Dear Families
As I reflect on the year we have had, I know there is so much to be grateful for. I am extremely proud of the way in which we have managed complex times, constantly remaining focused on the wellbeing of our community. I would like to thank you for your support during 2020 and for acknowledging and supporting the procedures we have needed to put in place.
We have created a video that captures some of the year’s highlights and it gives glimpses of just how much we did achieve. This has not occurred without a driven Strategic Direction for the Centre, one that has been able to be achieved despite the challenging year.
I can confidently and proudly say that I have had the privilege of working alongside an incredible team throughout the year. I thank each and every one of them for the role they have played in our thriving Centre. It is an honour to work alongside educators who care so much for every child and who place their profession in Early Childhood in such high regard.
I also thank you, our community, for your role in the life of our Centre. Partnering with you on your child’s journey is so special. We thank you for your generous donations to The Smith Family. These gifts have been collected and will be distributed to families this coming Sunday.
Our Friends of the ELC community group has been a strong support to the ELC and I thank them for their continued energy and innovation despite this year’s circumstances. It was so special to be able to come together earlier this term for our Songs in Ferguson Park, which made it particularly evident that we are a Centre driven by community. For those members leaving, I would like to acknowledge your enormous contributions over the past years and wish you well in your next chapter.
Wishing everyone a very happy and safe festive season and, most importantly, some beautiful family time together.
Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning
Important Dates
Friday 4 December: Final day of Term 4
Monday 7 – Friday 18 December: Vacation Care
Monday 21 December – Friday 1 January: ELC Closed
Monday 4 January – Monday 25 January: Vacation Care
Wednesday 27 January: First day of Term 1 2021
Vacation Care and Health Reminder
Vacation Care will run from Monday 7 December – Friday 18 December and Monday 4 January – Monday 25 January 2021, with the ELC closed from Monday 21 December to Friday 1 January 2021.
Our Vacation Care team is looking forward to spending time with the children. For those with children attending Vacation Care, we remind you to not enter the ELC if you present with any cold or flu-like symptoms, including:
- Temperature
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Cough
If a child presents with any of the symptoms above, they will be sent home. If you or another family member are unwell, do not hesitate to get tested at one of the free COVID-19 testing stations in your area.
When entering the ELC, please use the hand sanitiser provided before signing your child in or out, and encourage proper hand-washing at home to support our ELC practices.
From ELC Friends to Saints Girls
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.
On Tuesday 1 December, the girls who are transitioning to St Peter’s Girls’ School in 2021, along with a group of their peers and teachers, attended a very special School Assembly.
The ELC children were formally welcomed into the St Peter’s Girls’ School community at the ELC Hat Ceremony as Ms Suzanne Haddy, Head of Junior School, presented the girls with their school bag and hat to celebrate the occasion. 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 of them a wonderful start to school next year and look forward to hearing more about their continued journey at St Peter’s Girls’ School.
Thank You 2020 Teaching Team
I would like to acknowledge and thank the outstanding team pictured in this photo who have driven the Centre’s pedagogy alongside me this year. From left to right: Mel Angel, Caterina Pennestri, Nell Tierney, Kate Mount, Laura Reiters, Kirsty Porplycia and Annabelle Redmond.
We have worked incredibly well together as an ELC community with the strength of our extended teams alongside us.
Kate Mount
Director of Early Learning
Farewell To Our Departing Staff
As we conclude the year, it is time to farewell the following staff and wish them well on their journeys:
Mel Angel
Mel has been a much loved teacher of the Stonyfell Room and has been pivotal in our work with Kaurna elder Tamaru, embedding Kaurna language in Learning Community 1. In addition, she has reached out to families, connecting them powerfully in their children’s learning. Mel has been an advocate for visits to Ferguson Conservation Park and will be most recently remembered for bringing the story of Peter and the Wolf to life in Learning Community 1. Mel is leaving us to move to London where she will continue her career in early childhood education. Thank you Mel for all you have done. We wish you safe travels and happiness in your future.
Read some parting words from Mel below:
Gratitude is a value that is particularly important to reflect on at this time of year.
For me, it is particularly significant as I celebrate not only the end of a rewarding year’s work, but an incredible four years as a teacher here at St Peter’s Girls’ ELC. It is my last term here as I prepare to take up a position at a school in London in 2020 and begin another adventure.
My heart and mind are full as I contemplate the opportunities I have had during my time as a teacher, first in the Ferguson Room, and currently in the Stonyfell Room. There have been some exceptional memories, including a scholarship from our School to attend a study tour in Reggio Emilia last year, attendance at conferences interstate, and the chance to present and publish our research. I would like to formally thank Kate Mount and Julia Shea for advocating for me in these endeavours that have supported my growth.
I am not the same teacher as I was when I first arrived here in 2017. Nor am I the same person. My experience has been enriched and shaped each and every day by the children, families and colleagues that I share my life with when I come to work. The trust, the care, the laughs, the stories that we have shared are priceless. All of you are now part of me. The children I have taught and learned from will stay in my heart, and I will think of them growing, of how wonderful they are, and of who they will become.
