Country Kids Child Care and Kindergarten would like to staff all the fantastic Skipper's from the Amiens School.
They amazed us with there unbelievable tricks, they are so good.
This is one comment from one of our children "This is unreal", cute from a 4 year old.
Thanks again and can't wait to have you back.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Mel on Holidays
Mel (our acting Director) from Kookaburra Kindy is having a week off next week.
Angie will releave Mel while she is on holidays.
Angie will do a great job, entertaining and teaching our children at Country Kids Child Care and Kindergarten while Mel is a away.
Angie will releave Mel while she is on holidays.
Angie will do a great job, entertaining and teaching our children at Country Kids Child Care and Kindergarten while Mel is a away.
November News
Country Kids
November Newsletter!
Hello to all parents, guardians, grandparents and friends …
First of all, we are so happy and excited to report that our Pre-School Teacher, Katrina, has given birth to a healthy baby boy named Jye Anthony, on Saturday 30th October at 3.48pm, who weighed in at 8 pounds 9 oz. Congratulations to Katrina, Anthony and Taneisha…we can’t wait to see a lot more of Jye around the Centre!
On Monday 1st November we had our Honey Buns Concert, which was very entertaining. The children laughed a lot, and several of them joined in by dressing up & dancing. We learnt about France, China and Mexico, how to say hello in these countries, the type of clothes they wear, food they eat and dancing they do. Thank you Honey Buns…we look forward to having another concert next year!!
Halloween on Friday 29th was also a lot of fun. A lot of children chose to dress up for the day and looked just so fantastic! Thanks to all the wonderful parents for making the effort to dress your children up. They looked awesome!!! Did you see our photo in The Border Post ??
You may have noticed that Sebastian the yabbie now has a new ‘friend’ in his tank. Initially he was not all that happy to share his home, but has now settled down, and accepted his new best mate ‘Barry’. Thanks to Aaran and his Dad for bringing Barry in for us!!
Other exciting news is that we have received our Food Licence and are going to begin to make our own meals in our on-site kitchen. Sheryl Parker will be our ‘chef’ and she will welcome any suggestions you may have for lunches!!!
Upcoming Events
On Tuesday November 16th we will be having a Teddy Bears Picnic – so please bring your favourite teddy bear or soft toy to Country Kids for the day and we will have a wonderful outdoors picnic … we’ll sing teddy bear songs & rhymes, and colour in teddy bear pictures…
Hawaiian Day will be Wednesday 1st December … during all of this week we will celebrate tropical Hawaii. We’ll talk about and learn a little bit about Hawaii – learn how to say hello, do some Hawaiian craft activities, and try some Hawaiian food for lunch. Parents, if you would like to dress your children ‘Hawaiian’ style on this day, that would be fantastic…but please don’t feel obligated – you can go all out and dress up, or just wear your most ‘tropical’ looking clothes – the choice is yours!
General News
Being Sun Smart – Parents, please always remember to Slip, Slop, Slap before leaving home in the morning. We apply sunscreen to the children before outside play, but protective clothing is also very important. We have ordered a new batch of blue hats which should be in shortly, if you would like to purchase one they are $12.00 each. You are welcome to leave named hats at the Centre if you wish!
Toy Catalogues – the orders have been sent away, and we’ll let you know when the toys arrive! Thank you to everyone who placed an order.
Plates – Plates have now arrived !!!!! Please see us if you have not received yours……
Immunisations – please keep us updated with your child’s latest immunisation details.
Parents – we are now offering the fifth day at the Centre for half price…..so if your child is coming four days per week and you’d like to make it five – this day will be half the daily price! Please see us in the office if you would like your child to attend for this extra day.
News from the Rooms
Numbat Nursery
Lately, we’ve been making the most of the nice days, and enjoying outdoors morning tea picnics….….we’ve also been enjoying some painting and listening to music!!!!
Tree Frog Toddlers
In the Toddlers Room, we have been busy making dye painted boats, painting Halloween pumpkins, making ‘hand print’ fish and jellyfish.We’ve been dancing …… we’ve been having ‘fire rope practice’ so that we are ready for our next fire drill. We’ve been learning about different body parts – “Where’s your eyes?, nose?, ears?” And we’re also learning to say thank you!
Joey Junior Kindy
We’ve been doing lots of arts and crafts in our room recently. We’ve made elephant masks (for Indian week), and hand print peacocks….we did roll painting ‘jack o lanterns’ and skulls’ for Halloween....black hand print spiders with googly eyes…..We’re loving reading “Hooray for Fish”, and “Little Digger”. We’re working on our shapes and colours.We love anything to do with dinosaurs, so we’re reading dinosaur books and making dinosaur craft.We’re singing “Hokey Pokey”, “If You’re Happy and You Know It”, and “Bob the Builder”!
Kookaburra Senior Kindy
We have been talking about the chooks. Feeding them and changing their water as well as collecting their eggs. We are still talking about shape and colours seeing if we can find them around the room or in books or outside. We are starting to count objects from 1 to 10 and using our fingers to show the number. We are singing songs and stories about numbers. We are also talking about the seasons now that it is getting warmer and not so much rain. We are learning how to wash our hands correctly to stop all the nasty germs before eating, after going outside, wiping our noses and covering our coughs. Washing our hands with Sally Suds helps us to wash away Bazza Bacteria and Georgia Germ, and this makes our hands Captain Clean.
Platypus Pre-Schoolers
We are learning about colours, using a variety of colours, and how rainbows appear. We are learning the words to ‘Sing a Rainbow’, along to the music to keep in time with the beat. We’ve been painting, drawing and glueing to create rainbows. We’ve also done a science experiment to see how the sun makes rainbows!
Country Kids Early Learning Stanthorpe is very excited to announce the appointment of their new Kindergarten Teacher, Melinda Barker. Born and raised in Stanthorpe Melinda is a very friendly and caring local person with outstanding qualifications including a Bachelor of Education and a passion for Early Childhood Education.
Melinda has a vast range of teaching experiences that she will bring to Country Kids Kindergarten.
Country Kids Early Learning Stanthorpe is a Qld Government Approved Kindergarten running the Kindergarten Program.Country Kids is open Monday to Friday from 6:30am to 6:30pm and Melinda will generally work 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday starting on the 13th December.
Call Mel on 4681 1600 to enrol now for 2011
Good bye for now from all the team at Country Kids Early Learning Stanthorpe.
Congratulations Nadia
The team at Country Kids congratulate Nadia on finishing her Cert III in Children’s Services.You can't keep the grin off her face.
Lookout Eylsia, you could be her assistant.
Nadia is relishing the chance to be a group leader and we will ease her into this vital role at Country Kids.
Be sure to say congrats to Nadia next time you call in.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
New Kindergarten Teacher at Country Kids
Country Kids Early Learning Stanthorpe is very excited to announce the appointment of their new Kindergarten Teacher, Melinda Barker. Born and raised in Stanthorpe Melinda is a very friendly and caring local person with outstanding qualifications including a Bachelor of Education and a passion for Early Childhood Education.
Melinda has a vast range of teaching experiences that she will bring to Country Kids Kindergarten.
Country Kids Early Learning Stanthorpe is a Qld Government Approved Kindergarten running the Kindergarten Program.
Country Kids is open Monday to Friday from 6:30am to 6:30pm and Melinda will generally work 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday starting on the 13th December.
Call Mel on 4681 1600 to enrol now for 2011
New Baby Arrives
We are so happy and excited to report that our Pre-School Teacher, Katrina, has given birth to a healthy baby boy named Jye Anthony, on Saturday 30th October at 3.48pm, who weighed in at 8 pounds 9 oz. Congratulations to Katrina, Anthony and Taneisha…we can’t wait to see a lot more of Jye around the Centre
Monday, August 9, 2010
A Huge "Thank You" to all of the staff at Stanthorpe Dental and Stanthorpe Health for coming along to educate us with the importance of dental hygiene, immunisation and general children's developmental guidelines. Having parent evenings such as this one gives us the opportunity to extend our services that little bit more and is a fantastic opportunity for parents to find out relevant up to date information. I trust you found the evening helpful and we will organise another in the near future.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Welcome To Our May News Update!
