Kornmehl
Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl
National Recycling Week
Over the past two weeks we have enjoyed learning all about recycling. We watched a YouTube video, showing us the journey of recycling materials from our home to the factories and being changed into something new.
Ali: You take something old, and you turn it into something new.
Neave: You can use an old sock and turn it into a new puppet with eyes on it.
Raphael: You don’t have to put it in the recycling bin, you can make something at with it.
Aimee: You can use an old sock and put ice in it and then into the freezer and make an ice pack. I made one at home with my sister. You can recycle glass and paper.
August: I’ve got three recycling bins, and the rubbish goes into the rubbish bin and the food skin goes into a bin and the recycling
Zach: When you finished with your egg container you can put some soil in it and plant something.
The children have been using loose parts and recycled materials to create a Chanukiah. This has allowed them to use their imagination and to come back again the next day and create something new.
Parents have been coming in to make a Chanukiah with their child, using recycled materials. The opportunity to collaborate with families on this project is rewarding for everyone involved.
Feature Creatures
We were lucky enough to enjoy an interactive and hands-on show from Feature Creatures on Tuesday.
The show was presented beautifully, and all the animals were incredibly tame. The children were constantly stimulated in a wide variety of ways by Kirsten and Lillie who delighted their appreciative audience with humour and interesting facts. They both helped the children to feel relaxed and to participate fully.
The children had plenty of time to pat, touch, hold and explore the animal’s and their unique behaviours. We were lucky enough to see three types of stick insects, a Blue Tongued Lizard, Shingleback Lizard, Bearded Dragons, Hermit Crabs, an Eastern Longnecked turtle adult and a super cute 6 month old baby turtle, a Green Tree Frog and a Magnificent Tree Frog, a Freshwater baby Crocodile, a small python and an extra large python, both incredibly tame.
We were also able to look closely inside small cages, at a tarantula, Red Back spider, Huntsman Spider, centipede, and scorpion.
The children got to experience a frog using his eyes to help him eat a meal, learn about the unique behaviour of these fascinating creatures, learn what each animal needs to do to survive in the wild and pat and handle a wide variety of tame animals.
Teaching children from a young age about native Australian animals has many benefits:
- Children learn to appreciate how different animals live and survive in our world. This can help them with their scientific and rational thinking.
- It has enormous benefits for children’s mental health.
- Interactions with native creatures help children build a sense of connection with their environment.
- When children learn about native Australian animals, they develop knowledgeable and confident self-identities (EYLF 1.3).
- Children learn to be socially responsible and show respect for the environment (EYLF 2.4).
- It promotes an appreciation for animals and creatures, as part of nature and environmental awareness.
- When learning about native animals’ educators can extend the learning to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who are interconnected with animals, plants, and Country.
Thank you to all our Wonderful Volunteers
On Friday morning, the Pre-school had a special morning tea to thank all our special volunteers and helpers during the year. In particular, we thanked our wonderful class parents – Mrs Leia Lewis, Mrs Sarah Robuck, Mrs Ellen Stuart and Mrs Lisa Greenberg. These special ladies have been extremely supportive, pro-active and a delight to work with this year. They have provided a link between the parent body and the Pre-school, ensuring that they all felt supported, connected, and involved in the life of the Pre-school.
We also thanked Mrs Susan Sweller, who has attended every Bush School as a volunteer this year. Susan is a great asset to our Bush School Program, sharing her knowledge as a biology teacher and volunteer for the Australian Museum, with us so freely on each excursion. Thank you to everyone who came along to this event.
