Kindergarten Information Evening 2 February 2018 Bilby Room

Kindergarten Information Evening 2 February 2018

Bilby Room Kindergarten Staff • Ms Samantha Morris, Kindergarten Teacher • Ms Patricia Casey, Kindergarten Assistant • Ms Sue-Ann Bruhn, Support Staff

Drop Off & Pick Up Routines • • Kindergarten commences at 9. 00 am and concludes at 3. 00 pm. If you arrive prior to 9. 00 am you are more than welcome to sit with your daughter and read a book in our Tawny Frogmouth Reading Nook which is located on the first floor. We would like to make sure that all other common areas are kept empty to allow for the smooth movement of students moving to their classes. Front door is closed at 9. 10 am, if you arrive after this time you will need to ring the button and wait to be let in by our reception staff. At 3. 00 pm the Bilby room door will open for dismissal. Children going to aftercare will be dropped off in the Lyrebird Kitchen area where they will be picked up by OSH Club and taken to the aftercare room.

Morning Meetings • Every morning when the girls arrive we will have a “Morning Meeting” before we start our activities. • At this meeting we will discuss what is going on during the day, any changes to our day, any important information that the girls may like to share and also any findings from the inquiry unit. • It will be from 9. 05 am (after the girls have completed their morning duties and washed their hands) for around 10 mins. Blinkbonnie House

Parent Time • This is an opportunity for you to spend some time with your daughter in Kindergarten participating in the program. • The Parent Time session will be from 9. 00 am until 10. 00 am on a Tuesday and Wednesday. On a Thursday it will be from 9. 00 am until 9. 40 am as we have a specialist class that we need to attend. If we could please leave this session for part time parents that their daughter attends in the second part of the week that would be appreciated. • We ask that we only have 1 or 2 parents a session. Please add your name to the calendar near the sign in/out book on the day you wish to attend. • After your visit we ask you to write a small blurb about your time spent in the classroom and we will put it up on the Weebly. • Parent Time will commence Tuesday 6 March. This enables the girls to settle into their new environment thoroughly.

Weebly • Password protected website for Kindergarten families • Photos, video’s, parent resources, parent time blurbs, special events, up coming events, timetable etc

Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (continued) Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity • Children build a secure attachment with one then more familiar educators. • Sense and respond to a feeling of belonging. • Confidently explore and engage with social and physical environments through relationships and play. • Demonstrate increasing awareness of the needs and rights of others. • Approach new safe situations with confidence. • Feel recognised and respected for who they are. • Show interest in other children and being part of a group. • Persist when faced with challenges and when first attempts are not successful.

Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (continued) Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world • Begin to recognise that they have a right to belong to many communities. • Cooperates with others and negotiates roles and relationships in play episodes and group experiences. • Begin to show concern for others. • Are empowered to make choices and problem solve to meet their needs in particular contexts. • Use play to investigate, project and explore new ideas. • Participate with others to solve problems and contribute to group outcomes.

Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (continued) Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing • Demonstrate trust and confidence. • Share humour, happiness and satisfaction. • Make choices, accept challenges, make new discoveries, and celebrate their own efforts and achievements and those of others. • Show an increasing capacity to understand, self-regulate and manage their emotions in ways that reflect the feelings and needs of others. • Demonstrate spatial awareness and orient themselves, moving around and through their environments confidently and safely. • Show increasing independence and competence in personal hygiene, care and safety for themselves and others.

Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (continued) Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners • • Express wonder and interest in their environments. Are curious and enthusiastic participants in their learning. Use play to investigate, imagine and explore ideas. Persists even when they find a task difficult. Engage in learning relationships. Use their senses to explore natural and built environments. Transfer knowledge from one setting to another. Make connections between experiences, concepts and processes.

Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (continued) Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators • Contribute their ideas and experiences in play and small and large group discussions. • Listen to and respond to sounds and patterns in speech, stories and rhymes in context. • Engage in enjoyable reciprocal interactions using verbal and non-verbal language. • Begin to use images and approximations of letters and words to convey meaning. • Use symbols in play to represent and make meaning. • Recognise and engage with written and oral culturally constructed texts. • Begin to understand key literacy and numeracy concepts and processes, such as the sounds of language, letter-sound relationships, concepts of print and the ways that texts are structured.

Importance of Play • Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. • Play is important to healthy brain development. • It is through play that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them. • Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practicing adult roles. • Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advocacy skills. • When children drive their own play they practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue.

Reading to your daughter Study by The University of Melbourne and Department of Education and Early Childhood Development: “Reading to Young Children: A Head-Start in life” Key Findings: • The frequency of reading to children at a young age has a direct casual effect on their schooling outcomes regardless of their family background and home environment. • Reading to children aged 4 -5 everyday has a significant positive effect on their reading skills and cognitive skills (language and literacy, numeracy and cognition) later in life. • Children read to more frequently at age 4 -5 achieve higher scores on the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests for both reading and Numeracy in Year 3 (ages 8 -9)

Benefits of reading to your daughter • • • Builds a stronger relationship with you Academic excellence Basic speech skills The basics of how to read a book Better communication skills Master of language More logical thinking Acclimation to new experiences The knowledge that reading is fun

Inquiry Based Learning • As part of our program we explore Inquiry based learning. This is a form of active learning that we begin by posing questions, problems or scenarios rather than presenting facts. Both educators and children become researchers to find out further information and answers to our questions. “Tell me I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand”.

Reasons to Use Inquiry Based Learning • • • Nurture student passions and talents. Empower student voice and honour student choice. Increase motivation and engagement. Foster curiosity and a love of learning. Teach perseverance, growth mindset and self regulation. Make research meaning and develop strong research skills. Deepen understanding to go beyond memorising facts and content. Encourage the importance of asking good questions. Students take ownership over their own learning and to reach their goals. By Teach Thought Staff

Writing • When teaching your daughter to write her own name please make sure it is done correctly with Capital letter then lower case letters. Example: Samantha, not Sa. Ma. NTHa • Font is called Sassoon Primary Infant

Tripod Grip • • Tripod grip is when the thumb, forefinger and middle finger form a triangle with the pinkie and ring finger supporting the middle finger Some children naturally hold the pencil correctly, others will need some guidance

Communication with Teachers • Email address: morriss@lowtherhall. vic. edu. au • Please feel free to send me an email although I will not be able to respond to it during Kinder hours as I am with the girls. • If it is important please ring Blinkbonnie Reception on 9325 5300 and a message will be passed on.

Sun Smart • Please apply sunscreen to your daughter before they arrive at Kindergarten every morning. • You keep a roll on sunscreen in their bag so they can re-apply later in the day if required. • “No Hat No Outside Play” • The girls wear their hat outside in Term 1 and 4.

Learning Conferences • Online booking system. It is called PTO • Term 1 “Getting to Know you”. Parent Perspective form • Term 2 and 3 only.

Questions