Upcoming Events to watch out for:
7th May – P.J. Day Feel free to come to Country Kids wearing your pyjamas.
Parents welcome too.
10th May – Grandmothers & Mothers Day afternoon tea at 2.30pm.
18th May – Parent immunisation information evening 6.30pm.
26th May – National Sorry Day.
21st – 28th May – Under 8’s week (Recycled Art Week).
Under 8’s Week
The theme of this year’s under 8’s week is 'Living Diversity – Act Locally – Think Globally'. It is about giving children the opportunity and understanding of the diversity in their local community and their world. The diversities being focused on are cultural, social and environmental factors. This being the case we have decided to focus on the environmental factors and make our own theme of Recycled Art Week. Parents, Families and Friends please rummage through your unwanted boxes, rolls, containers, lids and any other items that we could use as part of our recycled artworks and bring them in for us to put to good use it would be very much appreciated.
Crazy Hair Day:
Last Friday we had Crazy Hair, thanks to all those who participated including children and staff, it was a hit. We had some very creative and wacky hairdos which made the day very enjoyable and most of all fun. The children had a ball checking out everyone’s hair, watching and some even helping to create some crazy hair for those who forgot and wanted to join in.
Goodbye We’ll Miss You:
Last Friday was Evonne’s last day as she has found other employment closer to home. We wish Evonne all the best and we will miss her and Brodie very much. Evonne was a delight to have as part of the Country Kids Team and we are sad to see her go but we understand that she must do what is best for her and her family. Goodbye and good luck with your new endeavours.
Autumn;
To celebrate Autumn we had a nice surprise of fallen autumn leaves in our hallway. The children loved walking through them, listening to the crunching sounds beneath their feet and the lovely smell. Some children didn’t know quite what to make of it thinking that it was a bit of a mess but all enjoyed it much the same. I wonder what surprises we might find during winter?
Fish:
As most of you may have noticed we have a lovely big fish tank in our foyer. This was donated by the DPI which was very much appreciated as all the children love to watch our fish and crayfish every time they walk past. A big thankyou must go to the Stabile family for catching and bringing in Sebastian the crayfish, although he has made very little appearances out of his cup but the children love watching him. Another big thankyou to Melanie who brought in the big fish from her Dad’s dam, they have given the fish tank life along with the guppies from the Kindy room.
Our Farm:
Many of you may have noticed our display of fruits and vegetables on the board in the foyer which came from our very own garden. These include; corn, radish, grapes, beans and tomatoes. We have been putting the lovely fresh, ripe tomatoes to good use using them for afternoon tea on crackers, which the children love, putting into practice the garden to table process. Even though many of the fruits and vegies haven’t been able to be eaten it’s the planting and growing of them that the children learn from most and the birds have definitely enjoyed them (especially the corn) even if we haven’t.
BLOG: Please visit our blog to see our promotional incentive for next year enrolments and check out our new website information www.countrykidsstanthorpe.com.au
If you let us know your email address, we notify you each time new information is on the blog.
FEES: Please check that your fees are 2 weeks in advance as per fee policy. 4 weekly Statements are issued at the end of each month. Please put these aside with your tax papers to claim your half childcare fee rebates.
Policies reviewed May were:
Accident & Illness Minor, Accident & Illness Severe, Duty of Care, Hand Washing, Infectious Illness, Parent Involvement, Routine Policy and Sun Protection.
Policies to be reviewed June are on display in the Hall Please be sure to check them out:
Additional Needs, Cultural Diversity, Dress Code, Equal opportunity, Programming Policy, Safety Precautions and Toilet Training.
From Emma, Katrina and the team at Country Kids Early Learning Centre
7th May – P.J. Day Feel free to come to Country Kids wearing your pyjamas.
Parents welcome too.
10th May – Grandmothers & Mothers Day afternoon tea at 2.30pm.
18th May – Parent immunisation information evening 6.30pm.
26th May – National Sorry Day.
21st – 28th May – Under 8’s week (Recycled Art Week).
Under 8’s Week
The theme of this year’s under 8’s week is 'Living Diversity – Act Locally – Think Globally'. It is about giving children the opportunity and understanding of the diversity in their local community and their world. The diversities being focused on are cultural, social and environmental factors. This being the case we have decided to focus on the environmental factors and make our own theme of Recycled Art Week. Parents, Families and Friends please rummage through your unwanted boxes, rolls, containers, lids and any other items that we could use as part of our recycled artworks and bring them in for us to put to good use it would be very much appreciated.
Crazy Hair Day:
Last Friday we had Crazy Hair, thanks to all those who participated including children and staff, it was a hit. We had some very creative and wacky hairdos which made the day very enjoyable and most of all fun. The children had a ball checking out everyone’s hair, watching and some even helping to create some crazy hair for those who forgot and wanted to join in.
Goodbye We’ll Miss You:
Last Friday was Evonne’s last day as she has found other employment closer to home. We wish Evonne all the best and we will miss her and Brodie very much. Evonne was a delight to have as part of the Country Kids Team and we are sad to see her go but we understand that she must do what is best for her and her family. Goodbye and good luck with your new endeavours.
Autumn;
To celebrate Autumn we had a nice surprise of fallen autumn leaves in our hallway. The children loved walking through them, listening to the crunching sounds beneath their feet and the lovely smell. Some children didn’t know quite what to make of it thinking that it was a bit of a mess but all enjoyed it much the same. I wonder what surprises we might find during winter?
Fish:
As most of you may have noticed we have a lovely big fish tank in our foyer. This was donated by the DPI which was very much appreciated as all the children love to watch our fish and crayfish every time they walk past. A big thankyou must go to the Stabile family for catching and bringing in Sebastian the crayfish, although he has made very little appearances out of his cup but the children love watching him. Another big thankyou to Melanie who brought in the big fish from her Dad’s dam, they have given the fish tank life along with the guppies from the Kindy room.
Our Farm:
Many of you may have noticed our display of fruits and vegetables on the board in the foyer which came from our very own garden. These include; corn, radish, grapes, beans and tomatoes. We have been putting the lovely fresh, ripe tomatoes to good use using them for afternoon tea on crackers, which the children love, putting into practice the garden to table process. Even though many of the fruits and vegies haven’t been able to be eaten it’s the planting and growing of them that the children learn from most and the birds have definitely enjoyed them (especially the corn) even if we haven’t.
BLOG: Please visit our blog to see our promotional incentive for next year enrolments and check out our new website information www.countrykidsstanthorpe.com.au
If you let us know your email address, we notify you each time new information is on the blog.
FEES: Please check that your fees are 2 weeks in advance as per fee policy. 4 weekly Statements are issued at the end of each month. Please put these aside with your tax papers to claim your half childcare fee rebates.
Policies reviewed May were:
Accident & Illness Minor, Accident & Illness Severe, Duty of Care, Hand Washing, Infectious Illness, Parent Involvement, Routine Policy and Sun Protection.
Policies to be reviewed June are on display in the Hall Please be sure to check them out:
Additional Needs, Cultural Diversity, Dress Code, Equal opportunity, Programming Policy, Safety Precautions and Toilet Training.
From Emma, Katrina and the team at Country Kids Early Learning Centre
Fire Truck visit
David, Ben and David practicing their skills!
On Wednesday 21st April country Kids Early Learning had an exciting and informative visit from the local Fire Brigade. The fireman talked to the children about fire safety and what to do when there is a fire. The children received a picture of the fire truck to colour in, stickers and money boxes to make to remember the day by. The children were lucky enough to have a turn at spraying the fire hose at the centre bus, even the staff got involved and had a go. Many of the children took the opportunity to explore the fire truck up close and personal by voyaging inside. We all waved the firemen goodbye as they sounded their sirens and drove out the driveway. A huge thank you to the firemen who willingly gave up their time and expertise to pass on their knowledge about fire safety to the children at Country Kids Early Learning.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Germ Busters
On Tuesday 20th April the children at Country Kids Early Learning Centre had a visit from Julie Murphy, the Health Nurse, who taught them about healthy eating and germ busting.
