Johnson House
Waratah Room
Story by Educator Janice
The children in Johnson House Waratah room have been working on a project to support their needs when saying goodbye to their family in the morning.
This project has involved children discussing their feelings when saying goodbye and developing strategies for managing these. The children’s ideas were then articulated in the form of a poster that their families could refer them to during this routine to implement one of the strategies discussed.
This has helped goodbye routines to be smoother for all involved and has provided the children with the opportunity to be empowered and to communicate their needs during what can be a tricky part of the daily routine.
This project has also helped to highlight elements of the relationship-based framework, the ‘Circle of Security’, which is used in the program to focus on children’s emotional needs.
Murray House
Jacaranda Room
Story by Educator Cathy and Occupational Therapist Lisa
This week, the children in Murray House Jacaranda room were ready to go on an adventure to the Goose Paddock.
Over the past few weeks, the children in Murray House Jacaranda have been using the tunnel and roller coaster to explore movement and motion with their educators and Lisa, our Occupational Therapist. We are so lucky to have such a big, open space in the Goose Paddock to set up our roller coaster and tunnel.
Using the Goose Paddock allowed for the children to combine elements of nature play in their exploration. The roller coaster has provided the children with an opportunity to explore movement, and how it can support us in regulating our emotions. The movements from the rollercoaster stimulate a psychological response. These movements, paired with the wonderful fresh air and beauty of the Goose Paddock, are a great way for children to develop an understanding and awareness of regulating and managing their emotions.
Family Day Care Sydney Wide
Story by Educator Support Officer Alix
During our latest catch-up at Simone’s family day care service in Mona Vale, she shared her approach to programming and observations, and it was great to see how much thought and intentionality she puts into her planning. One example of how she does this was made evident through her planning for learning around Chinese New Year Celebrations.
Simone used a fun and creative calligraphy experience to introduce early literacy concepts to the older children. Through this activity, children saw that symbols and marks can carry meaning, just like letters and words do.
Using brushes to paint the characters also helped build the children’s fine motor skills, which are essential for learning to write later. Simone spoke with the children about what the symbols meant, helping them understand that writing can tell a story or share an idea.
From here, Simone plans to focus on letter recognition and children’s names. This will include helping children to recognise the letters in their own and their friends’ names and giving them opportunities to practise copying and writing letters. These experiences are essential in preparing them for preschool and learning to read and write.
By connecting this learning to a cultural celebration, Simone is also helping children learn about other cultures, showing them that writing and language can look different worldwide.
This is a wonderful way to support children’s growing interest in letters and words while also meaningfully encouraging their creativity and fine motor development.
Community Playgroups
Story by Playgroup Coordinator Rebecca
Playgroup provides a safe and supportive environment where adults and children can build connections and form friendships with others.
It is a place where we come together to share and connect with others through play, a place where we can share experiences and learn from others in a relaxed and friendly environment.
One of the most important and endearing outcomes of playgroup are the relationships that are built between children, parents and families. These are friendships that often continue way past the playgroup experience and well into the future, and some families can become friends for life! This has most definitely been my experience.
In these pictures, taken at our Baby Time playgroup, we can see how children and adults have come together to create memories that are built on shared experiences and respect.
