Christmas BBQ

Our Christmas BBQ will be happening on Saturday 7th December from 4-7pm. This will be a great opportunity for current and new families to socialize!
- door prizes and raffle
- presents for children
- Santa is rumoured to be making an appearance on his fire engine...
Meat and bread will be provided - please look for the sign-up sheet outside the preschool to let us know what type of salad or dessert you can bring!

Parent survey

We'd love your feedback!

Over the next week, we'd like to invite parents to ccmplete an online survey so we can receive feedback about the preschool.

The survey can be found here: Legend Park Pre School Parent Survey 2013

The survey needs to be completed before 22 November.

Thankyou!

Sun-Protective hats

From September to April, all children need to wear a Sun-Protective hat. The best hats should protect the head, face, eyes, ears and neck.
Please make sure your child always has a hat available.

Bunnings BBQ 19/10/13

Volunteers needed!

LPPS has an opportunity to run a Bunnings BBQ to raise funds for kinder.

When: Saturday 19th October, 9a.m. - 4p.m.
Where: Bunnings Warehouse, Vermont South (on Burwood Hwy)

The Sign-up sheet is available on the outside noticeboard. Please indicate when you are able to help out.

Come along and support our kinder!

Kinder happenings...

Three year-olds

Australia:
The children have learnt to name different Australian animals. We focused on the book, 'What made Tiddalik laugh,' and the musical story.

We have also learnt songs such as 'Home among the Gumtrees' and 'Koori Dreamtime' with rhythm sticks.

Colours:
The children have been encouraged to learn colour matching and sorting skills through various games.

Father's Day:
We read books about fathers, and the children made cards for their dads.

Four year-olds

The children were interested in snakes and other creep-crawlies after our recent incursion. Recent interest in worms was initiated by our gardening and children discovering how many worms were in the soil. We have brought some inside as part of a discovery table for children to learn about and observe further.

Woodwork has been introduced to the group as an outdoor experience.

3 year-olds outing

Three year-olds: Outing to Chesterfield Farm

This will be a chance for adults and children to visit the farm as part of a group (please note, children must attend with an accompanying parent).
We will meet at the farm at 10:00a.m. and have morning tea together. Our farm tour begins at 10:30 and finishes at 1:30p.m.
Chesterfield Farm

1199-1221 Ferntree Gully Rd, Scoresby
Date: Friday 15th November
Cost: $11 per adult, $11 per child

Fathers' Breakfast

On Sunday 15th September, children have a special opportunity to invite fathers (and grandfathers!) to have breakfast at kinder.
The bbq will be held from 9-11 am. There will be various activities, including a raffle!
Please look for the sign-up sheet on the noticeboard outside the entry, so you can let us know who will be attending and whether you'd like hot breakfast or cold breakfast!

What's been happening at kinder

Four year-olds

The children have been:

• Using yeast to make pizza and bread rolls - observing the yeast and how it 'activates' to make dough rise
• Making cubby houses outside
• Going on 'Bear Hunts'!

Our Reptile Incursion was informative and 'hands on'.

Three year-olds

Some of the children have shown an interest in zoo creatures.
We have explored this topic using:

• literature - 'Dear Zoo'
• music - 'Going to the zoo'
• our Duplo set.

The children enjoyed trying to name and identify different zoo animals from picture discussions.

The children have enjoyed different musical games at mat time - 'The Music Train' has been very popular!

Legend Park Pre-School - Dates for your calendar

Here are some coming dates for your calendar:
Term 3
September
Sunday 8th September: Breakfast with fathers at kinder
**Edit: Please note that this date has altered! The fathers breakfast will be held on Sunday 15th September, 9-11 am.
Term 4
October
Saturday 19th October: Bunnings BBQ
November
Monday 18th November: LPPS AGM
More information about these events to follow...

Hatching Chickens and Ducklings at Kindergarten

The children enjoyed patting the newly hatched chickens at Kindergarten.


We observed the eggs in the incubator and patiently waited for something to happen. This time we had success with our hatching program and the children enjoyed touching the chicks. Tomorrow we will let the duckings have a swim and talk about the differences between the ducklings and chickens.
 We will talk about the ducklings' webbed feet and water-proof feathers.

EYLF Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners. Children express wonder and interest in their environments.

Kathy

YOGA INCURSION for the Four Year Old Group.

On Thursday 6th June, Erin from "School Time Yoga came to kindergarten to do Yoga with the children and staff.  The children participated in two separate groups with the first group doing "Jungle Animal" poses and the second group of children performed more traditional poses. All of the kindergarten children are familiar with a variety of poses chosen as "Yoga" is part of the settling routine at the start of the normal program sessions.  The children listened attentively to Erin and were able to complete the poses done on yoga mats. The mats were arranged in a circle which gave the children adequate space and focus.

Each Yoga session  lasted for forty five minutes and finished with either some deep breathing or gentle massage, with the children taking turns to massage each other's shoulders.

