Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl

Year 7 Music stories

On Friday the Dolphins were fortunate to be the special audience for the Year 7 music students. The Year 7 students treated us to wonderful and fun music stories. The Dolphins were divided into 2 smaller groups and went into the music classrooms. The students projected the stories onto the wall and played musical instruments to accompany the stories. Some of the stories we heard were: In the summer when I go to bed and On the Ning, nag, nong.

The children sat beautifully and were a most appreciative audience.

How lucky we are to be part of such a dynamic and rich school. Through these experiences, the children are developing connections, not only to the School and physical spaces, but also to the students. All these learning experiences assist in making the transition to school a very smooth one.

Thank you to Alex Hone and the Year 7 students for the lovely performances.

The benefits of rest and sleep time for Pre-schoolers

A rest can be just as beneficial for a child as sleep and for this reason we factor a short rest time into the day for all 3 groups at Kornmehl. A rest period in the day is especially important for those children who no longer have a sleep during the day.

Rest is equally as important as sleep – playing a role in learning and memory function. It supports wellbeing and overall development and is critical for revitalising the body and mind and regulating mood. Rest and sleep impacts a child’s ability to learn, regulate their behaviour and interact with others. A child who is well rested is better able to concentrate, take on new information, interact positively with others, and deal with conflict and challenges. During sleep and rest, learning is strengthened, and biological changes occur that help children to grow, develop and stay healthy. In the early years, learning to rest and calm the body is an important strategy for children to acquire. A child’s sleep and rest needs are constantly changing as they grow. Rest time is not only relaxing for children, but a crucial part of healthy development and helps them to consolidate and cement memories that were acquired earlier in the day.

Teaching children relaxation techniques during rest time routines in early childhood education and care services significantly increases children’s health and wellbeing and provides them with a skill they can use throughout their lives.

What rest looks like 
Rest can be defined as quiet time; a period of inactivity or relaxed activity, calmness or tranquillity and can include a child being in a state of sleep. It is important that resting activities do not include screen time, such as TV or iPad time.
 
Effective ways for children to rest:

• Reading a book quietly
• Listening to relaxation music or a digital story
• Mindfulness routines and meditation
• Yoga
• Sitting at a table drawing
• Playing with playdough
• Quietly threading beads onto string
• Puzzles
• Bed Boxes – containing open-ended materials to play with quietly on their beds
• After a rest, older children could spend 10 minutes engaging with the ELLA App on the iPad quietly with a friend.

At Kornmehl, we encourage children to rest their bodies and minds for at least 20-25 minutes. A quiet and calming space will be provided for children to rest.

We consult with families about children’s sleep and rest needs. Educators are sensitive to each child’s needs so that sleep and rest times are a positive experience. Children may have a sleep-time comforter that remains in their bag through the day until rest time. This may be a blanket or soft toy. Children will neither be forced to sleep nor prevented from sleeping. Children can remain asleep until they naturally wake up or may be woken up as requested by parents after a set amount of time, or until their parents/guardians arrive to collect them. We value this time to rest or sleep as a very important part of our program and the children’s wellbeing. Sleep/rest routines are adjusted accordingly as the year progresses according to the needs of each child in our care.

We wish all our Kornmehl families a restful holiday and look forward to seeing you all again on Tuesday 24 July.