TERM 4 NEWSLETTER 2015 - Home Road Kindergarten · PDF file · 2015-12-03fantastic lesson in self-confidence and persistence. ... extremely productive and enjoyable one for the...

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TERM 4 NEWSLETTER 2015 This term has been a remarkably busy and exciting time of the year with prep transitions, orientation and general end of the year activities. Term 4 is a rewarding time to reflect on all the milestones the children have accomplished this year. We have observed children independently learning to take care of their personal belongings, develop positive relationships and friendships and source their own learning. It has been extremely rewarding watching children enter the classroom carrying their own bags and leaving with a smile in a happy and independent manner. On behalf the educators I wish to thank all the families for your contribution and assistance with working bees, committee roles and general help throughout the kindergarten sessions. The partnership between educators and staff is invaluable for building the strong community we have here at Home Road Kindergarten.

A huge thank-you to all the educational team who have shown passion and dedication in their work with children and families. The time and energy they put into the children’s program is reflective of each individual child’s enriched learning journey. Not forgetting the wonderful Carly and Janet who work tirelessly to see that our Kinder is always running smoothly. We wish our families who are leaving Home Road Kindergarten all the best for their child’s future educational journey and look forward to welcoming back families who will be returning in 2016. Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday and a very exciting New Year! Liz Dullard, Educational Leader

BLUE GROUPWow, where has the year gone! Over term 3 and 4 we have enjoyed taking our friend Sammy the Seagull home and sharing our adventures with him with the group. Sammy has seen so many new places and made lots of friends, I think he’ll need a big holiday soon!

At the beginning of Term 4 we reflected on our holidays away from kinder. The children used large pieces of easel paper to illustrate an aspect of their holiday that they enjoyed. It was

wonderful to see detailed drawings and how something small such as going to an oval to kick a footy really stands out for the children. We displayed these creations in our room and were a talking point for the children as they shared them with their friends. For children’s week we discussed The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We discussed what we thought were important things to have in our lives and then catergorised them into ‘wants’ and ‘needs’ to explore what were our rights to live a safe and happy life. The children then told us what they thought their Rights were and we displayed these thoughts and ideas in the room to share with our families and the other groups at HRK. We had an excursion to Bunnings! We had a store tour and got to meet lots of the people who work there, see how some machines such as the fork lifts and big wood saws worked. We also had an incursion from ‘I Can Dance’ who shared a

wonderful story of believing in yourself and giving something a go even when you think you can’t do something. On one of those earlier warm days we took the opportunity to have a water play day where the children came dressed in their bathers and enjoyed cooling off in the sprinkler and slip’n’slide. The children were so excited and really loved it! As the year is coming to an end we will celebrate our time together with an end of year party and concert for our families on Thursday 17th December. Thank you to all the families for warmly welcoming Miss Nicole to the HRK teaching team this year and for their support, either through helping at kinder, volunteering for excursions, helping to source books for our reading challenge, being part of the committee, coming to working bees or helping with our kinder washing! We really appriecate your efforts and involvement in your child’s time here at HRK! We will miss our Blue Group friends and wish you all a wonderful holiday season and all the best for the new adventures in 2016! – Miss Nicole, Mrs Grace and Miss Sandra


TERM 4 NEWSLETTER 2015 RED GROUP

Term four is flying by so fast! Each week we observe amazing developmental milestones for all the red group children. We started the term with a focus on our animal handprint art project. The children used their knowledge base to creatively design their own animal handprints. The children are still to put their finishing touches on their work, using googly eyes, feathers and a range of craft materials. The project encouraged the children to research their animals and discuss their habitats. We have been very impressed with the children’s cutting skills and ability to work collaboratively in pairs and small groups.

This term we have managed to squeeze in two wonderful excursions. The visit to Bunnings was super exciting and extended the children’s interest in building and using tools. Naturally the bus was a highlight for our red group class. We also had the pleasure of visiting the Essendon Traffic School. The educators were very impressed

with the children’s well developed gross motor skills, demonstrating balance and coordination as they made their way around the traffic course. They listened attentively as the traffic instructor outlined the road rules and walked them through the expectations for the day.

