Newsletter
Term 3
PO Box 65
Mill Park LPO 3082
Phone: 9404 1419
Fax: 9404 5375
REG No: A0005544M
ABN: 71 230 191 478
Welcome
Maintaining the Home/First Language
The first language learned in the home is extremely important and forms
the foundation for all later language development.
Children can easily acquire two (or more) languages when they have
opportunities to hear and communicate in more than one language.
We have children who are
at high risk of Anaphylaxis.
We ask that you do not
pack nuts or nut products
in your children’s snacks
and lunches
Your actions will help to
support these children by
providing a safe
environment.
Parents, family members and educators are the most important influences
on the development and maintenance of the home language. Parents can
help by consistently using their home language when they communicate
with their child and not introducing English.
There are many reasons why it is important to maintain the first or home language:

When children are fluent in their home language this helps them learn a second language

The maintenance of the home language is essential in order to create a feeling of security,
cultural and family connection and a sense of belonging

Knowing more than one language well increases the flexibility of children’s thinking and has
positive effects on their attitudes to learning, problem solving and academic achievement
Children need to hear their home language, spoken in different situations and for different purposes.
This helps develop a strong sense of identity and provides a strong foundation for learning English.
11th Apr - 24th June
Children quickly become immersed in the environment where they will hear English in many different
contexts. They will want to join in and play with other children. Educators will provide good role
models and many opportunities for children to hear and practice English. Educators will guide and
encourage children as they gradually learn to understand and speak English.
11th July - 16th Sept
Children develop their language skills at their own pace.
Term Dates: 2016
28th Jan - 24th Mar
3rd Oct - 20th Dec
Children will have many opportunities to learn English in early childhood settings.
Some information is available in other languages, if you require this, please see Nadia or your child’s
educators.
Diary Dates
15th July
Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) 11 week fitness program Friday mornings at St. Francis of Assisi Primary School - Green Group
18th July
Incursion - Drama Toolbox drama/movement session - Yellow Group
19th July
Incursion - Andrew Wegner Australian Animals - Red Group
22nd July
Incursion - Drama Toolbox drama/movement session - Blue Group
26th July
Parent Teacher Interviews will run for 3 weeks - Red & Green Groups (further information to follow)
16th August
Grandparents Day - Red Group
18th August
Grandparents Day - Green Group
29th August
Incursion - Andrew Wegner Australian Animals - Green Group
29th August
Father’s/Special Visitors Day afternoon tea - Yellow Group
29th August
Father’s/Special Evening - Red Group
30th August
Father’s/Special Visitors Day morning tea - Blue Group
30th August
Incursion - Drama Toolbox drama/movement session - Red Group
1st September
Incursion - Drama Toolbox drama/movement session - Green Group
1st September
Father’s/Special Evening - Green Group
12th September
Group Teddy Bears Picnic - Yellow Group
13thSeptember
Group Teddy Bears Picnic - Blue Group
Page 2
Green Group - 4 year old
PROGRAM: It has been another very busy
present),including rock and roll and radio
and productive few months, interests include
role play, music, dance & drama, construction. music.
The children are also involved with
All of these experiences require children to
cooperate, wait for their turn, share ideas, listen
Experimenting with paint, mixing colours and
to each other, follow directions, practise and
discovering new colours
refine skills.
Cooking experiences – Making coconut balls
Ian Hunter visited our Kindergarten on
for Mother’s day, using produce from our
Thursday 2nd June to speak to the children
veggie patch like silverbeet, carrot and
spinach, we made Anna’s magic veggie soup! about the Aboriginal Culture. It was a
Amazing all the children tried and enjoyed the wonderful experience for the children, they
were engaged and interested with what Ian
soup. The helped wash, chop/cut up the
spoke about. Ian shared aspects of his culture
vegetables and we talked about all the
with the children by showing them photos of his
different vegetables we used.
family. He spoke about the differences in their
Playdough making pasta, cakes and soup
appearance, such as skin colour and how it