The children created smiley faces with bread, fruit, carrots and cheese to reinforce the idea of healthy eating and eating foods that are good for us. The smiley faces made it fun for the children to eat the healthy foods provided.
After eating the lovely creations Julie talked to everyone about germs and how to stop them from spreading. The children were shown how to wash their hands to make Bazza Bacteria and Georgie Germs go down the sink with Sally Suds and bring out Captain Clean Hands. The children were very interested and were participating in all the actions of washing hands and getting rid of the germs.
All of the children who participated in the talk received a Germ Buster’s Certificate stating that they became an official Germ Buster by learning how to bust germs by washing their hands properly and when to wash them.
A big thankyou to Julie Murphy for taking the time to come and teach the children about Healthy eating habits and germ busting.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Welcome to the to April addition of the Country Kids News Letter
For any of you that I have not yet had the chance to introduce myself to, I would like that opportunity now.
My Name is Emma Bowes and previous to being here in Stanthorpe I was living at Tamborine Mountain. I left Canungra Childcare and Preschool to move further west and get a sample of the country life. I have been given the privilege of directing your lovely centre here in Stanthorpe and so far have been head down bottom up helping get ready for accreditation so have not had too much of an opportunity to get to know too many of you as yet. It takes time to develop a relationship with the many parents I see each morning and afternoon so please don’t hesitate to spend some time to say hi.
I will over time be making some subtle changes as we move forward to help serve you better. I encourage your feed back so together we can make life as smooth as possible.
One of the first changes you will notice is that now your accounts are four weeks in advance rather than being four weeks behind. If you need me to spend time explaining how they work please feel free to bring them in whenever you have the time to go through them with me.
I am happy to report our success on going through the accreditation process. For any parent that wasn’t up to date with the whole process, we had a validator here at Country Kids for two days monitoring out interactions and policies and procedures. This is a process that all centres go through every two years. While it is quite intimidating having someone watch over you for two days it also is a fantastic opportunity to show the outside world how very talented we all are here at Country Kids. I am very pleased to announce we had a GLOWING report that will soon be available to us for hanging proudly on the wall. We are a centre that regularly practises being a HIGH quality childcare service.
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS: Well Easter is over and school is back. We had a great time with the schoolies during our vacation care program, even though it was only a short one week holiday. The children visited the local art gallery and the park, took up some physical activities when they went to Shake Rattle ‘n’ Bowl and the children also had the pleasure of making and eating chocolate mud muffins and pizzas. We look forward to having them all back next holidays along with any other children who wish to come.
LUNCHES: Lunches are going really well, we are fine tunning them all the time and we would love to have your feedback on them as well. We would like to know how you would feel about including a daily lunch price in the fees. “How would this effect my payments?” At the moment the lunch cost is $4 per child per day, this fee is charged separately to your account and therefore is payable in full, if this fee was added to your ‘child care fees’ you would then be eligible for ‘CCB’% to reduce this cost PLUS your 50% rebate at the end of the quarter. So, this brings the cost of the lunches to $2 per child per day or under.
IMMUNISATIONS: Please ensure you keep us up to date with your child’s latest immunisations. Just a reminder if an immunisable disease breaks out all non immunised children are asked to stay at home to decrease the risk of them contracting the diseases.
If you let us know your email address, we notify you each time new information is on the blog.
NEWS FROM THE ROOMS
Daisy Corner: Hi to all, our room has under gone some changes, things have been moved around and I’m still finding it hard to find things.
Some of our children have moved up to Sunflower room, Jacob, Dan, Oscar, Colin and Maddison we wish you all the best and we have had some new ones arrive, Duran, Ashlyn and Kobie we would like to give you all a big welcome.
The Easter celebration was lots of fun making collage Easter eggs and colouring in bunnies. The weather has been so good we have been making the most of it and spending as much time outside as we can. The sandpit, bikes and cars have been a major activity. We have been singing nursery rhymes and listening to aboriginal music.
Well bye for now love the Nursery, Teresa.
Bambini Room: Yah Easter time again. The children have really been enjoying making lots and lots of Easter craft this month. We combined twice with Sunflower Nook to have a cooking activity. Children had lots of fun mixing and stirring the Easter chocolate crackles we made. I hope they enjoyed eating them just as much.
The children have really enjoyed making other craft/art items such as straw mobiles and jumping frogs, along with pencil drawing, sponge painting and finger painting. The books we have been reading are Handa’s Surprise, Polar Bear, Hooray for Fish and The Macquarie Book of Shapes.
We have been concentrating on shapes, colours and learning to count. Wow! We have some new toys and equipment that the children are very excited about. These include baby dolls and prams, cars and helicopters, new peg puzzles, some dress-up gear, home corner role play equipment, nuts and bolts. These fun activities are definitely getting utilised every day.
Congratulations to Lockie’s parents Alex and Will on the safe arrival of their baby daughter Samantha.
Big congratulations to all my boys who are now all toilet training and doing a fantastic job. That’s all for now and I hope everybody had a Happy Easter Break Cheers Trace.
Sunflower Nook: We have been having a great time in our own room with plenty of art and craft activities, especially Easter ones these past few weeks.
We have received some brilliant new equipment that the children just love, the fairy wings are a hit with all of the children.
We would like to welcome Dan, Jacob, Colin and Maddison to the room we are delighted to have them.
We enjoyed cooking with the children from Bambini for our Easter chocolate crackles. Our room is starting to take shape and the children are really enjoying themselves. Please feel free to visit our room and see for yourselves the lovely changes that have been made.
That’s all for now from Evonne and Rachael.
Harmony Room: Hello everyone the mornings are getting cooler.
In the Harmony room we are starting to talk about fire trucks and winter. We are learning the song “Hurry Hurry Drive the Fire Truck” On Wednesday 21st we will be having a visit from the fire truck here at Kindy! How cool!! The fireman will talk to us about safe fires and unsafe fires.
We are also working on learning our colours and shapes.
Our room has received new equipment that the children are enjoying; we find it is great to ROTATE equipment to ensure there is maximum interest for the children.
I have started up a book outlining the activities that we have done for the day, please feel free to have a look at any time; it is located underneath my program displayed on the notice board. I look forward to receiving your comments and feedback on the new system.
The children are enjoying their centre meals in our room… messy spaghetti is a huge hit!
That’s all for this month, take care and stay safe…. Until next time, Mel.
Room of Peace: This month we have had so much fun. We counted 5 Easter eggs each! There have been ball games, Twister, cards Go Fish, Tons of craft, drawing and painting!
We are also learning about volcanoes from a story “Battle of the Mountains” (N.Z Mythology.) We even built a volcano that became alive with vinegar and Bicarb!
We have made Playdough and pizzas recently and the children LOVED that!
This month we have been reading Wombat Stew and Elysia has been teaching us how to play it on the Keyboard. If you would like a copy of the sheet music please just ask!
That’s all for now, Julia, Elysia and Jodi.
My Name is Emma Bowes and previous to being here in Stanthorpe I was living at Tamborine Mountain. I left Canungra Childcare and Preschool to move further west and get a sample of the country life. I have been given the privilege of directing your lovely centre here in Stanthorpe and so far have been head down bottom up helping get ready for accreditation so have not had too much of an opportunity to get to know too many of you as yet. It takes time to develop a relationship with the many parents I see each morning and afternoon so please don’t hesitate to spend some time to say hi.
I will over time be making some subtle changes as we move forward to help serve you better. I encourage your feed back so together we can make life as smooth as possible.
One of the first changes you will notice is that now your accounts are four weeks in advance rather than being four weeks behind. If you need me to spend time explaining how they work please feel free to bring them in whenever you have the time to go through them with me.
I am happy to report our success on going through the accreditation process. For any parent that wasn’t up to date with the whole process, we had a validator here at Country Kids for two days monitoring out interactions and policies and procedures. This is a process that all centres go through every two years. While it is quite intimidating having someone watch over you for two days it also is a fantastic opportunity to show the outside world how very talented we all are here at Country Kids. I am very pleased to announce we had a GLOWING report that will soon be available to us for hanging proudly on the wall. We are a centre that regularly practises being a HIGH quality childcare service.