In the next few weeks our class will be finishing off their end of year activities and preparing for our end of the year concert. It will be held on Monday 14th December at 12:00pm. We will be having some party food afterwards and will put out a list of foods for families to

bring along. This is to ensure that the food is inclusive and safe for all children. We will require 2-3 helpers after the concert to help prepare the plates of food. If you are able to assist please speak to Liz.

Our red group have been having lots of discussions about the transition to school and the children have been eager to share their school orientation experiences. We have a small “prep classroom” at kinder

where the children have the opportunity to role play being a teacher and a school student. They have enjoyed putting on the uniforms and taking turns to “teach”, “read” and “play games” with their peers! We have also given the children lots of opportunities to use a variety of tools like scissors, staplers, tape dispensers, rulers, looking at print and also developing their interests in patterns, alphabets, numbers and problem solving. Supporting children through the school transition is very important and we continue to focus on preparing them to enjoy and settle into their new school environment.

Finally, a very special thank you to all our wonderful red group families for your partnership, support and contribution to the children’s program. We will miss you and all the red group children very much! Hope you all have a safe and happy holiday and all the best in the year 2016! Miss Liz, Miss Amelia and Miss Rachael

ORANGE GROUPCan you believe that there is only 2 weeks left before the end of the year?

I certainly cannot! This time of year is especially bitter sweet for me as I prepare to say goodbye to an incredible group of children whom have blown me away from day one. Whilst it’s going to be hard seeing them go, I am more than confident that they are ready to enter into the exciting/scary world of

school.

To recap on our very last

Term, we have enjoyed a wide range of experiences such as our ‘I Can Dance’ incursion which delivered a

fantastic lesson in self-confidence and persistence. A highlight for the children was the opportunity to learn and practice dances from around

the world.

We had some fun in the sun by engaging in a ‘Water Day’! The day started off with a water balloon fight

and a trip down the water slide. We had miniature pools, sprinklers and water pistols. It was lovely to see the children really enjoy their outside

space in a whole new light.

Our excursion to Bunnings was another highlight for Orange Group! We

enjoyed our bus trip to the store (the bus trip is always the highlight) and got to partake in a store tour, crafts and a play on the playground. We also purchased some lovely flowers to take back to kinder with us.

We’ve also loved our first (ever!) class novel which we have been reading during our group times. From a spontaneous

interest observed outside, we chose Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! We have extended on this learning by engaging in a wide range of experiences such as a ‘candy invention table’,

chocolate slime and candy science experiments.

Now that Christmas is around the corner, we have been super busy creating some lovely gifts and practicing our ‘concert extravaganza’! The children cannot wait to perform for all of their family members. The concert will be on our last day of term

(Monday 14th of Dec) and will begin at 2:30pm. We hope to see you there!!

Finally, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of the Orange Group parents and families for their support throughout the

year! It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you all and wish you all the best for next year. Have a fantastic Christmas and a lovely New Year!! Miss Alyce and

Ms Melanie


TERM 4 NEWSLETTER 2015 AQUA GROUP

Sadly we’re finally coming to the end of the year. It has been an extremely productive and enjoyable one for the children, parents as well as staff. Aqua group have been an amazing and very settled and sociable group. The quiet children who started at the beginning of the year have now grown in confidence and are more able to face the challenges that school and life presents them.

Over the past term the children have experienced and enjoyed the I Can Dance incursion, our trip to Bunnings, Counting Smiles and our picnic at Altona Miniature Railway. Unfortunately our excursion to the Traffic School had to be cancelled due to bad weather; however we went for a walk to the local Post Office to buy stamps and post the letter we had written to our families. This was part of our school transition program. The children then went to the local green grocer to each buy a piece of fruit/vegetable to make a wrap/fruit kebab to enjoy later on in the session. We talked about

money (they each paid coins for their purchases), the postal system and healthy foods and the effect they have on our wellbeing. The children have been experiencing a structured “school routine” for a short amount of time during one session per week to get into the routine of working

together at the same time as they will need to do at school. They each completed a work sheet and were very proud of their accomplishments. Dianne and I will greatly miss all our pupils and wish them every success and happiness in their ongoing education. I hope all they have learnt throughout the year and the friendships they have made will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives. We would like to thank our wonderful and supportive parents for all their help and friendship throughout the year and wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas season. Helen and Dianne

