Newsletter – ELONERA PRE SCHOOL

Just like that we are in term 3 and into the second half of the year! Hopefully you all had a lovely break at the beginning of July. The committee has been as busy as ever looking at grants and working on plans to

improve our facilities even further and we hope to share more news of that in due course. As a part of that we were very happy to welcome State MP for Mordialloc Tim Richardson to our centre who was very impressed with our beautiful grounds and the fantastic community that supports us.

Everybody should have firm plans in place now for their children for 2019 and have received their first round offer and group allocation for 4 year old and finalised their place for 3 year old.

This year we went to a great effort to ensure we finalised our 4 year old group allocations prior to the offer expiry from the council so that families had a chance to make alternative plans if they were unable to have their group preference. A big thank you to Chelsey, Jess and Gina for a very quick turnaround to assist families at what can be an anxious time. If you have any feedback regarding this process please do take the time to share it with us.

I would also like to thank Peter and Barbara Kolliner for their generous donation to the Kinder. We will endeavour to put it to good use! It is our policy to ensure all donations and fundraising go straight back to the children directly and are not used for operating costs.

This month we will commence planning for our next few events for the year. Watch this space for more information soon!

Anna Hughes

President

Educators Reports

By Katie | August 1, 2018

Emotional Regulation

Children just like adults experience a range of emotions, from excitement and happiness to sadness and anger. They experience emotions that feel good in our body and those that may not feel so desirable. It is important that children can recognise that this is something that we all experience as humans, and emotions are a common experience. It is highlighted within Early Childhood that children are developing skills to be able to self regulate their emotions and that this is often a big task for young children. When children are able to self regulate their emotions they can deal with stressors, changes both small and large, and are able manage feelings in appropriate ways that consider the needs of others. Being able to self regulate their emotions can also assist children to develop positive relationships with others and develop their sense of independence. In current society there is also a growing occurrence of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, therefore management and recognition of emotions is a lifelong skill that we can provide to our children to support their future wellbeing.

Within the groups recently we have looked at supporting children to recognise key emotions and feelings. Through story books, discussions and resources such as picture cards we have been looking at identifying key emotions, when we may feels these emotions, and for those emotions that may not be so pleasant how we can manage these. Through these explorations we are encouraging children to be able to identify key emotions firstly and how these might feel in our bodies. And then looking more closely at how we can manage these feelings in constructive ways, that also reflect the needs of others. Within the Victorian Early Years Learning framework the importance of supporting children’s emotional regulation is also highlighted and we work toward supporting children to achieve the following learning outcomes:

Express a wide range of emotions, thoughts and views constructively”
“Reach out and communicate for comfort, assistance and companionship”
“Demonstrate an increasing capacity for self-regulation”
“Show an increasing capacity to understand, self-regulate, and manage their emotions in ways that reflect their feelings and needs of others”
“Remain accessible to others at times of distress, confusion and frustration”

Supporting children’s ability to self regulate their emotions is a long-term goal that can be supported both at home and kindergarten. It is through discussions, supportive relationships, learning spaces, children’s literature, modeling, praise, reassurance and support that we can support children to become confident in self-regulating their feelings and emotions.

The Elonera Teaching Team

From the President

By Katie | July 4, 2018

Hi Families

It’s been a busy month! First of all I want to extend a big thank you to everyone that came and supported our Music Bingo Fundraising night. We had a record breaking attendance and raised nearly $7000! A huge thank you goes to our events and fundraising team – Alex Williams and Jess Burbidge who ran a seamless event and all the helpers that turned up before and after. We truly are very fortunate to have so many generous families in our community. Thank you also to the many families who donated items for the auction and those that bid!

We also had the pleasure of Winter Solstice with an unprecedented 220 people. It was fantastic to attend with so many families from our community and sit around the fire and listen to our children sing in a magical setting. Thank you to our teachers and educators who worked so hard to teach the children all the songs and prepare what must have been hundreds of litres of soup and mountains of bread as well as donating their time on the night.

The school holidays will soon be upon us. If you have a child in 3yo kinder and wish to apply for one of our 4yo programs next year, please don’t forget that council applications close on 30th June. Group allocation will occur after we have confirmed all places.

