Reddam Early Learning School Newsletter - Lindfield Vol 22 Issue 12

Principal’s Message

By Mrs Kath Boyd

Dear Parents, We welcomed the beginning of Term 2 with glorious Autumn weather! It has been wonderful to see all the children return safely to the ELS, rested and ready for more fun and learning. A huge thank you to our fabulous teachers for the excellent April Vacation Care Program they successfully ran over the past 3 weeks. All Assistant Educators creatively designed a range of activities which produced a relaxed, funloving vacation vibe. I was very impressed with the support we received from parents who made an effort to send their child to school in theme-related costumes or with props/books that enhanced the learning experiences. Standouts for me - the Face Painting Fairy was a hoot . . . and Mr. Luan proved, yet again, to be an outstanding Easter Bunny! Please enjoy an overview of each VCP Day in this newsletter and the three VCP Display Boards near the kitchen that have been lovingly compiled by Doris.

“Thank you for a super fun day! Olivia loves her wand!” (MY – Stage 3 Parent) “The children all looked so cute with their faces painted, and what a fantastic elf costume, Michael… best on ground.” (EP – Stage 3 Parent) The teachers and I are all looking forward to an exciting term of learning, growth, discovery and adventure. All of our teaching teams have devised learning experiences relating to provocations which have been sparked by the children’s interests. The opportunities for learning and creativity are endless with themes such as these: 1R 1E 2R 2E 3R 3E 4R 4E

Literacy: Books & Nursery Rhymes Imagination What’s Out There?

The Living World Around Us S.T.E.A.M. - Critical Thinking Connecting to our World Becoming My Strongest Self Being: Exploring Planet Earth

The Term 2 Specialist Teacher Lessons commenced this week and will continue to take place on the following days: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Drama (Xanthe) Music (Andy) Art (own lessons) Playball (Coach Lauren) Mandarin (Chloe)

Principal’s Message Continued...

By Mrs Kath Boyd

“Motherhood is a sharing of space - both the biological level and also in the metaphorical sense of the word, where motherhood means accepting the other into the wider space of the body of a family, of society, and of the whole universe.” (Mother Maria Skobtsova & Hélène Cixous) Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Mother’s Day Celebration this morning. It is always wonderful to have the important people in our lives join us at school. Thank you also to the teachers for organising such joyous activities and Jasmine & Chenise for the delicious morning tea . . . what a team!

"I just want to say thank you again for everything you did for us this morning. I looove the gift that Kyle made for me, and have already put it on my desk in the office. Hope you enjoyed the morning too." (VC - S4 Parent) "You always go above and beyond to make us feel really special.

We really appreciate everything you do." (ED - S4 Parent) Congratulations to all our Lindfield Chamber of Commerce Mother's Day Art Competition Entrants! I am thrilled to announce our school winners were: 1st - Felix (3E), 2nd - Alexander (4R) and 3rd - Luka (3R). The prizes were delivered today and all the portraits will be returned to school next week.

Care Packs Our school is once again joining numerous other Sydney-based child care services in a project led

by Gunawirra (https://gunawirra.org.au/), a not-for-profit organisation that aims to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and communities to develop to their full potential. Gunawirra works in direct response to the needs and resources that Aboriginal Preschools in outback Australia require, with ongoing collaboration and consultation. These preschools are urgently in need of Care Packs for girls and boys aged between 2 - 5 years old, preferably packed inside a backpack. Last year our school donated 61 Care Packs to this marvellous project. This is not compulsory, however IF you would like to participate, please follow the instructions in the letter that will be emailed out today. Care Packs can be delivered to the office any time before the 25th of May.

Occupational Therapy & Speech Therapy Parent Information Evening On Wednesday 18th May, from 6 – 8pm, all interested parents are invited to join the staff and I at a workshop led by Celeste Ashcroft (Occupational Therapist) and Lois Cho (Speech Pathologist). This event will follow Covid-19 Protocols and provide an excellent opportunity to ask any related questions you may have. Please RSVP to Miss Grace (grace.nolan@reddamels.com.au) by Monday 16th May if you would like to attend.

Wishing you all a restful weekend.

