towards their visits and have valued the time spent together sharing their experiences. We look forward to our Ferguson and Hallett Room farewell afternoon tea on Tuesday 5 December at 2pm where we will celebrate our time together as a learning community.
Kirsty Porplycia
Learning Communities and Staffing 2019
Thank you to all the families who have engaged us in conversation about 2019. We do hope we have been able to answer your questions and provide affirmation around your child’s movements. If you were unable to attend our Information Evening and have not had a conversation with our staff about the changes, please do not hesitate to email or phone me. I am more than happy to outline the key reasons behind the changes.
The wellbeing of all children has been considered as we continue to learn more in current research about the risks of fragmentation in a child’s life. This can be brought about by children attending more than one centre and having to develop a greater range of relationships in these early years, which can produce increased stress and worry due to inconsistencies and change. We are very keen to support families to consider the choices they make for their child in the 0 to 5 year old age range.
Room allocations are now finalised with all rooms full. Please be aware that there is a requirement to give one term’s notice should your circumstances change. Staffing hours have been confirmed and contracts issued for next year. Any changes now have staffing implications for the Centre.
Our 2019 model consists of two Learning Communities:
- Learning Community 1 is Stonyfell and Bell Yett, with an age range of 2 to 3.5 in both rooms.
- Learning Community 2 is Ferguson and Hallett, with an age range of 3.5 to 5 in both rooms.
The teaching staff are:
From left: Learning Community 1 – Ms Mel Angel, Miss Annabelle Redmond; Learning Community 2 – Miss Laura Reiters, Mrs Nell Tierney, Mrs Leanne Williams.
Staff teams will be available for parents’ information soon.
Please direct any ELC queries to Kate Mount; for enrolment matters, please contact me.
Sarah Elliott
ELC Enrolments and Finance Officer
8334 2271
selliott@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Simple Steps for iCheck-In
As you are aware, St Peter’s Girls’ Early Learners’ Centre has introduced iCheck-In – new easy-to-use software that will enable you to digitally sign in and out of our ELC, bringing us in line with updated Government regulations.
You will now need to sign in on the iPad provided in your child’s room each day. On your first login, you will be asked to enter your mobile phone number and a password will be sent via SMS which you will need to use every time you sign your child in or out of the ELC. Each family member will need to enter their own phone number and password when signing in/out, so please do not give your password to others.
Please refer to this instructional poster to familiarise yourself with the new procedure. This will also be on display next to the iPad when you sign your child in or out.
If you have any queries, please contact Sarah Elliott via 8334 2271 or selliott@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
Save the Date
Friday 23 November: ELC Carols on the Lawn and Family Picnic, 5pm
Monday 3 December: ELC Hat Ceremony, 12.15pm
Tuesday 4 December: Hallett and Ferguson Farewell Picnic, 2-3.30pm
Friday 7 December: Last day of Term 4
Monday 10-21 December: Vacation Care
Monday 7 January 2019: Vacation Care re-commences
Wednesday 20 January: Term 1 commences
Join us for ELC Carols on the Lawn
You’re invited to join us for ELC Carols on the Lawn this Friday 23 November at 5pm. The official welcome commences at 5.30pm on Chiverton Lawns.
Each class group will share a Christmas song. Children are to come dressed
in their Christmas party clothes.
Bring your own picnic basket, rug and nibbles. The Friends of the ELC will be selling food and drinks. We look forward to seeing you there!
A Message from Mrs Yu
亲爱的父母朋友们，
这个学期过的飞快，本期有一些重要信息需要与您沟通，因此请花几分钟时间阅读每个部分。
草坪上的颂歌
这个周五晚上下午5点是我们ELC社区草坪上的野餐式颂歌。尝试一些不同的东西，我们计划让孩子们在草坪的中心没有舞台。这将允许家庭在他们的野餐地毯的两侧设置。我们要求所有家庭在演出期间保持坐姿，以便我们都能获得最佳观看位置。我们要求所有家庭及时到达下午5点30分的颂歌。
圣诞树下礼物的赠予
当我们探索儿童日常生活中的仪式时，我们也会分享特殊场合的仪式。圣诞树的到来也是我们向他人给予的时候。孩子们在树下放置一些他们知道会使其他人受益的礼物。
升小学过渡期参观
我们明年上学的孩子正在进行过渡期参观。我们重视这一机会，我们支持所有家庭与小学的沟通和顺利的进入他们的新环境，我们的角色即是通过详细的陈述和与新教师的会议来支持孩子们。如果我们能够进一步帮助您完成此过程，请随时告诉我们。
假期看管预订
我们正在为12月和1月假期看管做准备 。请将度假护理预订表交给您的房间老师。
两大学习分区及2019的员工安排
感谢所有与我们进行过2019年对话的家庭。 所有房间都已满，房间分配现已完成。请注意，如果您的情况发生变化，则需要提前一个学期通知。
我们的2019年模型由2个学习社区组成。
学习社区1是Stonyfell和Bell Yett，两个房间的年龄范围为2至3.5岁。
学习社区2是Ferguson和Hallett，两个房间的年龄范围均为3.5至5。
Mrs Sophie Yu
Share The Dignity Delivery
Thank you to everyone who donated a handbag to our Share The Dignity campaign. On Tuesday morning, 26 bags were dropped off at Bunnings Kent Town.