Lastly I must thank some local families for their assistance at short notice this month! Chris Bull from CLB Plumbing for clearing the kinder’s pipes after the toilets blocked – that session would have been cancelled if it wasn’t for his prompt assistance. Thank you also to Keeghan Williams for turning up immediately to see if he could help! A big thank you to Rob Daniel for working through his weekend to get our website back up and running after a hiccup by the hosting site. Lastly, thank you to Mark Corn for working so hard and so quickly to provide us with heating after we had to say goodbye to our former relic after many years of service!

We wouldn’t be able to deliver the quality of education we offer without the help of our community in times of need. Thank you!

Looking forward to term 3!

Anna Hughes

President

Educators Report

By Katie | July 4, 2018

Collaborative partnerships with families and communities

Early Childhood Education has a number of regulatory frameworks which we are guided by in our practice, in particular the Victorian Early Years Learning and Developmental Framework (VEYLDF) and the National Quality Standards (NQS). A running theme throughout both of these documents is the importance of developing collaborative relationships with families and our wider community. Over the past two years, the teaching team at Elonera has made it a priority to create opportunities for engaging our families in a number of ways, in order to strengthen our sense of community. After much discussion, we settled upon the idea of hosting 2 events each year that allowed families the chance to connect together in a social setting. We also acknowledged the enormous dedication and time commitments that our volunteer Committee of Management provide to the kinder, so it was important to us that these individuals also had the opportunity to engage in these events socially without the requirement of running it. So from this emerged our yearly ‘Movie Night’ where the teaching team supervise the children while adults are provided the opportunity to socialise together. We also created a ‘Winter Solstice Festival’ as a way of not only celebrating the shortest day of the year, but also to celebrate our wonderful community. The attendance to both of these events has been beyond our wildest dreams, and we are so appreciative of how our families have embraced these events, furthermore actively engaging in our community.

Another initiative Elonera has embraced this year is moving to an online documentation platform in ‘Storypark.’ It has been a fabulous tool for providing families a sneak peak into what the children explore, engage with and create during their time at kindergarten. It has allowed families to also engage with the learning, and we appreciate you taking the time to read, watch and comment about the fun and learning you see occurring. We also appreciate all the positive verbal feedback we have received, and continue to look forward to engaging with you in this documentation space.

Going forwards into Semester 2, we look forward to providing families the opportunity for ‘Parent Teacher Conversations’ so we can meet together to discuss your child’s learning, interests and future goals. In the 4 year old groups we look forward to venturing into the wider community and have scheduled 2 excursions to Chesterfield Farm and the Cranbourne Botanical Gardens. We also look forward to continuing our Bush Kinder program in the Koalas, and exploring our local community through walks and visits to the local shops.

The teaching team encourage you to come and see one of us if you ever have any questions, feedback or would just like to touch base. The life blood of a community kinder is the relationships that are developed not only between the children, but also families, the Committee and the teaching team. We are only ever as strong as the partnerships with create.

The Elonera Teaching Team

Reminders

By Katie | July 4, 2018

2018/19 Entertainment Books

Remember that 2018/19 Entertainment books are available to purchase now! There are loads of great offers. Available to purchase here: https://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/orderbooks/9m50711

From the President

By Katie | May 30, 2018

The end of Autumn is upon on us and the cooler weather has well and truly settled in. Having said that we must acknowledge the wonderful run of warm sunny weather that accompanied the last few months including our Open Day at the beginning of the month! A bright blue sky heralded many local families, some familiar but also lots of new faces! A big thank you to the committee for running a flawless day. Hopefully some of you were able to pop in and sample a home made cookie, branded cupcake or enjoy the sausage sizzle.

If you’re feeling the winter blues approaching then don’t forget we have lots of new events coming up in June starting with Music Bingo on Saturday 2nd June. This is a fantastic opportunity for a night out without the kids and a chance to have fun and socialise with all your friends at the Kinder. Knowledge of music not required! Everyone is given a varying list of well known songs and then music is played – listen out for the songs on your list and then shout bingo when you’ve heard them all. We also have the pleasure of welcoming our supremely talented host from last year – Dolly! Please make sure you get your tickets booked soon to avoid disappointment!