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS: Well Easter is over and school is back. We had a great time with the schoolies during our vacation care program, even though it was only a short one week holiday. The children visited the local art gallery and the park, took up some physical activities when they went to Shake Rattle ‘n’ Bowl and the children also had the pleasure of making and eating chocolate mud muffins and pizzas. We look forward to having them all back next holidays along with any other children who wish to come.
LUNCHES: Lunches are going really well, we are fine tunning them all the time and we would love to have your feedback on them as well. We would like to know how you would feel about including a daily lunch price in the fees. “How would this effect my payments?” At the moment the lunch cost is $4 per child per day, this fee is charged separately to your account and therefore is payable in full, if this fee was added to your ‘child care fees’ you would then be eligible for ‘CCB’% to reduce this cost PLUS your 50% rebate at the end of the quarter. So, this brings the cost of the lunches to $2 per child per day or under.
IMMUNISATIONS: Please ensure you keep us up to date with your child’s latest immunisations. Just a reminder if an immunisable disease breaks out all non immunised children are asked to stay at home to decrease the risk of them contracting the diseases.
If you let us know your email address, we notify you each time new information is on the blog.
NEWS FROM THE ROOMS
Daisy Corner: Hi to all, our room has under gone some changes, things have been moved around and I’m still finding it hard to find things.
Some of our children have moved up to Sunflower room, Jacob, Dan, Oscar, Colin and Maddison we wish you all the best and we have had some new ones arrive, Duran, Ashlyn and Kobie we would like to give you all a big welcome.
The Easter celebration was lots of fun making collage Easter eggs and colouring in bunnies. The weather has been so good we have been making the most of it and spending as much time outside as we can. The sandpit, bikes and cars have been a major activity. We have been singing nursery rhymes and listening to aboriginal music.
Well bye for now love the Nursery, Teresa.
Bambini Room: Yah Easter time again. The children have really been enjoying making lots and lots of Easter craft this month. We combined twice with Sunflower Nook to have a cooking activity. Children had lots of fun mixing and stirring the Easter chocolate crackles we made. I hope they enjoyed eating them just as much.
The children have really enjoyed making other craft/art items such as straw mobiles and jumping frogs, along with pencil drawing, sponge painting and finger painting. The books we have been reading are Handa’s Surprise, Polar Bear, Hooray for Fish and The Macquarie Book of Shapes.
We have been concentrating on shapes, colours and learning to count. Wow! We have some new toys and equipment that the children are very excited about. These include baby dolls and prams, cars and helicopters, new peg puzzles, some dress-up gear, home corner role play equipment, nuts and bolts. These fun activities are definitely getting utilised every day.
Congratulations to Lockie’s parents Alex and Will on the safe arrival of their baby daughter Samantha.
Big congratulations to all my boys who are now all toilet training and doing a fantastic job. That’s all for now and I hope everybody had a Happy Easter Break Cheers Trace.
Sunflower Nook: We have been having a great time in our own room with plenty of art and craft activities, especially Easter ones these past few weeks.
We have received some brilliant new equipment that the children just love, the fairy wings are a hit with all of the children.
We would like to welcome Dan, Jacob, Colin and Maddison to the room we are delighted to have them.
We enjoyed cooking with the children from Bambini for our Easter chocolate crackles. Our room is starting to take shape and the children are really enjoying themselves. Please feel free to visit our room and see for yourselves the lovely changes that have been made.
That’s all for now from Evonne and Rachael.
Harmony Room: Hello everyone the mornings are getting cooler.
In the Harmony room we are starting to talk about fire trucks and winter. We are learning the song “Hurry Hurry Drive the Fire Truck” On Wednesday 21st we will be having a visit from the fire truck here at Kindy! How cool!! The fireman will talk to us about safe fires and unsafe fires.
We are also working on learning our colours and shapes.
Our room has received new equipment that the children are enjoying; we find it is great to ROTATE equipment to ensure there is maximum interest for the children.
I have started up a book outlining the activities that we have done for the day, please feel free to have a look at any time; it is located underneath my program displayed on the notice board. I look forward to receiving your comments and feedback on the new system.
The children are enjoying their centre meals in our room… messy spaghetti is a huge hit!
That’s all for this month, take care and stay safe…. Until next time, Mel.
Room of Peace: This month we have had so much fun. We counted 5 Easter eggs each! There have been ball games, Twister, cards Go Fish, Tons of craft, drawing and painting!
We are also learning about volcanoes from a story “Battle of the Mountains” (N.Z Mythology.) We even built a volcano that became alive with vinegar and Bicarb!
We have made Playdough and pizzas recently and the children LOVED that!
This month we have been reading Wombat Stew and Elysia has been teaching us how to play it on the Keyboard. If you would like a copy of the sheet music please just ask!
That’s all for now, Julia, Elysia and Jodi.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Welcome back Angie
It is with absolute delight that we welcome back Angie to our team here at Country Kids Early Learning.
Angie has slowed down with running around like a busy bunny picking apples and we welcome her back with open arms. Angie’s smiling face will popping in and out of a variety of rooms filling in as relief where needed.
Miss Tracey is away from the 19th – 23rd April so Miss Angie will be looking after her children on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The children are very excited to have her back as well.
.
Great News - we successfully completed our Quality Acreditation!
Country Kids Stanthorpe has successfully completed their second accreditation visit since opening.
Now we are globally recognised for our outstanding contribution to caring for and educating the next generation.
It is such a privilege to be a part of your children’s lives and now you can put your mind at ease knowing your child attends a High quality accredited Early Learning Centre.
A big thank you to all of our parents for your ongoing support.
Cheers Emma and Team Country Kids!
Now we are globally recognised for our outstanding contribution to caring for and educating the next generation.
It is such a privilege to be a part of your children’s lives and now you can put your mind at ease knowing your child attends a High quality accredited Early Learning Centre.
A big thank you to all of our parents for your ongoing support.
Cheers Emma and Team Country Kids!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Bella Rosa’s meals trial
We are coming to the end of our meals trial, provided by Bella Rosa’s.
Overall the response has been good and the children seem to be enjoying the lovely food being provided for them.
We are now into week 8 of our 12 week trial and we have had some minor adjustments to the menu to cater for children’s tastes and these appear to be working out very well.
Our lunch menu will be up for review at the end of this 12 week trial along with the prospect of adding the lunch fee into the regular fees so that all children will be able to receive the centre provided lunches.
With the lunch fee being added to the regular centre fee it will be included in the CCB reduction so therefore families will not be paying full price for the lunches anyway after receiving their CCB rebate.
In the end the lunches will be as cheap as chips.
Overall the response has been good and the children seem to be enjoying the lovely food being provided for them.
We are now into week 8 of our 12 week trial and we have had some minor adjustments to the menu to cater for children’s tastes and these appear to be working out very well.
Our lunch menu will be up for review at the end of this 12 week trial along with the prospect of adding the lunch fee into the regular fees so that all children will be able to receive the centre provided lunches.
With the lunch fee being added to the regular centre fee it will be included in the CCB reduction so therefore families will not be paying full price for the lunches anyway after receiving their CCB rebate.
In the end the lunches will be as cheap as chips.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Katrina Marino - Assistant Director
Congratulations to Katrina Marino who has accepted the role of Assistant Director supporting our new Centre Director Emma Bowes.
Katrina joined Country kids Early learning in 2009 and prior to this had experience as a coordinator in Outside School hours care
Her qualifications include;
- Bachelor of Education Primary
- Registered Queensland Teacher
- Diploma in Children's Services
Katrina grew up in the Stanthorpe area and she has 3 brothers and 2 sisters.
