Dear Families
It’s hard to believe we are already in Week 6, halfway through our term. We are immensely enjoying our term and there is a wonderful buzz around the learning, in particular, the sustainable practices. In the video and articles included in this newsletter, you will be able to see how these practices have been deepened by active student and family engagement. The educators are extremely excited by the level of participation from children and parents alike and the learning that is being extended between the ELC and homes. This reciprocity adds to a strong sense of belonging and trust which builds a foundation for rich and meaningful learning.
Recently, we had a spontaneous visit from two authorised officers from the Education Standards Board. As the responsible person for the Centre, I was able to tour them through each space, explaining our values and practices. With the support of the team who were working that day, we were able to clearly demonstrate key elements of our practice. This included our inquiry cycle for learning called ‘Planning for the Possible’, the significance of our work with Kaurna culture, our focus on sustainability and our key values that underpin everything we do.
With the help of Kirsty Porplycia, we were able to demonstrate high quality practice that occurs every day in the ELC through our discussions and documentation. We were also able to demonstrate our safety practices that are implemented in many different forms to meet the requirements. We received terrific feedback from the authorised officers about their learnings in our ELC, which is a testimony to our high-level of practice.
Whilst this visit was not an official assessment, it provided us with very positive feedback and preparation tools for our formal assessment which will occur in the coming year. I am extremely proud to lead such an outstanding early childhood facility and work with high- level professionals who continually impress me with their passion and zest for early learning.
I would like to remind you that next week is our Twilight Family Picnic. We are excited to welcome families on the Chiverton Lawns at 5pm on Friday 13 March for an evening of relaxing with our community members. We encourage families to bring picnic rugs and a basket of goodies. The Friends of the ELC will be hosting a BBQ with sausages and bread available to purchase, as well as cupcakes, strawberry cups and drinks. The ELC staff always enjoy gathering with our ELC families at this fun community event. We look forward to seeing you there.
Kind regards
Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning
Save the Date
Monday 9 March: Public Holiday (ELC Closed)
Friday 13 March: ELC Twilight Family Picnic at 5pm
Monday 23 – 25 March: ELC Photos
Sunday 29 March: Parents’ and Friends’ Association – Garden of Saintly Delights Fair
Thursday 9 April: Hot Cross Bun Morning Tea at 8.45am
Friday 10 – 11 April: Easter (ELC Closed)
Saturday 14 – 24 April: Vacation Care
What’s Happening in Learning Community 2
In Learning Community 2, we are empowering the children to develop the creativity and critical thinking skills necessary to make informed decisions for change, improving the quality of their lives and those of future generations.
We have been learning about seasonal produce which will inform our next phase in the ELC Community Garden as we prepare for our latest round of planting. The children have enjoyed cooking with seasonal produce and turning this into recipes to share with others.
We are looking forward to sharing our learnings with our families and extended community.
Semester 2 Enrolments 2020
In order to assist us with planning for enrolments in Semester 2 2020, we ask that you please advise us if:
- you require any change of days or additional days
- you are not planning on returning
- there are any other changes to your enrolment status
Please advise us in writing by emailing our ELC Enrolments and Finance Officer, Sarah Elliott, via selliott@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au by Wednesday 11 March 2020. Any requests for change of days or additional days received after this date will be placed on a waitlist.
Please note that we make every endeavour to meet the needs of our families, however, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate your request as the ELC will continue at capacity.
We kindly remind you that the ELC requires a full term’s notice from those who will not be returning to the ELC in Semester 2 2020.
Friends of the ELC Twilight Family Picnic
We warmly invite you to attend our Twilight Family Picnic on Chiverton Lawns from 5pm on Friday 13 March, hosted by the Friends of the ELC.
Families are welcome to bring a picnic basket or purchase food at the event. A sausage sizzle and cupcakes will be sold on the night as well as beer, wine and bubbles.
The Twilight Family Picnic is an ELC community event and a wonderful opportunity to meet new families and chat to the ELC educators.
ELC Student Photos
This year, our ELC group and individual photos will be held on Monday 23 to Wednesday 25 March from 9am – 12 noon.
Please ensure your child is wearing their ELC uniform on each of these days, as they will potentially appear in multiple class shots depending on the days they attend. Please also ensure your child’s hair is styled as neatly as possible.
Please refer to the letter and form that will be sent home with your child over the next week for further details about ordering your child’s photos.