Pictured above: Lily, Rory & Charles (1E) celebrating Easter at school. Pictured below: Our Belonging Heart

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3R Food Drive

By Gace Nolan

The Stage 3R Term 1 Provocation looked at how we as a class are connected to the world and how we contribute to it. During our Community Week provocation we had the opportunity to invite our families to donate non-perishable food items and supplies for the children to use in their dramatic play ‘Food Bank’ area. Children learn best when they are able to use real life tools, equipment and materials, in this case, real packets of food. With Educator guidance, we facilitated dramatic play that allowed the children to pretend to donate food for those who needed it most - those who were affected by the floods. The children chose their items of food and presented it to the cashier to donate.

In our ‘Morning Meetings’ we discussed the importance of sharing and how we can give to others when they are in need. The children were able to recognise how this demonstrated ‘Fair & Kind’ behaviour and reflected our ‘Core Values.

Once we had wrapped up our ‘Community’ topic, we decided to donate to Addi Road Food Pantry. This organisation rescues 8 tonnes of food every week and sells it back to the community at very low cost or for free depending on circumstances. This community based organisation started in response to growing inequality and environmental concerns in 2016 and is supported by a fantastic team of volunteers, staff, partner organisations and business donors.

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Week 1: Australian Authors Day 1: Mem Fox

By Doris, Natalie & Lauren

This week we celebrated the children’s favourite Australian authors. The first author who we introduced to the children was Mem Fox. She has written many beautiful books that feature Australian animals and adventures. The three story books we chose for the children were The Magic Hat, Possum Magic and Where is the Green Sheep?

In Stages 1 and 2, the children explored activities based on the story Where is the Green Sheep, which encouraged them to search for a mysterious character. The children were engaged with sensory play, using their imagination to explore the sheep shearing process and assumed the role of farmers as they removed shaving cream from their pretend sheep. They loved getting their hands messy, and when they wiped off the foam they smiled when the sheep was revealed. The children were invited to create their own sheep using play dough and colourful pom poms too. The creative art experience encouraged the children to use different mediums to make a picture of a sheep. The children used cotton balls and paper plates to create an abstract sheep, enhancing their fine-motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

The children from Stage 3 engaged with activities based on the story Possum Magic. The art activity encouraged the children to create their own possum using paper to collage and colour in. Some children challenged themselves by cutting out their own possum which was impressive. The map of Australia was presented to the children so that they could learn about the locations of each city that were mentioned in the story. The children learnt about the geography of Australia and where each city was located. Besides the fun part of searching, they also practised their emergent literacy skills by reading the name of each major city. As the book featured lots of Australian food, the children were invited to make their own treats and learn about measurements and quantities during the process. The children made ANZAC biscuits and they all contributed to the process of measuring, mixing and stirring. The children then enjoyed their delicious biscuits for afternoon tea.

In Stage 4, the children enjoyed reading The Magic Hat and exploring the rhyming words throughout the story. To extend on the book, the children were invited to play a circle game where they took turns to match rhyming words together. They all listened very carefully to the words and if they sounded similar or not. At our art station, the children created their own magic hats made out of cardboard and decorated with mixed materials. They were encouraged to think about what kind of powers their hats would have too. At our manipulation table, fizzy bicarbonate soda and coloured vinegar was provided so the children could mix their own magic potions. They loved seeing the bubbly reaction the two substances created in their trays, and the plethora of colours that mixed together.

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Day 1: Mem Fox

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Day 1: Mem Fox

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Day 2: Nick Bland

By Fatima & Connie

We dressed up in brown today and brought our favourite bear for a teddy bear’s picnic! During Nick Bland Day, the children had the opportunity to use play to investigate our resources and materials related to The Very Cranky Bear book series. The children in Stages 1 and 2 expressed their wonder and interests when they felt and touched brown shaving cream on their bear faces.

The children initiated their own discovery by hiding bear toys in the shaving cream and finding them again. In Stages 3 and 4, the children were invited to paint brown bears by constructing one out of a paper plate and using a fork to apply the paint which represented the fur. A colourful bear matching experience was also provided for the children to use their visual discrimination skills and pair the same coloured bears together. They also were invited to create their own bear by manipulating brown playdough and adding googly eyes. It was so much fun!

