Hillcrest Christian College Kindy Capers 17 February 2016

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WEEK 4, 17 FEBRUARY 20

4 MARCH

Clean up Australia Day

10 MARCH Crazy Hair Day 17 MARCH St Patrick’s Day 21 MARCH Harmony Day 23 MARCH Kindy Easter Hat Parade

“For children play is serious learning.

Play is really the work of childhood.”

— FRED RODGERS —

A very warm welcome to all our families and new children at Hillcrest Christian College Kindy.

Our first few weeks of operation have been very exciting with all our Kindy children settling in so well into their new learning environments. Each one of our Kindy classes had the opportunity to start their library visits this week and we look forward to Kindy starting their chapel services very soon. Our Kindy educators look forward to an amazing year ahead with lots of fun activities and learning experiences within our Kindy curriculum.

HILLCREST CHRISTIAN COLLEGE EARLY LEARNING COMMUNITY LONG DAY CARE / KINDY

ALICIA SHIELDS Director of Early Learning Community

kindy@hillcrest.qld.edu.au

21 Bridgman Drive REEDY CREEK Q 4227 PO Box 2503 BURLEIGH WATERS Q 4220 07 5593 4226 hillcrest.qld.edu.au

HOURS OF OPERATION

6.30am – 6.00pm KINDY DIRECT LINE

5655 0910

HILLCREST CHRISTIAN COLLEGE KINDY CAPERS 2016 | 1

kindy news “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”

— WHINNIE THE POOH —

KINDY INFORMATION AFTERNOON

INSECT REPELLENT

On Thursday 25th February 2016 at 5.30pm our Kindy teachers will be running an information afternoon.

Our information afternoon will provide parents with the opportunity to learn about our Kindy curriculum for this year, the phonics program that aligns with our wider school community and our goals for getting children prepared for their future schooling. If you are interested in attending could you please RSVP to Alicia or your child’s Kindy teacher. We will also be providing light refreshments after the presentation.

We have had a few children that have been susceptible to mosquito’s bites when in the yard in the afternoon.

Parents are more than welcome to bring in insect repellent for your child and our educators will apply this before your child goes outside in the afternoon. Please ensure that the insect repellent is clearly labelled with your child’s name.

SCHOOL BANKING Our Kindy children are able to participate in the school banking program that is run in conjunction with the Commonwealth bank through Hillcrest Christian College. On the Kindy office front counter there are 2016 School Banking Program packs for parents that contain information regarding the banking program. Please feel free to take an information pack to have a look. Information on how to set up an account for your child is also in the information pack. Once your child has an account set up your child will be able to start the banking program by bringing their savings to school which will then be collected for deposit every Tuesday. If you would like more information regarding the banking program please don’t hesitate to ask.

DANCE CLASSES Kindy children have the opportunity to participate in dance classes that are run through Currumbin Academy of Performing Arts at Hillcrest Christian College. On Wednesday afternoons Jazz will be from 2.45pm – 3.15pm and Thursday Ballet from 2.45pm – 3.15pm.

If you would like to enrol your child in dancing please contact Alicia for more information.

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PHILOSOPHY AND POLICIES REVIEW Hillcrest Christian College Kindy are currently reviewing our service philosophy. The purpose of our Kindy philosophy is to direct the Kindy curriculum, the values and ethos of the Kindy and to ensure that we are implementing this as a part of the National Quality Standards of Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority. Parent input into this process is paramount as this ensures that our philosophy is reflective of educators, college leadership and parents input.

If you have any input into our Kindy philosophy please let us know. In the Kindy admin area the policies that are currently under review are: •

Policy 1.1 – Educational Program

•

Policy 1.2 – Assessment of Children’s Learning

•

Policy 1.3 – Information for Parents about Educational Program.

If you have any feedback or input into any of these 3 policies please let us know. We value and appreciate your feedback and contribution into our policy reviews.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

LIBRARY BORROWING ROSTER

Attached is our Kindy Calendar of Events for Term 1. The calendar of events will also be displayed in your child’s room and also in the Kindy admin area. Prior to events your child’s Kindy teacher or Alicia will be emailing parents to let you know of upcoming events.

Library visits occur at 1:40pm Monday, Thursday and Friday afternoons on a rotating basis to ensure that children all get an opportunity to visit the library and borrow.

BIRTHDAY CAKES Birthdays are always a special time for celebration and for children to enjoy sharing the excitement with their friends. You may wish to send a cake or cupcakes to share for a treat.

Please let your child’s Kindy teacher know ahead of time so that it can be planned into the day to make the day special for your child.

MONDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

8th Kindy 1

11th Kindy 2

12th Kindy 3

15th Kindy 2

18th Kindy 3

19th Kindy 1

22nd Kindy 3

25th Kindy 1

26th Kindy 2

29th Kindy 1

3rd Kindy 2

4th Kindy 3

7th Kindy 2

10th Kindy 3

11th Kindy 1

14th Kindy 3

17th Kindy 1

18th Kindy 2

21st Kindy 1

24th Kindy 2

25th Good Friday

As we have children within our Kindy that have allergies to certain foods we ask that a list of ingredients is also brought in or emailed when bringing in a cake, or alternatively you can bring in the cake mix/packet as a list of ingredients.

