Amelia’s Class Week 2 Term 3

Hi everyone,

I hope you are doing well. It has been a very unusual week to say the least! We have been playing musical classrooms from Wednesday and spending quite a bit of time discussing and questioning the future of our classroom…Despite all this, the children have managed the change and unpredictability very well, and particularly enjoyed being in TBU for the day yesterday for a change of space.

This week, we started learning about identifying and counting Australian money. We read a story that explored the history of trading and different forms of money and currency, then looked closely at the difference between our gold and silver coins and notes. The children practiced identifying the coins and making certain values. Next week, we will set up play shops and practice using play money to buy and sell items.

We also begun learning ‘Rock and Water’, which is a program for children to learn important skills in self-advocacy, conflict resolution and regulation. This week we made some agreements to make sure we are engaging in a safe and supportive way when completing some of the activities. As we become more familiar with the concepts of ‘rock’ and ‘water’, the children will start to do some physical games that do involve forms of stand-up wrestling and self-defence. These games and the discussions we have around our feelings of confidence, calm, or power during the activities can support them in social situations and in managing extreme emotions. I am looking forward to seeing how the children engage with the lessons and what the group gains from it as we progress through the term.

Just to let you know, our group will NOT be going to the library next Monday, but the Monday afterwards.

Also, an update on our classroom repairs. On Monday at drop-off, please direct the children straight upstairs to the library, along with their bags and belongings, as this will be our temporary classroom until we have the all-clear. At this time, it is unknown when we will be able to safely use our classroom, but I will update you all via email as I find out more. I let the children know all of this during our end of day this afternoon as well so it does not come as a surprise to them.

Amelia x