Message from Kay,
It always surprises me how quickly a year flies by and this year seems to be
moving along at quite a pace.
During last month we planned a Bush Wackers Picnic, which has been
postponed until FRIDAY, 21st MARCH.
Friday, 21st March, is also HARMONY DAY. This is a day to celebrate
Australia’s cultural diversity. It is a day of cultural respect for everyone who
calls Australia home.
SO GATHER YOUR FAMILY and bring them along for a fun night of bush
dancing and making music with Greg Dimmock. PLEASE WEAR A TOUCH
OF ORANGE.
On 12th March, 2014, at 7.30pm, we will be holding our first PARENT
MEETING for the year. This is a great opportunity for you to have input
into the programme being offered to your children.
Please email or contact the Office to let us know whether you will be
attending.
Thank you for all your positive feedback about the Centre. We are all
working hard to improve the service and ensure the programme we offer is
based on how children learn and what contributes to making an excellent
service.
Our Policy Review this month is Standard 2 – Food, Nutrition and
Beverage Policy. Copies of this Policy are available from the Office and
are displayed on the Centre Notice Board.
Please send us any suggestions that you want to share with us.
Sincerely,
Kay Doyle (Approved Provider)
Young Children’s Learning
Following on from last month, “How Children Learn”, we will investigate the learning environment
and the emotional environment.
The Learning Environment
The learning environment needs to facilitate the many different learning intelligences that children
have (Gardner 1993) – for instance, musical intelligence, as well as logic and maths, linguistic,
bodily-kinaesthetic, spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal intelligences. Individuals combine these in
different ways and all children need opportunities to explore, develop and learn in their own way.
The learning environment can provide these opportunities through:
reflecting each child’s social and cultural background
encouraging equality of opportunity
valuing and building on previous experiences that each child has had, so they can direct
their own learning to move forward
providing resources and experiences that are accessible and open-ended
giving opportunity for first-hand experiences, ensuring children explore and investigate
giving children the freedom, time and space to explore
developing confidence and self-esteem
supporting the development and understanding of ideas and knowledge
making time for children to assimilate their experiences
promoting independence and autonomy
enabling continuity of play
motivating children to learn
resourcing the setting for a variety of learning opportunities
fostering social relationships
encouraging communication, both verbal and non-verbal
ensuring children have time for solitary activity
developing positive attitudes to learning through self-initiated activity and decision-making
resourcing the development of the process skills involved in experiential learning
ensuring an appropriate balance of experiences
Developing an enabling environment is about setting the scene and facilitating learning for all. This
will lead to an environment that fosters and supports every child’s learning through planned
experiences that are challenging but achievable.
The emotional environment
Learning will only be effective if the children feel confident, safe and secure
The emotional environment is all about being, belonging and becoming, and ensuring that children
feel settled, safe and secure in order for their learning and development to flourish. Without this
sense of safety and security, children will not feel able to do all they need to move on and progress
with confidence. This is why educators’ documentation needs to be responsive to any signs of
children’s insecurity to help families reflect on ways and means of ensuring a positive emotional
climate for their children.
The list below encompasses a variety of strategies that focus on establishing and maintaining
feelings of emotional security for children:
Visiting families in their homes shows not only that educators value the child, but also that
they are interested in them and their family, and this can help break down barriers in
approaching the child’s parents/carers.
Establishing starting points, for instance, through an ‘All About Me’ page.
Establishing positive relationships between the community, parents and the setting.
Creating named pegs, drawers or children’s own personal space to keep things.
Ensuring a familiar environment with recognisable resources.
Having positive expectations, with children gaining a sense of accomplishment while
continuing to be challenged.
Making sure there are some quiet places to go to.
Fostering positive relationships between children so they can share ideas and knowledge
with each other.
Reflecting children’s strengths and interests in planning and readily available resources.
Making sure that children know they are liked, accepted and will be listened to.
Establishing a place where children can express their feelings and emotions.
