Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director Kornmehl

Backyard bugs

On Tuesday, Rangers on the Run came to visit Kornmehl and provided an informative educational experience about creatures and the wonders of nature.

We were introduced to the world of mini beasts. Live myriapods, insects, and arachnids were shown to the children. We were told a lot of information about their features and amazing abilities, where they live, how they grow, and the role of bugs in the environment. The experience was totally interactive and allowed the children to hold and touch many different bugs in a safe and exciting way.

We learnt that Myriapods have over 18 legs, insects have 6 legs and arachnids have 8 legs. We looked at a giant forest millipede and learnt that as they get bigger they grow more legs – up to 200!. We saw a goliath stick insect – the boy is a lot smaller than the girl. She is bigger because she has lots of eggs.

We found out that not all bugs like to eat green, juicy leaves. Some like to eat other insects like a praying mantis, which hides in the grass and eats other insects.

We were totally amazed and surprised when we saw a giant burrowing cockroach. They eat leaves on the ground. It has an exoskeleton, which we found out means its bones are on the outside of its body. This is because it needs to protect itself from predators.

Some of the children had the opportunity to dress up as spiders and ants. Dramatising and singing the song “The ants go marching one by one….” was a fun way to learn about the role of the different ants e.g. the Queen ant and the Soldier ants.

We also had the opportunity to look at different spiders in containers eg. a red back spider and a huntsman. We were told that the red back spider is very poisonous and should never be touched. In one egg sack, there can be up to 200 babies. It is the female spider that has the red stripe. The males are just black.

The huntsman spiders don’t have a web to catch their food. They eat cockroaches, crickets and snails and are fast and strong.

The children’s interest in bugs is being extended through a variety of learning experiences. These include discussions, story books with amazing images, YouTube videos, graphic representations, collage, collaborative drawings clay sculptures and more…

The Dolphins have shown an interest in learning about blood sucking insects. They have created 3-D mosquitoes using recycled materials. They are particularly inquisitive and in awe of these creatures.

Grandparents Day

We will be celebrating Grandparents and Special Friend’s day on Wednesday 16 August (in the Pre-school) for the Seashells and Thursday 17 August for the Dolphins and Starfish in the PAC from 9.30 am. In preparation for it, the Dolphins and the Starfish visited the PAC to have a rehearsal and familiarise themselves with the space. We are looking forward to sharing this special time together with our wonderful Grandparents and special friends, many of whom we know very well and whom we see on a regular basis when they come into the Pre-school to drop off or pick up their grandchildren.

Thoughts from Reggio

At the recent Landscapes of Identity Reggio Emilia conference that the teachers attended in the July school holidays, Maddalena Tedeschi (Pedagogista from Italy) spoke about how schools are about constructing an identity together and making shared narratives. We have a multiplicity of identities. Education must hug and hold dear ways and symbols that have a combined understanding of identity.

We need to make choices that look towards the future. The role of the educators is crucial in creating an identity and interpreting the learning that is taking place to make it visible to the wider community. This pedagogy of relationships is essential when designing the work we do with the children. The Educators need objectives and intentions and need to be capable of moving in close relation to the children. Children are born biologically equipped to form relations and to be curious. We need to all look more closely at the equilibrium and the balance that takes place between the competencies of the adults and the incredible generosity and optimism of the children.

Thus, it is the responsibility of the School to create landscapes of wellbeing, of opportunity, of identity and of community and relationships.

All of these are qualities we continually focus on at Kornmehl and which make up the identity of our Pre-school environment and who we are. We feel very proud of the work we do with the children in nurturing and supporting their wellbeing and identity and in fostering a culture of learning and inquiry while deepening our relationships and social skills to become capable citizens of the world.