PRE SCHOOL

I just want to start by saying Wow! It is amazing to stand back and look at how far the children in Pre-School have come on this year. Many children had never been to a nursery setting or in any environment with other children. Starting school meant learning to negotiate sharing toys, playing with others, as well as how to sit on the carpet for learning. It wasn’t long before friends were made, routines were learnt and now you would never know that the smiling, confident children who are learning sounds and mixing paint colours were ever shy and unsure of how to make friends.

We started off the year learning about nursery rhymes, with one of our firm favourites still, Twinkle Twinkle chocolate bar. The children have loved to perform these ‘on stage’ in class each Thursday, like the stars they are!

After our Winter break the children were faced with a new challenge of home learning. Although many of their siblings may have been experts at this, our youngest learners had to master a new skill of learning online. They really did amaze us with their energy and enthusiasm in all our lessons. We could not have achieved this without the continued support of parents and caregivers at home.

One of my favourite enquiries this year has to be, Who helps and inspires us? With Covid restrictions relaxing we were able to have real visitors into class and learn all about how Doctors help us. We also learnt about how our cleaning and maintenance team help us in school. After making thank you cards, we went on a tour of the school to thank everyone for their hard work and sang a thank you song, bringing a tear to Mrs Confalone’s eye!

I love the Summer Term in Pre-School where all the learning throughout the year suddenly clicks into place and their eagerness to learn is apparent. We learnt all about Goldilocks and the Three Bears, exploring different types of houses people can live in. It was so exciting to be allowed to finish off this wonderful year with an amazing trip to Kidzania. Throughout the year we have celebrated a number of special days including having a party for Freddie 4s Fourth Birthday, Garangoa and Green Day where we learnt about recycling and looking after the planet. We became a part of the school’s house system and took part in house days such as Friendship’ Day. Pre-School is such a wonderful experience, watching the children learning and growing through play both indoors and out. As the year draws to a close I want to say a huge thank you for the continued support of our parents and to tell each child how proud we all are of their achievements this year. I know that you will continue to shine and have fun as you move forward into next year.

Lindsey Wilkin Head of Pre School 18