Creating a place where children are nurtured, cared for and loved.
You play a crucial and critical role in establishing this emotional environment. The ability to
establish this sense of security for children is strengthened through the relationships you build and
the environment you provide.
Source: Assessment for Learning: Documentation and Planning for the EYLF, by Bridie Raban
Next month we will explore the process of assessment for children’s learning.
News from the Office
 Office Hours: Rosie will be available between 8:30am -4:00pm
Fee Schedule
Unfortunately, due to the rising cost of food and the increase in staff wages, it will be
necessary to increase the fees by $6.00 per day from April 2014.
It is important that you pay your child’s fees on the first day they attend in the FEES WEEK.
We have a considerable amount of outstanding fees and to enable us to pay our bills on
time, we require you to keep up to date with your child’s fees. This is our only income.
Any fees received after the fortnight you are paying for will incur a late fee of $10.00. A
late fee of $10.00 will be automatically charged to your account and an additional $10.00
will be charged for any subsequent week your fees are out of order. Please contact Rosie or
Kay in the Office at the beginning of the fee week if you are encountering any difficulties in
making your fortnightly payment, to avoid being charged a late fee.
Thank you for your co-operation in this matter.
Fees payable from 7th April, 2014, will be as follows:
Platypus:
$96.00 per day
Kookaburras:
$102.00 per day
Bilbies:
$115.00 per day
Tadpoles:
$115.00 per day
Request for Security Tags
Please see the attachment to request a security tag. You may complete the form and scan
it back to us if you wish, or alternatively, return the paper form to the tray at Reception
labelled “Messages & Forms for the Office”.
Enrolment Records
It is very important that you always keep your child’s enrolment details up to date. Please
make sure that if you change phone numbers or address, you inform us ASAP. If your
details are not up to date on our system it will mean we cannot process your Fee Tax
Rebates.
Parent Committee Meetings are scheduled every
2nd month on Wednesdays @ 7.30pm
12th March
14th May
9th July
10th September
12th November
We would like to encourage all families to take
part in our Parent Committee Meetings. Please
contact us via email to let us know whether you
can join us. You can be an integral part in
developing social events, making suggestions to
our programs and extracurricular activities for the
children at the Forest. Be a voice for the families
in your child’s room and express your ideas and
thoughts!
Immunisation
A reminder to new parents who haven’t brought their child’s immunisation records to the
Centre – could you please bring your child’s blue book to the Office.
Sign In/Out:
It is VERY IMPORTANT that you always sign your children in and out on the register
every day. Many parents are forgetting to do this.
If a child is not signed in or out, they will be marked as absent when all your attendance
details are sent to Family Assistance. This may then mean your CCB% is cancelled.
Also, most importantly, you must sign them in/out in case there is an emergency at the
Centre. We can then make sure all children are accounted for.
Change of Days
Parents wishing to change enrolment days need to give a fortnight’s notice in
writing.
Staff News
Eugene Lam will be taking annual leave from 17th March to 8th April.
Jo Young will replace him.
Nui Spencer will be on annual leave from 10th March to 28th March.
John Outridge will replace Nui.
Olena La Macchia will be on annual leave from 31st March to 4th April, 2014.
Pat Corben will replace her.
Pru Carson will be on annual leave from 24th March to 1st April. We hope she has fun in
Thailand.
A big thank you to Ellen Strang, who has been relieving while staff have been on annual
leave. Ellen is returning home to the USA. We hope to see her again next year.
Clare Huckle has resigned for family reasons and will be replaced by myself. Her last day
will be Friday, 7th March, 2014. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Clare for the
support she has given to the Centre and wish her well.
News from the Rooms
Tadpole
Room
Firstly, we would like to welcome all the new Tadpole children
into our room. We love having new faces and making new
friends!
This month we will be focusing more on the children’s
individual interests and how they fit into our curriculum. If you have been away on
holiday, or just out on a visit to the zoo, park or shopping centre, let us know. Please
send some pictures so that we can incorporate them into the daily curriculum. We have
our weekly photo’s being uploaded daily and we hope that you have all been enjoying
them. If you are having problems with them, let us know.