She is married with a young daughter Her interests include; sport, music, art, scrapbooking, and card making
She believes that her role at Country Kids allows her to have a positive influence on our future generations, after all the future lies in their hands.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
COUNTRY KIDS EARLY LEARNING NOT JUST CHILDCARE
After receiving Government funding to enhance their Kindergarten program and be recognised as a State Kindergarten, Country Kids Early Learning Centre is thriving on the enthusiasm and experience of locals Katrina Marino (teacher) and Melanie Zanatta (Group Leader). Through Montessori experiences and equipment the children are learning life skills while still having the fun and enjoyment that children need in play based programs.
The Kindergarten children have been learning about how plants grow through a science experiment with a plant in water with red food dye. After a few days the leaves, flowers and stems started to turn red. This showed the children how the plant sucks up water through their roots. The children have also been learning about the life cycle of a frog and butterfly. We have tadpoles in the classroom which the children are watching grow legs and turn into frogs. We also have caterpillars which we are feeding fresh leaves and two have already turned into chrysalises and we hope to have some butterflies or moths soon. The children have also been feeding and watching guppies grow which has also been used as part of our maths education with estimation (guessing) and counting.
Children right throughout our centre benefit from individualized, interest based programs which cater for all developmental areas. Country Kids Early Learning Centre is one of a few centres putting into use the new Early Years Learning Framework which focuses on Belonging, Being and Becoming.
Country Kids is having a birthday. It is our 4th birthday this year so come and enjoy the fun on the 20th March at our birthday party/Open Day for anyone and everyone to attend. Come, bring friends and family everyone is welcome. Enjoy the fun, food and games with the Country Kids Early Learning team.
We are also inviting Parents/guardians and children to a Tuesday morning tea and play group in the Sunflower room at 9:30am-11:30am starting the 2nd of March hope to see you there.
For more information and a tour of the centre, come in and meet the team at Country Kids and see for yourself how your children would benefit from participating in our educational programs and developing social skills through play with other children of similar ages. Our motto is ‘Striving to be the best that we can be’ so come in and join the Country Kids team and make us part of your extended family.
The Kindergarten children have been learning about how plants grow through a science experiment with a plant in water with red food dye. After a few days the leaves, flowers and stems started to turn red. This showed the children how the plant sucks up water through their roots. The children have also been learning about the life cycle of a frog and butterfly. We have tadpoles in the classroom which the children are watching grow legs and turn into frogs. We also have caterpillars which we are feeding fresh leaves and two have already turned into chrysalises and we hope to have some butterflies or moths soon. The children have also been feeding and watching guppies grow which has also been used as part of our maths education with estimation (guessing) and counting.
Children right throughout our centre benefit from individualized, interest based programs which cater for all developmental areas. Country Kids Early Learning Centre is one of a few centres putting into use the new Early Years Learning Framework which focuses on Belonging, Being and Becoming.
Country Kids is having a birthday. It is our 4th birthday this year so come and enjoy the fun on the 20th March at our birthday party/Open Day for anyone and everyone to attend. Come, bring friends and family everyone is welcome. Enjoy the fun, food and games with the Country Kids Early Learning team.
We are also inviting Parents/guardians and children to a Tuesday morning tea and play group in the Sunflower room at 9:30am-11:30am starting the 2nd of March hope to see you there.
For more information and a tour of the centre, come in and meet the team at Country Kids and see for yourself how your children would benefit from participating in our educational programs and developing social skills through play with other children of similar ages. Our motto is ‘Striving to be the best that we can be’ so come in and join the Country Kids team and make us part of your extended family.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
February 2010 Newsletter
FEBRUARY NEWS FROM THE ROOMS
Daisy Corner:
Hi, a huge welcome to Poppy R and Jasmine S, two new children for this week. Also a big welcome for Jamiee C who came to us earlier in the month. It is a new year and we have many new activities up our sleeve for the children to do. We are keeping the age in Daisy Corner down to around 15 months to cater for developmental and social interactional age appropriate grouping. This also gives us the opportunity to develop an improved and more trusting rapport with the individual children. If there are any little children you know out there who would enjoy and benefit from spending some time with us here please let their mothers know we do have vacancies in the babies’ room for 2010 and we would love to welcome them in.
Best wishes, bye for now, Teresa, Nadia and Stewart.
Sunflower Nook & Bambini Room:
Welcome again to our February newsletter. Lots of art activities have been happening in the Bambini room, handprints, dot paintings, screen painting, easel painting as well as pencil and crayon drawing. Children have also been enjoying music and dance plus singing songs with actions e.g. Hokey Pokey, Up in the sky, If you’re happy and you know it. We have also been concentrating on numbers and counting. Children are also learning to say hello in a range of different languages. Cause and effect and animal flashcards are proving very popular with the children also. A big welcome to our new families and children William, Collin, Taneisha, Rhianna, Daniel and Ashley.
Until next time cheers Tracey, Evonne and Rachael.
Harmony Room:
Hello everyone, it has been a great start to the year, the children are all settling well, they are grasping the concept of take use and put away. We will be starting on naming and matching colours as well as naming simple shapes. We have been working on grace and courtesy with greeting the children with a hand shake and a greeting of good morning how are you. We have been playing a thankyou game encouraging them to use simple manners. We are working on balance using the balance board on the obstacle course walking on lines one foot in front of the other. The children have been creating their day of a morning allowing the children to get ready for the day. We will be starting on learning a letter a week/the sound (phonim) and objects relating to this letter. Don’t hesitate to talk to myself if you have any concerns that way we can work them out to get the best result for you and your child. A big welcome to our new children Joe, Sheyenne and Lachlan.
Until next time stay safe and take care Mel, Ellen, Teagan and Josh.
Room of Peace:
A warm hello to all the families and children and a special welcome to our new families and children Selena and Caitlin. We have been looking at some very exciting and interesting creatures. We have caterpillars, tadpoles and guppies in our room. We are watching the caterpillars turn in to chrysalis and then butterflies or moths, we are watching the tadpoles slowly grow legs, lose their tails and turn into frogs and we are feeding, counting and watching the guppies grow. We have been talking about how plants grow and use their roots to suck up water and food from the soil to help them grow. We did an experiment to demonstrate this, we put one plant into a container of water and another plant into another container of water with red food dye, after a few days the leaves and stems of the plant in the red water started to turn red showing the children that the plant had sucked the red water up into all the parts of the plant. We have been talking about and having a go at writing the letter A and the starting letter/sound of our names. We have lots of new and exciting activities and experiments to try out so stay in touch and come and see all the new and exciting things in our new Kindergarten room. Drop in and see us, we’ll have lots more fun and exciting news next time, Katrina, Elysia and Julia.
Fees:
Please check that your fees are 2 weeks in advance as per fee policy. 4 weekly Statements will be issued. Please see Julia or Katrina about finances if necessary. All staff are able to accept payments and will issue a manual receipt for all cash payments.
Sign in Sheets:
We have new sign in and out sheets as of last week. We hope that this new system of room sign in and outs are more convenient for you. Please ensure that your child is signed in on arrival and signed out when you collect them.
Apple & Grape Parade:
Dear parents we are planning to march in the Apple & Grape parade on Saturday the 6th of March. Any parents who wish to join us with their children in the march along side the bus are extremely welcome. For more information and details please ask Katrina.
Daisy Corner:
Hi, a huge welcome to Poppy R and Jasmine S, two new children for this week. Also a big welcome for Jamiee C who came to us earlier in the month. It is a new year and we have many new activities up our sleeve for the children to do. We are keeping the age in Daisy Corner down to around 15 months to cater for developmental and social interactional age appropriate grouping. This also gives us the opportunity to develop an improved and more trusting rapport with the individual children. If there are any little children you know out there who would enjoy and benefit from spending some time with us here please let their mothers know we do have vacancies in the babies’ room for 2010 and we would love to welcome them in.
Best wishes, bye for now, Teresa, Nadia and Stewart.
Sunflower Nook & Bambini Room:
Welcome again to our February newsletter. Lots of art activities have been happening in the Bambini room, handprints, dot paintings, screen painting, easel painting as well as pencil and crayon drawing. Children have also been enjoying music and dance plus singing songs with actions e.g. Hokey Pokey, Up in the sky, If you’re happy and you know it. We have also been concentrating on numbers and counting. Children are also learning to say hello in a range of different languages. Cause and effect and animal flashcards are proving very popular with the children also. A big welcome to our new families and children William, Collin, Taneisha, Rhianna, Daniel and Ashley.
