Reddam ELS Lindfield Newsletter Dear Families and caregivers,
Wonderous collaborative discussions have taken place over the past month with teachers and families, both current and prospective, in regards to the Reggio Emilia approach we are inspired by here at Reddam ELS Lindfield. Our curriculum is led by the children’s curiosity and we collectively as a community view children as capable, confident learners who are connected to the world around them. The importance of play is observed through our daily practices and routines where it is driven by the children’s interests, questions and the world that they live in. The resources and experiences you observe set up in each classroom are carefully selected to add meaning to the children’s play. Through open-ended experiences, opportunities are created for children to explore, create and build upon existing social friendships where children create their own learning through play. Language is at the forefront of play based interactions, furthering expressive and receptive language skills. Early concepts of mathematics and science are explored and children are encouraged to lead their
own expressive and creative arts play with a variety of resources. Through collaborative play experiences, aspects of cultural similarities and differences are discovered in meaningful ways. After observing the children, thoughtful projects are then established within the classroom environment and children are invited to experiment, explore and lead their own learning journey. We start to equip children with life skills at Reddam ELS Lindfield from our Stage 1 classes through play, where knowledge and skills are developed and a lifelong passion for learning is established. We strive to provide each and every child with the very best start to their educational journey.
Key Dates: As the end of the year approaches with haste, our End of Year celebrations have been planned! Stage 1 – Monday 4th December from 9.30am to 10.30am Stage 2R – Friday 8th December from 3pm to 4pm Stage 2E – Tuesday 5th December from 3pm to 4pm Stage 3 – Thursday 7th December from 3pm to 4pm Stage 4R Graduation – Wednesday 6th December from 11am to 12pm Stage 4E Graduation – Wednesday 6th December from 9am to 10am
Have a lovely weekend ahead.
Lara Wilson Principal
Friday 3rd November 2023
Principals Message by Lara Wilson
1 - “Influenced by this belief, the child is beheld as beautiful, powerful, competent, creative, curious, and full of potential and ambitious desires" Hewitt, Valarie (2001)
Stage 1R “Our task is to help children communicate with the world using all their potential, strengths and languages, and to overcome any obstacle presented by our culture. ” (Loris Malaguzzi)
Dear 1R Families,
This week 1R was immersed into the world of bears and through the exploration into the classic storybook, “We’re going on a bear hunt”, the children displayed their inherent inquisitive and curious natures as we strived to provide the children with open ended resources and thought provoking experiences for the children to further their knowledge and understanding of our topic this term. One of our favourite experience this week was finding the teddy bear who had been hidden. We created a bear hunt of our own, using our imaginations to wade through the elements to find our very own Teddy bear. The shrieks of laughter confirmed the children's delight throughout this experience.
Sensory play was also incorporated as we provided the children with a wooden board filled with sand, rocks, grass and other materials. The children took turns experiencing the feeling of each of these textures on their feet and we observed expressive verbal language development as the children described what they felt. Extending on the children's love of all things sensory, we introduced slime this week. The children were involved in the process of making the slime and then spent time manipulating it with their fingers.
The children were also enthralled with their outdoor play experiences and through the thoughtful set up in the morning, we have observed the children as active participants in their own learning as they not only engage with the resources set up, they have started to create their own learning experiences with their peers, fostering social and emotional development and allowing a safe and inviting space for children to use their creativity and imagination. It is lovely to see the children approaching and engaging with the learning spaces with greater confidence and enthusiasm each week.
You may see us dancing, singing and generally looking a little silly! We do this as music and movement group times are an absolute favourite at the moment and the children have been using the musical instruments to play alongside their chosen songs.
We are starting to create photobooks for the children in our room. This is such a great initiative as the children love spending time looking at their loved ones. The photo book with go to the next room where we will add to it alongside with photos brought in from home. Your child will then have their own special photobook to cherish throughout the day with us and also have a beautiful memento to keep at the end of their learning journey with us. Please feel free to send your photos through to enrol.lindfield@reddamels.com.au.
We're excited to see what next week holds!