The young lady who helped unload them told us about her experience with homelessness a few years back and finds it overwhelming how kind people can be. She told me that the Share The Dignity volunteers have been emptying the box twice a day and they are so thrilled with how many donations have been coming in. Three of the Bunnings staff came to thank us and said what a wonderful idea for our ELC families to contribute.
We sincerely thank all families who contributed to this worthy cause, which also helps reaffirm the ELC’s teachings to the children about giving to their community.
The Friends of the ELC
News from the Stonyfell Room
The importance of connection – building relationships across the ELC
Over the course of this term, the ELC has been working on building our connections across the Centre. This has looked different for every room and we, as the educators, have worked hard at reaching out to each other to provide the children with the opportunities to work collaboratively. One such opportunity has been led by Miss Donna Connolly. She has been working with small groups of Stonyfell children and Ferguson children to engage their senses and spark their creativity.
The children have been presented with a soft dough scented with chai tea to make and then bake an array of Christmas decorations. To embellish their creations, a selection of spices has been offered including:
- Cinnamon sticks
- Cardamom pods
- Star anise
- Cloves
Once the children have finished, the creations are then slowly baked to harden, and we have been left with an extensive selection of decorations that we will be using over the coming weeks.
This experience many seem simple from the outset, but Donna has explained the thinking behind this learning opportunity:
“By creating collaborative rituals and opportunities for children to work together, we are giving them the invitation to build meaning, develop and deepen relationships, as well as creating memories. The children and educators learn from each other side-by-side, in turn building on our skills.”
Our Stonyfell children have also had the opportunity to work in the Ferguson Room creating another form of Christmas decoration using dried orange slices. This simple form of reciprocity has begun deeply connecting the children. They are forming new relationships with other children and educators, bringing a new-found awareness to their wider ELC community of learners.
Laura Reiters
News from the Bell Yett Room
Our reflection on rituals is ongoing and we are now ready to begin to celebrate Christmas!
We are extremely thankful to all the families who have shared their rituals with us. We were very lucky to have Ruchira, Tiara’s mum, come into the ELC and cook a traditional Sri Lankan dish with us. Watching the happiness on the children’s faces as they measured, poured and stirred the rice and coconut milk reminded me of the importance of immersing children in these cultural rituals. When children are involved in preparing for rituals or festivities, they are able to understand the significance of special occasions.
There is a lot of joy and excitement in the Bell Yett Room this week, with talk of the Christmas Pageant, the ELC Carols and the decorations that are filling the room and the Centre including our ginormous Christmas Giving Tree!
We have been busily singing Santa Wears his Shorts and dancing to High 5 in preparation for Friday’s concert. The children are all extremely enthusiastic and in constant dialogue of who is coming to celebrate with us at this exciting ELC ritual.
Over the next few weeks, we will be unpacking the rituals of Christmas.
- Why do we give gifts at Christmas?
- Why do we have a Christmas tree?
- How is Christmas celebrated all over the world?
If you have a Christmas ritual you would like to share with us, we would love to hear from you. Ms Brown is cooking gingerbread with the children next week, a ritual she engages in every year with her daughter at Christmas time.
Nell Tierney and Jess Ash
News from the Ferguson Room
The way we thank people often has many rituals attached. We have been concentrating on expressing our gratitude for those special people in our lives who add to our wellbeing with their actions. Children regularly express their gratitude to their families, friends and their teachers. We have gently guided the children to think beyond their immediate circle to the wider community.
In particular, we encouraged them to take notice of the people who do an incredibly important thing for us each day: bring us freshly-prepared food. The Tuck Shop staff are Debbie, Tanya, Chris and Amber. With the support of Miss Edwardson, the children collaborated to plan how to show their appreciation for their daily presence, and for bringing us healthy, nourishing snacks.