changed over the years as people married
The Making Table has been abuzz with
others with whiter skin. The children had
children making robots, cars, cameras and
opportunities to use imagery and participate in
other amazing imaginative and creative
music and drama using instruments such as
artwork using boxes and natural materials
rhythm sticks and a didgeridoo.
Acting out stories – using terms such as
Joe from Rhythm Fun visited on Thursday 16th
‘Narrator’, ‘Actors’, ‘Audience’ and ‘Props’
June, it was a terrific hands-on experience for
Games including ‘Musical mats, ‘Frieze’,
the children, they were introduced to a variety
‘Doggy Doggy’. ‘Musical Hugs’
of instruments learning terms such as rhythm,
beat, high and low notes. This interest was
Music and dance - ‘Mamma Mia’, ’Frozen’,
extended by a visit to St Francis PS Music
‘Party Rock’ are our favourites at
room where the children were involved in a
wonderful music experience with Theresa.
During term 3 we will be visiting St Francis
School Library & Music Room, the Mill Park
library and our local shops as part of our
community connections. These outings are a
great way for children to not only familiarize
themselves with a school environment, but also
to gain confidence, to interact with other
children and adults outside the family and
Kindergarten environment. We also commence
PMP (Perpetual Motor Program) with Mr Brett at
Francis School Hall in Term 3.
Relaxation and Massage sessions continue to
be part of our sessions each week, Children
actually ask me “Can we do Massage today”,
they are learning the importance of ‘just being’.
Taking a few deep breaths with eyes closed in a
quiet area is a wonderful tool for children to use
not only now, but throughout their lives.
The dynamics in the group have improved,
children have settled into the routine, are
working together more confidently and are
working towards being ‘friendly’ to everyone.
Anna, Cristina & Rosanna
Red Group - 4 year old
Welcome back to our lovely red group
families,
During term 3 our strong focus will be
connecting to our community. Educators
have taken action to broaden the children’s
understanding of the world in which they live
in. Assisting the children to recognise that
they are part of and have a right to belong to
many communities especially our very own
kindergarten community.
We provide opportunities and strategies for
the children to be empowered to make their
own choices and problem solve to meet their
own needs. We allow them to express a wide
range of emotions constructively and learn to
interact with others with care, empathy and
most of all respect.
The kindergarten year is about learning to
listen to others ideas and respect other
children’s differences. We individually and as
a group critically think about fair and unfair
behaviour and develop strategies on how to
appropriately respond, to various play
situations that occur during our kindergarten
day. We do this by acting out various play
scenarios, storytelling, use puppets, sing
songs and dance individually or as a group.
Play spaces encourage the children to co
operate, collaborate, negotiate and work
together on shared projects. We give the
children the confidence to use their language
to express themselves, their ideas and views
in an appropriate manner. The creative arts
such as drawing, painting, drama, sculpture,
movement are all methods of expression.
This term will bring more fun and exciting
learning for your children. We will have many
visitors such as Andrew Wegner the Australian
wildlife presenter who educates the children on
live animals such as reptiles: lizards, fresh
water turtles, a non poisonous snake, frogs and
a variety of mini beasts. He will also show us
preserved animals such as a Possums,
Echidna, and Wombats. While Andrew
presents his facts the children also have hands
on time where they are able to explore closely
the various animals. We will also explore the
diversity of culture, heritage, background and
tradition as well as understanding the
interdependence between land, people, plants
and animals.
Take home toy: Leonardo and Daisy the take
home stuff toy has been a huge success in
term 2. We will continue to give the children an
opportunity to take these two toys home until
everyone in the red group has had a turn. We
have received amazing diary entries in which
the children love sharing with their friends at
group time. These journals are also placed on
the book shelf during the session for the
children to view at their leisure. Thank you to
the families who assisted in putting together the
journal of photos and children’s work.
The benefits of a Take home soft toy