Jing, Nika and Cigdem
Stage 1E “In every child, there is a rainbow waiting to be discovered. These enriching experiences are the colours that paint their journey of learning and growth." (Walt Disney)
Dear Families,
We are excited to share with you the wonderful experiences and learning adventures your children have had at Reddam ELS Lindfield this week. Throughout the week, our young learners have been actively engaged in diverse and enriching experiences that have stimulated various aspects of their development. The week started with an outdoor adventure led by Miss Nat, involving colourful boats in water bins. This immersive experience not only created a splash but also enhanced colour recognition and fine motor skills. The children's enthusiasm was palpable as they joyfully played with boats in water bins, demonstrating their mastery of colour recognition. Midweek, our little adventurers embarked on a sensory journey with an icy sensory bin filled with stones, shells, boats, artificial sharks, and whimsical weeds. Curiosity and scientific exploration were fostered as they interacted with this enchanting sensory experience. The children's creative expression took centre stage as they crafted boats using recyclable materials such as paper plates and coffee filters, showcasing their creative and artistic talents. The week concluded with a delightful jellyfish creative arts experience, where the children's creativity and camaraderie shone brightly. The children have been engaged in numerous experiences this week using child-safe scissors and they put their developing skills into action, using their finger muscles and hand-eye coordination to cut out their own tentacles using their little hands, they cut and pasted the head and tentacles of the jellyfish, creating colourful and unique artworks.
These experiences have significantly contributed to the children's cognitive, social, and artistic development, fostering a joyful and holistic learning journey. To further support these enriching learning experiences, we are committed to maintaining a dynamic and responsive learning environment. We will continue to provide open-ended materials, encourage group discussions, and offer hands-on experiences to promote autonomy, critical thinking, and language development. Thank you for entrusting us with your child's early education journey. We look forward to more exciting weeks of growth and discovery together.
Warm Regards Natalie, May & Resie
Stage 2R “Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.” - (B.F Skinner)
Dear Families, Observing and celebrating festivals from many different cultures is a wonderful way to introduce children to the wider world. This week, we had the opportunity to celebrate the festival of lights, Diwali with 2R and discover more about this culture, one of the oldest cultures in the world. Children were encouraged to engage their senses and gain a better understanding of this culture through our sensory experiences throughout the week. They created rangoli mandalas in a variety of designs using playdough and they enjoyed using loose parts to make various rangoli designs on some wooden circular boards. We observed all the unique patterns the children created and their persistence and attention to detail was certainly praised and encouraged. To further the children's understanding, they manipulated some colourful mixed bean sensory trays. Children naturally have an inquisitive and curious nature to explore, investigate and play in an
unstructured way and this experience provided a chance for this exploration. They were all fascinated by the different beans and so many beautiful decorations they could see in these trays. This experience assisted the children with fine motor development, hand-eye coordination and control, cause and effect, concentration. spatial awareness, exterminating with shape and space, language development and mathematics such as capacity and measurement. Stage 2R enjoyed learning about animals native to India through creating magical jungle scenes using cotton and sand. We collaboratively discussed the leopard, elephant, blackbuck, bengal tiger and the Asiatic lion. In India, turmeric is considered a healer’s spice and is sometimes used as a colour dye. For this reason, we incorporated this spice into our expressive arts experience. To mark the Diwali festival, the children showed their artistic abilities decorating salt dough candle holders. In India, clay lamps called divas symbolise the human body. The light represents the soul and some cultures believe that light, or goodness, chases away darkness, or evil, during Diwali. To conclude our week, we decided to perform a science experiment called “Water Xylophone”. This involves using several identical glasses filled with different levels of water and tapping them using a spoon to produce sound. We asked the children to gather around a table, where the teacher explained and demonstrated the experiment. The children assisted the teacher with pouring different amounts of water into the glasses. They then followed the directions of the teacher and carefully created some water xylophones. We hope you all have a lovely weekend. Miss Vivian, Miss Connie and Miss Fatima.
Stage 2E "The world is brighter with the happiness of children.” (Mehmet Murat Ildan)
Dear Families, Children who feel safe, secure and have a developed sense of belonging are able to be active participants in their own learning. We incorporated all of the children's interests into our daily experiences to promote their engagement and enjoyment of learning. Our classroom was filled with giggles, laughter and pleasant surprises as we focused on recalling HAPPY memories this week and understanding happy feelings through a range of bright yellow activities. The showcased book of this week we explored was, When I’m Feeling Happy by Tracey Moroney. Following a bunny on a happy journey, we found out his happiness is similar to ours. He felt happy when he played with friends, helped his Nana bake cookies, lent helping hands and went camping with his Dad. Building upon our existing understanding of this beautiful book, we enjoyed a camping experience together, using kind words, and playing nicely with friends. All these little things made us feel full of joy and happiness.
