Balcombe Preschool Newsletter - Term 3 - 2014 by Magneto Design

NEWSLETTER Term 3 - 2014

THE TEACHERS

Welcome to Term 3 newsletter for 2014! In This Issue:

Eliza

Jessica

Rebecca

Reminders 2 Presidents Report 3 Fundraising Committee Report 4 4 Year Old Teachers’ Report 6 3 Year Old Teachers’ Report 10 Seals & Sea Stars Photos 12 Dolphin, Lobster & Penguin Photos 26 The Turtles Photos 36

LAST WORKING BEE FOR THIS YEAR: Sunday 12th October: 9am - 12pm

Jessie

Kerri

Kellie

Kristy

Natalie 2

FROM THE PRESIDENT Oh what a year it has been - TERM 3 all over ready for school holidays! I have to admit to a miniscule speck of glee at the rapid approach of November and with that the AGM and with that the end of our committee for 2014 and my presidency. That glee is tempered by the realisation that my little girl and last one will next year be going to school and I will no longer have a connection with that world of innocence, wonder and trust that you see in a kinder-aged child, and which Balcombe Preschool works so hard to foster. Eva’s graduation means mine as well you see, time to go back to the grown-up world. I don’t want to. I like volunteering. I love the sense of camaraderie, of community, of doing (biggest compliment you can give anyone in my book is describing them as a ‘do-er’).

of committee. Following is a BIG thanks to all committee members, teachers and fellow families and you won’t be surprised to see that all of them have loved the experience of being part of Balcombe Preschool like I have. Also a very big apology goes out to many parents and families of the 3 year old Turtles program for 2015, this has been an agenda item for many years due to lack of funding and as a committee we had to make a drastic call last month to not to go ahead for 2015. Bogan Bingo, Family Night, Fundraising, Playground, Outdoor Pergola, Teachers Personal Development, Government Funding, Children, Activities, Community, Parents, Grandparents, Carers, Working bees, Art and Craft, Singing, Friendships, Committee. Just to name a few things that have been a part of Balcombe Preschool. We’re looking for next year’s committee now, they’ll be elected at the AGM (have I mentioned it’s on November )Have a think about it. Just before I go I want to thank the 2014 committee for the opportunity to work with you, it has been a pleasure and I’m glad I got to share the experience with you.

I love inspirational flights of fancy, shared with others, buoyed by others, occasionally brought back down to earth by a fit of See you all in Term 4 reality but usually making a phenomenal transition from flight of fancy to goal. And laughing at problems, I really like laughing Happy Holidays at problems, that happens when you volunteer. Because you Christopher Britt are never doing it alone. I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned in previous newsletters about the benefits of being a member President on behalf of the committee

FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE REPORT

TERM 3 2014

Bogan Bingo and Auction Night, September 6th 2014 The Fundraising and Social Committee would like to thank all the parents and friends who attended and really got into the spirit of our Bogan Bingo and Auction night. It was a great success and a lot of fun was had by all. Your support is greatly appreciated and because of it we raised $6700! This means that we can go ahead with our plans for a new outdoor play area for the for the children. Thank you also to the Pre-School families who very kindly donated items for our auction, raffles and prizes. We would especially like to thank all the businesses who very generously donated to our event. Please show your appreciation for their support by visiting their stores and using their services in the future. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Enchanted Adventure Garden Arthurs Seat Trail Rides Adventure Park Geelong Peninsula Hot Springs Bay Play Beleura House and Garden National Sports Museum Puffing Billy Harbour Dive RACV Cape Schanck Resort Peninsula Skate World Ultimate Driver Mornington Cinema Phillip Island Nature Parks Mornington Railway Safety Beach Golf Club Orbit Fitness Mishfit Peninsula Boxing Results Fitness Evolution Get Active Physio The Yoga Room Progress St Service Station Beaurepairs Autobuff Car Detailing Total Tools Bowens Hardware Jacqueline Howson N.D. Mornington Complimentary Medicine Zumay Salon Azura Salon Endota Spa Mornington Ayurveda- Mel McMaster Peninsula Life Medi Spa Healthwise Therapies

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

John Old Optometrist Bata Shoe Company Pure Silver Impressions Carls Spring Fashion Myindah Yo Ko Original Peninsula Surf Cooinda Cat Resort Country Club Kennel Resort High Tea In Paris Higher Ground The Grand Hotel Via Boffe Via Battisti La Porchetta Bay Hotel Wok on Bay Rumours Café Commonfolk Coffee Crittenden Estate Portsea Estate Glitter Critters Face Painting Peninsula Jumping Castles Kids On Main Playball Amazing Toys Kings Swim School Dancesation Kiddieswim Kids Ahoy Stirling Tennis Coaching Angus and Rose Frankie and Lola Growing Child Katie Toland Photography James Harvie Photography

