Volume 29 Issue 16 05 Jun 2020 13 Sivan 5780

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Kornmehl Pre-school Director

National Reconciliation Week

This week we continued learning about Reconciliation and extended the children’s thinking even deeper. On Tuesday, we all came to Pre-school dressed in red, black and yellow, recognising and acknowledging the importance of Reconciliation to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

As we discussed last week, National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, culture and achievements and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. Although the topic may be uncomfortable and difficult to discuss, children have a very strong sense of social justice.

The learning experiences the children have been engaging in are a true example of what it means to engage in reconciliation, where people come together to learn and share with a true willingness and openness to the experience. Children possess this quality of curiosity and wonder innately and what better way to harness that spirit of openness and tolerance, than in an encounter between two totally disparate worlds, an encounter that showed us all that we are all able to relate despite our differences; that we are able to share in the joy of singing and dancing together, celebrating our beautiful land. 

We showed the children the Aboriginal flag and asked them to share what they knew about the flag:

Cian: It’s the Aboriginal flag.

Alona: The sun is in the middle.

Kayla: It’s the Aboriginal flag because it has the colours.

Kirra: The colours of the Aboriginal flag are the colours of their clothes.

Phoebe: The people know it’s their flag.

Mika: The colours are red, black and yellow. The red is the land, the yellow is the sun and the black is the people.

We had a discussion about what Acknowledgment to Country means:

Kayla: We talk about Aboriginal things; we take care of the world.

Phoebe: It’s about animals that live on the land.

Kayla: We take care of the animals and the environment.

Phoebe: We take care of our land.

Kirra: We take care of all the children.

Cian: It’s about looking after the animals.

Miles: Looking after the sea creatures.

Zola: Look after the land.

Max: We respect the animals.

Alona: Don’t throw rubbish. 

Handprints linked together

To celebrate this year’s theme – we are all #InThisTogether all three groups came together to make a mural, linking all the children’s handprints on a piece of fabric. Making the Aboriginal symbol of a waterhole or meeting place – being the Pre-school – a special place where we all come together to learn, play and be. The children enjoyed this collaborative artwork and we intend to hang it on the wall, as a way to remember this period of COVID-19 and how we have all come together as individuals, as families and as a community, to keep safe, healthy and to support each other through this difficult and uncertain time.

Koala Rehabilitation

At the Kornmehl Centre Emanuel Pre-school, we have a strong focus on the environment as the third teacher and the role that the environment plays in the learning and well-being of young children. Woven into the fabric of caring for our world is an intentional focus on sustainability, recycling and the use of natural materials. We also identify strongly with taking care of our world, both the plants and the animals and taking time to bring an awareness to the children of world phenomena occurring around them that directly impacts the environment, such a bush fire, floods, drought, etc. It’s through this awareness that young children develop empathy and care, and this is such an important part of our role as educators.

With the recent bush fires in NSW, the children were exposed to the effects this had on the wildlife, in particular the koalas. We looked at photographs and videos of the koalas being burnt and rescued along with thousands of other animals.

We were approached by a parent to connect the children with the rehabilitation of some of the koalas through the Port Macquarie Koala hospital. Port Macquarie was devastated during the bushfires with 75% of the habitat lost and thousands of koalas perishing. Many however, were saved by the Koala Hospital, which is largely run by volunteers and they do an incredible job rescuing and rehabilitating these animals. They have already released 26 of the bushfire victims back to their homes and sometimes back to the very tree they were found in. A virtual school excursion to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital with Dr. Chris Brown has been made to mark World Environment Day on 5 June 2020. Some of the Pre-school children are part of this video, which can be seen on the NRMA Facebook page.

Here are some of the children’s insightful comments:

Phoebe: We have to make the world a healthier place, like I’m using an egg box to paint.

Kayla: You don’t want to hurt the nature, or everything will die.

Rafi: Keep the world clean.

Arielle: Don’t kill the animals.

Miles: Don’t throw plastic in the sea.

Building Resilience – Part 1

Life can be challenging and may include many stressful situations. Parents and children can feel overwhelmed by different things at different times in their lives.

When we talk about resilience, we’re talking about a child’s ability to cope with ups and downs and bounce back from the challenges they experience during childhood – for example moving home, changing schools or studying for an exam. Building resilience helps children not only to deal with current difficulties that are a part of everyday life, but also to develop the basic skills and habits that will help them deal with challenges later in life, during adolescence and adulthood.

Resilience is important for children’s mental health. Children with greater resilience are better able to manage stress, which is a common response to difficult events. Resilience is shaped partly by the individual characteristics we are born with (our genes, temperament and personality) and partly by the environment we grow up in – our family, community and the broader society.

We are born with the capacity for resilience. But resilience is not something we have or don’t have. We work on it throughout our lives – and we need to start as early as possible. Parents are the most important people to help build their children’s resilience. 

Children learn a lot by watching their parents. When parents cope well with everyday stress, they are showing their children how to do the same. 

Why is it important to develop resilience? 

Resilience makes a big difference in people’s lives. People who respond to hardships with resilience are: 

  • healthier and live longer
  • happier in their relationships
  • more successful in school and work 
  • less likely to get depressed 

What builds resilience? 

Many of the things that support healthy development in young children also help build their resilience. These things include: 

  • A secure bond with a caring adult
  • Building good relationships with others including adults and peers
  • Building independence
  • Learning to identify, express and manage emotions
  • Building confidence by taking on personal challenges
  • Opportunities to learn skills and participate in meaningful activities 

We need both outside supports and inner strengths to build our resilience. 

Outside supports include caring relationships, positive role models in families and communities, community resources, or support programs for children with special needs.

Inner strengths include self-control, thinking skills, confidence, positive outlook, responsibility and participation. 

Outside supports and inner strengths work together to develop our resilience. 

Building a close, loving relationship with your children is the most important thing you can do to support their resilience. Children do best when they feel loved, understood and accepted, and are protected from harm. Feeling wanted and loved helps us get through the hard times in life. 

Children learn to feel safe and secure through a close attachment with at least one caring person. They also learn that their needs will be met. All of this gives them the confidence to explore their world. 

Caring relationships provide accepting places where children can learn to regulate: their bodies, feelings, attention, thoughts and behaviours. 

Resources:

Building resilience in Young Children – A booklet for parents from birth to six years

https://resources.beststart.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/K35-E.pdf

https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/healthy-homes/building-resilience

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Leah Heyman (4). We hope you had a very special birthday.