Message from the Director of Early Learning Centre

What a wonderful beginning to Term Two! It has been a joy to welcome our children back through the doors, full of energy and excitement, ready to reconnect with friends and dive into learning. The warmth within our classrooms, and from the gorgeous autumn sunshine outside, has made for a truly special start to the term.

Our outdoor spaces have been at the heart of it all. Children have embraced every opportunity to explore, play and investigate, and we were thrilled to welcome Hop the rabbit into her brand new playground home, complete with an umbrella, seesaw and a dedicated viewing area for the children to enjoy.

We paused to reflect on the significance of Anzac Day in a meaningful and age appropriate way. Through play-based experiences, children explored symbols such as poppies, wreaths and Anzac biscuits, and shared stories to help them understand why this day holds such importance. Our whole community came together for a moving Anzac service, watching 'The Anzac Ted' story, observing a minute's silence and listening to The Last Post. A collaborative wreath, crafted with contributions from every class, stood proudly on display as a beautiful reminder of our togetherness.

Our Pre-Preps have had glorious Autumn weather when venturing to Galbally Reserve for nature walks filled with bug hunts, birdwatching and dry creek bed exploration. The curiosity and wonder our children bring to these experiences is always a delight to witness! They return full of stories and this program continues to be a highlight for our students!

Finally, excitement is building for our upcoming SEED Project Learning Journey Event, centred on our community inquiry, 'How do we belong?' Children across all classes are preparing displays and experiences that make their thinking and creativity visible. Families and extended family are warmly invited to attend and share in this celebration of learning, identity and belonging.
 

Katarina Hills

Director of Early Learning Centre

Exploring Greek Language in the Bluebell Class

Over the past few weeks, the Bluebell class has been exploring the Greek language and culture through songs, interactive experiences, and group discussions. 

The children have been learning Greek songs such as Kalimera, the Days of the Week, Χαρωπά τα Δυο μου Χέρια, and colours in Greek, helping to build their confidence and familiarity with the language. 

We also introduced our special puppet, Dafni, who comes from Greece and speaks only Greek. 

Through interactions with Dafni, the children practised simple conversational Greek, including how to ask “What is your name?” and respond with “My name is…”, encouraging communication, confidence, and engagement in a fun and meaningful way.

Patricia Keramidas

ELC Language Teacher

Reconciliation Week - 'How the birds got their colours.'

As we approach Reconciliation Week, the children have been exploring the Dreamtime storybook How the Birds Got Their Colours. Inspired by the story, they researched different birds and created their own designs by drawing with sharpie on brown paper. They then added a variety of plain and spotted feathers, using different colours and textures to create their own unique birds.

This learning experience connects to Reconciliation by helping children develop an understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal culture, traditions, and beliefs. Through Dreamtime stories, children learn the importance of community, sharing, respect, and understanding others, while recognising the significance of Aboriginal perspectives and storytelling.

Milly Brodie

ELC Teacher - 3 Year Old

Our Pre-prep Community Walk

Last week we went on our Pre-prep Community walk, our focus was looking for the sights and sounds of nature. We discussed before we left, what nature is and what natural things we may find on our walk. As we travelled along our walking route to the park, the children shared their observations of the natural world. Once in the park the children used binoculars and magnifying glasses to look for aspects of nature that they found interesting. Once they had located those things, they spent time studying them with their equipment and then we supported them to take some great photos of their explorations, which we are going to print and use to create artwork with.

Jackie Walker

ELC Teacher