From the Director of Early Learning
Dear Families
It was such a joy to welcome everyone into the Centre last week for the Parent-Teacher Conversations. We had such positive sharing opportunities and we really value the time you put into these occasions. The teachers were so energised by this opportunity.
Our Mother’s Day and Special Friends’ Afternoon Tea was a beautiful celebration, and the children loved sharing a scone and a cup of tea with their families. More importantly, this was yet another opportunity to connect with your child and demonstrate the importance you place on their ELC life. Thank you so much for contributing to our breast cancer research donation pots. We raised $264 which is a wonderful effort.
Next week is a significant week in the ELC as we reflect on the significance of National Reconciliation Week, discussing what that means in the lives of young children and also what our responsibility is as adults to educate future generations. We are ensuring we are informed, proactive and courageous in our conversations on Reconciliation. It is more than just an event in our Centre; it forms a very important part of our everyday practice. Tamaru will be with us on Tuesday 28 May and he will facilitate some wonderful shared experiences marking the significance of the week. The ELC has erected three new flagpoles which will proudly fly the flags representing all the people of our land.
Please continue the delight in sharing your child’s journey at ELC; this can include a walk in Ferguson Park, spending a short time sharing your child’s portfolio, playing with your child or meeting some of their friends in the classroom. Every connection matters and we thank you for your recognition of this.
We have been enjoying the autumn weather with beautiful park walks, connections with our resident koala, outdoor picnics and playing in our extended school grounds. We are truly appreciative of what we have and the impact our environment has on our learning and wellbeing.
Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning
Save the Date
Sunday 26 May: Ladies’ Day Out
Tuesday 28 May: Tamaru visits the ELC for Reconciliation Week
Monday 3 June: Mid-Year Reception Transition Visits Commence
Monday 10 June: Public Holiday (ELC closed)
Late Pick Ups
It has come to my attention that a few families are collecting their children late from the ELC. The ELC closes at 6pm. Please be advised that this is a very important operational factor that must be adhered to.
I ask that families ensure they enter the ELC no later than 5.55pm in order to allow the time required to sign out, collect your child and their belongings and exchange information about your child’s day. The doors officially close at 6pm sharp.
Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning
Democracy in Learning Community 1
This term in Learning Community 1, our central focus is ‘Democracy can strengthen communities’. Watch our video below to see how we’ve been unpacking this in a number of ways through our work with clay and in the garden.
Mothers and Special Friends’ Afternoon Tea
We recently enjoyed a beautiful Mothers and Special Friends’ Afternoon Tea to celebrate the important mothers, grandmothers and other special women in our lives.
The children loved sharing this occasion with their friends and family, proudly showcasing their ELC!
National Reconciliation Week
Families are invited to stay after morning drop-off on Tuesday 28 May to participate in the flag raising ceremony, as well as other meaningful activities facilitated by Tamaru, as we acknowledge the significance of this week together. The flag raising ceremony will begin at 9am.
Friends of the ELC Community Garden
The Friends of the ELC are fundraising to improve and extend the ELC outdoor learning space by creating a Community Garden for harvesting fruits, vegetables and herbs.
You can help us by generously donating any of the following:
- A monetary gift to help us purchase equipment
- Your time to help with gardening
- Any expertise you may have in this field
- Any gardening equipment (e.g. pavers, gardening vouchers, tools, etc.)
There will be a donation box in the ELC foyer. Thank you for your support!
Friends of the ELC
Saints Girls has arrived on Instagram!
St Peter’s Girls is proud to launch our newest social media offering to celebrate our wonderful community.
We look forward to sharing exciting images and cutting-edge videos showcasing life at Saints Girls. Be a part of the action and follow us via @stpetersgirlsschool or by clicking here.
Accessing your Child’s Canvas Page
Your child’s Canvas homepage is a dynamic online sharing space that invites you to participate in your child’s learning as it happens. It provides a window into your child’s life at the ELC as educators share intentional teaching, specialist lessons and spontaneous moments.
We can share videos and images directly with parents that capture the rich learning experiences in which your child is engaged throughout their time at the ELC. The Canvas homepage also enables us to share more of the process of learning, rather than just the end product.
Your child’s Canvas page is accessed through the myLink Parent Portal. If you have not accessed myLink or your child’s Canvas page before, please follow these instructions:
Accessing myLink for the first time:
- Visit https://mylink.stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
- To set your first password, click the link below the sign in section
- Enter your username, click ‘Next’
- On the next screen, enter the security code emailed to you
- Enter the password you would like to use and press submit
- Return to the login screen at https://mylink.stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au to access myLink
- Several instructional videos are available via the Welcome page if you click on the ‘HELP’ menu tab.
Accessing Canvas through the myLink parent portal:
- Access myLink as per above instructions
- Click on the ‘MYLINK HOME’ tab
- Click on your child’s name tab
- Under ‘Class Contacts’ click on the ELC room name (You may need to enter your parent username and password again)
If you have any problems accessing or navigating myLink, please contact the IT Helpdesk on 8334 2227 or email helpdesk@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au.