Some families are still to return their child’s portfolio. We need these to be returned to us
as soon as possible, as we have learning stories to put in them.
At this age, the children explore their environment by using their sensory skills. Our main
interest with the children has been developing these skills. We have explored goop
(cornflour and water), flour with salt, play dough, slime (soap flakes), free painting and
more.
The children have also shown an interest in cooking. They are all wonderful little chefs and
we would love to see photo’s of them cooking at home.
We now have a parent communication book at the sign in and out area, so please use it to
write any information about your child.
We hope you all have a wonderful month.
From the Tadpole Team – Alex, Rosie, Anahid, Natasha , Yuki
Hello to our Bilby Parents,
Bilby
Room
Our focus this month has been about using our senses and
learning about the parts of our body. We have been looking
carefully at what we use them for. Some of the ways we use
our bodies are by tasting, smelling and touching different varieties of fruit and vegetables.
An extension of this activity is using the pieces of fruit and vegetable in sensory
experiences such as print painting, to see how the textures of each of these food groups
come out on paper.
In the song "Heads, shoulders, knees and toes, eyes, ears, mouth and nose" we learn to
use our limbs for different purposes. Balancing, climbing and jumping are skills which
have been exercised in the Bilbies outdoor play area obstacle course, combining it in time
with the Sochi Winter Olympics. The Bilby's children have taken the time to make their
own medals, gluing shiny circular cardboard pieces together, punching holes then
threading coloured ribbon through them.
This week we saw the closing ceremony of the Games and each child has taken home a
'winners' medal which they received while standing on a podium with the gentle humming
tune of the National Anthem in the background.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Michael Burridge, Angelina's dad, and his
team from Coolwater Landscapes for their generous donation and time of landscaping
work in our playground and installing the Atlantis Greywall Pro Vertical Garden System
which will be placed in the Kookaburra's and Platypus outdoor play area later this month.
Their contact details can be found on the web www.coolwaterlandscapes.com.au
Reminder Note
Our Daily Program is displayed on the Parent Information Board on our website. Please
take time to view what is taking place in the classroom on a daily basis. This is also where
upcoming events and other exciting things are posted.
Please label your child’s name clearly on each item. Doing so allows the staff to
return belongings to their rightful owner.
From the Bilby Team – Wendy, Jaimie, Olena, Carmen,
Erin, Helena and Flavia
Hello to all our Kookaburra Parents!
Kookaburra Room
February has been a great time for the children in the room.
They are settling very well, and are getting used to the new
routine set in place for them to learn and play. The room is looking very pretty, with lots
of the children’s artworks on display! Please take some time when possible to examine
the art and see what your children have been doing throughout the week. We would like
to say goodbye to Ellen, who is going back to the USA, and thank her for the great work
and support she has given to our room during the last months. Thank you very much,
Ellen.
In Eugene’s group, the children have been exploring the primary colours, red, blue and
yellow. The children are enjoying the new group time, with lots of songs and items to
show relating to the colours. They have participated in lots of craft activities, such as
finger painting and making playdough, as well as cognitive tasks such as sorting different
coloured items. We aim to make a coloured cake as part of our ongoing learning in
colours. All these activities are building upon the children’s being with and interacting
with others in a group, and are related to the EYLF Learning Outcome 1.4 – Children
learn to interact in relation to others with care and respect.
For next month, Eugene’s group will continue to explore colours, mixing them for
different results.
Marinella’s group
This month everyone has been settling well into the room. The children have been
recognising their names and learning the days of the week, using songs and tags to put
on the apple tree. They were also becoming familiar with numbers from 1-31, related to
the numbers of the days in a month. By taking turns each day, one child would choose
which book to read from the 3 books offered by Marinella. The children were busy with
Valentine’s day craft and each day they are involved in free painting, either with hands or
brushes.
