Preschool

Preschool Week 5 Term 5

Hello Everyone

The concert was a great success in a beautiful spot with a wonderful atmosphere. Thanks to all the children for ALL those practices, to Chris Rochester, Callum, Julianna and Steve for the microphone system and to all the parents who helped drive children to the morning practice. It was yet another Currambena milestone. You could see how the children learn as you watched the spectrum of performances from preschool up to Wendy’s group. I love how everyone has a part they write for themselves and they all perform according to their own interest and developmental level.

This week we are talking about the menu for the Preschool Afternoon Tea being held next Thursday 26th November from 1.30-2.30pm. Please RSVP on the window above the sign-on sheet so we know how many to cater for. This is an opportunity for the children to thank their families for bringing them to preschool all year. Please support the children in waiting their turn to be served after all our guests have been served.

We have also been following up on the children’s interest in animals this week – Australian and African animals and how to care for the animals of the world. Yesterday we tried to find the answer to Elina’s question – how do mum and dad mice make the baby mice? We have also been reading Leo Lionni books and doing mouse artwork inspired by his book, “Frederick”. We have also painted a mural based on Margaret Preston’s work depicting four land animal environments.

There are beautiful Currambena calendars for sale in the office. These made gorgeous Christmas presents for people last year so hurry and get some for gifts this year. The cost is $18 for one and $30 for two.

We will be having an Orientation Morning for the new families with children coming to preschool next year on Monday 7th December 2009 from 9.30-11.00am. The current preschool children have been decorating invitations to send to the new children and they will be posted today. The children going to Fran’s will visit her classroom at that time as well, so if your child does not attend preschool on a Monday please bring them from 9.30-11.00am on Monday 7th December.

We need the enrolment forms and enrolment fees for all the families with children who will be coming to preschool next year. We have a long waiting list of people anxious to get a place in preschool so we really need this finalised. Thanks!!

Thanks for the people who do our washing, the mystery person who swept round preschool on the weekend so we were greeted with a beautifully clean outside area on Monday morning and to Peter for the paper.

Love from

Sue, Chris and Gabriela.

Posted November 19th, 2009 in Preschool by sueg

Preschool

Preschool Week 4 Term 4

Hello Everyone

This is a very busy week with the concert on Friday and Information Morning yesterday. We will be going to Tambourine Bay by car to practise for the concert on Friday morning, leaving at 9.45 am and returning at about 10.45 am. Thanks to everyone who has volunteered to drive children there. Please sign the permission note on the day.

The concert is at 6.00pm on Friday night. Please get there by 5.30 pm as we will start at 6.00 pm sharp. Parents are responsible for their children before and after the performance.

This week we have been germinating more seeds, looking at Van Gogh’s paintings and drawing trees. The children have also been writing stories and then acting them out. This is based on the work by an American Kindergarten teacher called Vivienne Gussin Paley. This has generated more stories and discussion about stories. Come and read them, they are on the wall in the dress-up area.

By the end of this week each child should have brought home an invitation to the Preschool Afternoon Tea  on Thursday 26th November from 1.30 – 2.30 pm. If you have not received your invitation please speak to one of the teachers. The Afternoon Tea is to thank everyone for bringing their children to preschool all year. The children set up preschool to look like a cafe and make and serve the food and drinks. Only after everyone has been served do they have their own afternoon tea. This is valuable experience in delayed gratification and serving others! We really appreciate parents cooperating with us and encouraging their child to be patient about partaking of afternoon tea.

The Orientation Morning for the children going to Fran’s and for the new preschool families coming to preschool in 2010 will be held on Monday 7th December from 9.30 – 11.00 am. Children who do not attend preschool on a Monday will need to be brought to Fran’s by their parents so they can learn a bit about how Fran’s class works. Please diarise this date.

Preschool hours are 9.00 am – 2.30 pm. We are unable to supervise children before 9.00 am as we set up, write in journals, have meetings and do our planning. If you arrive before 9.00 am you will need to stay with your child until 9.00 am. Thank you for your cooperation in this!!

We have quite a few jobs needing to be done for maintenance -

  • Glue the puppet stand together.
  • Cut more felt objects for the “Hungry Caterpillar” felt board. We have felt for this.
  • Sand and seal the outside boards. This is a take home job.
  • Sand and seal/paint the climbing frames.
  • Cut more easel paper.

