From the Director of Early Learning
Dear Families,
As the year comes to a conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to thank every family for their contributions to ELC life. We have had a wonderful year together with many memories to hold on to. For me, the significance is in the growth of each child over the past 12 months. It is a great time for reflection as we remember back to some of our early goals that we attempted to strive for with each child. These have been fostered through intentional strategies from the educators and families. I thank you for your partnership and commitment to work alongside us.
Farewelling Families
Several families are leaving the Centre as their children move on to school. I wish you all the very best on your next chapter and know that the foundation of learning received at the ELC will provide your child with a strong platform of skills and understandings to build upon.
Staff
I would like to thank my 2017 team of educators for their outstanding dedication to the ELC, families and children throughout this year. There is no doubt that their contributions to their roles exceed what is asked of them. They are passionate about their work and it shines through on a daily basis. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the incredible support offered to both the Hallett Room and the leadership of the Centre by Mrs Kirsty Porplycia. She has provided additional assistance throughout the year on so many levels. I would also like to thank Mrs Pam Reid, Ms Mel Angel, Mrs Leanne Williams, Mrs Nell Tierney and Miss Laura Reiters for leading their teams and rooms so professionally. I wish them all a much-deserved relaxing holiday. For those staff leaving, I wish them well as they embrace the next chapter of their professional lives. Each one has been acknowledged in a special section of this edition.
The Friends of the ELC
2017 has been a busy year for The Friends of the ELC as they have worked tirelessly to provide endless opportunities for our community to come together. I have loved working alongside them and would particularly like to acknowledge Bronwyn Bartter’s amazing leadership of this group. Bron has been a member of FOELC for four years and has donated her time and efforts to many functions during this period. She will be dearly missed at the ELC, but we wish her well as she embarks on her next journey with the Parents and Friends. I would also like to thank Tracy Davidson who has been a great support to Bron throughout her time with the FOELC. Tracy is also continuing her volunteering in 2018 with the Parents and Friends. I thank all FOELC members and am pleased that most are returning in 2018 to assist me in maintaining the high standard of this special community group.
Finally, I will conclude by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderfully relaxing summer break. It is a privilege to come to work every day and be with all of our beautiful children. They bring pure joy to our lives!
Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning
Hats Off to Newest Saints Girls
Transition to St Peter’s Girls’ Reception Learning Community
“Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away.”
– Dr Seuss
“As children make transitions to new settings (including school) educators from early childhood settings and schools commit to sharing information about each child’s knowledge and skills so learning can build on foundations of earlier learning. Educators work collaboratively with each child’s new educator and other professionals to ensure a successful transition. In partnership with families, early childhood educators ensure that children have an active role in preparing for transitions.” – The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia
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 to their education. We aim to work in partnership with the new educational setting where information is communicated to the educators to provide a seamless transition for both the child and their family.
Next year, a group of ELC girls will be joining the St Peter’s Girls’ Reception Learning Community on the Junior School campus. Many of their journeys at St Peter’s Girls first began when they attended Playgroup as a young toddler or the two year old program in the Stonyfell Room. Over the past few weeks, the girls have been reminiscing about the special times they have had throughout their time at the ELC and the precious friendships they have made along the way. They have engaged in transition visits where they have had the privilege of meeting their new school teachers, Mrs Michelle Liddy and Miss Meg Karvonen. The girls returned to the ELC after their visits beaming with excitement and eagerness to share their experience with their teachers and peers. Transition visits are extremely important for the children to familiarise themselves with their new environment, teacher and friends. It is also a wonderful opportunity for the children to have time to discover school life and begin to recognise new expectations.
The ELC children are formally welcomed into the St Peter’s Girls’ School community during a special assembly known as the Hat Ceremony. They are presented with a school hat and bag from members of the leadership team. When communicating with parents and families of children involved in this presentation in the past, they have placed high importance of the sense of community and belonging that this gives the children when entering a new environment. Children and families’ sense of belonging in a setting is strengthened by the transition practices that identify and place the child at the forefront.
We were thrilled to share this special moment with them on Monday. 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.
Kirsty Porplycia
Oh How They Have Grown!
As we celebrate our special end of year for many of our students going off to school, we went back to when they started in Stonyfell in 2015. Here are a few photos to mark this growth:
Staff Farewells
Miss Elise Rynne has been a wonderful co-educator in the Ferguson Room, and we would like to take this opportunity to say goodbye to her as she goes off to pursue her teaching career in 2018. She has worked with energy and passion throughout the year. Her creativity and artistic flair have added beauty to our space, and her ideas for extending the children’s thinking has led to some exciting projects that the children have thrived on. Her bee hive, clay nests and colourful bird’s eggs are just a few of the projects for which she was responsible. Thank you so much Miss Rynne for all the work you have done and for being such a caring, dedicated educator and friend to us all. We wish you every success in the next step of your journey.
Mel Angel and the Ferguson Team
The Stonyfell Room would like to farewell two of their much-loved educators, Miss Emma Veitch and Ms Qian.