We also had fun with a card matching game, taking a closer look at the characters in The Very Cranky Bear story and showing off our creative skills whilst making bear masks. Later on, we sliced, diced and spread bread to make bear faces using sultanas and bananas. Yum, yum!

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Day 2: Nick Bland

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Day 2: Nick Bland

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Day 3: Aaron Blabey

By May & Tas

Woof, Woof!

Continuing the theme of Australian authors, our theme today was based on the story Pig the Pug

by Aaron Blabey. We were extremely lucky to have a very special visitor, Miss Heather’s pug, Henry. This was an exciting moment for the children who squealed in delight as Henry visited each classroom to meet the children one on one. There were plenty of pats and licks, and both Henry and the children felt the pug love.

Our Stage 1 and 2 children created their very own paper plate pug faces. They chose to be creative and make their own designer dog or they copied the example provided. This gave the children a chance to express their own creativity when designing their dog. We supplemented this experience with a game of “Pin the tail on the Pug.” This experience was hilarious as the tails ended up in some very interesting spots. The Doggy Day Care role-play invited the little ones to groom beautiful doggies, care for them and feed our four-legged friends.

The children from Stages 3 and 4 were invited to make their own pug out of origami paper. They practised folding the paper into different shapes and followed the step-by-step instructions to make a successful pug face. The children were then introduced to a Doggy BINGO Game, which invited them to learn the names of various dog breeds. Next the children stimulated their sense of smell, just like dogs do, as they tried to guess which herbs and spices were in each jar. In our small world areas, the children also enjoyed role-playing with dog figurines, feeding them their bones and giving them a bubble bath.

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Day 3: Aaron Blabey

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Day 3: Aaron Blabey

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Day 4: Jackie French

By Resie & Priya

Australian author Jackie French has written so many books for all ages but she is notoriously famous for writing Diary of a Wombat. Although she has written over ten story books on wombats alone, her picture books collection celebrates Australia in all its forms - from Aussie animals and Australian history to natural disasters and Australian bush stories. The books we’ve read included Diary of a Wombat, Fire Wombat and Josephine Loves To Dance.

To celebrate Jackie French’s contribution to literature, Stages 1 & 2 were invited to use sponges and brown paint to make wombat track artworks. They also enjoyed role-playing with Australian animal figurines and enjoyed their sensory play. Additionally, in Stages 3 & 4, the children manipulated brown play dough and Aussie animals figurines to create Australian bush scenarios.

The children were also invited to go on a walk around school and collect various natural materials such as sticks, leaves, gumnuts, rocks to add to their imaginative play. The children then poured, mixed and stirred ingredients together to make an Aussie damper - which we enjoyed during Afternoon Tea. To extend on Josephine Wants to Dance, the children were invited to make kangaroo ballerina puppets and danced along to ballet music using ribbons.

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Day 4: Jackie French

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Day 4: Jackie French

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Week 2: Space Adventure Day 5: The Moon and Stars

By Vivi & Rowel

This week we focused on Outer Space, and we couldn't forget to include the beautiful stars and Moon. Stages 1 and 2 the children enjoyed painting on foil to create the night sky with the moon and stars. We discussed what we usually see in the sky after watching a short video. The children explored constellations, learning how each group of stars can create a picture. During their creative experience, the children learnt how to create different sizes, shapes, patterns and designs while painting. The children then created Moon rocks with bicarbonate soda, black paint and glitter. Whilst we were mixing all of the ingredients together, the children were able to touch and feel the texture before eagerly waiting to see the fizzy eruption. After creating the Moon rocks, we created the shape of the volcano which then erupted using vinegar whilst the children counted from 1 to 5. To conclude our starry day, we sang the nursery rhyme Twinkle Twinkle Little Star complete with actions.