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Higher Ground The Grand Hotel Via Boffe Via Battisti La Porchetta Bay Hotel Wok on Bay Rumours Café Commonfolk Coffee Crittenden Estate Portsea Estate Glitter Critters Face Painting Peninsula Jumping Castles Kids On Main Playball Amazing Toys Kings Swim School Dancesation Kiddieswim Kids Ahoy Stirling Tennis Coaching Angus and Rose Frankie and Lola Growing Child Katie Toland Photography James Harvie Photography Glen McCulluch Photography Shop Around The Corner Home Innovations Centre Dinas Estate Agents Access Health The Good Guys Snooze Mornington Sandi Faulkner The Botanical Institute Blue Oak

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• •

Marion Rosetzky Bullfrogs Bali Element Garden Design Dirt Girls Gardening Arbor Co Unilever Bianca’s Teas and Coffee Melbourne Museum Frankston Arts Centre Mt Martha Fine Foods Milk Bat & Co. Dromana Amcal Pharmacy Van/Accent Group Dollar Curtains an Blinds Raw Sugar RT Edgar Portsea The Party Place Mornington The Financial Planning Experts Main Desire Mornington Wild Vixen

•

Elemental Wellness

•

We also say a big thanks to all the Pre-School families that donated!

4 YEAR OLD TEACHERS REPORT:

News from the Seals, Sea Stars, Penguins, Lobsters & Dolphins Can you believe that there is only one term of preschool to go?! That there are only 14 weeks until Christmas! Where has the year gone! Recapping on Term 3… It was great to get feedback from the children about what they’d done in the Term 2 school holidays. We used their returned portfolio holiday pages as a basis to plan our program for the beginning of term. Many children had visited the snow, so we learnt a lot about the season of winter;- changes to the weather (snow, frost, hail, wind, storms etc.) and the subsequent changes to our lifestyles (heating our homes, food and drinks to keep us warm, winter sports etc.) Activities included finger painting with shaving cream, making and playing with “designer snow”, white, sparkly play dough, making snowmen and “winter” children in raincoats, gumboots etc., cutting out snowflakes and decorating umbrellas. The other stand out holiday experience was that many children went to see “How to train your dragon 2” and “Rio 2” in the cinemas! This led us to holding our own “Movie Day” where we made our own movie tickets and watched some short Pixar films whilst eating popcorn!

The Commonwealth Games in July provided a focus for us to learn some the important life skills of; • having a go and participating • trying your best • team work • being a good sport The Seals and Sea Stars held their own “Mini Games Day”. They made their own medals and we talked about everyone being a “star” at something, whether it was a sporting skill, being helpful, a good big sister or a kind friend! The children competed in team sports (tunnel ball and a baton relay) as well as individual sports (sack races and bean bag throwing). Lots of fun, cheering and squealing leading to our neighbours across the road wondering what was going on! It’s so exciting at this stage of the year to see the children’s concentration, questioning and problem solving skills maturing as they take the extra thought, time and effort with each activity and experience. This has been particularly evident in the interest in our literacy and numeracy tables this term. As a lead on from learning about shapes at our numeracy table, we did some fun shape activities to extend this learning. We played a mystery shape game, made our own shape monsters and used foam shapes to collage into pictures. The cardboard ATM was also a huge hit and led on to some great discussions about money! Jessica made some fantastic “story stones” for our literacy table which provoked imaginations for story telling as well as learning the concept of the beginning, middle and ending of a story.

TERM 3 2014

4 YEAR OLD TEACHERS REPORT:

News from the Seals, Sea Stars, Penguins, Lobsters & Dolphins During “Science week”, each day we performed experiments, with follow up activities to consolidate these ideas. These not only provoked some fantastic conversations and ideas from the children, but also encouraged them to make predictions (hypothesise), explain their thinking to others, experiment with cause and effect and reflect on what they had learnt. The highlight for all groups would have had to have been creating a volcano in the sandpit and watching it erupt with vinegar, bicarb soda and red dye! Book week helped to promote an enjoyment of books and storytelling! Our activities focussed on some classics such as “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, “The Cat in the hat”, “Where’s the Green Sheep” and “The Gruffalo”. Our “Dress up as a Book Character” was a lot of fun! Book week led onto a week of traditional fairy tales and fantasy! We made crowns, wands and knights shields and acted out “The 3 Billy Goats Gruff” outside using the planks as the trolls bridge! During the past month, the children have been kept busy preparing gifts for Father’s Day. We read Dad’s Homework out at each mat time where we discovered important and things about each child’s Dad; - his occupation, leisure interests and what he likes to do with his son/daughter. Well done Dads (and perhaps some Mums on behalf of Dad’s!) We hope you all had a spoilt day on Sunday 7th September and appreciated the effort that your child put into your gift! We will be having a special “Dad’s Night/V.I.P Night” in October so that we can take full advantage of daylight savings for a Sausage Sizzle and indoor/outdoor program! The last 3 weeks has revolved largely around our forthcoming visit from Andrew Wegener – the Australian wildlife expert in the last week of term. We have been using books, discussions and songs with clues to identify animals with particular characteristics and have had discussions about dangerous Australian animals with venom/poison and nocturnal animals that only come out at night. Justine Clarke’s “Gumtree Family” has been popular! Activities have included;- clay instead of play dough, drawing our favourite Australian animal then

