Katie – Page 2 – ELONERA PRE SCHOOL

From the President

By Katie | May 2, 2018

Hello Families

We are well into term 2 and lots of exciting events are on the horizon!

Thank you to those who turned up on a rainy Sunday morning for our working bee. A fantastic turn out that saw us complete all the main tasks within the hour! It cannot be expressed enough how much we can achieve when we all chip in together. Again thank you to Michelle, our Head of Grounds, for directing ther troops.

In May we will hold our annual open day. Please put the word out to friends and family who may be looking for a preschool facility for their 3 or 4 year old to attend on Sunday 6 May and see how much we have to offer at Elonera. There will be a sausage sizzle, cakes and activities for the little ones as well as our teachers on hand to answer questions and demonstrate what we do best!

In June we have two events – Music Bingo on 2nd June and the Winter Solstice on 21 June. Music Bingo was very well attended last year so make room in the calendar, book the babysitter and get ready for a fun night! Information on how to buy tickets will be available soon. They are $35pp this year and tables will be set up by Kinder group so it’s a fantastic opportunity to socialise with other parents without distraction. We will have nibbles, a bar and lots of entertainment as well as the chance to score a bargain or two in the silent auction.

This year’s winter solstice follows on from the success of last year when nearly the whole kinder turned up and partook of Gina’s delicious home made pumpkin soup and freshly baked bread. It fulfilled the very essence of what it means to be part of the Elonera community and I very much recommend it!

A busy few months ahead to keep us warm as the temperature begins to fall.

I hope you can lend your support and look forward to catching up with you all soon!

Anna

Educators Report

By Katie | May 2, 2018

Playball

This term the Possum and Koala group have commenced their weekly Playball sessions. Each week Russell and Sam come to Elonera and spend an hour with the children in small groups supporting and providing them with new skills. Playball is a specialized and progressive sports coaching program for children. The main aims of the program are to encourage and develop leadership, good sportsmanship, persistence, concentration, focus and goal setting. In a fun and challenging environment it provides the children with the opportunity to have a happy and positive introduction to the world of sport, a healthy start to life.

Throughout each of the sessions the children’s physical skills, spatial awareness, balance and coordination are all practiced. As a new skill is introduced each child has the opportunity to practice it, whilst having the support from the Playball staff and their peers. Throughout the Playball program the children are able to practice many differing skills such as throwing and catching, eye-hand coordination, kicking, balancing, running and jumping and many more. Playball also integrates other areas of learning such as social skills as children are encouraged to take turns and support their peers. It is known that within Early Childhood that effective practices are those that use integrated teaching approaches and Playball incorporates varying learning areas within it’s program. Playball also supports children to be able to develop a strong sense of wellbeing, one of the five outcomes in the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework.

At Elonera we continually provide opportunities within the learning environments to support children’s physical wellbeing. It is not only through structured experiences like Playball that children are developing their skills, however regularly throughout the day and experiences offered within the kinder program.

The Elonera Teaching Staff

Sponsorship Opportunities

By Katie | May 2, 2018

Become a proud Elonera sponsor!

Elonera Preschool is part of a proud community and any local support to the kinder helps to improve our facilities and our children’s learning.

If you run a local business and feel 2018 is the year your business can contribute something substantial to the growth of our community, we have some exciting opportunities for new sponsors at Elonera! We have different sponsorship tiers available, and in support of a financial contribution or service to the kinder, Elonera is able to provide exposure to a growing network of local families and professionals.

We are also busy gathering donations for our annual Music Bingo Night! Any products and/or services that you are able to donate, no matter how big or small, will help us raise funds on the night through silent and live auctions.

If you’re keen to find out how you can contribute, please contact Meisha sponsorship@elonerapreschool.com.au

Grounds Report

By Katie | May 2, 2018

Thanks to those who braved the rain for our Term 2 Working Bee!

We had many families attend our Term 2 working bee which was derailed by some nasty weather. Thanks to those who donned their raincoats and helped shovel sand in the rain!

We have since been working hard to stain the decks. Thanks to those who have helped with this task as well.

Please check the roster for your weekend duty, and ensure you are able to attend. If you are busy when rostered on, it is your responsibility to find another family to swap with.

Grounds team 2018, Michelle and Fiona

From the President

By Katie | April 4, 2018

Hello Families,

Term 1 has come to and end and time seems to have flown by!

I want to extend a very special thank you to the Teaching Staff for generously hosting Elonera’s annual Movie Night, giving their own personal time to allow us the opportunity to catch up with friends old and new. What a fantastic evening it was, well done to our organisers for booking such a warm night! Thank you to all families for taking the time to attend and support our community events.

We are already looking forward to Term 2 and the many events that are planned, such as the Open Day, Mother’s Day, Winter Soltice and Disco Bingo!

Disco Bingo will be held on Saturday 2nd June 2018 and is our major fundraising event of the year. We plan to hold a silent auction so if you have an idea or can source/donate a product or item for the auction (small or large) please get in touch with Alex or Jess at eventsfun1@elonerapreschool.com.au and eventsfun2@elonerapreschool.com.au. This event does not cater for children but is an excellent opportunity to socialise and have fun with other Elonera parents without the distraction of little ones. Book your babysitter in now – I’ve already got mine locked down! This is an event not to be missed. More information will follow soon.

We will also hold our annual open day on Sunday 6 May, not long after we return for term 2, which is an opportunity for the community to see our facilities and learn more about play-based learning. We will also showcase our 4 year old programs – bush kinder for the Koalas and advertise our NEW two long day option for the Possums – spread the word! Applications for 4 year old Kinder need to be completed through the council process – more information will be available on the day. In addition to all that, there will be a sausage sizzle and some other activities planned, not to mention the chance to play in our amazing grounds. Applications for 3 year old kinder will open from that date and only require a small deposit. If you have friends who are considering Elonera for their children please do encourage them to attend.

