4th March 2022
Principal’s Message
By Mrs Simone Cooke
Dear Parents, These past few weeks have been challenging times for so many as they deal with the devastation of the recent floods and wild weather. Our thoughts are with those who have lost homes and loved ones in these widespread storms. Closer to home the wet weather has brought with it countless days of indoor play and we are very relieved that our new outdoor playgrounds are allowing the children the chance to get outside, dine undercover from the elements and engage in a range of gross motor play activities which is so important for their development. The rain also offers many spontaneous learning experiences for our children. Where does rain come from? What is a cumulous cloud? What is La Nina? What makes a rainbow? Are just some of the questions our clever children have been asking of late. Responding to the children’s interests is at the heart of our Reggio approach to learning and tapping into their questions and offering them opportunities to gain concrete understanding of these complex questions, so that they can make greater sense of the world around them. This week the children have donned their rain jackets, poncho’s, rain hats and gumboots and enjoyed the opportunity to stretch their legs and delight in the timeless childhood joy of jumping in and out of puddles, squealing with delight as the raindrops fall on their outstretched hands and delighting in the freedom of being outside. An initial impulse of allowing children to play outside on a wet day is that they may catch a cold. However, it is a myth to believe that they will get sick from being outside. As we know colds are caused by viruses and are not influenced by the rain. There are significant benefits to our children of outdoor play. Being outside on a wet day poses a different set of challenges to children, they are exposed to different sensory experiences and encourages creative thinking and gross motor movement.
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REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | ST LEONARDS NEWSLETTER
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