The children from Stages 3 and Stage 4 were invited to explore stars through reading stories, making star artworks, manipulating galaxy play dough, and fishing for stars. The story of the day was How To Catch A Star by Oliver Jeffers. This story was about a boy who loved stars and dreamt of catching one. He tried many different ways to catch a star, such as climbing to the top of the tree to reach it. To extend children’s interest in stars we set up some activities for the children to explore. At the art table, the children constructed their own hats with stars on them to wear during the day. The manipulation table was set up with play dough that had glitter, stones and star-shaped cutters for sensory and manipulative play. Today’s art activity allowed the children to construct their own moon out of a paper plate. The children were encouraged to paint their moon with different brushes and utensils to create the cratered texture of the Moon’s surface. The children enjoyed making the special paint that included shaving forms, glue and paint. The children also learnt about the phases of the Moon and how it appears as various shapes in the sky including quarter, half, new and full Moon.

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Day 5: The Moon and Stars

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Day 5: The Moon and Stars

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Day 6: Planets

By Tracey & Kai

To infinity and beyond! The children came along for a fantastic journey, visiting the planets in The Solar System. The Stage 1 children were introduced to two space-related books, Peep Inside Space and On the Moon. Through the books, the children got to know more about basic planets such as Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon. In Stage 2, a book called Space was read to expose the children to the mysterious and magical world of planets. They also had an opportunity to read Star Light Star Bright by Susie Linn. Stages 1 and 2 also got to engage in sensory play, using their imagination to make their own planet with different colours of play dough. Many different sizes and shapes were made to represent the different varieties of planets we have and enhanced their fine-motor skills. The children used their creativity to make a collage of the galaxy using stars and glitter. The planet matching game was lots of fun as the children used their critical thinking skills to match the images of planets to one another. This activity challenged them to think about the shapes, colours and features of planets.

Stages 3 and 4 were introduced to the eight different planets in our Solar System. The children Stage 3 were engaged in the matching game to enhance their visual memory of the different planets and their features. In Stage 4 the children enjoyed many stories about the planets and the aliens that may or may not inhabit them. The children were then invited to make a collage of planets, using coloured paper, glitter, and mixed materials. In our small world area, the children role-played with astronaut figurines, creating imaginative stories about space travel. Our sensory trays were also filled with kinetic sand, marble planets and crystal space rocks for the children to explore too. The children also enjoyed an art lesson with Miss Monica, where she taught the children how to draw their own flying saucer, complete with aliens inside.

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Day 6: Planets

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Day 6: Planets

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Day 7: Rockets

By Xanthe & Indi

On this day, the teachers were so happy to see the children were engaged in an imaginative drama class with Miss Xanthe. They assumed the roles of astronauts as they jumped in their rockets that launched to space and landed on lots of different planets. The children learnt different characteristics of the planets and then made up their very own planet too. Stages 1 and Stage 2 explored the sensory world by playing with moon sand which was incorporated with rocket and astronaut figurines. The texture of the moon sand was soft and smooth which enticed many children to participate in this activity. Our second sensory activity allowed the children to find 2D rocket pictures and stars hidden underneath black beans. Next we created a rocket ship collage art where they used glue to stick on the rocket’s pointy top, windows, and a fiery bottom. Once the rockets were dry, we used them in our dramatic space play. It was lovely to see the little astronauts zoom around the school as if they were in space!

The children in Stages 3 and 4 also expressed their wonder and curiosity in our play-based and open-ended learning environment. The children absolutely loved their sensory trays full of stretchy, glittery, galaxy slime as they pulled and moulded it into a variety of shapes. The children then created their own spaceship artwork using coloured paper squares to create a rocket on a background of stars. The moon sand sensory trays were also very popular, providing children with opportunities for manipulation and imaginative role-play. The children loved scooping, moulding and creating shapes with the moon sand and using little figurines to engage in dramatic alien play scenarios.

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Day 7: Rockets

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Day 7: Rockets

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Day 8: Aliens

By Lizzie & Margaret

Alert! Alert! The aliens are coming!

During our last day of space exploration, we got to know our foreign friends - aliens. The children in Stages 1 and 2 were invited to join in a scientific sensory play experience, in which they tried to rescue some alien friends stuck on a green planet. The process of dropping vinegar onto baking soda created a chemical reaction which fizzed and bubbled. The children also participated in a sensory experience in which they explored slime and discovered that aliens come in different shapes, forms and have a varying number of eyes. The slimy texture invited the children to explore pulling, moulding, patting, squeezing and rolling with their hands. At the art table, our children designed their own aliens by sticking eyes onto green alien bodies and we extended this experience by reading a book called Aliens in Underpants Save the World by Claire Freedman.