Responsibility- looking after their soft
toy, learning about feelings, emotions.

Language development – when we
share with the whole group, learning to
express themselves

Early literacy development

Taking turns with other children in the
group, waiting patiently
Cooking: The children have really enjoyed
cooking in term 2. We will continue to provide
opportunities for the children to cook some of
their favourite foods. Cooking offers children
a variety of learning experiences. It’s a
practical way to teach children basic life skills,
as well as academic skills involving reading,
science and maths. Time spent together
cooking encourages social interaction,
communication between peers and adults.
The whole group benefits as it becomes a
sense of shared accomplishment and
enjoyment of each other’s company.
During third term educators will be conducting
parent teacher interviews for parents who
would like to have a chat about their child’s
development. During this term we will be
assessing the children during session time in
order for us to complete transition statements
for your children in term 4. We will be
discussing aspects such as readiness for
school, and strategies we can put in place to
assist your children to make the school
transition as easy and smoothly as possible.
Interview times will be given to parents in due
course. We are looking forward to the term
ahead.......
Marisa , Anna, Cristina&
Rosanna
Page 3
Blue and Yellow Groups - 3 year old
Welcome back to the children and
families in both 3 year old groups.
We hope you all had a restful break.
We have some exciting events
planned for term 3.
Some of the highlights from term 2
included exploring topics such as
Autumn, our mums for mother’s day
and special events included cooking
cookies for our mother’s day
morning tea and afternoon tea and
our special dress up day at the end
of term .
The children were busy in term 2
making their mother’s day presents
and cards. Thank you to all our
mums and grandmothers who were
able to come along to our afternoon
and morning teas. The children were
very excited to share this special
time with their mum singing songs,
dancing together and eating the
special cookies they had cooked at
kinder.
During mat we increased our
repertoire of songs using our fingers
and whole body. Some of the
children’s favourite songs were 5
Golden Autumn Leaves, 5 Little
Ducks, Jack in the Box, one potato
and 5 fat sausages.
Songs and nursery rhymes provide a
wonderful way for young children to
develop so many important skills
(fine and gross motor, language,
concentration, social and emotional)
in a fun and engaging way. The
repetition of favourite songs and
nursery rhymes allows children to
practices the movements as well as
recall the words and sequence to the
songs.
During mat we also used leaves and
coloured streamers in our dancing
and especially in our Autumn songs.
The children also enjoyed talking
about the photos in their special
photo albums. This enabled the
children to practice their
communication skills (e.g. describing
what is happening in the photos) and
also their social skills (e.g. waiting
for their turn to talk to the group
about their photo album).
Photos of term 1 and term 2 special
events can be viewed in the
refection book (near the sign in
book) or on the computer via our
Weebly. The children also have
individual portfolios that contain their
art work as well as photos of special
events at kinder. You are welcome
to look through your child’s portfolios
at kinder. These are located inside
the kinder on the shelf near the
office.
Thank you to our parent helpers in
term 2. Your help is greatly
appreciated. Please fill in the parent
helper roster for term 3. Please swap
with someone else if you are unable
to do your day.
This term we will explore the winter
through various experiences and
highlight the differences and
characteristics of each season. We
will also practice developing the
children’s scissor skills and gross
motor/physical skills.
In September parent teacher
interviews will take place. Details
with the times and dates will follow
later in the term.
This term l would also like to
invite families to share a skill with
the children e.g. cooking, musical
instrument or share a song/dance
from your culture. Please let me
know if you have an idea and we
can discuss and arrange a time
this term.
If you have any questions or
suggestions about the program or
how your child is progressing at
kinder please don’t hesitate to talk
to me, preferably after the
session.
Angela & MaryAnn
Page 4
Fundraising
Here we are again and it’s hard to
believe that we are over the half
way mark for this year.
Term 3 was a successful term for
fundraising. The children bought
some beautiful gifts for their mums
for Mother's Day and really
appreciate everyone's support with
this.
would like to thank all the people
who gave up their time to help us on
the day. The day ran smoothly
because everyone was so organised
- thank you. We look forward to a
great Term 3 of fundraising, and
appreciate all the support from
families.
Louise, Kristy and the
Fundraising Team
A huge thank you to Geraldine for
helping wrap Mother's Day gifts and
to Daniela for all her assistance.
The Bunning’s BBQ on the 15th
May was a huge success! Despite it
being a cold day, we sold plenty of
sausages and were happy with our
profit of of close to $1000.00 We
Whooping Cough Vaccine
The State Government’s free whooping
cough vaccine for expectant parents and
parents of newborns will be available
from June 1, it will be available to
pregnant women from 28 weeks
gestation.
In addition , all parents and guardians of
newborn babies under six months of age
and who are born after June 1 will be
eligible.
Under the program, women will be
eligible during every pregnancy and all
other parents will be eligible if they have
not received a whooping cough vaccine
booster dose in the past 10 years.
The vaccine will be available from
immunisation providers such as GP’s,
maternity hospitals, obstetricians and
local councils.
Mandatory Reporting
As of September 2015, all Early
Childhood Teachers were invited to
register as part of the Victorian Institute
of Teaching (VIT). Early Childhood
Teachers are now mandated to report
abuse of any child under the age of 16.
Child Protection.
been reported to DHHS Child Protection.
Teachers who form a belief on
reasonable grounds that a child or young
person:
Duty of Care
Purpose of this policy

Is in need of protection, should
report their concerns to DHHS
Child Protection or Victoria Police

Is displaying sexually abusive
behaviours and is in need of
therapeutic treatment should
report their concerns their
concerns to DHHS Child
Protection.
To define the roles and responsibilities of
pre-school staff in protecting the safety
and wellbeing of children and young
people and to enable staff to:

identify indicators that a child or
young person may be in need of
protection.

make a report about a child or
young person who may be in
need of protection

comply with reporting obligations
under child protection law and
criminal law and fulfil their duty of
care.