YELLOW GROUPWe cannot believe how fast this year has gone and with only 2 weeks left, we prepare for the children’s transition into 4 year old kinder! We are very excited/sad for the children to make the move as we are more than confident that they are ready for a big year ahead. We believe that they have developed into confident learners and we hope that the children had a successful orientation day!

As for this term, we have been busy engaging in a wide range of experiences led by the children’s development and learning.

We loved ‘Water Day’, as the children had lots of fun getting (and getting others!) wet! We had a group water fight, a slip ‘n’ slide, small pools and a sprinkler. It was lovely to see them laughing and enjoying their friendships within the group. We had a fantastic incursion by ‘Drama Toolbox’ which was based on our interest in dinosaurs! The children had an opportunity to

take on dramatic roles within an interactive story. They were able to dance, sing and dress up as their favourite dinosaurs. It was a brilliant incursion that was inclusive for all children! We recently had a visit from the dentist which was a great opportunity for the children to extend their ability to self-care. The children learnt about healthy eating and how important it is to keep our teeth clean. Some children had a quick check by the dentist and were given a show bag for their efforts. It was lovely to see the children work together in pairs assisting one another during the check.

Over the past week, the excitement of Christmas has hit as we have been busy creating lovely presents for our families and practicing our Christmas concert! The children have been working

extremely hard on their choreography and are super excited to share this surprise with their family. Our Christmas concert will be on our last day of term (Wednesday 16th of Dec) and will begin at 4pm! We look forward to seeing you all! Lastly, we would like to say a big thank you to all of our lovely Yellow Group parents and families for a great year. We look forward to seeing you all again next year! Have a very Merry Christmas and a fabulous New Year! Miss Alyce, Ms Melanie and Ms Mary


TERM 4 NEWSLETTER 2015 GREEN GROUP

It’s hard to believe I’m writing our last newsletter for the year! Where has the year gone? Term 4 has been a busy one in green group. We have extended on a number of interests emerging from the children from dinosaurs, cars and roads, games, healthy eating and teeth, and

lastly Christmas. We have also introduced the group treasure bags and the children have been sharing something special from home with all of their friends at kinder. It has been great watching the children come out of their shells over the last 2 terms and gain more confidence and make some lovely friendships. The children have enjoyed incursions from Drama toolbox about dinosaurs and also having our dental visit where the children learn to use different dentist tools and equipment and how to keep their teeth healthy. Over the last few weeks we have been doing lots of fun Christmas activities

as well as starting to practise for our upcoming concert. We have made letters to Santa by sticking on clips from catalogues of what we would like for Christmas, we have made wrapping paper

and started working very hard on our gifts to our families and Christmas cards. Reminder - Christmas concert Tuesday 15th December starting approximately 8.45-9am when all the children arrive - followed by Christmas party. We hope to see you all there! We would just like to take this opportunity to thank all of our green group families for their ongoing support and participation in the kinder program. It has been a pleasure teaching all of your children over the last 2 terms and I look forward to seeing them all in 4 year old kinder when I visit. Have a great Christmas and enjoy the holidays with your families! Ms Leanne and Ms Krissy

PURPLE GROUPWelcome to Term 4! What a year we’ve had and how our Purple Group friends have grown! We have seen such a progression

since the beginning of the year and are so proud of how far they have come. They’ve really settled into kinder life and have become more independent and confident.

In Purple group we have been playing a few games, such as Doggy Doggy Who’s Got the Bone, Memory Recall and What’s the Time Mr Wolf. They have really loved playing these games, either as a whole group experience or as small groups. These types of games help the children to

understand about being part of a group to work towards something together, assists with their developing patience and concentration skills, as well as persistence and giving it a go when things are hard.