来自黄老师的信息
亲爱的家长朋友们，你们好：
时光飞逝，转眼已经进入这个学期的第六周。这个学期，我们致力于ELC的繁忙学习中，尤其是我们的可持续发展实践。我们的孩子们和教师们热情地投入到日常学习中。这样积极的学习氛围，渗透到了每一个家庭中，同样通过和孩子们以及家长们的积极互动，ELC也得到了更好的反馈。这样的互动为我们ELC小朋友的学习建立了更好更深的归属感和信任度，从而有利于创造丰富且有意义的学习基础。
在这新一学期，我们接待了来自教育标准委员会的来访。园长Mrs Kate Mount向委员会成员展示了我们ELC重要的日常实践。这包括我们整套的深入的学习研究，被我们称之为“规划学习的可能性”、重要的土著文化学习、关键的可持续发展实践以及支持我们ELC前行的重要价值。委员会成员表示从此次的考察学习，充分证明了我们ELC高水平的实践能力。同样在Mrs Kirsty Porplycia的协助下，向委员会展示了我们的高质量的实践成果。我们ELC对于安全实践方向也符合各项指标。这次审查为我们来年正式的评估提供了十分积极的反馈。
下一周周五3月13日晚上5点，我们将迎来迎来了我们ELC的暮光野餐晚会。我们的ELC家委会届时会为大家准备烧烤以及售卖一些小蛋糕，面包香肠，草莓水果杯和饮料。另外，家长朋友可以自行准备野餐毯和野餐篮等。我们期待所有家庭的加入，我们的社区成员以及教师们也很期待和家长朋友们共度一个愉快放松的ELC暮光野餐之夜。
Emma works in Learning Community 2 on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9am – 5pm.
ELC to St Peter’s Girls’ Tradition Continues
The ELC students have enjoyed reconnecting with their Reception classmates who also attended the ELC over the past few weeks. We have met on the lawns to enjoy picnics in the sunshine and share stories about our learning experiences so far this term.
Although the Receptions have transitioned to school, keeping connected within the first few weeks is an important part of our process. This ensures that the transition is smooth and there is open communication and relationship between the ELC and the School. The Learning Community 2 teachers have all enjoyed visiting the girls and hearing about their experiences as Reception students.
Welcome to New Playgroup Families
We are happy to welcome our new Playgroup families to the ELC community. Our ELC Playgroup is a wonderful opportunity for parents and children aged 6 months to 2 years to meet weekly and participate in a range of fun and social activities together.
The children enjoy singing songs, dancing to the beat and moving their bodies, reading books and learning foundational skills in play such as sharing. We look forward to seeing the Playgroup children continue to grow and thrive as the year goes on.
Sustainability in the ELC
With our ongoing focus on sustainability in the ELC, we have been making efforts to reduce our waste footprint. Once again, we welcomed Charlie Aykroyd, General Manager of Australian Green Clean, who talked with us about compost and the process it takes for food to break down. We enjoyed learning about the different types of waste that we can add to our organics bin.
The children have started taking action towards their research as they share knowledge with their families and friends. We encourage you to continue the dialogue with your child about their learning on sustainable practice
Green & Clean question of the day: ask your child what they can put in the organics bin!
Staff Spotlight
Meet Maddy Sayers. Maddy has worked at St Peter’s Girls’ ELC for several years. She is a valued member of the Learning Community 2 team and plays a vital role in welcoming children and families. Maddy has a warm and gentle nature, so the children are naturally drawn to her invitations of welcome. Maddy supports the transition from home to ELC by often leading rich, small-group learning experiences where she brings her creative flair and deep understanding of each child’s individual needs.
What makes St Peter’s Girls’ ELC special?
The ELC is a unique environment where the children are at the forefront of the learning. This is supported by the Reggio Emilia principles that are embedded in our everyday practice. In turn, our community are active participants, with children and educators learning side-by-side everyday.
What are you most looking forward to this year in the ELC?
I look forward to the Reception transition Hat Ceremony every six months. Watching our eldest children graduate into the next chapter of their lives is a very proud moment for me, reflecting on how much they have grown and how far they have come. It’s wonderful to see how well equipped they are for their transition to school.
What does ‘Welcome’ mean to you in the ELC?
As an early morning educator, I am a breakfast companion for many of the children and often the first person both children and parents talk to. My warmth and communication with both children and parents play a vital role in helping families feel welcome in the ELC. This is a role I very much enjoy and have the privilege of doing each and everyday.
News from Learning Community 1
Food is our common ground, a universal experience.
This term, we have been exploring the concept of ‘garden to plate’, building an understanding of the food cycle, from planting, harvesting, eating and, finally, the responsible disposal of waste. In our explorations, we have had many exciting experiences investigating the produce that our families and educators have brought in from their gardens.
So far, we have explored a range of seasonal fruits and vegetables sourced from backyards, grandparents’ gardens and from the side of the road in the Adelaide Hills! These include blackberries, peaches, zucchinis, pomegranates, kumquats, spinach, grapes, tomatoes, herbs and more. We have been having intentional conversations about how these fruits and vegetables are ‘summer produce’ and grow best when it is warm outside.
We begin by telling the story of where our fruits and vegetables have come from so the children understand that we can grow produce for ourselves. We have been using our senses to investigate the produce, exploring shape, feel, smell, taste and texture. We have used different tools to change its state and to transform it into something that can be baked with.