Until next time cheers Tracey, Evonne and Rachael.
Harmony Room:
Hello everyone, it has been a great start to the year, the children are all settling well, they are grasping the concept of take use and put away. We will be starting on naming and matching colours as well as naming simple shapes. We have been working on grace and courtesy with greeting the children with a hand shake and a greeting of good morning how are you. We have been playing a thankyou game encouraging them to use simple manners. We are working on balance using the balance board on the obstacle course walking on lines one foot in front of the other. The children have been creating their day of a morning allowing the children to get ready for the day. We will be starting on learning a letter a week/the sound (phonim) and objects relating to this letter. Don’t hesitate to talk to myself if you have any concerns that way we can work them out to get the best result for you and your child. A big welcome to our new children Joe, Sheyenne and Lachlan.
Until next time stay safe and take care Mel, Ellen, Teagan and Josh.
Room of Peace:
A warm hello to all the families and children and a special welcome to our new families and children Selena and Caitlin. We have been looking at some very exciting and interesting creatures. We have caterpillars, tadpoles and guppies in our room. We are watching the caterpillars turn in to chrysalis and then butterflies or moths, we are watching the tadpoles slowly grow legs, lose their tails and turn into frogs and we are feeding, counting and watching the guppies grow. We have been talking about how plants grow and use their roots to suck up water and food from the soil to help them grow. We did an experiment to demonstrate this, we put one plant into a container of water and another plant into another container of water with red food dye, after a few days the leaves and stems of the plant in the red water started to turn red showing the children that the plant had sucked the red water up into all the parts of the plant. We have been talking about and having a go at writing the letter A and the starting letter/sound of our names. We have lots of new and exciting activities and experiments to try out so stay in touch and come and see all the new and exciting things in our new Kindergarten room. Drop in and see us, we’ll have lots more fun and exciting news next time, Katrina, Elysia and Julia.
Fees:
Please check that your fees are 2 weeks in advance as per fee policy. 4 weekly Statements will be issued. Please see Julia or Katrina about finances if necessary. All staff are able to accept payments and will issue a manual receipt for all cash payments.
Sign in Sheets:
We have new sign in and out sheets as of last week. We hope that this new system of room sign in and outs are more convenient for you. Please ensure that your child is signed in on arrival and signed out when you collect them.
Apple & Grape Parade:
Dear parents we are planning to march in the Apple & Grape parade on Saturday the 6th of March. Any parents who wish to join us with their children in the march along side the bus are extremely welcome. For more information and details please ask Katrina.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Room Changes for the New Year
With our funding granted for our new Kindergarten we are having some room changes. Melanie will now be in the Harmony room Group Leader with children 3 (not eligible for Prep next year). Elysia will be her Assistant.
Katrina will be the Kindergarten Teacher & Angie will be sharing the Room of Peace as Schoolies Group Leader. Teagan will be assisting with float assistants Joshua and Rachael.
Teresa will remain Group Leader in Daisy Corner with Ellen as Group Leader later in the afternoon and will be joined by Nadia as Assistant while Evonne will be moving up to Bambini room with Tracey.
We are all excited about the changes and we are sure they are positive improvements providing continuity of care to those children moving rooms.
Katrina will be the Kindergarten Teacher & Angie will be sharing the Room of Peace as Schoolies Group Leader. Teagan will be assisting with float assistants Joshua and Rachael.
Teresa will remain Group Leader in Daisy Corner with Ellen as Group Leader later in the afternoon and will be joined by Nadia as Assistant while Evonne will be moving up to Bambini room with Tracey.
We are all excited about the changes and we are sure they are positive improvements providing continuity of care to those children moving rooms.
December Employee of the month
Our Employee of the month is Melanie Zanatta.
Melanie has put in a great deal of time and effort into her programming and a successful end of year report for our first year Montessori group.
We look forward to her bringing this specialised program to the Harmony group in the coming year.
Melanie has also put a lot of time into promoting the centre, and the Montessori focus.
Melanie has also been our fundraising coordinator over the last year.
Thank you Melanie for all your hard work it is very much appreciated.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Government approved Kindergarten Program for Country Kids
Country Kids Early Learning Stanthorpe has been approved by the Queensland Government to deliver the new Government kindergarten program to children in the Stanthorpe community.
The introduction of an approved kindergarten program in Long Day Care service is an important advance in the Queensland Government’s plan to provide access to kindergarten for all Queensland children by 2014. It will contribute significantly in the delivery of high quality integrated early childhood education and care in Queensland.
Eligibility
All children are eligible to attend kindergarten in the year before they start Prep. Which means your child should be at least 3 ½ years old on 1 January (4 years old by 30 June) in the year they start kindergarten
The families of a child participating in the kindergarten program at Country Kids will be eligible for Child Care Benefit payments from the Australian Government.
Country Kids will offer a number of fee options to families;
•Full long day care including the kindergarten program*, 6.30am – 6.30pm, 52 weeks per year, except for public holidays
•Kindergarten program* only, 9.00am – 3.00pm, 40 weeks per year, except for public holidays
*The kindergarten program will be delivered to children for a minimum of 15 hours per week by a qualified teacher
Kindergarten programs will reflect the intent of the Governments national Early Years Learning Framework which outlines; principles, practices and outcome essential for young children’s learning.
Additional services
• Country Kids also offer children attending the centre a nutritious morning and afternoon tea and a midday meal at a nominal extra daily charge.
• A free courtesy bus service is provided for families who do not have the ability to transport their children to and from the centre.
• Off street parking and drop off
Enrol now and avoid disappointment
Families interested in enrolling children in the Kindergarten or Long Day Care programs at the centre should contact Country Kids Director, on 07 4681 1600 or call in at the centre; cnr Lock and Davadi Streets, Stanthorpe, 4380
Check out our website: www.countrykidsstanthorpe.com.au
The introduction of an approved kindergarten program in Long Day Care service is an important advance in the Queensland Government’s plan to provide access to kindergarten for all Queensland children by 2014. It will contribute significantly in the delivery of high quality integrated early childhood education and care in Queensland.
Eligibility
All children are eligible to attend kindergarten in the year before they start Prep. Which means your child should be at least 3 ½ years old on 1 January (4 years old by 30 June) in the year they start kindergarten
The families of a child participating in the kindergarten program at Country Kids will be eligible for Child Care Benefit payments from the Australian Government.
Country Kids will offer a number of fee options to families;
•Full long day care including the kindergarten program*, 6.30am – 6.30pm, 52 weeks per year, except for public holidays
•Kindergarten program* only, 9.00am – 3.00pm, 40 weeks per year, except for public holidays
*The kindergarten program will be delivered to children for a minimum of 15 hours per week by a qualified teacher
Kindergarten programs will reflect the intent of the Governments national Early Years Learning Framework which outlines; principles, practices and outcome essential for young children’s learning.
Additional services
• Country Kids also offer children attending the centre a nutritious morning and afternoon tea and a midday meal at a nominal extra daily charge.
• A free courtesy bus service is provided for families who do not have the ability to transport their children to and from the centre.
• Off street parking and drop off
Enrol now and avoid disappointment
Families interested in enrolling children in the Kindergarten or Long Day Care programs at the centre should contact Country Kids Director, on 07 4681 1600 or call in at the centre; cnr Lock and Davadi Streets, Stanthorpe, 4380
Check out our website: www.countrykidsstanthorpe.com.au
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Thanks to the McCormick Family
We would like to send a big thank you to the McCormick family for very generously donating some toys to the centre. They have been very good customers to the centre and we appreciate it very much. The children in the infants and toddlers room are sure to enjoy and put the toys to good use.
Friday, December 18, 2009
End Of Year Room Concerts
It’s been a very busy few weeks here at the centre, our children have been having lots of fun putting on concerts for parents, families and friends.