This term we had a wonderful ‘Under the Sea’ incursion provided by Drama Toolbox. The children dressed up as

different sea creatures and acted out a story based around environmental awareness. The children were all involved and absolutely loved the costumes and imaginative play!

We also had our Dental Screening visit and learnt about ‘sometimes’ foods and how we shouldn’t eat these types of foods everyday as they aren’t very healthy for our teeth. It was a great reminder for the children about what are healthy food options and reinforced HRK’s Nutrition and Active Play Policy, as we promote healthy lunchbox options.

We will be celebrating our year together in Purple group on Monday 14th December with a party and concert.

Thank you to all the families for warmly welcoming Miss Nicole to the teaching team at HRK! It has been a wonderful year getting to know you all and we hope to still see you around HRK next year! Thank you for all your support, either helping during the sessions, being part of the committee or helping at the working bees, we really appreciate your time and effort. We hope you have a safe and relaxing time over the holiday season and look forward to seeing you next year! Miss Nicole & Mrs Grace


TERM 4 NEWSLETTER 2015 CENTRE INFORMATION

Committee News: Our Annual General Meeting and Parent Information Night was held on Wednesday 18 November. We had a great turnout and lots of brand new excited Home Road Kinder parents.

We wish to thank the 2015 outgoing committee members for their time and huge effort throughout this enormous year. A few have been on the committee for a number of years and we are truly grateful for their contributions. Huge thanks to: Jo Sutton, Catherine Brennan, Mel Fisher, Andrea Frisby, Andrea Brereton, Danielle Reid, Andrea Holland, Adele Aldridge, Tamsin Beale, Narelle Taylor, Betty Avramoski, Sara Williams, Sam Hart, Erin Stubbs, Josie Tennant, Kate Rowett and Lisa Brennan. Thank you too to the kindergarten group liaisons – you have done a great job keeping your groups in check.

We’d also like to welcome the 2016 committee members and are very fortunate to again have a great mix of brand new enthusiastic parents, as well as a few continuing members. After having been a part of the HRK committee for 4 years, including 2 years as President, I am retiring! Next year will be my 6th

consecutive year as a kindergarten parent, so as my 3rd child enters her final year at kindergarten, I am going to sit back and enjoy my time as ‘being a parent’ once again! I wish my successor, Mel Fisher and her committee all the best for 2016!

To the whole administration and educational teams and the HRK community - you are the foundations that make Home Road one of the most sought after Kindergartens in the Hobsons Bay area and I thank you wholeheartedly for your enormous contributions. Jo Sutton - President 2015 HRK Committee

3yo 2016: All places have been allocated and we have a small waiting list. Group swaps will only take place until Term 1 begins.

4yo 2016: We have several vacancies so please contact Council if you require a 4yo place for next year.

For any enrolment queries, please contact Carly at the centre or via email at [email protected]

Fundraising & Event Update: The Aver & Line Family Portrait Event was a great success and families now have beautiful pics ready for Christmas.

Bunnings BBQ: We raised $1,240 and would like to thank all of the parents who put their name on the roster to help, or came along and bought a sausage! A great team effort Thanks to Mel Fisher for coordinating.

4yo Christmas Party: Flyer below. We’re all set for a fun evening at the Altona Miniature Railway TODAY!!

Andrea Holland & Erin Stubbs (Events & Fundraising team)

TERM 4 WORKING BEE: Our last working bee for 2015 was held on Sunday 22 November and it was a great one! We had a full house with all our green group families and many others who came along to get dirty! All our jobs done, little garden projects completed and our kinder looked spick & span when we were

finished. Thank you to all our families for your help throughout 2015...we couldn't do it without you!

Happy Christmas, Erin Stubbs & Josie Tennant

KINDER CLEAN UP – HELPERS NEEDED! As you can imagine, it’s a HUGE job to get the whole kindergarten washed, cleaned and packed up for the

holidays so we’d love some help!! Rosters are in the entry area so please put your name down and chat to educators if

you can help on any particular day. Jobs include washing toys, equipment, tables and chairs, tidying cupboards and

store rooms, doing laundry. Or come along to clean up day on Friday 18 December and lend a hand!

mailto:[email protected]


TERM 4 NEWSLETTER 2015

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

We’re collecting food for families in need this

Christmas

Home Road Kindergarten has signed up to collect non-perishable food for families in crisis in the lead-up to the festive season.

