WELCOME TO THE

LAURISTON KINDERGARTEN INFORMATION

EVENING

Welcome to the

Lauriston Kindergarten Information Evening

“The beginning of something is very important especially when it needs time to grow”

Plato

PLAY FORMS THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARLY YEARS FRAMEWORK VEYLDF has 5 outcomes:• IDENTITY• COMMUNITY• WELLBEING• LEARNING• COMMUNICATION

”I like being a child because I can run fast and I can climb high and I don’t have to work” Robert 5yrs

ENGAGE, CREATE AND EXPLORE• Healthy brain development• Practise adult roles

• Develop new competencies• Build confidence and resilience

EXPERIENCING COLLABORATION• Work in groups• Negotiate and share• Resolve conflicts

• Develop self advocacy skills• Make decisions• Discover their own areas of interest

BUILDING HEALTHY BODIES• Play is a simple joy and a

cherished part of childhood • It is every child’s right to

experience

THE HUNDRED LANGUAGES BY LORIS MALAGUZZI, THE FOUNDER OF THE SCHOOLS OF REGGIO EMILIA

• 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 ways of listening, of marvelling, of loving,

• A hundred joys for singing and understanding,

• A hundred ways to discover,• A hundred worlds to invent,• A hundred worlds to dream........

MANY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES• Howard Gardner• EYLDF• Reggio Emilia educational

project

MANY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES• Child directed play• Teacher initiated play• Explicit adult led learning

ACTIVE LISTENING

BIG IDEA – THE LANGUAGE OF KINDNESS

• Kindness:• Having the quality to be

friendly generous, gentle and caring

• Kindness starts with yourself• Being kind isn’t the same as

being nice• Kindness is rooted in

empathy and acceptance

KINDNESS

• Engaging in Project work• Using an over arching theme• Children get opportunities to

explore their own ideas• Use of 100 languages –

children using unfamiliar materials

• Celebrating with the wider community

BIG IDEA 2017 LOOSE PARTS• Provides endless

open-ended play opportunities

• Caters to each unique stage of development

• Encourage exploration and problem solving

• Enhance creativity• Nature provides

perfectly balanced playground full of loose parts

NATURE PLAY• “Children are born with a sense of wonder and an affinity for

nature. Properly cultivated, these values can mature into ecological literacy, and eventually into sustainable patterns of living” Barlow (2004)

LAURISTON KINDERGARTEN NATURE DAY

• An optional addition to the program• Takes place on a Friday– 9.30am-1.30pm• Educators Danielle and Chrissy• Venue– Urban Forest East Malvern• Small group– 15 children

NATURE DAY - BENEFITS• Fostering a deeper connection with nature• Nature is a perfectly balanced play space for children• Growth of resilience and grit• Authentic knowledge of risk awareness• Uninterrupted time to pursue games of imagination

and creativity

GROUPINGS FOR 2019

• To Enhance Learning Opportunities

• Friendships• Birth Dates• Gender Balance• Past History

ORIENTATION

• New set of expectations

• Long days in unfamiliar environments make children very tired.

• Tired children can become unhappy children, who may not want to come to Kindergarten.

• Hot weather.

RHYTHMS OF THE DAY• Niall House• 8.45-9.15 Welcome and Morning Meeting• 9.15-10.30 Kookaburras and Dolphins

play in the outdoor area• Wombats and Lyrebirds work

at indoor activities• 10.30-11 Morning tea and Group times• 11-12.15 Kookaburras and Dolphins work

at indoor activities• Wombats and Lyrebirds play in

the outdoor area• 12.15-1 Lunch (again their may be story

time before)• 1-1.40 Kookaburras and Dolphins play in

the outdoor area• Wombats and Lyrebirds have a

quiet rest time• 1.40-2.30 Kookaburras and Dolphins have

a quiet rest time• Wombats and Lyrebirds play in

the outdoor area• 2.30-2.45 Children and teachers spend

time together to review the day, plan for tomorrow or play games together

• 2.45-3pm Children are ready for pickup and play while they wait

Michael House8.45-9.20 Quiet activities while teachers welcome each child and help them to settle9.20-10.30 Indoor activities10.30-11 Morning meeting/Group time and morning tea11-12.15 Outdoor play time12.15-1 Group time followed by lunch1-1.45 Outdoor play1.45-2.30 Rest time2.30 -2.45 Group time2.45-3 Quiet play until pick up

REGULATIONS

• Department of Education and Early Childhood

• Sign in Book• Records for medication and

accidents• Illness• Adults other than parents

who will pick up• School Nurse• Parents working within the

Kindergarten need a WWCC

CURRICULUM - INSIDE Parents are kept informed by:• The learning journal• Documentation and

displays in the rooms• Formal and informal

interviews

CURRICULUM - OUTSIDE

SPECIALIST LESSONSAT NIALL HOUSE:GYMDRAMAMUSIC

WHAT TO BRING

Everyday the children need to bring• A water bottle• Lunch packed in a lunch bag• Fruit for morning tea• Coat for chilly weather

SUSTAINABILITY

• Please be aware of plastic wrapping in the lunch box, we would like to reduce this as much as possible.

• Many lunch boxes are designed so that no wrapping is necessary.

• Please could yoghurt be provided in small containers rather than the squeezeyvariety.

CLOTHES

• Comfortable clothes• Appropriate footwear• Hat for term one and four• A change of clothes

REST TIME

• It is important for children to learn to be still

• A quiet time• Time for children to

regroup and rejuvenate• Children are able to listen

to CDs and stories• Teachers can use this time

for assessing children and small group work

• Children may bring a soft toy for rest

SPECIAL DAYS• Michael House:• Wheels Day• Indigenous educator• Mothers Day concert• Grandparents Week• Pizza lunch• Puppet show• Fathers Night• Dress up days• Hatching Chickens

SPECIAL DAYSNiall House:• Special Lunches• Footy Day• Excursion to the Botanic

Gardens, NGV• Meet the Musicians• Indigenous educator• Mothers’ Day Celebrations• Grandparents Week• Fathers Night• Artist in residence

THE LANGUAGE OF KINDNESS AT MICHAEL HOUSE

REFLECTIONS ON KINDNESS FROM THE POSSUM CHILDREN

“I am being kind when I give Daddy a kiss, and cuddle and thumbs up when he takes me to Kinder.”- Hannah

“I was kind when I went with my Nanny and bought some flowers for Mummy.”- Sophia

” I am kind when I share my soft toys with my baby sister”.- Elliot

THE PELICAN CHILDREN REFLECT ON HOW TREES ARE

KIND TO US

Missy: Birds make nests on trees. Trees make wood.

Willa: Trees gives apples & fruit

Issy: We get paper from trees

Aya: Trees make flowers, and they make me feel happy.

Piper: Trees gives us wood so we can play with it.

Franco: Wood for fire.

Alice :Oxygen

The Koalas Handprint Mural was created to show our commitment to using our

hands in kind ways.

Celebrating each member of the Koalas class through the creation

of our storybook.

“The best thing about friends is playing together. You need to be kind to your friends because it makes everyone happy” - Evie

THE KINDNESS PROJECTThe beginning of the project

• Careful observations of what the children do, say, make or draw

• What do the children already know about kindness?

• Acknowledging the children’s interest

“Letting someone else in your own tent.”

“We’re all together, my family and friends, walking and holding hands.”

Development of project:

Investigating the effects of plastic and rubbish on the environment and how we can make a difference to the

world

May all who come through our door be inspired wonder, to imagine and create,

to smile and sing and dream.

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