If teachers are concerned for the
wellbeing of a child or young
person they should report their
concerns to DHHS Child
Protection or Child First.
Reporting criminal child sexual abuse
- failure to disclose offence
Teachers have a duty of care to protect
the safety, health and wellbeing of
children in their care. If a teacher has
concerns about the safety , health and
wellbeing of children in their care they
should take action immediately.
Forming a “reasonable belief”
A “reasonable belief” of a “belief on
reasonable grounds” is not the same as
having proof but is more than a mere
rumour or speculation.
Types of child abuse and indicators of
harm
Child abuse can have significant effect
on a child’s physical or emotional health,
development and wellbeing.
Types of abuse include:
Reporting child protection concerns
Mandatory reporters, who believe on
reasonable grounds that a child or young
person is in need of protection from
physical injury or sexual abuse, must
report their concerns to Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Any teacher who forms a reasonable
belief that a sexual offence has been
committed in Victoria by an adult against
a child under 16 must disclose that
information to police. Failure to disclose
the information to police is a criminal
offence, except in limited circumstances
such a where the information has already
Physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional
abuse, neglect, medical neglect, family
violence, human trafficking (including
forced marriage) and sexual exploitation
(including pornography and prostitution).
Page 5
Transition Statements
To support a positive start to school
for all children, a common Victorian
approach has been developed, to
guide families, kindergartens and
schools.
The report will assist your child’s
transition to primary school by
providing a shared understanding
between your kindergarten teacher
and primary school teacher.
Parent Information
Anna and Marisa will be hard at work
this term putting the finishing
touches to the reports.
With parents permission these
reports will be sent to the primary
school your child is attending in
2017.
Should you wish to discuss the
matter further, please do not hesitate
to speak to Anna or Marisa.
These reports contain valuable
information for your child’s Prep
teacher to assist them with planning
and preparation.
We have 2 folders on the sign in
table.
The folder labeled “Parent Info”
contains information from various
sources eg: parent
training/information sessions,
community activities etc….. that may
be of interest to you.
The other folder “Primary Schools
in our Area” contains information
regarding open days and enrolment
processes for 2017.
Timetable for 2017
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Red Group
Blue Group
Red Group
Green Group
Green Group
8:15 - 1:45
8:15 - 10:45
8:00 - 12:00
8:15 - 1:45
8:00 - 1:30
4yo
3yo
4yo
4yo
4yo
Yellow Group
Red Group
Green Group
Yellow Group
Blue Group
2:15 - 4:30
11:15 - 4:45
12:45 - 4:45
2:15 - 4:30
2:30 - 4:30
3yo
4yo
4yo
3yo
3yo
Achievement Program - Off to a great start
Achievement Program update - it’s official, we’re on our way to creating a healthy service.
It’s wonderful news, as part of the Achievement Program we have been officially recognised by the Victorian Government for
our commitment to creating a “healthy early childhood service”.
You can see our Achievement sign, recognising our fantastic work, hanging under the office window. We have also received a
certificate, signed by the secretaries of the Department of Health and the Department of Education and Training, congratulating
us on our achievements.
This great work would not have been possible without the enthusiasm and involvement of all our staff, parents and
carers…...Thank you very much!!
Not only are we boosting their wellbeing now, but the children are developing healthy behaviours that will support their
wellbeing throughout life.
We’re really excited about being awarded our first three icons: Healthy Eating and Oral Health, Sun Protection and Physical
Activity. We are now working on the next stage - Tobacco Control, in an effort to provide information and support to our families
wishing to QUIT smoking.
Page 6
Policies to be reviewed
The following policy will be reviewed this term:

Administration of First Aid

Administration of Medication

Emergency and Evacuation

Epilepsy

Excursion and Service Events

Food Safety Policy

Delivery and Collection of Children
Help Wanted
It would be much appreciated if parents can collect recyclable materials for
the children to use at our making table.
Empty boxes, cards, clean plastic trays, milk lids, paper, streamers, old
buttons, cardboard, scrap pieces of materials, wool for threading.
We value our families input and help with the sessions and over the past
term, we have found the Parent Duty Roster to have many vacancies.
If you have a free couple of hours and would like to spend some time at
kindergarten with your child and assisting with the program, we would value
your help.
Resilience in Children
Resilience in children” is a topic close to the heart of any true and passionate educator. Below is an extract from Early Life
Foundations—Kathy Walker and Associates 2012.
The adult role is a significant one in providing consistent messages early in a child’s life that they are valued and inherently okay
people.
A positive self concept is one of the most important aspects of helping to promote resilience in every child. A strong sense of self,
is an important foundation for future learning and for life.
Defining successful learning is not just about academic achievement, but acquiring a positive self esteem and belief in oneself.
Resilience enables children to believe they can attempt to solve problems, to have a go, to take risks and to believe in their own
competence.
Encouraging children’s attempts and the processes and steps they use along the way are just as important, if not more
important, than simply the end result. All children have needs and a right to be respected and accepted for who they are.
All children have needs and a right to be respected and accepted for who they are.
Kathy Walker is one of Australia’s leading parenting and educational experts, public speakers and authors. A highly
recommended book written by Kathy Walker, “What’s the Hurry”: Reclaiming Childhood in an Overscheduled World, gives more
details and how to promote and encourage resilience .
Our Health Promotion Charter
With our involvement in the Achievement Program (a Health and Wellbeing Program) Stables Kindergarten strives to create an
environment that assists all members of the service to experience physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing.
To be a successful health promoting service, we are committed to working together to:

Develop policies to create a physical and social environment which promotes health and wellbeing

Provide an environment that facilitates and encourages healthy choices and lifestyles, and that complements health
messages taught in the educational program

Ensure respect, fairness and equality is promoted and modeled, and a sense of belonging is fostered

Encourage educators, staff and families to be positive role models for healthy choices and lifestyles

Provide learning opportunities and experiences within the educational program to enable children to gain knowledge
and skills and take action to enhance health and wellbeing

Engage children, families, educators and staff as active participants in the promotion of health and wellbeing

Build partnerships with local health professionals, services and the wider community to enhance health promotion
capacity

Link children, young people and their families to support services to meet their health and wellbeing needs