LIBRARY VISITS This week our Kindy children commenced their library visits. All classes that attended this week loved walking up to the library, listening to a story and having the opportunity of borrowing a book.

As we have Kindy children attending on different days we have implemented a rotational roster to ensure that all children have the opportunity to visit the library and borrow books. Your Kindy teacher will be emailing you prior to class visits as a reminder.

“I love Kindy because you get to meet brand new friends and you get to play.”

— JAHZARA — HILLCREST CHRISTIAN COLLEGE KINDY CAPERS 2016 | 3

kindy class news KINDY 1 NEWS

KINDY 2 NEWS

Wow it is hard to believe we are already into February!

Over the last month we have loved getting to know our new children and their families as they transition into the Kindy. The children have all settled in beautifully and are building some wonderful new friendships with their peers and teachers.

What a great start to the year we have had with the children settling in very quickly and comfortably! Over the last month we have watched the children form great new friendships and find a sense of belonging within our Kindy 2 class.

We have been busy learning about healthy choices as we noticed that the children were having lots of discussions about what was in their lunch boxes. We are very impressed with how knowledgeable the children are about the difference between unhealthy and healthy foods and drinks. To extend on this interest we did some life fruit paintings, made some yummy “boost juice” with Miss Katie’s juicer and had lots of discussions about other healthy choices we can make in life such as being active.

Over the last few weeks the children’s interest has moved into all things relating to animals! The animal figurines have been our most loved activity amongst the children as of late and has provided lots of opportunities for exploring and discovering. We have found out all the children’s favourite animals, created some beautiful masterpieces using the figurines as models, and we have made some amazing habitats for all sorts of different animals using a variety of natural materials and resources. Kindy 1 have also explored and discovered collaboratively with the children as we learnt about the various animals God created and the working theories the children have developed have been amazing. We will be continuing to explore and discover the wonderful world of animals so if you have any information or knowledge on any animal we would be very grateful to have you contribute to the program too.

KATIE MATHESON Early Childhood Teacher

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We have found a strong interest in animals which has led to our first learning focus as we research and explore a variety of animal habitats. This began as we made an ant farm together to extend on the children’s discovery of ants in the yard. Each day we have been observing our ants and watching as they make tunnels through the sand and work together to break up food. We have researched the roles of worker ants and a queen ant, how ants communicate, the anatomy of an ant and the lifecycle of an ant. We have also spent time researching the habitats of animals that can be found in Africa to extend on the interest in our toy animals. We have discovered that the African continent has many habitats such as grasslands, deserts and rainforests. We have been investigating how the animals in each area adapt to their surroundings. We have also been observing how worms live as Taz brought in worms from his compost at home and we have recently added a fish named ‘Tess’ to our collection of animals.

This has sparked an exploration into animals that live underwater. With all of our animals and plants we have built a lovely natural area for the children to observe and help look after throughout the day.

We are looking forward to a fun, enriching year ahead as we continue to learn, discover, explore and play!

ALANA HURST Early Childhood Teacher

KINDY 3 NEWS A very warm welcome to the Kindy 3 children and families.

It has been such an exciting first few weeks getting to know each other and becoming familiar with our new environment. The children have enjoyed exploring a range of indoor resources and experiences, as well as engaging in outdoor play and exploring the garden.

During our group times the children have been very involved in reading and discussing stories. Our favourite books have been about animals, and this began our current interest in animals and their homes. We began by talking about dogs when Mackenzie shared her wish for a sausage dog named “sniffles”. The children began bringing in photos of their dogs and other pets, and we used these to compare animals and discuss attributes that are the same and different. Many of us have big or small dogs, and other children have some different pets – Bethany has chickens, and Timmy has a horse! We also have a very unusual classroom pet named Evie in our room. She is a Pink-tongue lizard (related to Blue-tongue lizards), and she eats snails! This is quite fascinating to the children and they often ask, “Is it time to feed Evie her snails yet?”

We read a story called “Dear Zoo” about finding the perfect pet. It was quite hilarious to think of having a pet elephant! We discussed why an elephant could not live in a house. This lead to us finding out where elephants can live – “They live in Africa!” Rose informed us. We found out about the things elephants need in their home in Africa (grass, water, trees for shade, food) and the other animals that live there too. After reading an animal encyclopaedia we discovered that animal homes are called habitats. We worked together to create an African safari habitat, an icy habitat, a water habitat, and we are currently creating an ocean habitat by creating some amazing and unique sea animals to fill our room.

We are very excited to continue learning more about animals and their homes. We love to partner with families, so if you have any expertise or ideas on how we can further develop our learning though this shared interest please come and let us know.

Thank you for a wonderful start to the year, and allowing us the privilege of working with you and your children this year.

HOPE GATELY Early Childhood Teacher

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