We have also begun to receive your family input forms, which will help us to plan
activities that reflect the children’s interests at home. This month we concentrated on
strengthening children’s hand muscles. We did lots of cutting, collage (cutting and
pasting) and manipulating playdough, and we extended our language skills by reading
stories and doing ‘show and tell’.
Next month we will continue the cutting and pasting experience and extend the children’s
interests by incorporating ideas from the family input forms. The children have also
expressed interest in cooking, and their language skills will be further extended during
group time.
It would be appreciated if you could return your child’s portfolio scrapbook, as we need to
begin cataloging observations and artwork. If you have not received, or are missing the
scrapbook, please contact our friendly staff.
In addition, a reminder to all parents – please label your child’s belongings to ensure they
are not lost.
The Kookaburra Team: Marinella, Eugene , Athena,
Hannah, Lucia and Talin
Over the last few weeks, the Platypus children were very
busy. They all participated very well during the
discussion about their families and their homes.
Following this great discussion the children were encouraged to draw a self-portrait first
and then draw a picture of their family members. During this experience we focused on
developing children's ability to use a correct pencil grip as well as expand their
imagination. Furthermore, all of the children were involved in the craft experience ‘make
your home’. During this activity they were able to experiment with different materials,
while creating their artworks ‘my home’.
Platypus Room
Our outcomes for the month were:
For children to develop knowledgeable and confident self-identities.
For children to learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy and
respect.
For children to take increasing responsibility for their own health and physical
wellbeing
Over the last few weeks, all the children displayed great interest in a cooking experience.
To continue to develop children’s interest in cooking we discussed a lot about healthy
food, healthy eating and nutrition. In order to teach children which foods are healthy and
which are not so healthy, we read a book ”The Very Hungry Caterpillar”. After reading
this great book, we started discussing our favourite fruit, favourite flavour, texture and
colour. All the children enjoyed very much discussing this topic. During this impressive
discussion, we were able to discover that most of the children love to eat fruit.
To follow up this experience, we encouraged the children to take part in constructing
graphs. This activity was a great way to find out which fruit and vegetables were most
popular in our class. Graphs are used widely in math and science, helping children to
learn how to gather, organise, and compare information.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who attended ‘Parents’
Information Night’. This night was a great opportunity to engage with all the parents and
continue to build close relationships. Children thrive when families and educators work
together in partnership to support their learning. Working in partnership with families,
educators use the ‘learning outcomes’ to guide their planning for children’s learning.
Furthermore, this evening provided the parents with an overview of children’s involvement
and success in learning.
Note: Dear parents, we are creating a ‘Family Photo Gallery’ display, which is part of our
curriculum. Could you kindly bring in, or e-mail a photo of your family?
Thank You,
Warm Regards
The Platypus Team: Vesna, Clare, Jane, Catherine, Pru, Mary,
Ulika and Izumi
Music Corner
Jorge has commenced lessons in the Tadpoles Room with some very rhythmical tunes, such as
“Farfalina” (Italian/butterfly) which they love. The Bilbies enjoy “Leo the Lion” and some dancing
tunes, whilst the Kookaburras have been doing fun and activity songs such as “Everybody Clap”
and “Incy Wincy Spider”. The Platypus children are learning songs in different languages, such as
“Fungi Alafia” (a welcoming song in “Bantu” language, Ghana) and Jorge is encouraging selfconfidence in the children by asking them to sing or perform a little dance in front of their friends.
Dance with Cheryl
Dance with Cheryl will be on alternate Tuesdays and Fridays.
The children enjoy learning to master all there is to know about Performing Arts. All of the children
enter each class with bursting amounts of enthusiasm! The children’s positive attitude to learn in
each lesson has been reflected by individual willingness to perform, learn and attend.
