In this edition
Dear Families
2021 is shaping up to be a wonderful year together, and our team is excited to commence this time and offer your child the very best early childhood experience.
Thank you to all of you who have entered the Centre with your child. We have loved being able to give you access to the rooms again and to connect your child to their staff team.
It is an honour for me to work with such a highly qualified teaching team. This year, we welcome Mrs Jess Catt who is leading the Bell Yett Room, Mrs Kathy McCabe who is relieving for Mrs Kirsty Porplycia in the Hallett Room for Term 1, and Mrs Courtenay Warren who is a co-educator in the Bell Yett Room. The extended team has returned with enthusiasm, having worked throughout Vacation Care to provide your children with that essential continuity of care that is so special to our community and learning model.
We have been extremely happy to see the way in which our children have settled in these early days. It is a credit to you, the family, for the way in which you bring your child and the trust you show us when leaving them in our safe hands.
We look forward to welcoming many of you in our upcoming events: our Welcome Morning Tea, our Welcome Drinks on the Lawns and ELC Information Evening. Details are provided further below in this newsletter.
If I can assist you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me via kmount@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au or 8334 2245.
Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning
Important Dates
Friday 5 February: Friends of the ELC Morning Tea, 9am
Friday 5 February: St Peter’s Girls’ School Welcome Drinks on the Lawns, 7pm
Wednesday 10 February: ELC Information Evening, 7pm
Monday 8 March: Public Holiday – ELC Closed
Friday 12 March: ELC Twilight Family Picnic, 5pm
Welcome Morning Tea
Our Welcome Morning Tea tomorrow morning, hosted by the Friends of the ELC, has been relocated to the Arts Centre Foyer.
We look forward to welcoming new families into our community, and strengthening our connections with current ELC families.
The Friends of the ELC
Drop-off and Collection Procedures
While we are enjoying having family members entering the centre again, we must remind all adults to scan the QR code upon entry.
Please also be reminded that the 1.5 metre rule applies at all times, and we request that families be very aware of other adults already in the rooms they are about to enter.
ELC Information Evening
We place enormous emphasis on sharing information about the teaching and learning at our ELC with our families. Our ELC Information Evening next week, on Wednesday 10 February at 7pm, is such an important event for our community.
I am frequently asked, “Should I attend? I came last year.” As our pedagogy is always evolving and each year looks different, we do feel it is incredibly valuable for families to attend each year. Some families can confuse our New Parent Welcome Evening with this event – they are two very different presentations. The ELC Information Evening is for all families – new and continuing!
We will meet in the School Chapel for the introduction at 7pm. Learning Community 2 (Ferguson and Hallett) families will remain in the Chapel for their presentation before touring the rooms with the educators. Learning Community 1 (Bell Yett and Stonyfell) families will move to their rooms after the introduction.
Kate Mount
Welcome to our New Staff
This term, we welcome new staff members Jess Catt, Kathy McCabe and Courtenay Warren. Bringing new team members into our fold enables us to share pedagogy from highly experienced staff and extend and challenge our thinking.
Jess, Courtenay and Kathy are already settling in well with their new Learning Communities and we encourage families to get to know them in the coming weeks, particularly at the Welcome Morning Tea tomorrow morning.
Kate Mount
来自黄老师的信息
亲爱的家长朋友们，你们好：
2021，让我们承诺一起开启这美好的一年。能在此为孩子们提供最好的早期教育体验，我们十分激动。感谢大家陪伴孩子们来到我们的ELC。我们十分高兴能再一次欢迎家长们走进ELC的教室里，让孩子们和他们的老师建立起来联系。
我们园长十分荣幸能和我们这样一支高素质的教师团队一同工作。今年，我们欢迎Mrs Jess Catt加入到教师队伍里来带领Bell Yett班。Mrs Kathy McCabe在这个Term 1来接替Hallett教室的Mrs Kirsty Porplycia. 我们壮大了的教师团队热情回归。那些在这个假期里工作的教师们也将继续为孩子们提供重要持续的照顾。
我们极其高兴地看到孩子们在学期一开始的这些日子里已经慢慢适应下来。这正是归功于孩子家庭的功劳，您给予了我们信任，把孩子们带来ELC，交到我们的手中。
我们热情期待并欢迎大家参与到我们即将到来的一些活动。关于“欢迎早茶”、“草坪上的举杯欢迎会”和“信息交流之夜”的活动的细节我们会提供在这一次简讯里。
如果您需要任何的帮助，不要犹豫请通过邮件或者电话联系我们的园长。
园长邮箱：kmount@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
园长电话：8334 2245
Emma Huang works in Learning Community 2 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9am – 5pm.
