Lobethal Community Kindergarten Newsletter Phone: 8389 6321

Fax: 8389 5153

Email: dl.4630.leaders@schools.sa.edu.au

Web: www.lobethalkgn.sa.edu.au

Term 1- Weeks 4-5, 2014

Issue 2, 2014 Growing & Learning...TOGETHER

Diary Dates

February 20th (Thursday) - Broadway 4 Kidz (Lobethal Primary school) - AGM Welcome BBQ 5.30.pm, 7pm mtg

March 4th (Tuesday) - Shrove Tuesday 5th (Wednesday) - CAFHS Checks 6th (Thursday) - Proposed closure day 10th (Monday - Adelaide Cup Holiday 27th (Thursday) Sports Day Morning at Lobethal P.S

April 8th (Tues)-COMBINED KINDY EXCURSION– BOTH GROUPS 9th (Wednesday) Last kindy sessions for term 1

Sessional

Kindergarten

$130 per term

Term 1 Kindy fees are due in week 4, invoices have been sent out. Please endeavour to pay as soon as possible.

FEES

Dear kindy families and caregivers, As a kindy staff, we are all still in shock! The children have settled into the swing of kindy life with such ease, that we have all been forced to question the assumptions that we place on the skills that our kindy kids have brought with them this year. As educators, we are always being taught new things by the children in our care. We are, after all, all learners! We have certainly seen the children become very tired on their third consecutive day of kindy. To help support this, we have purchased a whole set (1 per child) of new snuggly blankets and pillows for children to use during rest and re-laxation times each day. We know that the children need the chance to rest their minds and bodies, so they can get the most of all of the wonderful learning experi-ences on offer at kindy. To support this, we have a group rest time after lunch each day at kindy, where we listen to music, stories and learn a range of different relaxation techniques. We have such a wonderful learning program at kindy. Or program is focussed around children’s individual needs, group learning, sensory, cognitive, physical and social ex-periences. Our program is child centred and also child initiated. If a child shows and interest in a particular topic or would like to investigate, challenge or explore, we adapt our program and learning environment to help support and promote experi-ences and explorations to support such learning. We see the partnership between home and kindy as key in supporting each child’s learning and development, so please feel free to share any of your child’s interests with us. We are also available to discuss your child’s progress, development and learning. Make sure you check out our Weekly Program overview, on display in the glass cabinet above our fruit and lunch baskets. Please also remember to return your family culture survey, so we can explore our learning around ‘belonging’. Over the next few weeks, we will be practising our group safety skills in readiness for our excursion. On Thursday, the Bugs group will be walking to the Lobethal Primary School to watch ‘Broadway for Kidz’ and the Frogs group will have the opportunity to go on a range of short local walks. The purpose of these walks is to help the children learn group and road safety skills. Learning how to walk on the footpaths, holding a friends hand and being safe around cars is vital learning that is only enhanced with lots of practice. We are so excited to have Booked our Excursion to Normanville Beach on Tuesday 8th April. We would love as many parents to join us to help make our ex-cursion fun, safe and memorable. Please note that on the last week (Week 11), there will not be any THURSDAY SESSIONS as we are having a combined excursion on the Tuesday. All Frogs children will attend on Monday and Tuesday and Bugs children will attend on the Tuesday and Wednesday. We are giving you plenty of notice so you can make any alternate care arrangements necessary. Notes and Consents for the Nor-manville Excursion will be sent home within the next few weeks. It’s such an awesome excursion, one which is enjoyed by everyone. We look forward to planning lots of wonderful learning experiences around the excur-sion with the children in the coming weeks. We are looking forward to meeting you all and connecting at our Welcome BBQ this Thursday the 20th of Feb at 5.30pm. If you would like to give us a hand with cooking the BBQ, set up or clean up, please see a staff member. All help is greatly appreciated! Thanks for your ongoing support of our learning program, Lee on behalf of our wonderful staff team.... Katie, Nell, Janice and Nic.

Session Times Please remember that kindy sessions commence FROM 9.00am and finish at 3.00pm.

KINDY CLOSURE DAY- There will be no kindy on THURSDAY 6th March as staff will be engaging in Whole Site Training and Development.

Please find alternate care arrange-ments on this day.

Thanks for your support.

House Keeping

The following link takes you to the new DECD Great Start web-

site.

This website has been especially constructed for families and chil-

dren and has relevant information within re encouraging everyday

numeracy and literacy learning opportunities.

There is also a facebook page where families can connect and

make suggestions, comment on activities that they enjoy

http://www.greatstart.sa.edu.au/

Remember to clearly name everything you send to kindy with your child including spare clothes.

Check lost property daily Make sure you take home everything your child

brings to kindy to avoid locker clutter Session times are 9.00am—3.00pm Remember to send a drink bottle each day (water

only.)

