Welcome back to Term 3
Welcome to Term 3. I trust that you all had a wonderful and relaxing break. We had a fabulous Vacation Care at the Early Learners’ Centre (ELC) full of rich learning opportunities and experiences. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Wolita Harding, Valentina Fernandes and Catherine Jiang for the way that they have supported the continuity and consistency between the school term and holiday period.
On Wednesday I was reminded of how very fortunate I am to work in the ELC each day. I spent the morning visiting Ferguson Conservation Park with some of our Stonyfell and Hallett friends. This was such a wonderful way to start the day, observing the children’s joy at being in the outdoors and their curiosity as they engaged with the natural environment. Nell Tierney one of our Learning Community 2 Teachers led this expedition. Nell’s knowledge of local flora and fauna is exceptional. Each time I venture outdoors with Nell I learn something new about this incredible resource on our doorstep. It was marvellous to witness the children’s knowledge as they shared with me the names of plants and how to identify them. As botanists, the children took samples of various plants to study back in the classroom.
I followed on from my visit to Ferguson Conservation Park by catching the end of Playgroup. It was so wonderful to experience our new families connecting and sharing this special time. It was a highlight to be able to experience the children’s delight as they joined in with the songs and actions and to observe their engagement with the story time. Kathy McCabe runs our Playgroup. Her warmth and the way that she supports parents to build a community and connect is very special.
Our new Learning Community 2 spaces are now complete. This new environment provides flexible and vibrant learning spaces that support collaboration, connection and community, allowing children to engage in rich inquiry and investigations. We are now catering for morning tea, afternoon tea and late snack onsite. Our food program provides nourishing, nutritious whole foods created from scratch, eliminating anything artificial, and catering for a variety of dietary needs. We are excited to announce the name of our new Piazza space. Our Piazza will now be called, Kamparitti, a Kaurna word translating to kitchen. This space has supported family-style dining creating a relaxed atmosphere, encouraging rich dialogue around food and nutrition.
We have a very busy term coming up, this includes the official opening of Learning Community 2, our Fathers and Treasured Friends’ Afternoon Tea and Book Week. We are looking forward to our Book Week Parade which will be in Week 5, with more information to come. Next week we have the ELC Coffee Van for families from 7.30am. This will be situated on the Chapel Lawns just behind the ELC. Families will be provided with a complimentary coffee and invited to stay and have a chat or grab a coffee and go if they have other commitments.
Term 3 Events:
- 2 August ELC Coffee Van from 7.30am.
- 7 August ELC Learning and Teaching Evening 6.30pm (Stonyfell, Bell Yett and Pathway Ferguson).
- 30 August Fathers and Treasured Friends Afternoon Tea 2pm.
- 17, 18 and 23 September Parent-Teacher Conversations.
We are looking forward to another busy and productive term. Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or anything that you would like to discuss.
Liz Schembri
Director of Early Learners’ Centre
Learning Community 1 – Vacation Care
Curiosity can Inspire Research
The children in Learning Community 1 have been curious about the new ELC kitchen and Chef Angela. They often ask, “What does Chef Angela do?” and “Why is there a big fridge?”
When children are curious about their environment, they naturally seek to understand it better, leading them to investigate, question and seek answers through research. In Learning Community 1, we created learning spaces that encouraged children to explore and research their curiosity and build a sense of belonging and connection with the ELC kitchen.
The ELC home corner became a stage for children to participate and act as chefs, preparing a meal for their peers. This experience also allowed them to build on their social, communication and problem-solving skills, especially when presented with limited tools and materials. Children referenced photos taken of the ELC kitchen, discussed their thoughts and documented their observations through various forms of visual art like mark making, paper craft and clay. Our visits to the ELC Community Garden and cooking experiences became a source of discussion about ‘Where the Chef sources the produce’ and ‘What tools Angela needs to prepare meals.’ With regular visits to the ELC Piazza for morning tea and meeting Chef Angela, children were beginning to develop a sense of belonging and connection with the wider community.
We also had the opportunity to celebrate NAIDOC week during Vacation Care. At St Peter’s Girls’ ELC, we pride ourselves in celebrating the history and culture of the Aboriginal people in our daily practices. We continued to keep that fire burning during morning Banbanbalya by reciting our Acknowledgement of Country and using Kaurna symbols around our Palti circle; we prepared dishes using native bush ingredients, such as lemon myrtle cake and wattle seed damper. The children were captivated by the book, ‘The Lost Girl’ by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Leanne Tobin. While we read the story, the children were able to use the right language to identify images in the book – waterhole, bushfood and golden wattle. This highlights the rich learning that takes place every day in the ELC.