Photo Etiquette:
Please note that your child’s Canvas homepage and Portfolio will contain some images and video footage of other children. We therefore ask that you do not copy or share images or videos, especially on social media, if they contain other children.
来自黄老师的信息
亲爱的家长朋友们，您们好：
上周的一对一家长会取得了巨大成功。在这里，我们十分感谢家长们利用你们的宝贵时间来和我们老师们分享小朋友的学习情况，这为我们老师们提供了一个更好了解您孩子的机会。
同样，还要感谢积极参与到我们母亲节下午茶会的家长们，感谢你们为乳腺癌研究做出的贡献。你们的参与为我们小朋友的日常学习生活增添了另一份色彩。
下周是我们的ELC“和谐社会”主题周。5月28日，我们将在ELC升起代表澳洲这片土地的三面旗帜。届时我们会邀请我们的土著文化老师Tamaru来分享和小朋友日常息息相关的土著知识和实践经验。
在这美丽的季节里，我们同样欢迎家长朋友们加入我们，一同陪伴你们的孩子去Ferguson公园看看四季的变换，“访问”一下我们的考拉邻居。把这些美好的瞬间放到他们的学习册里，留下美好的成长记录。我们也欢迎家长朋友们利用短暂的时间，陪孩子在他们的教室里坐一坐，认识一下他们共同学习成长的小伙伴。每一个细小的纽带，有助于小朋友更好的融入到他们的学习环境中去。
另外，我们很乐意听到家长朋友们的反馈。如果您对孩子们的学习有任何建议或者需要任何帮助，欢迎家长朋友们给我们园长Kate、老师们和我联系。
最后，还要提醒家长朋友们，我们ELC的闭园时间为6点。务必请家长们5：55左右来接小朋友，这为您提供足够时间整理小朋友的书包午餐盒等，也为我们老师提供足够的时间和您交流小朋友的日常学习，十分感谢您们的配合。
Emma works in Learning Community 2 on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9am – 5pm, and Jade works 11am – 6pm every day in Learning Community 1.
Learning Community 1
News from the Stonyfell Room
Recently, we had the opportunity to meet and talk together about your children. Reflecting on this as a teaching team, we expressed how this time together had deepened our understanding of each child and could help us see them in new ways because of the insights you shared with us. We also felt it was wonderful to be able to bring you closer to us as we had the chance to explain more about our learning community model and also the way we teach, assess and document for each child. This process was an example of an authentic partnership of which we can all be proud. Sharing knowledge and information is part of democracy, and so the Parent-Teacher Conversations are an example of how our central idea in Term 2, ‘Democracy can strengthen communities’, is relevant to and inclusive of all of the stakeholders in our ELC.
For the children in Stonyfell and Bell Yett, knowing their community, who is part of their community and how they fit into it is a key to knowing who they are and how they belong. Being part of an ELC to Year 12 School gives us all a sense of being part of a strong and vibrant community which enriches our lives. We are very fortunate to have beautiful spaces such as Chiverton Lawn, the Junior School Library, the oval and the tennis courts to use throughout the week. Of course, we are doubly fortunate to be able to access Ferguson Park next door.
Another space we have been exploring is the School Chapel. The striking shape and beautiful colours of the exterior sit right beside our gate into the School. What is it for? Who and what is inside? On Wednesdays, we meet our School Chaplain, Mr Bassett, who brings us into the space. We spend time getting to know each other and the unique and special architecture and features of this special place. The children have noticed things that delight them, such as the ‘rainbow’ windows, the musical instruments, the upstairs balcony which is exciting to access and gives a us new perspective. They enjoy listening to Mr Bassett telling them stories and answering their questions. They sense the spiritual ambience and respond to this in a calm and respectful manner.
“I see shapes…there are big girls inside.” – Ethan
“I’m looking, I can see a drum.” – Alessandro
“I see people in the light.” – Asha
“I’ve got a story I’m going to tell.” – Mr Bassett
“Which one?” – Alessandro
“About someone who lost something.” – Mr Bassett
“Did you ever lose something?” – Ms Angel
“I lost my sippy cup and my Elmo.” – Sam
“My rhino.” – Alessandro
“Panda.” – Amy
“My daddy found a Transformer, it’s at home.” – Foss
For Mr Bassett, the relationship is reciprocal:
“It has been fantastic to get to know some of the ELC friends and be involved in their learning about the world around us, slowly introducing them to the space of the Chapel, the things we do in Chapel and the stories that we hear in Chapel. It has been a great pleasure for me to be able to tell our youngest students stories that Jesus told his followers over 2000 years ago. And see that these stories still have meaning and impact on lives today.”
Expanding our connections and deepening our relationships enriches our lives and this is true for both adults and children. We look forward to building on this and other connections throughout the community.
Mel Angel
News from the Bell Yett Room
How does a garden grow?
For a number of weeks in Learning Community 1, we have been investigating how a garden grows. With the construction of the ELC Community Garden soon to begin, we have been gathering, inspecting and plantings seeds in preparation.