Miss Veitch has touched the lives of everyone around her and has made the children’s days so special and fun. The team in the Stonyfell Room would like to take this opportunity to thank her from the bottom of our hearts for everything that she has done for us. The children have loved spending their days alongside Miss Veitch and we will never forget the beautiful names that they have given you when learning how to pronounce “Miss Veitch”. There have been shouts across the room for Miss Fish and Miss Beach! We will never forget one special friend declaring:
“Miss Beach, my love you with all my heart!!”
Miss Veitch has engaged the children in such rich learning experiences and has played a pivotal role in how the children’s explorations are documented. We look forward to hearing about her future endeavours as she pursues her teaching career. We wish her all the very best for the next chapter in her life.
Ms Qian has been our beautiful educator who opens the Centre each morning and welcomes children and families from the Stonyfell and Bell Yett Rooms. She gives special time to each child and family in the morning, supporting their transition from home to ELC. The children delight in seeing Ms Qian when they arrive and love spending time with her. Many of the Bell Yett children will often come into the Stonyfell Room during the day to check in with Miss Qian to share their discoveries and learning. Ms Qian has taught us all so much, and the children and educators have been very grateful for her informal Mandarin lessons and patience as she waits for us to pronounce the words correctly, or sometimes not correctly! She is a very kind and generous person who has made a positive impact on everyone around her. She has made many friends in the room and, according to one child, “Ms Qian is one of my best friends!”
We wish her all the very best for her future and cannot wait to hear what life has in store for her!
Laura Reiters and the Stonyfell Team
We would like to take this opportunity to farewell Miss Galia Kay. She has played a pivotal role in the Hallett Room for three years, beautifully leading the afternoons in the room and the Vacation Care programs. Miss Kay has had the privilege of working alongside many children, families and educators during her time at the ELC, and our fondest memories of her will always be with her infectious smile. Miss Kay has worked closely alongside the key teachers in both the Hallett and Ferguson Rooms to ensure seamless learning throughout the holiday periods. She has embraced the learning across the Centre and ensured the children’s voice has informed the experiences and projects throughout the holidays. She has grown as an educator and individual, and we are so extremely proud of the journey that we have shared together. Miss Kay is extremely excited for the next chapter in her journey in search of a teaching position and we wish her all the very best. The children will really miss her as she brings vibrancy, fun and humour to the room. We are very thankful that she will continue to run Vacation Care over the December 2017 and January 2018 period.
In addition, we wish Miss Jenny Chiu all the best for her new teaching position in 2018. She has been a fantastic member of the ELC team and has embraced her role in the Hallett Room. The children have loved her sense of humour, passion and fun that she has brought to the learning. She has always been proactive to learn and grow as an educator, with a reflective nature that is sure to benefit her future. She will be missed by both her colleagues and the children.
Goodbyes are not forever,
Goodbyes are not the end.
They simply mean I’ll miss you,
Until we meet again.
From all the educators in the Hallett Room and across the ELC, we wish Miss Kay and Miss Chui all the very best. We will miss you and we cannot wait for you to visit the ELC in the new year.
Pam Reid, Kirsty Porplycia and the Hallett Room Team
Playgroup
For many ELC children, life begins in Playgroup. It is a magical time of relationship-building and community. These photos are of our Wednesday group celebrating their last Playgroup with me.
The group of four girls (Rita, Alessia, Willow and Poppy) is very special as they commenced together and will all be going into the Stonyfell Room next year. They will then travel through the School together as Saints Girls. When in Year 12, they will be able to look back at this very important beginning!
Christmas Concert
Girls and boys from the ELC wowed crowds at our annual Christmas Concert on Friday 24 November.
Not even a downpour that resulted in the show moving into the Arts Centre could dampen the spirits and enthusiasm of our performers and their families.
It was a terrific way to ring in the Festive Season and we are so proud of the children for their confidence, energy and teamwork. Check out the highlights:
A Letter From Ms Qian
尊敬的家长：
转眼已经到了本学期也是本学年的最后一周，很开心看到这一年里您孩子的成长与进步，也非常感谢这一年里您和家人们对我们工作的认可和支持！
本周是本学期的最后一周，也意味着从下周一（12月11日）开始便是Vacation Care的开始，如果您还没有报名请您在本周内一定要上交报名表。
最后提前祝大家假期愉快，圣诞元旦双节快乐，咱们明年再见！
Ms Qian
News from the Stonyfell Room
The importance of gratitude – a reflection from 2017
“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” – John F. Kennedy
This time of year is such a special period as we begin to busy ourselves with the preparation for Christmas. We are often rushing around making sure we have everything we need, visiting friends and loves ones, shopping for presents and planning for Christmas Day. We can become consumed in this preparation and forget to slow down and remember what this time of the year really means.
We have had such a full year in the Stonyfell Room. We have welcomed so many of you into our community and our lives. We have spent our days exploring, creating, wondering and playing. The children have been building friendships, learning about who they are and the world around them. We have spent endless hours in Ferguson Park building our connection to nature. We have been using all our senses to explore this space and have delighted in the discoveries we have made. We have prepared for our annual Christmas Celebration and loved sharing this with you all.