Love from

Sue, Chris and Gabriela.

Posted November 12th, 2009 in Preschool by sueg

Preschool

Preschool Week 4 Term 4

Hello Everyone

This week has been taken up with concert practices, prop making, water colour painting and practising new found and proudly acquired climbing skills. We have also been discussing what costumes the children would like to wear. Please ask your child what they have decided on or come and ask us. We have a list the children’s decisions in preschool. Some children want to wear dress-ups or ordinary clothes from home, others want to borrow preschool dress-up clothes and there are some who want to make costumes with their parents.

In preschool we want the concert to be a joyful experience for all of us, so we do not make children perform if they are uncomfortable with this. We all practice together daily so that all the children are familiar with the performance, but on the night your child may choose to watch. This is absolutely okay with us.

We are planning a concert rehearsal on the morning of Friday 13th November. We plan to leave preschool at 9.45am and return by about 10.45am. We will need drivers to take the children who are in preschool on a Friday down to Tambourine Bay. Each child needs a rear seat with a seat belt. If you can help come and put your name down on the list outside preschool. 

We need all the other children to attend this rehearsal so that they are familiar with the environment and procedure. Please meet us at Tambourine Bay at 10.00am. Please be aware that there is water at Tambourine Bay and everyone attending with their child or driving other children to the practice needs to be responsible for the children in their care.

The concert is on at Tambourine Bay Friday 13th November at 6.00pm sharp. Julianna has put a map of the location in the newsletter. We need everyone to be there at 5.30pm with their child dressed in their costume, picnic rugs, dinner, chairs for older people and camp lights.  For the concert to be fun for everyone we need everyone to do the following-

  • No little children on stage during other  performances.
  • Respect the hard work of the kids and do not talk during performances.
  • Take home all your rubbish at the end of the evening.
  • There will be a visual barrier up behind the stage to show where the water begins at Tambourine Bay is, but this is not a physical barrier. You need to be aware of your children’s whereabouts at all times.
  • All parents are responsible for their own children before and after the performance.

There will be a rubbish-free day each Wednesday. This has been organised by Wendy’s kids following their success in reducing our rubbish on the rubbish-free day held last term. So on Wednesdays please send lunch using as few wrappings (cling film, tin foil, ziplockbags, wrappers), disposable containers and commercially prepackaged foods as possible. Please decant things into re-usable containers labelled with your child’s name. Thanks!!

We have gorgeous Currambena Calendars for sale – $30.00 for two or $18.00 for one. See Julianna to buy some as Christmas/end-of-year presents!!

Lastly, thanks for the boxes, Christine. Thanks to everyone who does all our washing week in and week out, we really appreciate it!

Love from

Sue, Chris and Gabriela.

Posted November 5th, 2009 in Preschool by sueg

Currambena Chatter

Play in preschool

Wendy has summarised creativity, play and resilience wonderfully in response to an article in the SMH last Wednesday .

In preschool we provide for large tracts of time for free choice so that preschool children can play the games they choose. This is essential as they make sense of the world through play. Lots of time to play results in deep and satisfying play. The children test themselves in many areas when they play – physically, emotionally, socially and cognitively.

Our preschool children are extremely fortunate in having the whole, rich and ever-changing playground and all the materials within it to use to develop physical confidence, inspire their imaginations and form complex social groupings. They are also fortunate to have older children and adults to play with, plan with and help them make the resources they need for play.

We believe that even very young children need to take appropriate risks to develop their bodies, their spirits and their resilience. This lays the foundation for healthy risk-taking in the teenage and adult years. We believe that bumps, bruises and scratches are part of learning. They set up a store of resilience and rationality for later life, when the challenges have a huge impact.

Posted November 5th, 2009 in Currambena Chatter by sueg

General

Chicken News!!

The chickens are an important part of Currambena now, giving children experience of looking after animals, providing eggs for cooking and eating all the pests in the garden. For the past 18 months Amba has been looking after the chickens each weekend, but we would now like to share the job amongst the community so we are setting up a roster for people to look after the chickens on the weekend.

What is required is for the family responsible for the chickens to let them out of their coop on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and then check their food and water and put them back in the coop in the evenings. This would suit someone who lives nearby.

