Newsletter - Term 2 Wow! It s crazy to think that Term 2 is quickly coming to an end. The weather has been gorgeous over the past few weeks. It was a shock to have the cold hit us so quickly this week. Can I encourage you to pack warm clothing including beanies and jackets as the children engage in indoor and outdoor play throughout winter. The weather in very mild in Dapto even at its coldest. The staff will assist your child daily to dress wisely for the ever changing weather we can never predict in the Illawarra. New faces We have a two new staff to introduce you to this term. Stephanie and Blake have joined our team over the past few years. This year they have permanent days while also relieving casually. They both are current students studying a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education. We are very blessed to have them as our casuals and permanently throughout the week. I am sure they would love you to introduce yourself if you have not already have met them. New yard features I am excited to inform you we will be adding to our already beautiful outdoors. The children and staff have proposed some water play areas. Moduplay have assisted us in designing the areas. We hope these will be installed over the break before term3 or early term 3. Early Learning progress emails Each term via email we are forwarding you documentation about your child s learning journey at preschool. We are very excited to share learning with you in this way. The teachers diligently take observations of your child each time they attend preschool. We are so proud of all your children and all they have achieved so far this year already. We hope
this is reflected through the new ways we are sharing your child s learning at St Luke s Preschool. Can you please alert the office if you have not yet received these emails? You should have received so far your child s first day and 2 learning progress emails the first during term 1 and the second in the past few weeks. At the end of term 2 you will receive your child s half yearly learning progress document. The learning journey document is an overall developmental record of your child s learning connected to the Early Learning Years Framework Curriculum. Please give your teachers any feedback you would like to share. Also, if you would like an appointment to talk about your child s progress at preschool in more detail please book a time at the office. School readiness program We see many discussions and advertising proclaiming a school readiness program. This can lead to us becoming very confused and desiring our children to have skills that we believe are a must for school. Early Childhood Australia has published a wonderful document highlighting the skills needed for the best start to school. Our Early Childhood program at St Luke s Preschool promotes these skills and many more to ensure your child is receiving the best program to prepare them for formal schooling; Social skills to support children to: positively approach other children and make friends; participate in play; express emotions and deal with conflict appropriately; show interest in others and form friendships; express their needs and wants appropriately; separate from parents or primary carers; take turns in games and activities; share toys and equipment; follow some directions and understand some rules; participate in groups; and cope with transitions between routines and experiences. Cognitive skills to support children to: show natural curiosity and interest in learning new things; have confidence in learning; and be interested in solving problems. Language skills to support children to: use language to ask questions and communicate their thoughts and ideas; listen to others; and enjoy books and being read to.
Independence and life skills to support children to: cope with a small amount of supervision in a variety of situations; toilet and dress themselves independently; unpack their lunch box and use a drink bottle; and deal with a structured environment. Physical skills to support children to: use pencils, crayons, textas and scissors; and balance, run, jump, and use equipment such as balls and climbing apparatus. You can help your child this term, and in the terms to come, by helping them build independence and taking responsibility for their own belongings. If you aren t already doing it now is a great time to start encouraging your child to carry their own bag in and out of preschool. It s also a great skill for them to be able to unpack their morning tea, lunch box, drink bottle and hat before placing their bag in their own locker. In the afternoon, encourage your child to pack up their belongings in their bag and carry it out. We know this can take longer, especially when you re in a rush, but even small tasks such as these are helping them to develop life-long skills and are helping to better prepare them for the step into primary school. Click the link to read the full article http://ncac.acecqa.gov.au/educatorresources/factsheets/qias_factsheet_13_school_transition.pdf Preschool website Don t forget that the preschool has a great website! We work hard to update it each week with exciting things that are taking place, great learning which is happening and information about staff, students and management. Please feel free to share the website with family and friends also, to keep them up to date with what s going on for us at preschool. The website address is www.stlukespreschool.org.au; log on today! Dates coming up this term Long weekend- Monday 13 th June Social afternoon tea- Wednesday 15 th June Last day of term- Friday 1 st July Holiday Club- Wed 6 th -Fri 8 th July
Social Afternoon Tea Every term we love to provide opportunities to get together as a community and spend time getting to know one another. To be able to do this on Wednesday 15 th June from 3pm till 4:30 preschool staff will be having afternoon tea in The Cafe. We d love for you to stay and join us when picking up your child, or why not come in for it? Yummy warm food will be available and some relaxed activities will be offered for the children. All welcome! Holiday Club Dapto Anglican Church has a long tradition of offering great holiday club programs for children. We re excited to continue to partner with them in offering a preschool program. Holiday Club this year will be in the July School Holidays; Wed 6 th -Fri 8 th July with a special celebration on Sunday 10 th from 10am. Some preschool staff will be there assisting in the program. We d love for you to join us! If you have any questions please chat to Eliza. Book week This year, St Luke s Preschool will continue their tradition of celebrating national book week, with fun literacy opportunities. Book Week will be 20 th -26 th August and the theme this year is: Australia! Story Country. As part of the celebration we will be collecting donations of new books. These will be donated to 3 different local organisations to share a love of books and literacy. Last year we collected over 120 books! Please help us to reach this same target (or even beat it) this year. A collection box will be in the foyer closer to book week with details of the organisations we ll be supporting. Fees Term 2 Invoices have been emailed out. If you have any questions regarding your fees, please contact the Office.
Sun Smart Getting the right amount of Vitamin D is important for our children. The Cancer Council have recently released updated information which recommends that on most days of the week children need the following minimum amount of sun exposure to their hands, arms and lower legs: From October to March- 10 minutes In April, May, August and September- 15 minutes In June and July- 30-40 minutes. It is also important to consider the UV ratings of the day, not just the temperature. On days when the UV rating is 3 and above (which can occur even on a cool and cloudy day) adequate sun protection is advised for adults and children. To see the days UV protection and track your vitamin D intake, download the free SunSmart App for smartphones, or visit www.bom.gov.au/nsw/uv/index.shtml. Your children enjoy checking the app each day at preschool. Over the last week the UV rating has not been above 2; when this is the case sun cream is not applied at preschool and children choose if they wish to wear their hat or not. If you have any concerns or questions please speak to one of your child s teachers. Save the Date We know that December gets very busy with Christmas parties, dance concerts, sporting events and so on. This year s Preschool Christmas Concert will again be performed at the Dapto Community Carols on Saturday 3 rd or Saturday 10 th December. As soon as the date has been confirmed we will let you know so you can set the date aside. W-Sitting Have you ever noticed how your children sit on the floor and position their legs? Some of you may have noticed your child sitting in a W type position with their legs behind them. It could be doing them long term damage. Check out this article from the Early Intervention Support website called What s Wrong with W Sitting in Children? It s worth a read. To find it go to www.earlyinterventionsupport.com