All of the parties went really well and our audiences enjoyed them very much.
We even had a very special visitor pop in to say a quick hello to everyone and pass out a few small gifts before racing off in his sleigh to the North Pole. Can’t wait to see how they top them next year. Check out the photos from the parties and see for yourself how much fun we had.
All of the parties went really well and our audiences enjoyed them very much.
We even had a very special visitor pop in to say a quick hello to everyone and pass out a few small gifts before racing off in his sleigh to the North Pole. Can’t wait to see how they top them next year. Check out the photos from the parties and see for yourself how much fun we had.
Our Free Lunch Trial
This week we had a free lunch trial which most of the children at the centre have participated in. On the menu was lasagne, tuna bake & vegetable slice all accompanied with salad for Wednesday 16th, Thursday 17th & Friday 18th of this week. After our first day the response has been good. The children liked sitting down to eat a meal with the staff and the majority of them ate all the food prepared for them. Hopefully the remaining two days get as good a response as the first.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
November Employee of the Month- Ellen
When the chips are down Ellen is always there to say “I will”. Ellen uses this positive attitude not only to staff and children but parents as well. She is always at work and extremely reliable, taking her position as Closing Group Leader seriously. This month we have been developing her understanding of the Montessori equipment. Over the last year Ellen have been keeping the program for the room of Peace alive in Melanie’s absence. Thanks Ellen. We appreciate your commitment to the centre.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Newsletter - November 2009
Our Montessori preschool program caters for children up to six years of age. Children may remain with us until school age, then before, after school and vacation adventure programs are available
Please refer a friend and be eligible to receive $50.00 off your fees. We have vacancies in the 3 years and under groups and in the new year limited places for 4 years plus.
CK Bus: Our bus CK has been operating for several months now and the children love going to and from their homes on their bus. We are picking-up and dropping off from the child’s home or School. This courtesy service is available to all children who attend the centre. If you would like to know more about the bus, please contact the office. The area we cover is Broadwater, Glen Aplin, Applethorpe, Storm King Dam and Town.
END OF YEAR CONCERTS: All rooms will be holding end of year concerts which all parents and family members are invited to attend. Invitations will be handed out soon, please see your group leader for further information.
Dates & times for End of Year Concerts:
Room of Peace; 11am, Wednesday, 16/12/09
Harmony; 10am, Tuesday, 8/12/09
Bambini; 4pm, Wednesday , 9/12/09
Daisy Corner; 9:30am, Thursday, 10/12/09
What’s New:
LUNCHES: Here at Country Kids we realise that most parents are extremely busy, so in order to cater for these individuals from the start of the school year Country Kids will be providing lunches to our children. This is an optional extra, but for a small cost parents will be assured that their children are eating a healthy nutritious lunch without any hassles.
GRADUATION: Children from the Room of Peace who are going to school next year will be having a graduation which will be held on the 20th January 2010. Invitation will be given out soon, please see Mel for further details.
EXITS: Children who will be exiting over the next 6 weeks please complete an exit form.
RE-ENROLMENT: Blue ENROLMENT FORMS have been issued for the coming year, please complete and return to secure your bookings on the days you want.
BLOG: Please visit our blog to see our promotional incentive for next year enrolments.
FEES: Please check that your fees are 2 weeks in advance as per fee policy. 4 weekly Statements are issued at the end of each month.
NEWS FROM THE ROOMS
Daisy Corner:
Hello from the Daisy Corner,
We would like to welcome Dan, Zack, Angus and Colin. This month we have been focusing on painting and other creative activities. Now that it is hot could you please bring hat and spare clothes. Please make sure your children are wearing appropriate clothing for outside sun safe play. We are all excited by the progress many of the infants have been achieving lately, some of the children are starting to walk and crawl in our room. We would also like to thank our business owner John for installing two safety rails which the children have been pulling themselves up on and practicing standing. There are mirrors that they can see themselves in when they stand. It is all very exciting in the Daisy Corner at the moment as all children are growing so fast and for many, words are beginning to flow. Teresa, Ellen & Evonne
Bambini Room:
Hello there folks,
Your children have been doing lots of learning in our room over the last month. We have been focusing on musical activities; this has been inspired by our morning music program created by Katrina and the up coming end of year concert. We have been singing lots of action songs like, “Cuddly Koala”, “Everybody Clap”, “If You’re Happy and You Know it”, “ Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “Open Shut Them”. The children have been practicing very hard for the end of year concert, invitations will be handed out very soon, and we are all looking forward to seeing you there. Along with music we have also been concentrating on creative sensory play, like finger painting, collage, screen painting, shaving foam art, blue goo, wet chalk, drawing and making lady beetles. The books we have been reading this month have been Mem Fox’s ‘Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes’, Eileen Browne’s “Handa’s Surprise, Lucy Cousins “Hooray for Fish” and Graeme Base’s “The Waterhole”. Tracey, Elysia and Tanya
Harmony Room:
Hello to All,
This month the Room of Harmony has been focusing on counting 1 to 10. We have also been encouraging children to use “Please” and “Thank You” at all times, this is the beginning of our Grace and Courtesy lessons which is part of our Montessori focus. We have been hearing stories from around the world (e.g. Bangladesh). We are also encouraging the children in the Room of Harmony to take, use and put away and to encourage children to look after their own belongings like lunch boxes and bedding. We would like to welcome Connor, into the Harmony Room, he is making new friends fast and having a ball. We would also like to welcome Rachael Dunn to our staffing team at Country Kids. Rachael she is working as the Trainee Assistant in our room, Joshua has also joined Harmony Room. We are also preparing for the End of Year Concert which all parents are invited to. Invitations will be handed out soon. Angie, Rachael and Joshua
Room of Peace:
Howdy All,
Over the last month the Room of Peace has been working on getting pictures and labels up around the room to improve the children’s take, use and put away skills. We have also been concentrating on handling our Montessori Equipment with the care. Building up these skills of responsibility is a life long skill which we want children to be able to use and build on. We have also included labels for the equipment so parents and classroom visitors can use the same terminology that the teachers and children use in the classroom. We hope you find it useful. The Room of Peace would like to welcome Jack; it is always exciting to have new children come to our classroom, Welcome!!! Over the last 2 weeks we have been doing a lot of practicing for our end of year concert. We can’t wait to show you all of the songs and dances room of peace children have learnt. Melanie is away this week enjoying a nice relaxing holiday. So we have Katrina, Ellen and Teagan working in the Room of Peace, so please feel free to ask them any questions you may have. Mel, Katrina, Ellen, Teagan
Policies reviewed 4th October were:
Administering First Aid, Anti-bias, Asthma, Medication, Nappy Change Policy, Natural disaster, Snake policy, Staff sickness, Visitors handbook & Parent handbook.
Policies to be reviewed 1st November 6pm here are on display in the Hall:
Administering Medication, Administering Paracetamol, Death of a Child, Exclusions Policy, Manual Handling & Back Care, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Service Participation, Telephone Usage & Intruder Alert/Emergency Lockdown Procedure.
Please refer a friend and be eligible to receive $50.00 off your fees. We have vacancies in the 3 years and under groups and in the new year limited places for 4 years plus.
CK Bus: Our bus CK has been operating for several months now and the children love going to and from their homes on their bus. We are picking-up and dropping off from the child’s home or School. This courtesy service is available to all children who attend the centre. If you would like to know more about the bus, please contact the office. The area we cover is Broadwater, Glen Aplin, Applethorpe, Storm King Dam and Town.
END OF YEAR CONCERTS: All rooms will be holding end of year concerts which all parents and family members are invited to attend. Invitations will be handed out soon, please see your group leader for further information.
Dates & times for End of Year Concerts:
Room of Peace; 11am, Wednesday, 16/12/09
Harmony; 10am, Tuesday, 8/12/09
Bambini; 4pm, Wednesday , 9/12/09
Daisy Corner; 9:30am, Thursday, 10/12/09
What’s New:
LUNCHES: Here at Country Kids we realise that most parents are extremely busy, so in order to cater for these individuals from the start of the school year Country Kids will be providing lunches to our children. This is an optional extra, but for a small cost parents will be assured that their children are eating a healthy nutritious lunch without any hassles.