I will put up a list of weekends on the big noticeboard. Please fill in a weekend or weekends that you would like to be responsible for the chickens. If you undertake the responsibility you have to remember to do the job or find a replacement if you are unable to do it.

Thanks!!!

Sue

Posted October 28th, 2009 in General by sueg

Preschool

Preschool Week 2 Term 4

Hello Everyone

It’s been a busy week so far! “Mr Insectus” came on Monday and fascinated all the children with his insect collection. Yesterday we made a “Pan de Muerta” or Day of the Dead Bread which was delicious. We have also been talking about germination, doing pen drawings with water colour sketches of growing things, talking about the Mexican Day of the Dead which is on Monday and learning a pinata song to accompany the pinata we are making in Craft.

In addition we are doing daily concert practice, watching the silkworms spin and monitoring the small bee swarm in the plum tree. If the bees don’t leave of their own accord in the next couple of days we hope Alex’s grandmother, Bronwyn, will come and get them for her hives.

Today we are going to practise the new lock down drill to see how it works for the community. This is a safety drill in the unlikely event of someone who is a danger coming into the school grounds and is required by the Board of Studies.

The STEPS Vision Screening for four and five year olds is next Wednesday 4th November at 9.30 am. There is no cost for this. Please fill in a permission form so that the STEPS people know how many people are planning to come, even if you are planning to bring your child yourself. The permission forms are on the desk. If your child does not attend preschool on a Wednesday you are welcome to bring them that morning.

On Friday I attended the I.E.U. Sustainability Conference which was very interesting. The gist of the conference was that there is undeniable evidence of radical climate change. This will result in more heat waves, less rain and higher ocean water levels. We all need to take whatever steps we can to reduce carbon emissions and live sustainably. We also need to be excellent role models for our children and educate them in the area of sustainability. It is essential to give them hope that the phenomenal human brain will bring about solutions to the problem and also adapt to this new way of living on earth. There are fact sheets about various school’s, including Currambena’s, sustainability programs on the website at www.ien.asn.au. Click on the “Countdown to Copenhagen” button. There is also a copy of the Currambena fact sheet in this newsletter.

Head lice need constant vigilance. Please check your child’s hair twice a week and treat if necessary. Children require at least two treatments to eradicate the lice. Thanks!!!

Love from

Sue, Chris and Gabriela.

Posted October 28th, 2009 in Preschool by sueg

Preschool

Preschool Newsletter Week 1 Term 4

Hello Everyone

Thank you to everyone who cleaned, washed and tidied preschool at the end of last term and to all the people who did maintenance in the holidays. Thanks to Elina and family for looking after the mice, Matthew and family for looking after the chickens and Ann, Sienna’s grandmother, and Chris, for looking after the silkworms who ate and ate and grew and grew….boxes and boxes of very hungry caterpillars!! Some of the silkworms are spinning their cocoons now.

It’s going to be a busy term. Please diarise the following dates-

Monday 27th October –  ”Mr Insektus Insect Show” – 12.10 -1.30 pm. There is a cost of $8.00 per child please. Please pay a.s.a.p. Thanks!

Wednesday 4th November – STEPS Vision Screening – 9.30 am onwards – for all preschoolers aged 4 and over. You can attend with your child if your child does not come to preschool on a Wednesday. There is no cost for this. Please fill in a permission form. They are on the teachers’ desk.

Friday 13th November – Currambena Concert – 6.00 pm sharp at Tambourine Bay.

Thursday 26th November – Preschool Afternoon Tea – 2.00 – 3.00 pm.

Monday 7th December – Orientation Morning for all children going to Fran’s and all new preschool children coming in 2010.

This week we have been practising out concert song, sowing seeds and talking about a new safety drill called ‘lock down’ (a drill required by the Board of Studies to prepare for the unlikely event of a dangerous person entering the school). We have also put up a map of the world and are asking families to put where they are from on the map so we can see where we all originated.

Today Max V.  and his mum, Mariann, are coming to have “Greek Day” with us. Max is going to teach us the Zorba dance and they have made rizogalo (Greek vanilla rice pudding) for us all to try. Thanks, Max and Mariann.

We love it when families borrow the journals to read and write in, but there are quite a few journals missing after the holidays.  Please return them promptly after borrowing them, as we work on them continually. Thanks!