In Stages 3 and 4 the children showed off their crazy hair designs and enjoyed reading Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman and Oogle Doogle and the Boogle by Tracey Corderoy.

The children role-played with alien figurines in their sensory trays, making up stories about which planets they came from. At the art table, the children were invited to create their own alien hats, gluing on antennae and sticking stars around the outside. The sensory trays were filled with slime, fizzy bicarb and vinegar experiments and space play dough was provided too.

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Day 8: Aliens

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Day 8: Aliens

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Week 3: Mythical Creatures Day 9: Elves and Fairies

By Shandie & Kai

During Week 3 of our April VCP, the children delved into the world of Mythical Creatures and were invited to have their face painted by Bonnie the Fairy Queen. The children chose flowers, stars, spiders, caterpillars, butterflies and rainbows on the side of their faces and were delighted as they looked in the mirror.

We focused on fairies and elves! In Stages 1 & 2, the children explored fairy gardens that featured figurines, leaves, flowers, insects and various textures to manipulate. They created their own fairy soup, magic potions, matched elves and fairies together, and enjoyed reading That’s Not My Fairy, and Freddie and the Fairy by Julia Donaldson. In the afternoon, the children learnt to make their own fairy bread, spreading butter onto bread and dipping it in sprinkles.

The children in Stages 3 and 4 dressed up as fairies and mythical creatures, created their own wands, and read The Elves and the Shoemaker by the Brothers Grimm, and The Moonlit Tooth Fairy by Lula Frost. The sensory trays were filled with kinetic sand and rice to manipulate, as well as fairy figurines, glitter and crystals. It was lovely to see the children assuming the roles of elves and fairies as they played in our outdoor garden areas.

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Day 9: Elves and Fairies

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Day 9: Elves and Fairies

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Day 10: Unicorns & Dragons

By Amanda & Instisar

This was a fun-filled day about magical unicorns and mighty dragons! Many of the children chose to wear their unicorn horns whilst others preferred to wear their very cool dinosaur costumes. Some of the books we read today included Sugarlump and the Unicorn by Julia Donaldson, The Return of Thelma the Unicorn by Aaron Blabey, When a Dragon Comes to Stay by Carryn Hartt, Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and we sang the classic Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter, Paul and Mary.

In Stages 1 & 2, the children enjoyed a variety of sensory experiences including cotton sand unicorn worlds, red lentil dragon worlds and rainbow rice with plastic eggs. Stage 2 then engaged in an art lesson with Miss Monica, where they learnt to make their own unicorn crowns. Stage 1 continued their sensory fun with squishy colour mixing sensory bags where the children squashed and flattened them, some also checked their hands and were amazed that they were still clean. They noticed that the colours were starting to combine and were determined to make the two colours disappear making a ‘new’ colour appear.

Eventually, they were able to mix the colours together to form an orange shaving cream sensory bag just like the dragon's fire. To extend on dragons the children listened to a story called Little Dragon Who Lost Her Fire by Jedda Robard.

In Stages 3 and 4, Miss Monica invited the children to create their own unicorn portraits. She demonstrated how to create the head by drawing the letter P and making a long, skinny triangle as the horn. Each unicorn had its own personality and looked unique. Later the children also constructed their own firebreathing dragons by rolling green paper into a cylinder for the head and sticking paper fire in its mouth.

The children practised blowing through their dragon’s head to watch the fire come out. In our sensory trays, the children role-played with unicorn figurines, manipulated kinetic sand, playdough, crystal rocks and sparkles. In our small world areas, a castle with princesses was provided and the children created stories about the magical unicorns and fierce dragons that also lived in the imaginative land.