TechknowKids
During February, the children participating in TechKnowKids used an early language program to
improve their vocabulary. They listened carefully in the program to find the correct objects and
actions. Skills: Listening, Observing, Visual and auditory discrimination, Understanding icons,
Fine motor skills, Work with a partner. Anyone wishing to enroll their child in the computer
programme, please see Rosie for an enrolment form.
Safety Corner - SIDS and Kids safe sleeping
What is SIDS?
SIDS is short for ‘Sudden Infant Death Syndrome’. It means the sudden, unexpected death of
a baby.
The cause of death is not known.
SIDS is the most common cause of death in babies between one month and one year of age.
Most babies who die of SIDS are under six months. More babies die of SIDS in winter than in
summer.
Remember, 1999 out of 2000 babies will not die of SIDS.
Some new information
Research has found some important ways to reduce the risk of SIDS. Since parents have used
these ways in Australia, SIDS deaths have dropped by about 70% to about 140 per year.
How to reduce the risk of SIDS and sleep baby safely
Put baby’s feet at the bottom of the cot
The cot must meet the Australian Standard for Cots
Tuck in bedclothes so bedding is not loose
Keep quilts, doonas, duvets, pillows and cot bumpers out of the cot
Use a firm, clean mattress that fits snugly in the cot
Put baby on the back to sleep, from birth
Sleeping your baby on the back lowers the risk of SIDS
The chance of babies dying from SIDS is greater if they sleep on their tummies or sides.
If you are unsure about the best way to sleep your baby, speak with your doctor or nurse.
Sleep baby with face uncovered
Make sure your baby’s face and head stay uncovered during sleep as this reduces the risk of
SIDS
Taking baby into an adult bed may be unsafe. It is unsafe if baby gets caught under adult
bedding or pillows, if baby is trapped between the wall and the bed, if baby falls out of bed, or
if baby is rolled on by someone who sleeps very deeply or who has taken medicine, drugs or
alcohol that can cause them to sleep heavily.
Cigarette smoke is bad for babies
Cigarette smoke harms babies before birth and after
Babies have a much higher risk of SIDS if there was smoking in pregnancy and they bedshare
Try not to let anyone smoke near your baby
If you need help to quit smoking, call the Quitline on 131 848 or ask your doctor or nurse for
information and advice.
Visit the SIDS and Kids website: www.sidsandkids.org
Hello everyone!
Harmony Day is a day to celebrate Australia’s cultural diversity. It is a day of cultural respect for everyone
who calls Australia home – from the traditional owners of the land to those who have come from other
countries around the world.
There many ways we can celebrate Harmony Day – through sport, art, storytelling, music, cooking and
sharing cultural meals.
Food brings people together for celebrating many events, festivals and special dates all over the world.
Harmony Day is a great time to try cooking a new and exciting dish that you have never tried before. Get
the whole family involved and celebrate!
The delicious recipe below is a Lebanese dish that you could put in your child’s lunchbox as a healthy snack
or lunch.
Beef kebabs with couscous and chickpea tabouli
Ingredients:
1 lemon
190g (1 cup) couscous
250ml (1 cup) boiling water
2 tsp olive oil
400g beef rump steak, excess fat trimmed, cut into long thin strips
2 tsp ground cumin
1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
½ cup fresh continental parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Method:
Place couscous in heat proof bowl. Combine water and oil, adding to the couscous. Cover and set aside for
5 mins or until water is absorbed.
Thread the beef onto 8 skewers. Sprinkle with the cumin.
Grate lemon rind, remove seeds and juice the lemon
Add lemon zest, lemon juice, chickpeas, tomato, shallot, mint and parsley to the couscous. Toss well to
combine.
Cook the skewers for 3 mins each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Serve skewers with
couscous tabouli.