In our early weeks of sowing seeds we were given the provocation from Emma, “But when will they grow?” The educators in Learning Community 1 saw this as a valuable opportunity for research. Taking inspiration from a number of story books including Planting a rainbow and Plant the tiny seed, as a group, we decided together that we should photograph our seeds each day to document their changes.
We have begun sticking our photographs to a new poster each week and have been tracking the growth of the seeds. We have extended our photography skills in a ‘flower hunt’ each morning, working together to choose a flower from a book, locating it in the yard and taking in turns photographing it.
Through caring for our seeds and analysing the photos we have taken, we have begun developing the democratic skills of participation within a group, responsibility for a living thing and awareness of others. We are increasing our ability to listen and respond to the theories and ideas of our peers:
“They are too big for these pots. They need to go into a bigger pot to grow.” – William L
“Yes then they can go outside. To breath.” – Spencer
“They are getting old now. See?” – Maia
To extend our gardening inquiry, we have been joining the children in Learning Community 2 who have been planning and plotting our upcoming ELC Community Garden. We have grown our confidence to share what we have learnt about how seeds grow through our photo documentation.
“They take a very long time!” – Yaseen
Many of our children from the Bell Yett and Stonyfell Rooms have made links to gardening experiences at home and have begun making predictions about what they think might happen next. We invite you to continue to send photographs of your gardens at home for our children to make connections and deepen our inquiry.
Annabelle Redmond
Learning Community 2
News from the Ferguson Room
Working together – building skills of collaboration in Ferguson Park
“To foster an intimate relationship with place, we need to know the stories and histories that are linked to that place, just as we do in our intimate relationships with people.” – Ann Pelo
Ferguson Park always provides us with a rich landscape of possibilities. When we enter this space, we never know what impact the natural environment can have on us.
On Friday, we prepared to enter the park; our intention was to explore the surrounding area and document our findings. The children have been captivated for some time with the Wodli that was constructed in partnership with our Karuna friend and elder Tamaru. This structure provokes the children’s imagination as well as strengthening their connection to the Kaurna culture. The Wodli has become a symbol of Ferguson Park. The idea of possibly creating another one sparked the children’s interest. This challenge brought our large group of Hallett and Ferguson children together. It motivated them to work as a team to achieve a desired outcome.
The starting point was a challenge. We needed the right base to work from and the correct branch configuration to create a stable, safe structure. We analysed a range of branches looking for the forks in the timber like Tamaru had showed us. The children worked together, selecting and carrying a range of branches. The educators supported the children to identify the most feasible resources. Their teamwork and communication skills were outstanding. The children worked consistently on this project for around 40 minutes. Branches were selected, children united and the structure came to life creating a living link to the Kaurna culture.
This experience provided us with a huge amount of information to reflect on and we have been able to share the photos, videos and the structure itself with the rest of our learning community.
We invite you now, when you look at these photos to think:
- What do you see?
- What do you value?
- What learning do you see happening?
Laura Reiters
News from the Hallett Room
Early in the term, we shared with our learning community the plan to remove the large gum tree in the Hallett Garden. This decision was made for the common good and while the children understand this, they expressed very strong thoughts and feelings about the removal of the tree.
This has been an ideal opportunity for us to examine more deeply our central idea – ;Democracy can strengthen communities’. Democracy is a value that we hold strong in the ELC. Through democratic participation, our children can be active constructors of their own learning, creating original points of view and ideas about their world.
We began to think about the rights of the tree; does the tree know it is going to be chopped down, does it have the right to know, can we communicate with the tree?
“We could shout at it.” – Imogen
“Trees don’t have ears.” – Jessie
“They are not people.” – Mathea
“They have skin, they do have ears, they can feel.” – Crystal
“The tree gets sad if it gets chopped down, my dad told me.” – Sofia
“The tree does have ears. I can see them. It can hear.” – Emma
Democracy respects both the rights of the individual as well as the group. It is through dialogue such as this that the children learn to listen to each other with open-mindedness and respect. They develop the realisation that other people have ideas of value that can often enhance our thinking.
“We could draw a message for the tree.” – Elsie
“Sorry we have to chop you down. We love the trees because they make paper.” – Jessie
“I need to write a message like this, ‘squeak’, for the birds.” – Angela S
“You will be chopped down. I will miss you so much. The birds and animals need to find a new home. Can you tell them please?” – Alison
“We could make message sticks. We could leave the messages on the tree.” – Crystal
“We could write a letter to the animals.” – Sophia
“But they can’t read.” – Mia
“We don’t know their words and they don’t know ours.” – Elijah
In our democratic community, we invite the children to participate and make choices about their learning. The educators are listening to their thinking, the ideas they share not only verbally but through their creative expressions. We document their ideas, find common threads and present their provocations back to them.
Working in small groups, the children are creating messages for the tree and for the animals that live in the tree; they are problem-solving and developing ways of communicating these important messages. You can read more about our investigations on the walls in the Hallett Room and online on our Canvas page.
Nell Tierney and Leanne Williams