painting it with dye, Aboriginal dot painting, sensory play and classification with a range of native plant nuts and seed pods, practicing our cutting and stapling to make ;- a fruit bat, an emu & a snake, playing the table top games of snakes and ladders and baby animal lotto. Other special experiences have included watching the video story of “Possum Magic” then making vegemite sandwiches, mini pavlovas and lamingtons for afternoon tea and “Footy Day”! The first week of Term 4 is “National Space Week” so we will be creating a space corner for dramatic play and learning all about space through discussions, books, puzzles and craft activities. We have also planned an excursion for the first time to “Dinosaur World” in Somerville in October! If you’re searching for things to do these holidays, a visit to the Planetarium at Science works and/or the Melbourne Museum could therefore be a fun lead up to these interest topics! As the children approach their last term of pre-school, we are trying to inspire independent and creative thinking and problem solving which will help them in the school environment! We will also be encouraging them to be more responsible for their own belongings, hat, art work etc. and would appreciate your help in supporting this rather than doing things for them (even if it does take longer!) Eliza and Jessica have already met with the local prep teachers to discuss individual children, their interests, friendships, strengths and areas they may need help with next year. Hopefully this will help promote a smooth transition period into prep life! Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday break and we look forward to seeing everyone back for the final term showdown! Don’t forget that now Spring is here, the children need to wear their broad rimmed hat whenever we go outside please! The staff at Balcombe Pre-School ☺

TERM 3 2014 COMING EVENTS Monday 6th October Term 4 commences Monday 6th October – Friday 10th October National Science Week Monday 20th October Seal & Sea Star Dad’s Night/V.I.P Night Tuesday 21st October Lobster, Penguin & Dolphin excursion to “Dinosaur World” Somerville Monday 27th October Seal & Sea Star excursion to “Dinosaur World” Somerville Tuesday 28th October Lobster & Penguin Dad’s Night/V.I.P Night Wednesday 29th October Dolphin Dad’s Night/V.I.P Night Monday 3rd November – NO PRESCHOOL SESSIONS in lieu of “Dad’s Nights/V.I.P Nights” Monday 4th November Cup Day Holiday

3 YEAR OLD TEACHER’S REPORT: News from the Turtles

Welcome to the end of another fun filled term. It’s hard to believe we are here already! And what a great term we have had from looking into the changes in the weather, to our special hero’s (dad) and exploring patterns we have been busy. The children have been wonderfully creative this term using the skills they gained over the year so far to put together more detailed and thought-out creations. They have taken more time and while the work might not look to everyone’s eyes more special then earlier in the year, they have taken and put a lot more time and thought into these newer creations (often over 20min). We hope you enjoy talking to your child about what they did in the process part of their work than just looking at the end product, as this will give you more insight into your child’s ideas and thoughts, as well as see how much more developed their fine motor skills are becoming (using sticky tape, scissors and staplers). The home corner has always been a hive of activity over the year and this term was no exception- it was transformed into a restaurant and the children loved spending there time eating, serving and helping out at the Cash registers. There was always a busy hive of activity in this area and it was interesting to hear what the children ordered and then what they actually got (asking for chips, might get veggies!) Now the area has been changed into an Australian wild life area and the children have been busy pretending they are in the bush. With book week falling within this term the children enjoyed engaging in a range of activities and stories. With the introduction of the story stones the children had been keen to look at the pictures and talk about each one- often focusing

on 3 key language questions- what is it, where would you find it, how can it be used? These are all important concepts to explore before beginning to use them in stories. It was interesting to hear them start to make basic stories, taking the picture cues and places to create their own ideas, often engaging with a friend. One of the most exciting things the children looked into this term was their dad’s. With many of the children being interest in superhero’s, we look this and talked about how our dad’s are our own superhero and all the special things they do for us. The children loved making their dad’s a mask to wear on Father’s dad and enjoyed dressing-up and pretending to be superhero’s themselves. With the heart of winder on us during this term, and lots of rainy days during the week, we introduced the children to some simple and relaxing meditation near the end of our sessions- to help them deal with all their extra energy and show a way for them to calm down. This was greatly enjoyed, the children enjoyed listening to the ‘story’ and would comment to us how their garden or cubby looked. It is important for children at this age to begin to understand their own bodies in relation to their own wellbeing and find methods and ways that they can help themselves reach a positive balance for play and life. We look forward to seeing everyone back again next term for more fun. Ms Rebecca & Kerri

TERM 3 2014

SEALS & SEA STARS PHOTOS

TERM 3 2014

SEALS & SEA STARS PHOTOS

TERM 3 2014

SEALS & SEA STARS PHOTOS

TERM 3 2014

SEALS & SEA STARS PHOTOS

TERM 3 2014

SEALS & SEA STARS PHOTOS

TERM 3 2014

SEALS & SEA STARS PHOTOS

TERM 3 2014

SEALS & SEA STARS PHOTOS

TERM 3 2014