It’s all part of Wesley Mission Victoria’s Food for Families appeal, which helps families who are struggling with the basic cost of living by providing nutritious food and household essentials, at Christmas time and all throughout the year.

We’re calling on all families to donate non-perishable food and household essentials, which will go directly towards families in need this festive season. Whether it’s a single can of food, or a whole bag of groceries, your donation will mean that a local

family will be able to put food on the table this Christmas.

Our donation boxes are located in the foyer. Drop your donations in the box anytime up until Friday 11 December, which is when it will be collected by the Food For Families team.

Wesley is encouraging people to consider donating items that are most in need by families and people experiencing homelessness. These include pasta and pasta sauces, ready-to-eat meals, baby food, breakfast cereal and essential toiletries. A

full list is displayed at kinder or available here.

We thank you for your generous support.

DATES TO REMEMBER 4YO CHRISTMAS PARTY Thursday 3 December from 5-7pm Altona Miniature Railway

CHRISTMAS CONCERTS Aqua – Wednesday 9 December 9am Purple – Monday 14 December 9am Red – Monday 14 December 12pm Orange – Monday 14 December 2.30pm Green – Tuesday 15 December 9am Yellow – Wednesday 16 December 4pm Blue – Thursday 17 December 9am

LAST SESSIONS FOR 2015: Monday 14 December – Orange & Purple groups Tuesday 15 December – Green group Wednesday 16 December – Red, Aqua & Yellow groups Thursday 17 December – Blue group KINDER CLEAN UP DAY – ALL WELCOME!! Friday 18 December – No kinder sessions. Please come along and help the staff clean and tidy our centre. Please note: Our centre is closed from Friday 18 December 2015 and reopens for staff on Wednesday 27 January 2016. Children start attending from Friday 29 January 2016. Please check your enrolment pack for details.

Donate to an asylum seeker child this holiday season by dropping a new, unwrapped present into our donation boxes situated outside of the back kinder room! The toy donation

drive will be running until the 11th of December! Please note: we will not be accepting any OLD or USED toys.

The West Welcome Wagon are a fantastic organisation who help newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers who are living

within the West! Check out their website: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WestWelcomeWagonRefug

eeSupport/?fref=ts

Thank you for your support!

https://wesley.org.au/home/food-for-families-appeal/you-can-make-a-difference-for-families-in-need/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WestWelcomeWagonRefugeeSupport/?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WestWelcomeWagonRefugeeSupport/?fref=ts


TERM 4 NEWSLETTER 2015

Host Families Needed!

Japanese University students visit our kindergarten in 2016 The students are from Nagoya Women’s University in Japan and are studying Child Education. Home Road Kindergarten has been hosting Japanese students for nearly 10 years and in 2016, we will again host 8 students. They will visit our kindergarten to observe classes and introduce Japanese culture. Please consider hosting a student and complete the form below. Duration: 21st Feb (Sun) to 8th March (Tue) 2016 for 16 nights How many: One student per family Homestay fee: Payment of $550 for your expenses Please provide 3 meals a day (Breakfast, packed lunch & dinner) If you have any questions about this matter, please contact Midori: On 03-9572-3381 / 0418-540-865 or E-mail: [email protected]

****************************************Cut off line *****************************************

Application form Your children’s name and age/gender ______________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Parents (other household) name/gender____________________________________________ E-mail address: ___________________________________ Telephone No. ____________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________ Pet/s: ________________________ Method of transport to school:_____________________

*Please return this form to your kindergarten office. Thank you for your cooperation.

mailto:[email protected]

TERM 4 NEWSLETTER 2015 - Home Road Kindergarten · PDF file · 2015-12-03fantastic lesson in self-confidence and persistence. ... extremely productive and enjoyable one for the...

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