Terry Aizen – Director Kornmehl

Concerts

The children from all three groups have begun preparing for our end of year concerts. They are getting very excited to perform for their mums and dads.

The Seashells concert will be held on Wednesday 5 December at 9.30am in the Pre-school.  Morning tea will be served after the concert.

The Starfish and Dolphin concert and graduation will be held on Thursday 6 December at 6pm in the Multi-Purpose Hall of Emanuel School. A light dinner and snacks will be served afterwards in the Pre-school. The concerts are for parents only.

Conflict Resolution

At Kornmehl, we work very hard in Term 1 to establish strong connections and relationships with the children and to develop a sense of belonging and trust, based on mutual respect for each other. We talk to the children as we see things happening in the classroom and outside and bring these scenarios to the children during group time. This may be in the form of a discussion or through role plays using visual aids or props. We find, that when the children are able to see this visually, they are more able to internalise behaviours and think about strategies to resolve conflict. We often do role plays: first in the wrong way and then repeat it again after a brief discussion in the right way. We also focus on children taking responsibility for their actions by learning to use their words and express their feelings. Sometimes, it may take a while and things may need to be repeated several times, before children are able to regulate themselves and make good choices. Some of the things we stress are: use your words, make eye-contact, make a good choice, put your red light on, stop and think, acknowledge feelings e.g. how are you feeling, how is your friend feeling. We also talk about consequences and what this may look like e.g. missing out on play, having some quiet time in a quiet spot to calm ourselves and feel better. The children know that they can either walk away from the conflict, tell a teacher and ask for help or say “STOP, I don’t like that.” They learn how to stand up to their peers in the right way, how to use their words and not their bodies to resolve anger.

Throughout the year, we reinforce these strategies and it is rewarding to witness the children using them during the day, as well as being able to resolve conflict in a meaningful and calming way. We teach the children life skills, that will stay with them for the rest of their lives and stand them in good stead for developing resilience and having emotional confidence. We teach the children how to respect each other, how to share and take turns and how to take responsibility for their own actions and choices they make.

Valuing Inclusion

Our program is inclusive and values diversity and equity for all children enrolled. This means we enrol children with many different needs and abilities and this diversity brings a richness and depth to our program. It teaches the children life skills, builds resilience and encourages them to be open and accepting of everyone. Each child has a right to be at Pre-school. We are committed to the development and nurturing of mutually respectful relationships with children and families within our diverse community of learners. Our program includes and supports children and families with diverse abilities and alternative perspectives. We extend this attitude of inclusion, respect and acceptance to visitors, students and Pre-school staff members.

For us, as educators, it also means promoting a greater awareness and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being. We acknowledge that the Pre-school stands on the land of the Gadigal people and that this land continues to be sacred to them.

We work closely with families and see this journey as a partnership, where relationships are strengthened based on trust, openness, respect and caring. It is important for all of us to remember that the pre-school experience for the children is about building relationships and forming friendships. These are achieved through the everyday experiences, the daily routine and the continuity in the learning.

Beach School

Last week we took the Starfish children on a visit to Clovelly Beach, where we joined a group of children from Clovelly Child Care Centre on their Beach School Program. On arrival at the beach, the children were so excited. Before their eyes was a huge expanse of beach sand – all to themselves. This beautiful space allowed the children the freedom to just run on the sand, enjoy the sensual feel of the sand under their feet and have  the opportunity to just run freely in an open space. The children were allowed to choose to either play on the sand or climb on the rocks and fossick in the rock pools. It was beautiful to watch them engage with their new friends from Clovelly Child Care and to share information, ideas and learn from each other. At the end of the play session, the children all enjoyed morning tea together on the benches under cover at Clovelly Beach. This visit was a lovely extension of our Bush School program and afforded us the opportunity to know that a visit to the beach with our young children is possible and presents another dimension to connecting children with nature and our local community.

Recycling week

The Pre-school is filled with beautiful Chanukiot made out of recycled materials. The children and parents have been very busy the past two weeks working on their Chanukiot. We are impressed by the variety and resourcefulness shown in all the designs. The children had so much fun working collaboratively with their mum or dad and in some cases both parents. It’s been a very special time and we thank parents for embracing this project and making the time to work with their children. 

Art Auction

Next week the Pre-school foyer will be filled with beautiful collaborative group art works. The children have been working on these since the beginning of the term. The art works will be displayed in the foyer and parents will have the opportunity to bid for their favourite piece.