Our exploration experiences have revealed many curiosities, particularly with the zucchinis that caused initial confusion!
“Is it a cucumber?” – Aiden
“It tastes slimy!” – Mingzu
“This isn’t food!” – Taim
“We need to cook it.” – Hazel
These experiences have been a special opportunity for our children to share a piece of their home life with us at ELC. Food is inclusive, relatable and natural in its ability to bring us together as a community. Again, we invite you to share any photos of vegetable patches your family has at home, or any produce you’d like to bring in for us to explore and share.
Mel Angel and Annabelle Redmond
Learning Community 1
News from Learning Community 2
Waste is a topic we are exploring and researching this term as part of our focus on sustainable eating. Waste is a big part of our everyday lives and, at the ELC, we generate a huge amount of it. We have introduced a new waste management system with the children as we believe it is important for them to understand how and why we need to sort our waste.
We have begun by introducing a range of colour-coded bins to support the sorting and distribution of our waste as well as a small grey bin to gather our food scraps. We labelled this bin our ‘compost’ bin. However, we found we had a problem with our labelling! This bin is not actually a compost bin as we don’t put compost into it; compost is the product of different organic materials broken down over time.
We sought support and guidance through our first child and educator session with Charlie Aykroyd, General Manager of Australian Green Clean. Charlie is an expert on waste management and she was able to clarify for us the correct terms we should be using. Our bin is now labelled as our organics bin. The children shared what they knew already about this bin and what goes in it. This includes:
- Paper towels
- Tissues
- Food scraps
- Leaves
As we shared, we found that we had a gap in our knowledge. We know that our organic waste is put in our larger organics bin at the ELC, then the bin is placed on the side of the road and a large truck collects it. But, what happens next? Where does it go?
Some of the children’s ideas included:
“It goes to the dump. They have black walls that separate it.” – Poppy
“Landfill goes to the landfill dump, the recycling goes to the recycling dump, the organics go to the organics dump.” – Leo K
We spent the remainder of our hour session sharing ideas and learning about the cycle that our organic waste goes through in order to become compost. We were able to see what compost looks like and learnt that it can take six to eight weeks to be processed to become the product that we can buy for our gardens.
This was a lot of information for us to learn and we will be taking our time exploring this in many ways across our Learning Community. We are working closely with the children involved in this session to share their new-found knowledge with each other. We are excited to continue our waste management journey at the ELC.
Leanne Williams, Nell Tierney and Laura Reiters
Learning Community 2
Absences in the ELC
Student Absences
Please notify the School via one of the following methods for late arrivals/early departures and absences, ensuring a reason for the absence is included.
Text: 0428 601 957 (save to phone contacts as SPGS)
Email: attendance@stpetersgirls.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8334 2200 or phone the relevant room as per the contact list below.
Feel free to also include the relevant room teacher when sending via email.
ELC Room Contacts:
Bell Yett – 8155 5777
Ferguson – 8155 5776
Hallett – 8155 5775
Stonyfell – 8155 5778
Sun Safety in the ELC
Each day that your child attends the ELC, please ensure they bring a broad-brimmed hat. If you do not have an ELC uniform hat, we ask that you pack another broad-brimmed hat for your child to wear at ELC. As we are in the warmer months, it is extremely important that we adhere to our policies and procedures. If your child does not have a hat, they will be asked to play under the shaded areas or indoors.
Please note that sunscreen application is also being undertaken regularly at the ELC; if your child requires an alternative sunscreen, please provide this to your child’s teacher. We also ask that your child wears their correct ELC uniform, and refrains from wearing dresses or singlets where the shoulders are exposed. Appropriate footwear is also required, and we ask that children wear sneakers or sandals that have a backing to them.
Children’s Lunch Boxes
It is important that your child’s lunches are prepared and stored safely to avoid the risk of food poisoning. Keep pre-made lunch boxes in the fridge until they are ready to be packed into your child’s bag. We ask that you pack an ice block/ice pack in your child’s lunch box to keep food cold. Please consider healthy, safe, lunch box alternatives such as fruits and vegetables, and please ensure your child has a drink bottle filled with water each day they attend ELC. Our staff can refill the bottles if required throughout the day.
ELC Immunisation Policy
Under the Government’s No Jab No Pay policy, families must meet immunisation requirements to receive the Child Care Subsidy. Further information is available from the Department of Health by clicking here.
Children with high-risk conditions, as well as children who are not immunised against them, may be excluded from the ELC in accordance with the ‘Staying Healthy: Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services’ guidelines. Please refer to our Exclusion Policy for further information.
Common illnesses requiring exclusion include:
Influenza
Chicken Pox
Conjunctivitis
Diarrhoea
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
High Temperature
Infectious Hepatitis
Measles
Meningitis
Mumps
Rubella (German Measles)
Scabies
Scarlet Fever
School Sores (Impetigo)
Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
Vomiting
Whooping Cough