Our children relayed to us that they feel happy about; - Bao: "Toys"
- Bella: "Unicorns"
- Eleanor: "Mummy and Daddy"
- Kylie: "Tigers" - Miles: "Music"
- Nicholas: "Books"
- Priscilla: "Lollipop"
- Charlie: "Rosie the dog"
- Oscar: "The cat"
Miss Mia introduced a bingo game about emotions to the class. The children observed how to play the game by spinning the emotion wheel and marking off their emotion on their board. The children commented on the emotion they landed on; - Miles: "This looks sad!" - Kylie: "He feels love." - Evie: "What's this? Sick?" - Priscilla: "Angry." We started the game with a spin. The spin stopped at a sad emoji. Everyone looked down at their board. - Bao: "Ohhh! I have that!" - Miles: "I found it. It's here." - Kylie: "Aw! I don't have a sad face." After a few rounds, Miles and Evie were first to have a bingo their board and the other children were determined to finish the game. We kept playing until Priscilla, Vicky, Bao, and Kylie all had a bingo on their board. In Miss Xanthe's small group, the children engaged in a drama lesson by constructing our time machines using our bodies. They put on a special jacket and pants, special time machine boots, and added the time machine's buttons. To make the time machine work, they had to press the buttons, spin around 3 times, and fall over. "Beep, boop, beep," they said, as they activated our time machines and travelled to when the Egyptians were building the pyramids. The children could see they needed help building the last one and used their strong muscles to move the imaginary sandstone blocks to the pyramid. "I'm so strong," said Eli, as he transported a block. Next, they travelled in our time machines to when dinosaurs ruled the planet. They started as dinosaur eggs. "Wiggle, wiggle, crack, crack!" Ira said as she hatched out of our eggs. They were all T-rex dinosaurs, stomping around the garden. "What do T-Rex's eat?" Miss Xanthe asked. "Meat!" replied Miles. We became eggs again and hatched into Pterodactyls, and then again into Diplodocus'. "What do Diplodocus eat?" Miss Xanthe asked. "Leaves!" said Miles. We have had the most amazing week exploring emotions and travelling to different time eras! Have a lovely weekend, 2E Team
Stage 3R "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing” - (Albert Einstein)
Dear Families,
This week has been an exciting one for our little learners as we explored the world of emotions and had some hands-on fun with STEM experiments. Our focus was on the colour red, which represents the emotion of anger. Understanding and managing emotions is a crucial part of a child's development, and we wanted to help our children manage this powerful feeling. We read the book, "When I'm Feeling Angry" by Trace Moroney this week, which describes how our bodies can feel when we experience anger. The book illustrated a bunny stomping its feet and kicking its legs in frustration and our young readers shared what they would do when they felt angry. Lawrence - "Take a deep breath and drink water".
Victoria - "I would cry". Ethan - "Go to the park". Rory - "Draw a picture". Amelia C said "We are not allowed to push and kick as it isn't nice". We also used a volcano to explain big emotions. Just as a volcano erupts when it can't contain its pressure, our big emotions can lead to outbursts when we don't know how to handle our emotions. Linking this to Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development, we highlighted how children learn through social interaction and their environment. We witnessed this when the children worked collaboratively to create a volcano together, listening to each other's ideas in dealing with big emotions. The children's fascination with science experiments led to other experiments. We decided to explore chemical reactions using different ingredients. The young scientists experimented with vinegar and bicarb soda. The children had the opportunity to compare the reaction of mixing soda water with bi-carb soda and tap water with bi-carb soda. This experiment encouraged critical thinking and the formulation of hypotheses. The children considered how the different ingredients might affect the outcome. With their hypotheses in mind, they engaged in hands-on experiments, mixing and observing the chemical reactions. The children were exposed to early mathematical language to describe their findings and the amount of fizz produced. We look forward to more exciting learning adventures in the coming weeks. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.
3R Team
Stage 3E We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. We have the power to imagine better(J.K. Rowling).
Dear Families, During Week 4, the children have continued to investigate and explore the human body in many different ways. The children were invited to use their gross motor and fine motor skills by climbing over and through the obstacle course set-up, while also using their fine motor skills to create their own badges with their names on them. This promoted the children to utilise their emerging pre-literacy skills as they were able to recognise and identify their names, while also pointing out each other's names. The children were invited to walk through the magical jungle where they were required to identify which animals exist in the jungle, and then practise moving their bodies in many different ways like the animals would. This allowed the children to engage in imaginative play, while also distinguishing the sounds the animals make.
Throughout the week, the children were exposed to different picture books that showed illustrations and diagrams of the human body. The children were focused and attentive during these book reading sessions, where they observed the organs in the body, identified where they are positioned and utilise clay to try and copy the shape and size of the organs. The children were able to engage with visual materials where they could see the organs in 3D which enabled them to understand what happens to our bodies when we digest food, and the process involved in that. This encouraged the children to begin to identify healthy foods and sometimes foods while making comparisons between various meals. The children continued to use their gross motor skills outside where they could copy the actions of each other while stretching. This involved jumping, hopping, skipping and more; enabling them to use a wide range of bodily movements and improving their gross motor skills. Afterwards, the children participated in a game of red-light-green light where they could use their listening skills to follow the directions of their peers. This allowed them to broaden their friendship circles and practise working together and taking turns.