ELC Twilight Family Picnic
We warmly invite you to attend our Twilight Family Picnic on Chiverton Lawns from 5pm on Friday 12 March, hosted by the Friends of the ELC.
Families are welcome to bring a picnic basket or purchase food at the event. A sausage sizzle and cupcakes will be sold on the night as well as beer, wine and bubbles.
The Twilight Family Picnic is an ELC community event and a wonderful opportunity to meet new families and chat to the ELC educators.
Sustainability in the ELC
As we welcome families into a new year in the ELC, we also welcome an abundance of fresh produce from our ELC Community Garden!
Over the Vacation Care period, the children have been busy caring for our garden, including pruning back the leaves, adding mulch to our soil, keeping the area shaded on those warmer days and watering the garden beds each night.
It has been an amazing experience for the children to see all of their love and care produce fresh vegetables for us to share with the ELC community. We are looking forward to continuing to enjoy our ripe zucchinis and tomatoes with our new favourite recipe ‘zucchini lasagne’ as suggested by one of our families.
“This zucchini is as long as my arm!” – Chen F
“I want to eat this (lasagne) again and again and again and again!” – Zoey
Once harvested, the possibilities to explore our fresh produce can lead us down many paths. From photographing these vegetables, drawing them, painting them, exploring their colour, shape and smell, to thinking about what we might create with them in our kitchen, or even washing and cutting them up right away to enjoy. Our ELC Community Garden provides us with so many opportunities for shared learning, as well as supporting the children to develop a love and respect for healthy food.
With restrictions easing around the Centre, and families being welcomed back into the rooms, we also invite you to take the time to visit our garden.
Henrietta Balnaves
Staff Spotlight
Jess joins our ELC in Learning Community 1, leading the Bell Yett Room. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and expertise in early childhood education.
What is your teaching background?
I hold a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education from the University of South Australia and have been teaching in early childhood settings for 15 years. Throughout my teaching career, I have taught across a range of ages from birth to Year 2 and have held a number of leadership positions, most recently as Deputy Director of the ELC at Prince Alfred College.
Why are you passionate about working with children?
I am passionate about working with children, particularly in the early years, as these are the foundational years for learning, growth and development. I am inspired by young children’s perspective of wonder, reflection and passion.
What is your favourite part of working in the St Peter’s Girls’ ELC?
My favourite part of starting at St Peter’s Girls’ ELC has been the wonderful sense of community within the ELC and broader school. This is strongly reflected in the Learning Community model and the warm welcome I have received from children, families and staff alike.
What does a typical day look like in your Learning Community?
A day in my Learning Community will be focused around forming relationships and connections between children, families, staff and our Kaurna heritage. Children will be provided with beautiful learning spaces, curated to meet their changing needs and inquiries.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I enjoy spending time with my daughter, family and friends. I enjoy being out in nature, reading and sharing delicious food with the people I love.
News from Learning Community 1
As we begin a new ELC year, we wish to extend a very warm welcome to our new families, and to those who are continuing with us. The start of the year is a very special time for the educators in our ELC as we embrace the opportunity to form and strengthen connections with our new group of children. For the children joining us for the very first time, we are ensuring we are close by to build the foundation for a trusting relationship and a sense of belonging in their new environment. It is an exciting time to welcome back our continuing children, watching as they reconnect with their peers and educators, and naturally begin to take on a leadership role as the older children in the Learning Community.
The beginning of a new year is intentionally one of the slowest parts of the year for us. We understand in these early days the importance of being right alongside the children as they navigate the environment through exploration and play. It is a time for encountering new experiences, new spaces, new friends and for being a part of a group.
Being a part of a group can create a very special feeling of belonging. When children feel they belong, they feel confident to question and explore, allowing their learning to flourish. Throughout our ELC day, we have many special rituals that foster a sense of belonging. We have created rituals for:
- Morning meetings
- Meal times
- Rest times
- Literacy experiences
- Visits to different parts of the ELC and the School
There are many opportunities for developing rituals throughout the day of a 2 or 3 year old. Rituals become something that children expect and look forward to. They strengthen the connections within the group and provide rich opportunities for the development of certain social skills such as sharing, turn-taking, patience, listening and responding. They are unique to our community and a great source of joy.