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Day 10: Unicorns & Dragons

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Day 10: Unicorns & Dragons

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Day 11: Mermaids and Merman

By Chloe & Carina

During our Merpeople Day we learnt all about these legendary creatures who live under the sea. It was so lovely to see all of the children wearing such creative and inventive costumes from mermaid tails, pirates and even fish attire. Our friends participated in a variety of engaging learning experiences that enhanced their creativity and knowledge about merpeople. The children read a variety of mermaid and sea creature books including How To Catch A Mermaid

by Adam Wallace, The Singing Mermaid by Julia Donaldson, and The Tiniest Mermaid by Laura Garnham.

In Stages 1 and 2, the children explored jewels, pearls, shells and all sorts of treasure. Water play was provided with cups and spoons to scoop and pour amongst the sea animal and coral. Kinetic sand encouraged the children to make sandcastles and feel the texture in their hands. At the art table, colourful shaving foam was used to dip paper mermaid tails into and the children were excited to see the swirly pattern it left behind. During Playball, the children were challenged to push and roll balls around the room, engaging their eye-hand coordination, coordination and wrist manipulation skills.

In Stages 3 and 4, the children were invited to explore our mermaid sensory trays where kinetic sand, seashells, sea creatures and pebbles were available to explore. The children scooped colourful fish and seashells with fishing nets, and role-played with the sea creatures as they stuck the in blue playdough to create rockpools. At the art table, the children were invited to create their own mermaid tails, using different paint colours to create stripes, spots and scale patterns.

During Playball with Coach Lauren, the children played a silly game where they had to pretend to be ice creams melting in the summertime. The children ran and then froze when the whistle blew, before melting to the ground. They then used their tennis racquets to balance beanbags and hit large balls along the ground.

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Day 11: Mermaids and Merman

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Day 11: Mermaids and Merman

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Day 12: Witches & Wizards

By Xanthe & Rebecca

We ended the final day of the April Vacation Care Program on a high note as the children in all stages were excited about our Witches and Wizards theme. We could see many of them dressing up to add more fun to the day. The children across all stages were invited to participate in a drama class with Miss Xanthe which focused on making a potion that turned our children into many different things: dogs, frogs, cats, oh my! The children practised their witch cackles and flew around on their broomsticks in teacher-led imaginative play.

Stages 1 & 2 were invited to create a ‘Witch’s Hat’ collage. This activity helped children to enhance their fine motor, creative and hand-eye coordination skills whilst having fun in the process. They used glue sticks to stick yellow shapes onto their hats. Another experience invited the children to make a ‘Witch’s Potion’. Adding a dash of bicarb, a sprinkle of food dye, a handful of glitter and a final touch of vinegar, we saw colourful explosions! As the children used pipettes and pouring jugs to add vinegar to the bicarb, they could see the reaction of the experiment. The bicarb fizzed, giving the impression of a brewing potion! Inspired by the book Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, we made purple sparkly slime adding characters from the story and googly eyes into our manipulation activity.

The children from Stages 3 and Stage 4 also engaged in activities based on the story Room on the Broom and The Princess and the Wizard by Julia Donaldson. At the art table the children created witch craft, gluing down a green face, orange hair and a pointy black hat. Some of the children also wanted to make wizard wands and hats too. In our manipulation trays, the children took turns to make fizzy spells and potions, adding bicarbonate soda to colourful vinegar, along with glitter before stirring it around.

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Day 12: Witches & Wizards

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Day 12: Witches & Wizards

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Mother’s Day Celebration - Friday 6th May 2022 Stage 1R

Stage 1E

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Mother’s Day Celebration Stage 2R

Stage 2E

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Mother’s Day Celebration Stage 3R

Stage 3E

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Mother’s Day Celebration Stage 4R

Stage 4E

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Mother’s Day Celebration Special thank you to Miss Jasmine, Mr Kai & Miss Doris for preparing today’s delicious Mother’s Day Morning Tea

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Happy Birthday!

A very happy birthday to our children who are celebrating/have celebrated their special day this month. We wish you all the best!

17/04 - Chloe (3R)

17/04 - Lindsay (3R)

20/04 - Valerie (4R)

22/04 - Kylie(1E) 45

Happy Birthday!

01/05 - Hugo (3R)

03/05 - Aiden (2E)

02/05 - Edmund (3R)

03/05 - Martin (4R)

03/05 - Farida (4R)

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