“I want to make them happy and give them something special for their job.” – Elijah
“I wanted to make something for them that is beautiful.” – Elise
“Thank you to Debbie for coming every day to ELC. It makes me happy.” – Aubrey
“I made a butterfly for them, to make them happy, because they give us food.” – Irene
“I will love to share cake with the Tuck Shop ladies. Because they love us.” – Olivia
Inspired by our focus on rituals this term, they decided on a tea party, with an invitation, hand-drawn pictures, a cake and a gift of an oven glove ‘for their job’. The team was thrilled with their cake, tea and presents, as well as the decorations for the table. The joy that the children experienced was palpable as they ran out of the Tuck Shop afterwards saying things like “I love everyone!” and “I feel so happy!”
Recognising that the act of giving can be even more rewarding than that of receiving is an important time in a child’s life as they transition from self-focus to a more empathic person. We hope that Debbie, Chris, Tanya and Amber have been enjoying the excitement and the welcoming nature of the children, and that the ritual of bringing down the trolleys into the ELC is enhanced by the stronger connection with us.
This experience has prepared us for the Christmas season as we turn to the acts of giving and receiving and the values that sit behind this. Our Giving Tree is now in the Piazza and it creates another opportunity for children to think about the needs and wellbeing of others as well as enjoying the beautiful rituals of Christmas.
Mel Angel
News from the Hallett Room
“It’s a mystery at night time…” – Investigating what happened to our strawberry plants
Last term, the Hallett friends voted on five different plants to grow in our garden beds – strawberries, tomatoes, carrots, watermelons and grapes. On Monday, we commenced planting, with the friends working in collaboration to organise, design, prepare and establish a place to grow delicious strawberries and tomatoes to share with the ELC community. By Friday morning, the friends returned to the garden bed and discovered their plants in tatters.
“All of the leaves have gone.”
“They must have blown off in the wind.”
“There were leaves on Monday but now they are gone!”
The children immediately began to investigate what happened to the strawberry plants, sharing theories and knowledge with their peers and educators.
“The bugs have eaten them. I have strawberry plants at home and bugs eat them.” – Mia
“The slugs ate them. I see the slugs at my house too on my plants.” – Molly
“I think the bees are eating them.” – Victoria
“The wind must have blown them off. It was really windy the other day, remember?” – Lucia
Jentezen was closely observing the remaining stems of the strawberry plants, and found an important clue: “There’s fluff!”
This clue sparked an array of conversation among the friends as they began to discuss what animals had fur, and liked to eat strawberries.
“Caterpillars have fluff. They could have eaten the plants and dropped their fur.” – Molly
“It could have been the birds.” – Eliana
“But the birds have feathers not fur.” – Lucia
“And the scarecrow is here to scare the birds away.” – Mia
“Look there’s little nibbles. It would have to have small teeth.” – Lucia
“All the plants have gone. They need to eat quick.” – Jentezen
“It’s a mystery at night time. There are no animals here in the day.” – Lucia
We were lucky to be joined by Mr Liam who was working in the ELC at the time, allowing the children to share their theories to their expert when it comes to gardens. After gaining further information, we now had multiple clues. The mysterious animal has white/grey fur, has teeth, eats things quickly, only eats the plants at night time and lives in our ELC Garden. Molly connected these clues and exclaimed: “It’s a possum!”
Discovering what was eating our new plants ignited the children’s passion for action. They all agreed that they wanted to see our strawberry plants grow so we could share the produce with the ELC community. They began to construct ideas and visualise how they would see the possums eating the plants at night, in addition to sharing how they would try and deter the possums away from their plants.
“We could use microphones to hear their nibbles.” – Victoria
“I want to put lights to see the possums in the dark.” – Jentezen
“Flashing things because the possums might run away from it. Like flashing lights.” – Eliana
“We could put a trap with a door and things inside for the possum to play with.” – Lucia
“A special screen so we can see the possums eating the plants” – Lucia
“We could use a telescope, a microphone and a screen. It’s all connected. Mrs Mount can do the controls. The telescope will show the possums on the screen.” – Molly
“We could put a roof over the plants to keep them safe.” – Olivia R
The garden beds are now a space within the ELC that the children are strongly connected to. They feel a sense of responsibility and care towards their plants. We hope to continue to collect theories and construct ideas to ensure our strawberries grow, but in the meantime, we also hope to catch the culprits in action by implementing some of the children’s ideas.
Natalie Lockwood