Before we commence term 2 we will have a Working Bee on Sunday 15 April where all Elonera Families are encouraged to attend. If you can make time to pop down even for an hour or so then we can all contribute to maintaining our wonderful grounds and making them perfect for the start of term 2.

Hope you all had a great Easter and are enjoying the break!

Anna Hughes

President

Educators Report

By Katie | April 4, 2018

Why Bush Kinder

At Elonera Preschool we believe in the importance of nature and outside play in a child’s learning and development. Numerous studies also support the need for children to spend time outside in nature.

Children are natural learners. Bush Kinder, held at Braeside Park, will provide your children with the ideal learning environment: time and space to play in a natural setting, materials provided by nature and their own interests and enjoyment spurring them on in their learning. They will have the opportunity to play in the rain and the mud, roll on the wet grass, manipulate sticks, find insects, birds, animals and plants that engage their interest, use natural materials in creative ways, explore their understanding of the natural world, climb trees, expand their knowledge and hone their skills, and share these experiences with their friends, parents and teachers. Bush Kinder will be a special part of your child’s total kinder experience.

Each child’s developmental progression, advancing skill levels and particular interests will be noted by their teachers. The teachers will use this knowledge to support the children’s learning (just as they do at kinder). Teachers will support children as they take considered risks and face challenges essential to well- rounded learning. Stories will be told, knowledge will be shared, songs will be sung, and fun will be had.

Through play the children will connect with and grow to respect and love this natural environment. They will connect with their land in a way that cannot be done under a roof or within walls.

Below is a great summary of different experiences and the developmental benefits supported within these

Activity	Developmental benefit
Playing imaginative games using the resources nature provides	Open ended learning allows children to explore at their own pace and with their own challenges
Role play	Shared imagination, drama, working with others, sharing ideas, recollection of models of behaviour
Building shelters or other large structures from branches, with the help of peers and adults	This requires setting goals, planning, engineering, teamwork and perseverance.
Counting found objects, categorising found objects, finding patterns in nature	Exploring mathematical concepts, visual discrimination
Observing changes in nature	Making observations, predicting patterns and outcomes
Arranging items to create transient art or an installation	Using natural materials creatively; creating with an emphasis on the “doing” rather than the outcome; Using photography to record and display outcomes
Photography	Using digital technology to record and share their learning experiences
Drawing from life	Creative; observation of flora, fauna and natural surroundings
Climbing trees, walking on logs and rocks, exploring the site, rolling down slopes	Gross motor co-ordination; body awareness in space and movement; understanding risk and considering actions
Walking within the large green space	Improve physical fitness and stamina; Making choices about activities for the day
Exploring or reflecting alone	Benefits of personal reflection and self-awareness
Play involving effects of water on our environment e.g. puddles, mud play	Awareness of effects of weather on environment; science: changes; properties of mud, soil.

Reminders and thanks

By Katie | April 4, 2018

Movie Night thank you
On behalf of the committee, we would like to thank our teaching staff for donating their time to organise and supervise an amazing movie night. With over 90 children and 90 adults in attendance it was a wonderful turn out and displayed the incredible sense of community we have at Elonera.

Chocolate Drive
Our Cadbury chocolate drive is now closed. A big thank you to our events and fundraising team, Alex Williams (Kangaroo mum) and Jess Burbridge (Possum mum) for coordinating the successful event and raising $600. As with all fundraising, these funds will be used to continue updating our grounds and equipment to directly benefit the children.

Entertainment Book
Don’t forget we are now selling the Entertainment Book. Help us raise for our kinder by buying an Entertainment Membership from us. You’ll receive hundreds of valuable offers for everything you love to do, with heaps of family friendly activities, while helping our fundraising at the same time. Digital and hard copy book memberships are both available. Please contact Alex eventsfun2@elonerapreschool.com if you have questions otherwise:

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT US NOW

New hours for 2019
We are very pleased to announce we have new four year old hours for 2019.

Our Possum group, as of 2019, will offer two long days, while in the Koala we are still running our very popular Bush Kinder program on a Friday morning (only during terms 2 and 3). All four-year-old kindergarten enrolments are made through the Kingston council website. 4 year old enrolments ARE NOT currently open but normally open early May, however, we will send you a reminder when they are open.

Elonera Open Day
Our 2018 Open Day will be held this year on Sunday 6th May from 10am until 12pm. On this day, we will open our 3-year-old enrolments for 2019, which will close Friday 18th May 2018. We will shortly have more information regarding 3-year-old enrolments on the website. If you have family or friends interested in Elonera, please encourage them to attend Open Day to explore the grounds, meet our staff and experience first hand our wonderful sense of community at the kinder!

MUSIC BINGO night on Saturday 2nd June at Walter Galt reserve and is certainly the HIGHLIGHT of the kinder year. Our team is currently working very hard to organise prizes, as well as, live and silent action items. If you are able to donate an item, or know someone that can, can you please contact eventsfun1@elonerapreschool.com.au or eventsfun2@elonerapreschool.com.au

Sponsorship Opportunities

By Katie | April 4, 2018

If you run a local business and feel 2018 is the year to contribute something substantial to the growth of our community, we have some exciting opportunities for new sponsors! We have different sponsorship tiers available, and in support of a financial contribution, Elonera is able to provide exposure to a growing network of local families and professionals. Any support to the kinder helps to improve our facilities and our children’s learning.

Our annual Music Bingo Night is fast approaching and this is a great opportunity for a local business to jump on board and sponsor the event. Your business will appear on all our advertising for the event as a naming partner, so if you’re keen to find out how you can put your business’ name to this event, please contact sponsorship@elonerapreschool.com.au