As the term progresses, we will share these special rituals with you in a variety of ways, and we anticipate your children will begin to bring parts of them home as well.
Annabelle Redmond and Jess Catt
Learning Community 1
News from Learning Community 2
“Play is the highest form of research.” – Albert Einstein
As we embark upon a new year, it is the perfect time to reflect on the year that was. As educators, we have had many discussions about children’s dispositions for learning and how the COVID year has helped strengthen and evolve their resilience, independence, connections and creativity. This term, we have created a central idea to continue to support this learning: Shared rituals can create a sense of belonging to groups and communities.
We have intentionally curated our spaces to begin the term by taking observations and evidence on children’s interactions both verbal and non-verbal through play. Early social interaction is particularly beneficial for child development, and the right environment can help children develop strong creativity, empathy, communication and confidence.
As children engage in play, they are learning to be social, how to encounter others and deal with situations as they arise. The learning environment both indoors and outdoors provides experiences that are developmentally appropriate for promoting social and emotional learning. Our spaces and places are curated to develop language skills, role play and relationships. Research says as children make friends, they share more intense interaction, engage in more complex and cooperative play, share and discuss differing opinions and develop successful ways of resolving conflict. We really value every moment spent with your children and we look forward to working and learning alongside them.
We are excited to have Mrs Kathy McCabe on our team this term as Kirsty Porplycia takes long service leave. Kathy will be working Thursdays and Fridays. We welcome you all to Learning Community 2 if you have any questions regarding your child starting in the ELC or their transition from Learning Community 1. Please email us or you can catch us at drop-off and pick-up times. We hope you can all come to our Welcome Morning Tea tomorrow morning in the Arts Centre Foyer at 9am.
Nell Tierney, Laura Reiters and Kathy McCabe
Learning Community 2
Find Out What Happens Throughout
the Day at ELC
The ELC Learning Community Home Page is a dynamic online sharing space that invites you to participate in the communities’ learning as it happens. We use this tool to communicate important information with families and provide a window into the children’s life at the ELC, as educators share documentation of teaching, specialist lessons and spontaneous moments.
Accessing myLink for the first time:
- Visit https://mylink.stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
- To set your password, click the link located below the sign in section
- Your user name was emailed to you upon your child’s commencement (see Helpdesk contact details below if you cannot source your user name)
- Enter your unique user name, click ‘Next’
- Enter the security code sent to your mobile
- Enter the password you would like to use and press submit
- Return to the login screen at https://mylink.stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au to access myLink
- Several instructional videos are available via the Welcome page if you click on the ‘HELP’ menu tab
Accessing the Learning Community Home Page through myLink:
- Access myLink as per the above instructions
- Click on the ‘MYLINK HOME’ tab
- Click on your child’s name tab
- Under ‘Class Contacts’, click on the ELC room name (you may need to enter your user name and password again)
If you have any issues accessing or navigating myLink, please contact the IT Helpdesk via helpdesk@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au or 8334 2227.
ELC’s Online Etiquette Policy:
Please note that the ELC Learning Community Home Page and ELC News contain images and videos of other children. We therefore ask that you do not copy or share images or videos, especially on social media, if they contain other children.
Absences in the ELC
Student Absences
Please notify the School via one of the following methods for late arrivals/early departures and absences, ensuring a reason for the absence is included.
Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts as SPGS)
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200 or phone the relevant room as per the contact list below.
Please include the relevant room teacher when sending via email.
ELC Room Contacts:
Bell Yett – 8155 5777
Ferguson – 8155 5776
Hallett – 8155 5775
Stonyfell – 8155 5778
ELC Immunisation Policy
Under the Government’s No Jab No Play policy, families must meet immunisation requirements to attend the ELC and receive the Child Care Subsidy. Families are required to provide all approved immunisation records to the ELC. Further information is available by clicking here.
Children who are suffering from illnesses such as those listed below must be excluded from ELC in line with our Exclusion Policy:
- Influenza
- Chicken Pox
- Conjunctivitis
- Diarrhoea
- Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
- High Temperature
- Infectious Hepatitis
- Measles
- Meningitis
- Mumps
- Rubella (German Measles)
- Scabies
- Scarlet Fever
- School Sores (Impetigo)
- Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
- Vomiting
- Whooping Cough