Have a lovely weekend.
Laura, Kai, Ona, Fiona & Eunice
Stage 4R "The sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.” – (Unknown)
Week 4 Hello wonderful 4R families, This week in the 4R class, we've continued our exciting exploration of 'The Changing World' with the childrens new interest in 'How flight technology has changed over time.' The children delved into the history of aviation, spanning over two thousand years, from the earliest forms of aviation, such as kites, to powered, heavier-than-air jets capable of supersonic and hypersonic flight. Our week began with an engaging activity on Monday. The children gathered in a circle for a discussion on parachutes. We explored the purposes of parachutes, their functionality, and how weight affects their descent. Following our discussion, we experimented with scale model parachutes created from napkins, string, and bulldog clips. The children eagerly dropped their parachutes from a fence, learning how they floated for varying durations. This activity encouraged teamwork, patience, and a sense of shared experience. Mid-week, we delved further into the history of flight. We began by watching an informative video about hot air balloons and their principles. This led to an exciting project - creating our own hot air balloon models using paper mache. The children took turns mixing the glue and water for this hands-on activity, enhancing their fine motor skills and teamwork. They tore pieces of paper and applied the glue mixture to their models creatively. Their enthusiasm was evident as they explored the principles of flight and became active contributors to their learning environment. Wednesday continued our flying journey with the ongoing creation of our class hot air balloon. The children were divided into groups, rotating through various activities. They painted the balloons and worked cooperatively, encouraging and praising each other. This cooperative experience extended beyond painting, fostering a supportive atmosphere. As we approached the end of the week, we delved into a science experiment, focusing on how flight technology has evolved. We discussed significant milestones, such as the remarkable Apollo 11 mission where astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. became the first humans to land on the moon on July 16, 1969. To wrap up the week, the children conducted a rocket race to the moon, emphasising teamwork and scientific curiosity. They built miniature rockets and engaged in an exciting experiment to see which rocket could travel the farthest. It was a thrilling activity that not only highlighted their interest in flight but also encouraged collaboration and exploration. Afterward, they had rocket races, each aiming to be the first to reach the 'moon.' This hands-on experience allowed them to apply their understanding of space travel and the principles of rocket propulsion in a fun and engaging way. It's been a week filled with exploration, creativity, and curiosity, as the children have continued their journey through the changing world. We hope you enjoy the snapshots of their exciting learning experiences. Warm wishes, Miss Sarah and Mr Callum
Stage 4E “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – (Louisa May Alcott)
Dear Families, This week our class celebrated Halloween and engaged in some spooky learning experiences. Spider webs with insects and numbers were provided for the children to practise their counting and one-to-one correspondence. Orange playdough was available for the children to roll and cut into cats, bats, witches, and pumpkins, allowing the children to strengthen their fine-motor skills. We also had trays of witches’ potions for the children to mix bicarb soda and green vinegar together in a pot and watch it bubble. The children thought of their own spells to cast and watched the potions fizz. We read Wake Up Do, Lydia Lou! by Julia Donaldson, about a friendly-looking ghost who tried to wake a little girl from her sleep. This story led to a conversation about where ghosts come from. “They come from the underworld.” - Allegra “They come from Ghost World.” - Lachlan
“They come from a ghost planet.” - Gabriel “They come from a haunted house.” – Seth The children have been requesting cooking experiences, so as a special Halloween experience, our class made spook-tac-u-lar cupcakes. Together, we measured out the ingredients - cake mix (flour, cocoa, sugar), butter, vegetable oil, vanilla, and milk. The children mixed the batter together before scooping it into the Halloween patty pans. Once the cupcakes were baked, the children got creative and decorated them with orange and purple icing, and some festive sprinkles. Spiders, bones, bats, and pumpkins didn’t stop the children from biting into their cupcakes. The children have been learning to identify their emotions and clearly express their feelings. Our Colour Monster has been helping them to use different words or adjectives to describe each emotion in more detail. This week we focused on the feeling of “scared” and how there are different ways to express and explain our fears. During our Affirmation Circle, the children shared what makes them feel scared, how this emotion makes affects their body, and who they can go to and discuss this feeling. The children then placed a black stone in their treasure jars to remind them that it’s okay to be scared because we are all scared of something. It’s how we respond to this emotion that’s important. What makes you feel scared? “Halloween. Scary faces.” - Avery “Night-time when it was too