Over Term 3, we will continue to build a deeper connection with spaces within the ELC and broader community.
Valentina Fernandes
LC1 Vacation Care Leader
Learning Community 2 – Vacation Care
Rain and Forest Adventures at Vacation Care!
The Learning Community 2 Vacation Care was a hub of excitement and exploration with a special focus on rain and forests. Children immersed themselves in hands-on activities that celebrated nature and creativity, all while having a blast together.
One of the favourite activities among the children was making rain jugs, a fun and interactive task that allowed them to create their own mini rainfall. Using simple materials like glass bottles, water, shaving cream and blue food colouring, the children experimented with their rain jugs and learned about the water cycle in a fun and engaging way. Another popular activity was creating fingerprint raindrops, where the children made their own artwork using their fingers to create intricate raindrop patterns on paper. The children showcased their artistic skills but also reinforced the beauty of rain and its importance in nature.
While exploring forests, the children played with a recycled cardboard cubby house and used old cardboard boxes and materials. This project instilled a sense of environmental responsibility by repurposing materials in a creative way. While exploring the intersection of art and nature, the children experimented with botanical prints using a gelatin plate. They pressed leaves and flowers onto the plate to create stunning imprints, learning about different plant species and the art of printmaking in the process. Additionally, the children got their hands dirty by creating prints of plants using clay, where they pressed natural materials like leaves and twigs into clay to create beautiful textured prints. This activity allowed them to appreciate the intricate patterns found in nature and explore the possibilities of using natural materials in art.
To simulate the experience of raindrops falling through branches, the children crafted their own raindrop mobiles using twigs and strings. This hands-on activity showcased their creativity and helped them understand the movement of raindrops in a playful and imaginative way.
During these engaging activities, the children also enjoyed relaxing picnics in the School grounds, surrounded by the beauty and sounds of nature. This outdoor excursion provided them with a chance to connect with the natural world and enjoy quality time together in a serene setting. To further immerse themselves in nature, the children embarked on a rainy-day nature walk, where they had the opportunity to explore the School grounds in the rain, observing the changes in the environment and discovering the beauty of nature even in wet weather.
As the children continued to learn and grow through these engaging activities, we were proud to witness their curiosity, creativity, and sense of wonder blossom. The themes of rain and forest inspired the children to appreciate the natural world around them and to explore their creativity in new and exciting ways.
We look forward to more adventures and learning experiences in the days ahead as we continue to celebrate the beauty of nature and the joy of discovery at Vacation Care.
Catherine Jiang
LC2 Vacation Care Leader
Join us for the ELC Coffee Van!
We are excited to host the ELC Coffee Van at St Peter’s Girls’ ELC on Friday 2 August.
Come and enjoy a complimentary coffee on us to celebrate the start of Term 3. This is a fantastic opportunity for all ELC families to connect and engage with our vibrant ELC community during morning drop-off.
Location: Chapel Lawns
Date: Friday 2 August (Week 2, Term 3)
Time: 7.30am – 10.00am
Please note, due to allergies, babycinos will not be available. We kindly ask that you avoid bringing hot drinks into the ELC; instead, please use the School’s path to exit.
We can’t wait to see you there and share a delightful morning together!
ELC Learning and Teaching Evening
Please join us on Wednesday 7 August at 6.30pm for our Learning and Teaching Evening at the ELC.
The evening will start with a gathering in the School Chapel, where families will have a chance to meet our ELC Director, Liz Schembri.
Later on, you will be able to visit your child’s room to see the environment and gain a better understanding of the teaching and learning within our ELC context. Parents will also hear from the teaching team about how we plan and implement our units of inquiry.
As this is a formal presentation, we recommend parents/guardians only attend this event.
This event is for Learning Community 1 (Stonyfell and Bell Yett) and Learning Community 2 (Pathway Ferguson and Pathway Hallett) families only. Erindale families will not need to attend this event.
Wednesday 7 August
6.30pm, St Peter’s Girls’ ELC
Meet in the School Chapel for an initial gathering