Love and live healthy,
Nui
Jayden Forrester is turning 2 on 1st March
James Smith is turning 5 on 2nd March
Alexander Caminiti is turning 1 on 4th March
Archer Richardson is turning 1 on 5th March
Jessica Dobeson is turning 1 on 5th March
th
Ashleigh Forrest is turning 3 on 11 March
Lachlan Berne is turning 4 on 18th March
Brianna North is turning 1 on 21st March
Coco Dale is turning 3 on 24th March
th
Hamish Bennetts is turning 4 on 25 March
Hina Matsuri (Japanese Doll’s Day)
Monday, 3rd March, 2014
Hina Matsuri, or Doll’s Day, falls on March 3. On that day, girls invite their friends over for tea
parties to see their special Doll’s Day dolls, which represent the Emperor and Empress and
members of their court. The dolls, dressed in rich brocaded robes, are often handed down from
mother to daughter and are not meant to be played with. Instead, they are displayed on a stand
that is built like a staircase and covered with a bright red cloth.
At the tea parties, guests play games with their everyday dolls, which they have brought with them
to enjoy the fun. And when it’s time for refreshments, the girls use their best manners to offer
candies and cakes to their dolls before eating the sweets themselves.
We will be celebrating Hina Matsuri on Wednesday, 5th March.
The children are invited to bring their dolls (or animal toys) and celebrate Doll’s
Day with a picnic.
St Patrick’s Day
Monday, 17th March, 2014
Traditionally, 17th March is the date both of St Patrick’s birth (in c. 385) and of his death (in c.
461). Though the patron saint of Ireland, he was not born on Irish soil. He was, most likely, of
Scottish birth. At the age of sixteen, he was captured by Gaelic raiders. Taking him to Ireland,
they sold him there as a slave. Whilst working as a shepherd, Patrick began to ponder about God
and came to feel his presence ever more strongly. After six years, he escaped to the Continent
where, possibly in Gaul, he studied religion. He then had a dream. It urged him to go back to
Ireland to convert its pagan population to Christianity. St Patrick became one of the most beloved
of saints, and every Irishman identifies himself by his nickname, ‘Paddy’.
The Wearing of the Green – the shamrock’s green colour gave the Emerald Isle its special hue
and name. The Irish wear the shamrock with pride, and particularly so on St Patrick’s Day. The
custom is known as ‘the wearing of the green’
Wear green on St Patrick’s Day
Harmony Day
Friday, 21st March, 2014
Bushwacker’s Picnic
6.00pm – 8.00pm
We will be celebrating Harmony Day with the Bushwacker’s Picnic,
(brought forward from the previously advertised date in February)
Harmony Day is a day to celebrate Australia’s cultural diversity. It is a day of
cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home – from the traditional
owners of the land to those who have come from other countries around the
world.
We plan to have a sausage sizzle, some Harmony Day activities, and a Bush Band
so we can enjoy some bush dancing.
Greg Dimmock will be visiting the Centre between 6.00 and 8.00 on Friday, 21 st
March. Greg has been running bush dancing for schools for over 20 years. This is
a great activity for having fun with your children, as all steps of dances are called
and it’s great fun for young and old. Bush dancing is a great way for children to
work together and it’s surprising how much fun they will have.
Some of the dances are:
The Drongo Dance
The Heel and Toe Polka
The Kangaroo and Emu Dance
The Chicken Dance, (the most popular dance this side of the Rabbit-Proof Fence)
The Hokey Pokey
So get your dancing shoes on and join us for a Family Bush Picnic !!
Cost per Family - $5.00
Teddy Bears’ Picnic for Bandaged Bear Day
Thursday, 27th March, 2014
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, NSW, treats many thousands of sick children
each year. The specialist care provided by The Children’s Hospital is worldrenowned and children travel from all over Australia and from overseas to receive
treatment for a range of conditions.
The Bandaged Bear Day Appeal raises funds for medical research, attention,
support and resources to children and their families and fundraising will take place
throughout March, with the highlight of the Appeal – Bandaged Bear Day – being
celebrated at Forest Childcare on Thursday, 27th March.
We will celebrate Bandaged Bear Day on Thursday, 27th March, with a
Teddy Bears’ Picnic – so bring along your Teddy Bears and join in the fun!