Please maintain twice weekly headlice checks and treat if necessary.

Love from

Sue, Chris and Gabriela.

Posted October 22nd, 2009 in Preschool by sueg

General

SOCK DRIVE!!

Please return your sock drive orders to me by tomorrow (Friday) ! The are not many orders so far, so I hope lots come in tomorrow!! I will order the items in the holidays and they will be delivered in the first week back.

Thanks

Sue

Posted October 1st, 2009 in General by sueg

Preschool

Preschool Newsletter Week 10 Term 3

Hello Everyone

It’s the last week of term and school starts again on Tuesday 20th October 2009. Monday 19th October is a pupil-free day but CASP is open from 8.30 am – 6.30 pm. Please book a space with Colin or one of the CASP team if you need care for your child for the day. If you need holiday care Amba is running it for 6 days during the holidays. Please put your name down for the days you require on the big noticeboard a.s.a.p. as Amba needs 8 children per day for it to be viable.

This week we have been very busy researching deafness to prepare us  for Tuesday’s Theatre of the Deaf performance, talking about what we would like to learn next term and saying goodbye to Sisse, who will be in Fran and Jo’s class next term. We have also been drawing, making lots of potions and doing P.E. We have also celebrated a lot of birthdays!

Thanks to all the people who have done our washing, come in and cleaned for our end of term clean-up and volunteered their time in preschool.

Please maintain hair checks for headlice throughout the holidays, and treat if necessary, so that the problem does not continue next term. Thanks!!

Have a happy holiday everyone!

Love from

Sue, Chris and Gabriela.

Posted October 1st, 2009 in Preschool by sueg

Preschool

Preschool Newsletter Week 9 Term 3

Hello Everyone

Well, school on Wednesday was pretty exciting with an eerie, grey light, wind and a dust storm.

Peace Day was celebrated on Monday with a talk by Annabelle Osborne, an ex-student of Currambena, who talked about how we can all incorporate peace into our everyday lives. Then we sang “Dona Nobis Pacem” in two parts, made a human peace sign on the basketball court and iced and ate peace biscuits. Thanks to all the people who made biscuits.

Today Susan and Matthew brought in their tadpoles and we looked at them projected onto a screen using the camera and projector. David, from the Aussiekids helped us set it up and we could see how the tadpoles were sprouting legs and one had four legs and was turning into a frog! The tadpoles spent the day in preschool so we could look at them. We also learnt lots about frogs, asked lots of questions and made lots of comments. Thanks, Susan and Matthew! And thanks, David, for the technical help.

Today is also”Soft Toy Day”. There are lots of toys spending the day in preschool.

Next Tuesday we will be having a performance by the Theatre of the Deaf on multi-culturalism from 1.30-2.30 pm. The cost for this is $5.00 per child. Please pay for this a.s.a.p.

Next week is the last week of term. The last day is Friday 2nd October 2009 and school begins again on Tuesday 20th October 2009. Amba is running vacation care on during the holidays and CASP will be open on Monday 19th October 2009, as this is a pupil-free day. Put your name down for either of these on the notice board or in CASP.

We have put a list of jobs out to be done next week for our end of the term preschool clean-up. Come and put your name on a job and get rid of your maintenance hours.

We love people borrowing the journals to read and to contribute to, but please bring them back promptly as we work on them continuously.

Also we will be putting the lost property out next week, so please claim your child’s items as we will be taking the left-overs to Vinnie’s in the holiday.

The mice have a holiday home, but the silkworms still need a place to stay. You need access to a large mulberry tree as the silkworms are numerous, eating voraciously and growing daily!!

Thanks to whoever found a stove top for us to play with in the sandpit area and to Penny, Cailin and family for feeding the silkworms, fixing our door and putting up a new mirror in the dress up area. And a HUGE thank you to Amba who lets the chickens out,  feeds them and the silkworms and locks the chickens up at the end of the day, every weekend.

Next week is our last week with Sisse as she is going to spend a term with Fran and Jo next term. We have loved having you, Sisse. Have fun with the Aussiekids!

HEAD LICE! Please can EVERYONE check and treat their child’s hair this coming week and maintain checks and treatments throughout the holiday so that children do not pass it on next term again. Thanks!!

Love from

Sue, Chris and Gabriela.

Posted September 24th, 2009 in Preschool by sueg