As Carlina Rinaldi of Reggio Emilia says, “You cannot educate without care, or care without educating.” I am so very fortunate to have come to this place, at this time, and I thank you for every moment we have shared.
Mel Angel
Jaye Bessell
It has been an honour to observe and participate in Jaye’s career so far. She has worked with us whilst studying her teaching degree in Early Childhood. Jaye has developed her leadership skills this year, taking a role of responsibility. Recently completing her degree, we wish Jaye every success as she moves into becoming a teacher. We know that she will make a difference in the lives of young children with her compassion and empathy for them. Thank you Jaye for all you have brought to our ELC community.
Magdalena Mos
Magdalena has been pivotal in developing children’s creativity in Learning Community 1. She has formed very special relationships with many of our youngest learners and has supported them to develop their fine motor skills through the 100 Languages. We will miss Magdalena’s beautiful spaces for learning and her genuine love of developing each child’s passions through the artistic languages. We thank Magdalena for everything that she has contributed to our ELC life.
Donna Connolly
Donna is leaving us to move to the country, an exciting adventure for her. Donna is the face that has greeted so many of your children into the ELC. She curates our spaces so beautifully, welcoming everyone as they arrive. Donna has formed wonderful relationships with both staff and children and is going to be dearly missed as she has been a longstanding member of our ELC community. She is a mentor and friend to many of us and has impacted so many members of our community in such a loving way. We wish her every success in her future endeavours.
Farewell Learning Community 2 Friends!
“Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away.” — Dr Seuss
We wish all of our Learning Community 2 friends who are moving into Reception in 2021 all the best as they begin the next step in their educational journey.
On our Learning Community 2 home page, we have uploaded some special content of our ELC leavers to share with their families at home. Please login to Canvas and click on the link on the Term 4 page.
The Friends of the ELC
We thank Nikki Geyer and the Friends of the ELC for all they have done in 2020 to support our community. We acknowledge longstanding and extremely generous member Gina Agrawal, mum of Mishali, who has served our committee for so many years. We also thank Leilani LaVista, Sam Quintal, Grace Lin and Vanya Grover who have been on our committee this year. We wish them well as they move into the next chapter of their children’s lives. Thank you for adding so many special elements to our ELC life!
We are currently seeking new members for 2021. If you are interested in being a part of this special community group, please contact Nikki Geyer via nikki@ausfloorgroup.com.
来自黄老师的信息
亲爱的家长朋友，
当回顾这一年时，我们已经知道有很多值得骄傲的事情。我们对于在这一年如何管理这复杂的“特殊时期”，并始终专注于社区的福祉，我们感到十分自豪。我们要感谢您在这一非常时期中所给予我们的支持和理解，并感谢大家积极协助我们需要采取的各项流程。
我们整理了一段视频，捕捉了关于今年的一些亮点，并简要介绍了我们所取得的成就。尽管经历了复杂的一年，但在我们ELC和学校的战略指导下，我们仍然可以实现这一目标。
我们可以自信而自豪地说，很荣幸和我们优秀的教师团队完成了这出色的工作。我们要感谢他们每个人在我们蓬勃发展的中心中所发挥的作用。园长感到十分的荣幸，能与这样的教师们一同工作。他们为我们每一个孩子付出他们的关爱。以高度重视的态度来对待幼儿教育工作。
我们要感谢您以及这个社区在我们ELC生活中所发挥的作用。在孩子的“学习之旅”中与大家一同合作非常重要。我们的ELC社区之友小组对ELC给予了有力的支持，我们感谢他们在这种情况下的不断努力和创新。能够在本学期一开始在Ferguson公园相聚在一起，分享ELC孩子们的歌，绝对是一件特别有意义的事。是我们的社区推动着我们的ELC一同前行。对于要离开的教师成员，我们要感谢他们在过去几年中的巨大贡献，并祝福他们在下一“篇章”中一切顺利。
在这里，祝大家渡过一个安全快乐的假期。最重要是和家人们一同共享这个美好的家庭时光。
园长
Kate Mount
Emma Huang works in Learning Community 2 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9am – 5pm.
Sun Safety in the ELC
Please ensure your child brings a broad-brimmed hat each day that they attend ELC. 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 move into 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 sun cream application is also being undertaken regularly at the ELC; if your child requires an alternative sun cream, 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
With the weather warming up, 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 a frozen 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. The staff can refill the bottles if required throughout the day.
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.
Please 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
ELC Immunisation Policy
Under the Government’s No Jab No Play policy, families must meet immunisation requirements to attend the ELC and receive the Child Care Subsidy. Families are required to provide all approved immunisation records to the ELC. Further information is available by clicking here.
Children who are suffering from illnesses such as those listed below must be excluded from ELC in line with our Exclusion Policy.
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