"A Gentle Shoulder massage"

"The Boat"

"Making a Flower".

Life and Death

Last week we had eight duck eggs delivered to our kindergarten which we anticipated would hatch in to cute fluffy ducklings. Well, they didn't hatch, not even one. Some children were more observant and inquizative and asked the question why they didn't hatch. We used this opportunity to talk about the lifecycle of ducks and briefly touched on the subject of life and death which brought up quite a few questions from the children.
I am often asked about how to handle and talk about this delicate topic with young children; being factual and honest and keeping in mind that you only need to tell them as much as they need to know. The following is a list of books that have been recommended on the subject:

• When Bad Things Happen- A guide to help kids cope written by Ted O'Neal
• Tough Boris written by Mem Fox 
• When someone very special dies written by Marge Heegaard
• Love Never Stops: A memory book for Children written by Emilio Parga
• Jim's Dog Muffins written by Miriam Cohen

Outdoor learning for young children

click on the following link:

Outdoor learning for young children:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5C4Q5qlsdOUSElOd2d3YU1rMEE/edit?usp=sharing

Car Parking at Kinder

To all parents,

At the committee meeting tonight, it was raised parents are still utilising the front drive way of the Kinder as a drop-off point for the children.

Once again, we remind parents the front driveway is not to be used for parking. We ask families park their vehicles in the street and walk their children into the Kinder to avoid an incident occurring. We appreciate your understanding with this very important issue and support in adhering to this request.

Kind regards,
Dale Nugent
Vice President
Legend Park Pre School Committee

Car Parking- Drop Off/Pick Up

It was raised at the last committee meeting the front drive way for the kinder is been used as a drop off point by parents for children. Can parents please be mindful the front driveway is not to be used for parking. We ask families park their vehicles in the street and walk their children into the Kinder to avoid an incident occurring, as safety of the children is our number one priority. We appreciate your understanding with this very important issue and support in adhering to this request.

Kind regards,

Dale Nugent
Vice President
Legend Park Pre School Committee

Kinder parents

Hi, everyone!

The news blog has been running for nearly a month now. I hope you've found it easy to navigate the site, and helpful being able to get news updates automatically via email.

It would be really helpful at this point to know how well teachers and committee members are able to communicate with parents via this blog:

• If a notice goes out, how many of you see it?
• How fast do people receive notification?

If  you read this post, it would be so helpful if you could leave a comment below to say so! It would also be great to know whether you have been notified via email.

Alternatively, if you prefer not to post comments online, please email me privately to confirm that you have been able to access this blog.

Thanks!

Lorraine Hick

Friendships

Over the past few weeks we have been introducing several games, dances and experiences to the children which they have been enjoying. Part of this was to assist staff and children to remember each others names and to encourage wider group interactions. We have noticed that some children are quite "clicky" and need support to become resilient in being able to say to friends that they want to play with someone else or with others. This is an ongoing task. We have been reading stories and role playing to encourage positive friendship skills. Being able to say to a friend, "I want to play with someone else," can be difficult for the child saying it and the child who is hearing it.

The website, Kids Matter , has got some great information that you may find useful and interesting. There is an Early Childhood section and a friendship section. Sharon and I often say "More Friends, More Fun" Encouraging and supporting your child about how they could handle potential situations will empower them and build and support their confidence.

3 year old group

Program

The children are continuing to settle into their kindergarten environment. They continue to learn the routines and rules for safety. We are particularly aware of the need for safety in the playground as the equipment can be quite challenging for young 3 year olds.

The children are enjoying their group times with games, stories, musical experiences and using finger puppets to songs. For example; "Three Little Monkeys" and "Where is Thumbkin?" The children even enjoyed using bean bags to bean bag games at mat time.

"The Music Train"- We have been using the rhythm sticks to "The Music Train". This involves moving in time to the music and listening as a group.

Teddy Bear Picnic Wednesday, 27th March

The children will enjoy a Teddy Bear Picnic at Kindergarten with their favourite Teddy and kinder friends. This is a good social experience for the 3 year olds. We will sing Teddy Bear songs, enjoy the 'Teddy Bear's Picnic' story and ice Teddy Bear biscuits.

Many of the parents have given us a photo of their child with a small amount of information. This has been made into a book for the children. The children are enjoying looking at the pictures and becoming more familiar with their new friends. Could all parents have their photos in by the end of term please.



Thank You,

Kathy

Bead Threading.

4 YEAR OLD PROGRAM


BEAD THREADING.    Current Activity.

During a kindergarten session, one of the girls lost a bracelet in the garden. The incident created a conversation about bracelets and the children with educators, decided  that we could make bracelets and necklaces at kindergarten. Gina bought some elastic and an assortment of beads and we used some pasta  and wooden beads also.
A range of skills are used and developed in threading beads of various sizes.

Fine Motor Skills. Different grips and grasping help strengthen the small hand muscles.

Visual Perceptual Skills. Children chose beads to create a pattern, with a pattern in mind the children scanned the collection to find the beads they liked to use.