Websites of interest.

Even when it is raining outside we still love to

give the children the opportunity to play outside.

To enable your child to enjoy the

outdoors and embrace the learning

experiences the rain brings with it,

please send your child with a rain

jacket and gumboots if we are

forecast rain. Also don’t forget a

change of clothes and plastic bag.

This Thursday 20th February is our Welcome BBQ and

Annual General Meeting.

If you haven't already done so please return your rsvp

slip to kindy asap.

Welcome BBQ 5.30pm. We will provide a sausage sizzle

($1.50 per sausage) and families are asked to bring

along either a plate of dessert (Frogs) or salad/savoury

dish (Bugs).

AGM will commence at 7pm and will include the

screening of our Classmovie documentary which was

made last year, showcasing our outdoor kindy learning

journey. During the AGM our new Governing Council

will be formed so don’t forget if you are interested in

becoming a member of the

Governing Council either return

your slip or speak to a staff

member if you are unable to

attend the AGM.

We look forward to meeting as

many families as possible on

Thursday night and officially

welcoming you all to the

Lobethal Kindy family for 2014.

Wet Weather Play

Fees box and Payments

Have you noticed the cream box above the sign in register? This box is our fees box and any money/payments you need to pay can be placed in this box. Just write your child’s name and a description of what the payment is for on the front of an envelope (top of the fees box) and pop it in the fees box. Please be aware that we have no cash on hand at kindy so correct money for any payments/purchases would be required and appreciated.

Thank you

Daisy is a happy duck at the moment. Thanks to Delvine (Jov’s Mum) for sourcing some

fertile eggs. We have our fingers crossed that Daisy will stay sitting and in a few weeks

become a mum. Enrolments 2015 and beyond

With our enrolment numbers steadily increasing

for 2015 Kindergarten we thought it would be a

good time to remind families, who may have a

child due to start term 1 2014 (turn 4 years old on

or before April, 30th 2011) to complete a

pre enrolment form.

If you know of anyone who may not have

completed a pre enrolment form and they wish to

attend Lobethal Kindy next year please see staff

for a form to help them secure a spot.

Pre Enrolment forms can also be completed for

2016 and beyond.

Can you Help?

See staff if you can help - We are looking for some help to repair our

Fibreglass water trough. It has a couple of leaks. If you can or have a contact who can repair fibreglass please see staff.

Do you have an old vacuum cleaner taking up space? If so would you like to donate it to kindy.? We would love to take it off your hands.

Just a little bit of information for families about the importance of play in

the early years.

5 things to Know about Play ( From National association for the Education of young children)

1. Children learn through play. Children learn and develop cognitive skills, physical abilities, new vo-cabulary, social and emotional skills, numeracy and literacy skills.

2. Play is healthy. Play helps children grow and counteracts obesity issues facing many children today.

3. Play reduces stress. Play is joyful and provides an out-let for anxiety and stress.

4. Play is more than meets the eye. Play is simple and complex. There are many types of play: symbolic, socio-dramatic, functional and games with rules– to name a few.

5. Play and learning go hand-in-hand. They are not sepa-rate activities. They are intertwines. Think of them as a science lecture with a lab. Play is the child’s lab.

As educators we take on many roles in play with children and use a range of strategies to support learning including – engaging in shared conversations with children to ex-tend their thinking -a balance between child led, child initiated and educator supported learning -creating a learning environment that encourages children to explore, solve problems, create and construct -recognize spontaneous teachable moments as they occur and use them to build on children’s learning -work with children to promote and model positive ways to relate to others. -actively support the inclusion of all children in play, help them recognize when play is unfair and offer constructive ways to build a caring, fair and inclusive learning

community.

Community News

Come along to our wonderful playgroup. Same great Playgroup, different venue!

When: Fridays 9-10.30am Where: Lobethal P.S Activity Room (OSHC Room)

Cost: $2 Per family (plus Playgroup SA membership fees) Bring along a Sun-Smart hat, a drink and a piece of fruit for your

child. Come along and have some fun!

SCHOOL DENTAL

SERVICE

A new children’s dental benefits

schedule for 2 – 17 year olds

started in January 2014. It is

called the Child Dental Benefits

Schedule.

The School Dental Service is a

Child Dental Benefits Schedule

provider and welcomes babies,

children and young people under

18 years.

Dental care is FREE for most

children and the School Dental

Service will bulk-bill Medicare.

Children who do not qualify for

the Child Dental Benefits Sched-

ule can still attend – a small fee

may apply for each course of general

dental care provided.

There are no waiting times at the

School Dental Service. To keep

your children’s teeth and gums

healthy we encourage them to

attend the School Dental Service.

To locate your local School Den-

tal Clinic, and for more informa-

tion about the Child Dental Bene-

fits Schedule, visit

www.sadental.sa.gov.au