Seek continuous improvement through ongoing reflection, monitoring and evaluation
Page 7
Less physical activity , more screen time - does it matter?
By Trina Hinkley, a research fellow at the Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, Faculty of
Health, Deakin University.
Trina shares with us the latest research which highlights the importance of increasing physical activity and
decreasing screen-time for positive outcomes in young children's health and well-being.
As parents, we want to do the best we can for our children. Similarly, as educators, we want to provide the
children in our care with the best opportunities for a healthy start to life and smooth transition to school. When we
think about our children’s health, we tend to worry more about coughs and colds that longer term issues, and
many of us believe that our children’s behaviours are unlikely to impact their health or development at an early
age. For instance, we think that our children are naturally physically active - mostly all we need to do is open the
door from them and they’ll run around and have as much activity as they need. When it comes to screen time using devices such as TV, iPads and computers - we believe they offer valuable benefits such as quiet time,
time out for busy parents, and are beneficial to children’s education. Certainly, promoters of “educational’ games
and programs suggest that this is the case.
However, evidence now suggests that young children typically participate in less physical activity, and more
screen time, than Australian and in International health guidelines recommend (Hinkley, Salmon, Oakely,
Crawford & Heskin, 2012).
Australian guidelines recommend that children five years and younger participate in a least three hours of physical
activity every day. Children aged birth through two years are recommended to take part in no screen time at all,
and children aged two through five years should use no more than one hour of screen time each day (Department
of Health, 2014).
But what does it really matter if your child, or the children in your care, don’t meet these guidelines? As it turns
out, it matters a lot. Higher levels of physical activity during early childhood are beneficial for maintaining a healthy
weight, developing motor skills such as jumping, kicking and catching, well-being, and cognitive development
(Leblanc et al., 2012).
Well-being incorporates children’s psychological and social health. It is considered to be the presence of higher
levels of positive, and lower levels of adverse, psychological and social attributes and behaviours. These may
include things like children's social skills, self-regulation, and physical aggression, anxiety and attention problems.
Therefore, children who have higher levels of social skills and better self-regulation, and lower levels of
aggression , anxiety and attention problems, would be considered to have more favourable well-being overall.
Children’s physical activity and screen time may play a role here. For instance, children who have higher levels of
physical activity have been shown to have lower levels of conduct problems, peer problems, and emotional
symptoms, and more favourable levels of emotional competence. Children who have lower levels of screen time,
particularly television viewing, tend to have lower levels of aggression, hyperactivity, are victimized less frequently
and are less likely to be a bully. Lower levels of screen time are also associated with better self control and more
positive classroom engagement (Hinkley, Teychenne, Downing Ball, Salmon & Hesketh, 2014)
Page 8
Cont…...
Optimal cognitive development during early childhood includes the development of cognitive abilities in a number
of areas. These include language, memory, and executive function which is the ability to regulate thoughts,
actions, and emotions. Emerging evidence is showing that physical activity and screen time can impact children’s
cognitive development. Increased physical activity during early childhood has been shown to be beneficial to a
number of aspects of cognitive development including language, executive function, flexibility of ideas, selfregulation (the ability to control our emotions and regulate our behaviour) and sustained attention. Children who
spend less time in screen time tend to have better language development (more words and better word
understandings) and understanding of numbers. Children who watched violent shows or cartoons tended to do
even more poorly in these areas. Of note also, children who spend more time reading, or being read to, tend to
have stronger language development (Carson et al., in press-a; Carson et al., in press-b).
While the body of evidence investigating these aspects of children’s behaviours and development is still small,
the emerging evidence is fairly clear: physical activity is beneficial for children and screen time can be
detrimental. So, what can you do to support healthy outcomes in your children?
For parents, a great tool to work out how much time we spend doing just about anything is monitoring. This
involves keeping a really careful record of how much time your child spends being active and using screens. A
simple diary on the fridge works well. Pop your child’s name down one side and mark times of the day across the