A reminder we are still looking for donations for the silent auction (small or large). Sometimes family and friends may wish to donate, it can be a good and relatively inexpensive way to advertise a small business! Contact our events team at eventsfun2@elonerapreschool.com.au to get on board.

On the 21st June we have the pleasure of Winter Soltice at the Kinder! This is a wonderful community focussed night hosted by the wonderful Gina who treats us all to her delicious pumpkin soup and homemade bread. Entry is free for the whole family but please book your tickets so that we can ensure there is enough to go around!

Lastly I have to give a very special mention to Buckley Building Group for their fantastic work on our front gate! A big thank you from all of us at Elonera – a truly generous contribution from a trusted community member.

I look forward to meeting up with everyone soon!

Stay warm!

Anna Hughes
President

Educators Report

By Katie | May 30, 2018

Reflections from Reggio Emilia, Italy

In April, I was fortunate enough to travel to Italy so that I could participate in the Reggio Emilia International Study Tour. It was a week of deep reflection, discussion, challenges, questioning, exploration, and for those who know me well…a few tears brought on by the overwhelming beauty and potential of this educational approach to early childhood education.

The roots of this approach are deeply buried in the social, political and cultural experiences of the city of Reggio Emilia, and it has been a model implemented in the infant-toddler centres and preschools for over 50 years. Fundamental to the Reggio Emilia approach is the image of the child and viewing the child as an active member of society, who is also the subject of their own personal rights and agency. Children are supported to be active participants in their own learning and learning itself is viewed as a hands-on and active process.

The Reggio Emilia approach supports and promotes the individuality of the child by acknowledging that children have multiple ways of expressing themselves through the metaphorical ‘Hundred Languages.’ These languages are the endless number of children’s potentials, their ability to wonder and to inquire. The hundred languages remind us that there are multiple ways of seeing and multiple ways of being. Children move in and through multiple languages as they explore the world around them and make meaning through active participating in their learning.

The Reggio Emilia approach is also a place of interaction and dialogue, provocation, self reflection and research which deeply values learning through relationships, and is committed to sharing the child’s learning with families and the community. Relationships are central to the foundations of the approach and it is vital to keep in constant dialogue with all the members of the community in order to develop strong partnerships.

Furthermore, as teacher’s it is our responsibility to make visible the culture of the children we teach and to make visible the quality of the educational service that welcomes our community. As stated by Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia approach “teaching is a professional that cannot afford to think small.” Working in collaborative partnerships with the children and families of our community, we engage in a life long journey of discovery and championing the rights of children.

Travelling to Reggio Emilia was such a personal and much longed for journey for me. I still feel as if I need to take time to digest and reflect upon all that I saw, experienced and heard. I now have a beautiful and much treasured notebook filled with notes, ideas, photos, reflections and sketches that I look forward to revisiting over the years to come. I also look forward to continuing to implement and explore this approach through my own practice.

The idea of the Hundred Languages of Children is expressed in this poem written by Loris Malaguzzi. I hope it provides you something to consider and reflect upon when you consider your own personal image of the child.

No way. The hundred is there.

The child is made of one hundred.
The child has a hundred languages
a hundred hands
a hundred thoughts
a hundred ways of thinking
of playing, of speaking.
a hundred, always a hundred
ways of listening of marvelling, of loving
a hundred joys
for singing and understanding
a hundred worlds to discover
a hundred worlds to invent
a hundred worlds to dream.
The child has a hundred languages
(and a hundred hundred hundred more)

What outcomes parents should expect from early childhood education and care

Please see the following link to this very interesting article on this topic:

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-24/early-childhood-education-what-outcomes-parents-should-expect/9794804?pfmredir=sm

Gina Courtney
Director

Thanks and Reminders

By Katie | May 30, 2018

Thanks to Buckley Group for our new front gate!

A HUGE thanks from the kinder for getting that gate fixed ASAP!

Buckley Group are a local construction company with over 10 years experience. We provide quality workmanship with exceptional results. Whether you are building a new home, renovating or extending, we will work together to transform your space and surpass expectations.

www.buckleybuilding.com.au

Cal (Billy’s dad) – 0402515992

2018/19 Entertainment Books

Remember that 2018/19 Entertainment books are available to purchase now! There are loads of great offers. Available to purchase here: https://www.entertainmentbook.com.au/orderbooks/9m50711

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