dark.” - Steven “Halloween and ghosts.” - Sarah Who do you go to when you feel scared? “My mummy and daddy. They make me feel safe with them.” - Giselle “Mummy gives me a cuddle.” - Julia “Mummy gives me a kiss.” - Josephine How does your body feel when you are scared? “Annoyed. My heart feels annoyed.” - Alison “My bones feel scared.” - George “Shivering.” – Alexander As the children continue to visit their “big schools” during their orientations, many of them have expressed how they are feeling a bit nervous about their transition. To support the children’s feelings, we read When I’m Feeling Nervous by Trace Moroney. Bunny described the bundle of nerves in their tummy, their sweaty palms, and the hot and cold flashes they went through. We saw how Bunny felt nervous when they first started swimming lessons, but with lots of practise, they were brave, and became more confident to swim without their floaty. We likened the feeling of nervousness to our orientations where the children shared how they are nervous about making new friends, meeting new teachers, and feel worried about getting lost in such a large environment. Miss Lauren explained how our orientations help
us to become more familiar with our new school and with the people who will be with us next year. On our first day and during the first few weeks, we will have to be brave as we settle into a new routine. Soon we will feel more confident and excited to go to school as we make friends and feel a sense of belonging in our classrooms. We have been exploring shapes and incorporating them into our artwork this term. We’ve explored Kandinsky’s concentric circles and are now moving onto artists who’ve create geometric artworks. Our story of the day Pezzettino by Leo Lionni featured an orange square who was on a quest to find out where he belonged. He asked each object (also made up of squares) if they were missing a piece, but they were all complete. Pezzettino then had a moment of self-discovery when he fell and broke into nine smaller pieces. He realised he was already part of something greater - himself! He was happy being an individual and reminded us that being unique, and individual is a positive thing. We then reviewed the two-dimensional shapes we have learnt the names of thus far, and discussed how squares have four sides, four corners and one face because it is two-dimensional. When six squares are combined, they can make a three-dimensional cube or prism with six faces. Miss Lauren and Mr Rowel then incorporated squares and geometric shapes into the children’s learning experiences, where they created Picassoinspired faces using paper shapes. After observing the children demonstrating their interested in constructing with cubed blocks, Miss Lauren invited them to make their own cubes out of paper. She posed the question, “How can a flat 2D piece of paper be made into a 3D cube?” The children were curious and studied the prism net that was printed on coloured paper. With Miss Lauren scaffolding each child, they began cutting around the outside of the prism, taking their time to stay close to the lines. It was great to see so much concentration as the children took their time with this task. Once the prism nets were cut out successfully, the children folded each edge and then stuck them together while Miss Lauren held them in place. The children became excited as they started to see their 3D cubes completed. They then counted the number of faces of their cubes to make sure they were made up of six squares. Mr. Rowel also invited the class to study pyramids, explaining how 2D triangles and squares make up the faces and base of these 3D Egyptian structures. As the children looked at photos of the pyramids and held a cardboard model in their hands, they identified the shapes and how they come together to make one prism.
How many shapes and prisms can you find this weekend?
Lauren, Rowel and Rebecca
Monday - Yoga
Tuesday - Drama with Miss Chelsea
Wednesday - Music with Mr Alan
Thursday - Playball with Coach Lauren Hello Families, We warmed up today with the “shark and the stingray” game where the “sharks and the stingrays” cross over the ocean without knocking into each other – we focused on our footwork skills and spatial awareness. You are just not going to believe what Lauren brought with her to Playball today...HOCKEY STICKS! Lauren gave us each a hockey stick explaining the rules of the game. We always find our own space away from our friends to keep each other safe. We hit a ball around the court with our hockey sticks – no high sticks and we congratulated one another on our safe skills in hockey. Lauren placed us in partners and we practiced hitting the ball to our friend with our hockey stick. Our friend traps the ball with their hockey stick and hits it back, always remembering that we hit gently if our friend is close to us and harder if our friend is far from us. We then all stood next to a ball holder with a hoop on the ground in front of us. We all looked at our hoop in front of us and tried really hard to hit the ball off the ball holder into the hoop. Very tricky! Lauren stood in front of us and rolled a ball towards us which we had to hit away. Lauren placed ball holders/cones in a straight line and we all had the opportunity to zig-zag the ball through the cones – just like real hockey training! We really had to focus hard today with all these new skills.
Lauren
2-
Friday - Mandarin with Miss Chloe
Thank you
3 - https://www.reddamels.com.au/our-schools/lindfield
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