top. You might like to have one each for physical activity and screen time, or include them both on the one.
Simply mark off the times your child was being active (time outside can be easy to keep track off) or using screen
time. After a few days, add up the times. You might find this surprising! Parents often find their child is doing
much less activity and much more screen time than they thought. Once you know how much time your child
spends in each behaviour, and at what times of the day, it’s easier to have an idea of how that might be better
managed. Repeating this process of monitoring from time to time helps to keep them on track.
Some of the things we know support physical activity during early childhood include being a boy (so girls might
need extra support), time outside, and parents or other adults being active with children. Finding activities that
you and your children enjoy will help to make active time more fun - and this is what it should be about! Spend
more time outside - explore your neighbourhood on an adventure walk - how many different types of flowers,
or seed pods can you find? How many trees can your child count between corners? How many different colours
are letterboxes painted? Touch, feel and talk about these things as you find them to help your child’s language
development also. Invite a friend along to help you child practice their social skills. The time your child might
usually watch TV can be replaced with blocks, reading or looking at books, craft activities, cooking and helping
around the house - children are amazing helpers when chores are turned into a fun game. Educators can
support children being active by allowing plenty of time outside - an average of 15 minutes per hour is a great
start. Ensuring there is plenty of equipment for children to use is helpful and providing instruction in fundamental
movement skills such as jumping, catching and kicking (there are lots of programs available) have been shown to
be really beneficial. Here’s a great resource for parents and educators alike to help with ideas for fundamental
movement skills and physical activity:
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/pdhpe/gamessport/fms001.htm
Page 9
Vitamin D and UV Radiation
The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation is both a major cause of skin cancer and the best natural source of vitamin D.1 In Victoria, it is
important to take a balanced approach to sun exposure which helps with vitamin D levels, while minimising the risk of skin cancer
with appropriate sun protection measures.
What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a hormone that controls calcium levels in the blood. It is needed to develop and maintain healthy bones, muscles and
teeth and is also important for general health.2,3
Vitamin D is made through a series of biochemical processes starting when the skin is exposed to the sun’s UV rays. Vitamin D
occurs naturally in fish and eggs, while margarine and some types of milk have added vitamin D. Food however, only makes a
small contribution (approx. 10%) to the body’s overall vitamin D levels and it is therefore difficult to get enough from diet alone.
How do I take a balanced approach to sun exposure?
The body can only absorb a certain amount of vitamin D at a time. Prolonged sun exposure does not result in increased vitamin D
levels, but does increase the risk of skin cancer. Short periods of sun exposure may be more efficient at producing vitamin D.4
Daily exercise will also assist the body to produce vitamin D.5
In Victoria from September to April (when UV levels are generally 3 and above) most people need sun protection. During these
months, Victorians with fair to olive skin need just a few minutes of mid-morning or mid-afternoon sun exposure on most days of
the week for vitamin D levels. Be extra cautious in the middle of the day when UV levels are most intense. People with naturally
very dark skin may need more sun exposure.6
From May to August (when UV levels generally fall below 3), Victorians with fair to olive skin need to actively seek two to three
hours of midday winter sun exposure spread over each week. At these times, sun protection is not required unless near highly
reflective surfaces such as snow, outside for extended periods or when UV levels reach 3 and above. People with naturally very
dark skin may need more sun exposure.
Solariums should never be used to boost vitamin D levels as they emit dangerous levels of UV which increases the risk of skin
cancer.
Will sunscreen stop you from making enough vitamin D?
Sunscreen use should not put people at risk of vitamin D deficiency. When sunscreen is tested in lab conditions it has been
shown to decrease vitamin D production, however regular use in real life has been shown to have little effect on vitamin D levels.
This is probably because those people who use more sunscreen, spend more time in the sun, so naturally will have higher vitamin
D levels.7,8,9
Who is at risk of vitamin D deficiency?
People with naturally very dark skin. The pigment in dark skin (melanin) acts as a filter to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation and
reduces synthesis of vitamin D.6
People with little or no sun exposure. This group includes:

