From the Director of Early Learning
Dear Families
Our ELC has thrived under the new Learning Community model. The benefits are endless, but leading the way is the value given to time in early childhood, slowing down the race and enabling children the time to build deeper and stronger relationships with other children in a Learning Community for up to 18 months.
The high quality of our educators is another contributing factor as they have the opportunity to allow flexible groupings, establishing beautiful rituals that embed a greater sense of harmony across each day. Without doubt, the sense of fragmentation the children have felt has decreased, ensuring the children’s wellbeing is at the forefront of our decision-making.
Throughout the year, we have experienced many wonderful moments and created many new and cherished memories. The richness of the learning experiences will stay with the children as they move into the new year.
We would like to thank you, our community, for embracing life at the ELC and for your contributions towards this highly successful year. The participation of our families has been very special and we will treasure this as we reflect on our successes.
On behalf of my amazing team, I would like to wish you all a very restful holiday period. I hope you enjoy your Christmas celebrations with your loved ones. It has been a privilege to lead this wonderful Centre in 2019 alongside my Assistant Director of Early Learning, Kirsty Porplycia. Together, with our team, we take such pride in partnering with you in the education of your child.
I look forward to seeing our continuing families in 2020, and wish our Learning Community 2 friends moving into school a happy and successful year.
Kind regards
Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning
Important Dates
We remind families that the ELC Vacation Care program commences next Monday 9 December, and runs through until Friday 20 December.
The ELC is then closed until Monday 6 January, 2020.
Families wishing to utilise our ELC Vacation Care must ensure they have booked their child in to secure a spot. If you have not returned your Vacation Care booking form, please download a copy and return it by Friday 6 December.
The 2020 school year officially commences on Wednesday 29 January. We look forward to welcoming families in the new year.
ELC Christmas Celebration
Last Friday evening, the ELC community celebrated another amazing year during our ELC Christmas Celebration. We shared the joy in singing and dancing together as a community, singing songs in Kaurna, English, Chinese and Japanese.
Our picnic on Chiverton Lawns after the performance was magic. The atmosphere was festive as families and educators mingled and enjoyed their picnic baskets. We thank Mercato and Chesini House who kindly donated pizza that was shared at the picnic, as well as the Friends of the ELC for their ongoing support throughout the year.
We thank those who have shared with the educators the most amazing feedback about the evening and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas. We hope you enjoy this video of the evening.
ELC Hat Ceremony
Next year, a group of Learning Community 2 girls will be moving up the Chapel path to become St Peter’s Girls’ School Reception students. For many, the journey at Saints Girls began when they attended playgroup as a young toddler, or when they joined Learning Community 1. Over the past few weeks, the girls have been reminiscing about the special times they have had at the ELC and the friendships they have made along the way.
The ELC children are formally welcomed into the St Peter’s Girls’ School community at a School Assembly where they are each presented with a very special gift from a member of the 2020 Prefect team. When communicating with parents and families of children involved in this presentation in the past, they have placed high importance on the sense of community and belonging that this tradition gives the children when entering their new environment.
On Monday 2 December, the 2020 Reception girls, along with a group of their peers and teachers, attended the Assembly. This is a key component in their transition journey to school. Ms Suzanne Haddy, Head of Junior School, presented the girls with their new school bags and hats to commemorate their transition to school.
We were thrilled to share this special moment with them and, as you can see in the video, the children were beaming with pride. We wish all girls a wonderful start to school next year and look forward to hearing more about their continued journey at St Peter’s Girls.
Farewell to our Learning Community 2 Friends
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself ANY direction you choose.” – Dr. Seuss
Many of our Learning Community 2 friends will be moving on next year, taking that next step in their educational journey and moving into Reception at school. We are so incredibly proud of how each child has handled their transition visits and shared stories about their classroom, peers and teachers.
We have used these past few weeks to reflect on the children’s journey as we share photographs, experiences and stories of previous years. Memories stay with you forever and we hope that the children remember the special times they have experienced here at St Peter’s Girls’ ELC.
We hope you treasure the children’s portfolios as a special keepsake of their participation in ELC life. We would like to take this opportunity to wish each and every child moving into Reception in 2020 all the very best. We don’t want to say goodbye, but rather say good luck, and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Kirsty Porplycia
Assistant Director of Early Learning
ELC to Reception Transition Visits
At St Peter’s Girls’ Early Learners’ Centre, we are committed to ensuring that any child leaving our community has a smooth transition to their new environment. We feel this is an essential part of a child’s foundation for their education. We aim to work in partnership with the new educational setting; whether it is a school, ELC or kindergarten, where information is communicated to the educators to provide a seamless transition for the child and their family.
Over the past few weeks, girls from Learning Community 2 have enjoyed their formal transition visits to the Reception learning community to explore the classrooms and meet their new teachers, Miss Alana Lesiw and Miss Meg Karvonen. During these transition visits, the girls have shown their confidence in engaging with the spaces and resources available.
Many parents commented on the confidence and pure joy on their daughter’s face when they waved goodbye to them from the classroom. This confidence has been built throughout their time in the ELC. The girls’ transition to the ‘big school’ has been carefully and intentionally thought about when they entered the Ferguson and Hallett Rooms, as they engaged in Buddy Sessions, Library visits, specialist programs, Teacher Swaps (with Reception teachers) and attending school assemblies and events.
The girls have shown excitement towards the next step of their learning journey, which you can see by watching the video above.
ELC Staff Farewells
At the conclusion of 2019, we farewell four staff members. We thank them for their contributions to the ELC and wish them the very best for their next chapters.
Chloe Edwardson
Chloe has been a member of the ELC team as a co-educator for the past five years, forming rich relationships with many families during this time. We thank Chloe for her incredible commitment and for the impact she has had on both staff and children. We wish Chloe heartfelt congratulations as she prepares for her wedding early next year.
Teena Nichols
Teena has shared the role as a parent and co-educator at ELC over the past three years. We have loved having Teena working in the Hallett Room on a part-time basis. She has supported the team with her expertise and passion for teaching, and has implemented several wonderful initiatives during this time.
Jessica Ash
Jessica joined our team as a short-term contract teacher in 2018 and has worked as a co-educator in 2019. We have admired her willingness to step into any role with vibrancy and creativity when working with children. We wish Jessica all the best with the next chapter of her teaching career.
Emily Downie
Emily joined our ELC team 12 months ago when she became a relief educator and then transferred into a contract position in the Stonyfell Room at the conclusion of Term 1. We wish Emily well as she makes the move to Melbourne to join her partner.
Returning ELC Fob Keys
We have come to the end of another busy year in the ELC, and with children transitioning to school in 2020, it is certainly an exciting time.
With this in mind, if your child is no longer returning to the ELC, we ask you to return the ELC Fob Keys you have been issued, and would appreciate if you could drop them into the ELC at the end of your last session.
If you are attending our Vacation Care program, please return them at the completion of your time in Vacation Care. Please note, our School’s Front Office is open until Friday 20 December, from 9am – 5pm, to assist with returns.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me on 8334 2271 or by email selliott@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au and I’ll be happy to assist.
Sarah Elliott
ELC Enrolments and Finance Officer
Communication during Vacation Care
If you have any enquiries during Vacation Care, please contact one of the following staff:
Learning Community 1: Danni Capaldo dcapaldo@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Learning Community 2: Henrietta Balnaves hbalnaves@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Kate Mount will be available on 8334 2245 or via email: kmount@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au until Friday 20 December. Kate will return to work on Monday 13 January, 2020.
The rest of the teaching staff will return to work on Tuesday 21 January.