Over the past few weeks of term, we have been slowing down the pace of our days; we have been taking the time to just be with our children. We have been engaged in playing with them, signing with them and sharing countless stories. We have also been working with our children to share with them the importance of being grateful. We have been discussing those we need to thank who help us throughout the year. We invite everyone to participate in our Giving Tree and we encourage the children to think about how lucky we are.
This is also an opportunity for us to thank you, our families. We thank you for your support, love and kindness you bring to us each and every day. We thank you for letting us be part of your lives and for allowing us to be part of you children’s lives. We are truly blessed to have this job and we know the trust that is needed to share your children with us. From all the staff in the Stonyfell Room, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts and we wish you all a very safe and happy Christmas.
See you all in 2018 for another wonderful year.
Laura Reiters
News from the Bell Yett Room
“Thankfulness is the beginning of happiness”
– anonymous
The Bell Yett Team would like to wish you and your family and friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We were overjoyed by the children’s efforts in our Christmas Concert and we would like to thank you all for attending even in the downpour!
Seeing the children stand on a stage they had never been on before with such joy on their faces was the best Christmas gift we could have asked for. It was a lovely opportunity to catch up with many of you and celebrate our time together.
This week, we have been reflecting on the fantastic year we have had in the Bell Yett Room. As a team, we have shared in the joy of your children developing into competent and confident learners, who strive to acquire knowledge through engaging learning environments.
We would like to remind families that the Canvas page and ePortfolios are an amazing place for you to share your children’s learning journey. Here, you will be able to view evidence through learning experiences and documentation of our inquiry as they are happening. It provides a window into your child’s ELC as we share treasured moments of our time together in the Bell Yett Room.
Happy Holidays!
Nell Tierney and Leanne Williams
News from the Ferguson Room
As Term 4 comes to a close, we would like to reflect on what an incredible time we have had with the children in the Ferguson Room and you, their families. We saw many of you at the Christmas concert recently, and this reinforced what a close and caring community we have become. I chatted to you before, during and after the rain came, and throughout, there were smiles and laughter, pride and joy. Nothing could have dented our spirits as we watched the children perform their special song, ‘I’m a little Christmas Cracker’, and join in all of the group numbers with their peers. I don’t think we will ever forget the words to ‘Santa Claus is Coming’, or the enthusiastic way the children danced their way through the choreography taught to them by our fabulous dance teacher, Miss Sims.
This success of this celebration would not have been possible without the work we have done this term that has connected us as a learning community. Our inquiry into the life of Ferguson Park over the past five months has been extraordinary, with every one of our children and their families participating in the development of our connection, empathy and feelings of love and responsibility for this natural environment that has become a significant learning space for us. The depth of knowledge the children have acquired about ants, birds and bees has been remarkable. However, as learners alongside our children, we too have experienced enormous growth. I would particularly like to thank Miss Caterina for her inspirational work in our Atelier which has extended the thinking and the artistic skills of both the children and the educators in the Ferguson Room.
Chloe Edwardson, Elise Rynne, Jade So and I have loved working together as a team to support, teach and learn from the children. It has been a privilege to be their educators and also to work with their families. We will miss you as next year you will be in the Hallett Room!
We would like to wish all of our families a very happy and safe Christmas and New Year and we look forward to seeing you again in 2018.
Mel Angel
News from the Hallett Room
“You’re off to great places,
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!”
– Dr Seuss
It is with pride and excitement that I write this newsletter article. At this time of the year, the educators often come together and pause. Pause to reflect on the year that’s been. To reflect on the journey we have had together. To reflect on the children’s individual journeys throughout the ELC. To celebrate the next step in the children’s education. For some, that is moving on to school and, for others, it is the excitement of becoming one of the big Hallett friends next year. Already, we can see in the children some of those all-important skills developing and coming to light for these changes and next steps.
At our Christmas celebration last week, we saw the children and their resilience, confidence and solidarity. As we watched the Hallett friends prepare for their turn up on the stage, we saw children reassuring those feeling nervous with a cuddle, excitement and delight in waiting to shine at the front. As you, too would have witnessed, the Hallett children truly shone brightly for their part on stage! Thank you all for a wonderful evening and for making it such a special event.
Saying farewell to you and your children is filled with many emotions. We have enjoyed seeing your children grow and have loved being part of this important step in their lives. The children have expressed their excitement towards their transition to school and have shared special stories, their uniform, school bag or photographs. The children and educators this year have developed extremely close working relationships that are based on trust, love and respect. Our learning community has been functioning so effectively that we have been able to delve deeply into our projects and explore new concepts. The children will go to school with a strong sense of belonging to the ELC where they will forever be a part of our community. We cannot wait to hear more about their next step and encourage all children and families to come back and visit their teachers and peers to share their excitement.
We would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Hallett educators and the rest of the ELC to wish you a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
Pam Reid and Kirsty Porplycia