Visual Motor Skills. Eye hand coordination required the children's eyes and hands to work together.

Cognitive Skills. The children decided  to make bracelets or necklaces, some children decided to make something for someone other than themselves.

Outcome 4. of the Early Years Learning and Development Framework states that children are confident and involved learners.

The children resourced their own learning through connecting with educators and other adults in the room, kindergarten setting and the natural and processed materials offered.

The children manipulated the resources to investigate, take part, assemble, invent and construct.

Student Faye is securing a bead on the elastic.

Rachel is assisting the girls to find "pink beads".

 

Photos

Just a reminder that photos will be taken at the PreSchool next week by Max Amos Photographers.
Four year old group A + B Monday 18th March
                       group B + C Tuesday 19th March
Three Year old group Wednesday 20th March
Thanks Gina 

Happenings In Four Year Old Kinder

YOGA.

Starting the session with some Yoga has been popular with the children. We have tried several different poses with the "Cat " pose being popular. This is an individual pose. "The snake" pose has been done on Friday mornings , which involves the group as all the children  rest on each other. This pose will be introduced to the larger groups. This pose assists children to lie still and to be aware of their breathing. It is also respectful as the children thank each other for allowing their friends to rest on them. Children can choose not to participate if they are not feeling comfortable about it.

GARDENING.

An assortment of flower and vegetable seedlings were purchased to plant in our planter boxes adjacent to the verandah. The children helped to prepare the soil , plant the seedlings and water them. The children will learn that the plants need ongoing care and the children will water the plants and hopefully be able to eat the produce!

(the children have been picking and eating cherry tomatoes which were planted last year).  New plants will be added to our raised garden beds and the children will assist to make a new scarecrow. We invite you to participate in our gardening project!

Welcome BBQ

It was wonderful to see so many families brave the heat and join us at kinder for our first social event for the year!

 
The BBQ was a great chance for parents to get to know each other in a more relaxed atmosphere, while past, present and future kinder children enjoyed playing together.



 


Thank you to everyone who brought along food to share!
Thanks also to the committee members who helped organise the event and wielded bbq tongs in the heat, and to Baker's Delight Glen Waverley for providing bread for the occasion.

Kathy's report

Routines at kinder

This term the children will learn basic routines within the kindergarten program:

• Indoor play
• Pack-up time
• Group time
• Snack time
• Outdoor time
• Story time

When we follow a routine the children feel safe and secure.

 

Learning social skills

The children learn to co-operate with others in their play. Learning to share the equipment is a social skill that takes time to learn.

At group times, the children develop listening skills - listening to the teacher and to their friends, and waiting for their own turn to contribute. We have learnt two songs with the children: 'Roly-poly' and 'Bow to your partner.'

 Making a class book

Some of the parents have given us a photo of their child with a small amount of information. These will made into a book for the children. The children will be able to look at the pictures and become more familiar with their new friends.

Kathy

Welcome

Welcome to the Legend Park Pre-School News blog!

This site is intended to be a place where kinder families can stay in touch with what's happening around kinder with:

• Teacher reports for 3- and 4-year-old kinder programs
• Committee reports - recent and upcoming social events

There's also the opportunity to receive notices about:

• Current fundraising initiatives
• Fee and maintenance schedules
• Other administrative information

Use the Labels to find posts on particular topics.

You can receive a monthly email linking to this blog so you can check the latest posts. Even better, the 'Follow by email' button on the sidebar allows you to be automatically notified whenever the news is updated.

If you have a notice that you would like to post to the blog, please contact me via email.

2013 Working Bee Roster

Here is the Roster for Working Bees this year.
Working Bees run from 9-11 AM on Sunday mornings once or twice per term. Each kinder family is rostered to help out. If you can't make your rostered date, please swap with another family so we will still have a group that can get the jobs done on that day.
Bring along your gloves, brooms, rakes, shovels, blowers or trimmers - and help support our Kindergarten community!

Term 1

• Sunday 24th March
• Families: Barrett-Thompson, Bittar, Campbell, Clark, de Vries, Fothergill, Hick, Hiew, Hua

Term 2

• Sunday 5th May
• Families: Atukorala, Chatfield, Clayton, Dhariwal, Douglas, Hull-Warren, Jivanjee, Jones, Liu

Term 3

• Sunday 21st July
•  Families: Marshall, Matthias, McDonald, Poynton, Rulton, Scott, Silvanus, Anselmo, Aziz

• Sunday 8th September
•  Famlies: Matthias, Sanders, Silvanus, Waldron, Abraham, Railakis, Polley, Chen, Williams

Term 4

• Sunday 20th October
• Families: Butler, Chan, Dutoit, Goldsmith, Jones, Ng, Nugent, Stedwell, Pruscino

• Sunday 24th November
• Families: Benardi, Daley, Dias, Railakis, Lee, Suddin, Stanciu, McKinnon, Moore, Grieve