Preschool News: Term 1 Week 7

Hi everyone,

It has been another busy and engaging week in preschool, with many different interests and ideas emerging through the children’s play.

One of the highlights this week has been the wonderful work Lida has been doing with the children creating dioramas. These small scenes gradually evolved into puppet shows, with the children using the puppet theatre to bring their stories to life.

Throughout the day we have also been using the puppets together to explore conflict resolution. Through puppet stories we have been talking about feelings, problem solving and different ways characters might work through disagreements. The children have been very engaged in suggesting solutions and helping the puppets find ways to resolve their problems.

There has also been a growing interest in science. This week the children explored a simple experiment using bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. When the two substances were combined, they created a chemical reaction that produced fizzing bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. The children observed the changes closely and enjoyed repeating the experiment, predicting what might happen and discussing the reactions they could see.

Friendships continue to strengthen as the children work and play together across different areas of the preschool. Collaborative play in construction, dramatic play and games has created many opportunities for children to negotiate roles, share ideas and build relationships with their peers.

Our visit to the craft room this week focused on sustainability and creativity. Using a range of recycled materials, the children designed and built their own recycled sculptures, experimenting with shapes, textures and different ways to join materials together.

Spanish with Carolina continues to be a highlight of the week. The children have been enthusiastically learning new words, songs and phrases, building their confidence as they explore language through music, games and movement.

We would also like to continue developing the mud kitchen area with more real-life materials. If you happen to be clearing out items at home, we would love donations such as patty pan trays, metal saucepans, bowls, old kitchen utensils or similar items that could be safely used in the mud kitchen. Please let me know if you have anything you might be able to contribute.

A gentle reminder to please place spare clothes in your child’s bag each day. Even when children are fully toilet trained, little things can happen during the day such as water play, mud, paint or spills that mean a change of clothes is helpful.

As the end of the term approaches, I have put up a cleaning list that we would love families in preschool to assist us with. Please write your name next to the jobs you can help with. Time taken to complete these can go towards maintenance hours.

That’s a wrap for Week 7!

Love,
Katrina, Lisa, Meeta and Lida