older adults, especially the frail, who are in medium to long-term residential care, aged care or housebound10

people who wear concealing clothing for religious or cultural purposes11

people who deliberately avoid sun exposure for cosmetic or health reasons

people at high risk of skin cancers

people who are hospitalised long-term

people with a disability or chronic disease

people in occupations such as taxi drivers, factory workers, night-shift workers.
Breast fed babies who fall into the risk categories above or have mothers with low vitamin D. Breast milk contains little
vitamin D and infants depend on maternal stores initially (formula milk is fortified with vitamin D).12
People with conditions (obesity, end stage liver disease, renal disease and fat malabsorption syndromes such as cystic
fibrosis, coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease) or medications affecting vitamin D metabolism.
Individuals in these at risk groups and anyone else concerned about their vitamin D levels should speak with their doctor. Vitamin
D levels can be checked with a simple blood test. Sun exposure may not be enough for some people and a vitamin D supplement
may need to be considered, especially in winter.
Low vitamin D may have no obvious symptoms, but without treatment, it can have significant health effects including bone and
muscle pain, poor bone mineralisation (softer bones) leading to rickets (bone deformity) in children and osteomalacia in adults.
Page 10
SunSmart UV Alert - App
We encourage all our families to access this information and have it available as the
warmer weather approaches.
Melanoma is the sixth most common cause of cancer death in Australian men and tenth
most common in Australian women.
Page 11
What our Program Planning is based on
Our planning is based on the Early
Years Learning Framework.
This consists of five outcomes to
enhance the developmental learning.
Here is how we have incorporated
the outcomes into our planning.
Outcome 1: Children have a
strong sense of identity;
At kindergarten the children: express
their thoughts, ideas and feelings;
are encouraged to be interested in
what others are thinking and feeling;
are responsible for themselves and
their environment. They are
confident in themselves and secure
in their environment. The educators
encourage, praise and participate in
activities with the children. We do
not make things for the children, we
work with them and so they learn to
explore and extend their knowledge
of the world.
Outcome 2: Children are
connected to their world
At kindergarten children should have
a sense of community. We aim to
enhance the child’s ability to relate to
other people and their understanding
of the society in which they live, to
share ideas and equipment; behave
according to group rules; understand
the different social roles and
institutions in this society; and value
the contribution they are making to
the group and society.
Outcome 3: Children have a
strong sense of wellbeing
We all learn best when we are
enjoying ourselves , so when we
plan the activities, the interest and
enjoyment of the children is very
important. Our ability to move with
confidence in our environment adds
to our sense of well being, sour
physical skills are very important.
We encourage the children to run,
hop, jump, climb, balance, and be
aware of themselves in the physical
environment. We also help them to
improve their ability to grasp, cut,
hammer, tear, paint, draw, pour
liquids accurately, and manipulate
equipment. At kindergarten we
practise these skills as much as
possible and in as many different
ways as we can find.
part of the kindergarten program.
Outcome 4: Children are
confident and involved learners
Reading is useless without the ability
to comprehend, analyse, remember,
imagine, reason and judge the
literature you are reading. It is
difficult to understand the written
word if you cannot do all these
things before you learn to recognize
individual words. We read to the
children throughout the year and
help them to understand what
reading is, how important it is and
how much enjoyment we get from it.
Learning involves processes such as
perception, memory, imagination,
judging and reasoning. At
kindergarten the children; sort,
match and describe objects and
events; use their senses to
differentiate between sounds,
smells, tastes, etc; remember words,
events and information; learn songs
and rhymes; compare and classify
objects; seek solutions to problems;
use imagination and intuitive
thought; distinguish between fact
and fantasy; and make inferences,
deductions or predictions on the
basis of their existing knowledge.
We give opportunities for the child to
understand concepts of size, shape,
quantity, capacity and one to one
correspondence. At kindergarten the
language of numeracy is used as the
children learn by doing. Words such
as more, less, heavy, long, etc.., are
the foundations upon which
mathematics is based. Counting is
also a part of the kindergarten
program, not just as rote learning,
but in a way that promotes
understanding of what these words
mean. Children learn to understand
mathematical concepts by building,
comparing, measuring, manipulating
and observing.
Outcome 5: Children are effective
communicators
The concept of children expressing
their ideas, thoughts and feelings
verbally and on paper is an integral
Painting, drawing and role playing
enables children to depict their ideas
and thoughts in a way that can be
understood by others.
Literacy is also an important part of
the program. No, we do not teach
children to read and write, but these
are only a small part of what it
means to be literate.
Writing is also of little value if you
have nothing to say. The concept of
children expressing their ideas,
thoughts and feelings verbally and
on paper is an integral part of the
kindergarten program. Painting,
drawing, and role playing enables
children to depict their ideas and
thoughts in a way that can be
understood by others. We do
practice recognizing and writing our
names in the later part of the year,
and encourage all children to
experiment with writing.
Should you wish to seek clarification
or discuss any of these points
further, please do not hesitate to
speak to your child’s teacher.
Page 12
Early Years Learning Framework
On 2 July 2009, COAG endorsed
the Early Years Learning
Framework. The Australian
Government has provided copies of
the Early Years Learning
Framework and Families’ Guide to
early childhood services across
Australia.
The Early Years Learning
Framework is part of the Council of
Australian Government’s (COAG)
reform agenda for early childhood
education and care and is a key
component of the Australian
Government’s National Quality
Framework for early childhood
education and care. It underpins
universal access to early childhood
education and will be incorporated in
the National Quality Standard in
order to ensure delivery of nationally
consistent and quality early
childhood education across sectors
and jurisdictions.
The Early Years Learning
Framework describes the principles,
practice and outcomes essential to
support and enhance young
children’s learning from birth to five
years of age, as well as their
transition to school. The Framework
has a strong emphasis on playbased learning as play is the best
vehicle for young children’s learning
providing the most appropriate
stimulus for brain development.
The Framework also recognises the
importance of communication and
language (including early literacy
and numeracy) and social and
emotional development.
Development of the Early Years
Learning Framework
The Early Years Learning
Framework has been developed
collaboratively by the Australian and
State and Territory Governments
with substantial input from the early
childhood sector and early childhood
academics. The Framework has
incorporated feedback from an
extensive consultation process,
including two national symposiums,
national public consultation forums,
focus groups, an online forum and
case-study trials.
The three elements of the Early
Years Learning Framework are:
BELONGING:
BEING:
Childhood is a time to be, to seek
and make meaning of the world
Being recognizes the significance of
the here and now in children's lives
It is about the present and children
knowing themselves, building and
maintaining relationships with
others, engaging with life’s joys and
complexities, and meeting
challenges in everyday life
The early childhood years are about
children’s experience of the present
and not solely preparation for the
future
BECOMING:
Children’s identities, knowledge,
understanding, capacities, skills and
relationships change during
childhood
They are shaped by many different
events and circumstances
It emphasizes learning to participate
fully and actively in society
Knowing where and with whom you
belong—is integral to human
existence
Children belong first to a family,
cultural group, a neighbourhood and
a wider community
In early childhood, and throughout
life, relationships are crucial to a
sense of belonging
Belonging is central in that it shapes
who children are and who they can
become
Kindest Regards
Nadia Totham