GRADUATION: Children from the Room of Peace who are going to school next year will be having a graduation which will be held on the 20th January 2010. Invitation will be given out soon, please see Mel for further details.
EXITS: Children who will be exiting over the next 6 weeks please complete an exit form.
RE-ENROLMENT: Blue ENROLMENT FORMS have been issued for the coming year, please complete and return to secure your bookings on the days you want.
BLOG: Please visit our blog to see our promotional incentive for next year enrolments.
FEES: Please check that your fees are 2 weeks in advance as per fee policy. 4 weekly Statements are issued at the end of each month.
NEWS FROM THE ROOMS
Daisy Corner:
Hello from the Daisy Corner,
We would like to welcome Dan, Zack, Angus and Colin. This month we have been focusing on painting and other creative activities. Now that it is hot could you please bring hat and spare clothes. Please make sure your children are wearing appropriate clothing for outside sun safe play. We are all excited by the progress many of the infants have been achieving lately, some of the children are starting to walk and crawl in our room. We would also like to thank our business owner John for installing two safety rails which the children have been pulling themselves up on and practicing standing. There are mirrors that they can see themselves in when they stand. It is all very exciting in the Daisy Corner at the moment as all children are growing so fast and for many, words are beginning to flow. Teresa, Ellen & Evonne
Bambini Room:
Hello there folks,
Your children have been doing lots of learning in our room over the last month. We have been focusing on musical activities; this has been inspired by our morning music program created by Katrina and the up coming end of year concert. We have been singing lots of action songs like, “Cuddly Koala”, “Everybody Clap”, “If You’re Happy and You Know it”, “ Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “Open Shut Them”. The children have been practicing very hard for the end of year concert, invitations will be handed out very soon, and we are all looking forward to seeing you there. Along with music we have also been concentrating on creative sensory play, like finger painting, collage, screen painting, shaving foam art, blue goo, wet chalk, drawing and making lady beetles. The books we have been reading this month have been Mem Fox’s ‘Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes’, Eileen Browne’s “Handa’s Surprise, Lucy Cousins “Hooray for Fish” and Graeme Base’s “The Waterhole”. Tracey, Elysia and Tanya
Harmony Room:
Hello to All,
This month the Room of Harmony has been focusing on counting 1 to 10. We have also been encouraging children to use “Please” and “Thank You” at all times, this is the beginning of our Grace and Courtesy lessons which is part of our Montessori focus. We have been hearing stories from around the world (e.g. Bangladesh). We are also encouraging the children in the Room of Harmony to take, use and put away and to encourage children to look after their own belongings like lunch boxes and bedding. We would like to welcome Connor, into the Harmony Room, he is making new friends fast and having a ball. We would also like to welcome Rachael Dunn to our staffing team at Country Kids. Rachael she is working as the Trainee Assistant in our room, Joshua has also joined Harmony Room. We are also preparing for the End of Year Concert which all parents are invited to. Invitations will be handed out soon. Angie, Rachael and Joshua
Room of Peace:
Howdy All,
Over the last month the Room of Peace has been working on getting pictures and labels up around the room to improve the children’s take, use and put away skills. We have also been concentrating on handling our Montessori Equipment with the care. Building up these skills of responsibility is a life long skill which we want children to be able to use and build on. We have also included labels for the equipment so parents and classroom visitors can use the same terminology that the teachers and children use in the classroom. We hope you find it useful. The Room of Peace would like to welcome Jack; it is always exciting to have new children come to our classroom, Welcome!!! Over the last 2 weeks we have been doing a lot of practicing for our end of year concert. We can’t wait to show you all of the songs and dances room of peace children have learnt. Melanie is away this week enjoying a nice relaxing holiday. So we have Katrina, Ellen and Teagan working in the Room of Peace, so please feel free to ask them any questions you may have. Mel, Katrina, Ellen, Teagan
Policies reviewed 4th October were:
Administering First Aid, Anti-bias, Asthma, Medication, Nappy Change Policy, Natural disaster, Snake policy, Staff sickness, Visitors handbook & Parent handbook.
Policies to be reviewed 1st November 6pm here are on display in the Hall:
Administering Medication, Administering Paracetamol, Death of a Child, Exclusions Policy, Manual Handling & Back Care, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Service Participation, Telephone Usage & Intruder Alert/Emergency Lockdown Procedure.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Hail Storm
Some very interesting discussions and educational activities have arisen from the hail storm that we had last Thursday. Children in the Room of Peace have been talking and learning about where hail comes from, how it is formed and the damage it can do. Mel, Teagan and Joshua are trying very hard to answer all the children’s questions about hail. These activities and discussions are helping the children to learn about and understand our ever changing weather in the world around us. These everyday discussions are helping in the children’s developmental progress. This learning fits in to our Early Learning Framework with a Montessori focus under the learning area of Cultural and the Study of Society and the Environment (SOSE) which includes land and water, matter and energy, water and gravity presentations and discussion.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
October News Letter
Our Montessori preschool program caters for children up to six years of age.
Children may remain with us until school age, and continue until age 12 for before, after school and vacation program are available.
Policies reviewed this month were:
Aboriginal Torres Strait Island, Continuity of Care, Critical Incident, Discrimination Harassment, Maintenance, Media Policy, Pets on Premises, Robbery, Staff Handbook
Policies to be reviewed mext month are on display in the hallway:
Administering First Aid, Anti-Bias, Asthma, Medication, Nappy Change Policy, Natural Disaster, Snake Policy, Staff Sickness, Visitors Handbook Orientation Families, Staff and Parent Complaint & Grievance Forms and Blog policy.
Vacation Care: Book now for summer adventure with Angie & Co, during the school holidays.
Please refer a friend and be eligible to receive $50.00 off your fees. We have Vacancies available, including the infants.
Lost Property: Please ensure that you have checked the Lost property in the foyer area. All clothing not claimed will be delivered to St Vinnies as of the 30th of October. Current CLOTHING is still in the rooms, please check also.
Book Club: Parents please ensure that would have put in your scholastics book orders in on the specified dates.
CK Bus: Our bus CK has been operating for several months now and the children love going to and from their homes on their bus. We are picking-up and dropping off from the child’s home, also we picking are up and dropping off from School. This courtesy service is available to all children who attend the centre. If you would like to know more about the bus please contact the office (conditions apply).
NEWS FROM THE ROOMS
Daisy Corner:
Hi, to everyone, we have had a very eventful few weeks in the nursery. Our assistant Jess has moved on, but our previous staff member Evonne is back after being away on maternity leave. We would like to welcome, Brodie and Ryan to the nursery room. Exciting news is that Rhiannah is just about to take her first independent step. Our children Lucas and Loke have been playing with the cars and making lots of car noises. For craft we have also been making bugs and as part of language development we have been looking at and reading about butterflies. In the next month we are going to do some gardening and growing some flowers.
Best wishes, bye for now, Teresa and Evonne.
Sunflower Nook & Bambini Room:
Hi there folks and welcome to another newsletter. Elysia and I would like to welcome our new children into our classroom, Nicole, Cody and Flynn. We would also like to say a farewell to Corben who has been transitioned up into Harmony room with Angie and Katrina. W-hoo we have been having lots of fun in the Bambini room. Elyisa and I have conducted a sustainability activity with the Bambini children. We also taught the children how to make their own beads out of recycled paper. We then extended that experience by teaching children to thread beads. This was an exciting activity which we all enjoyed participating in. Our next sustainability activity will be making home made planters. We have farewelled staff member Melissa but welcome Tania to our group.
Cheers Tracey, Elysia and Tania.
Harmony Room:
This month the room of was host to the Schoolies. The Vacation Care program was a great success. The children describe it as “the best program ever”. It included many craft activities such as bracelet making, clay creations, collage and scrapbooking, lot’s of walking for our health, cooking and ball games. Our most exciting adventures occurred when we got imaginatively lost in the woods and went caving. We all enjoyed visiting the police station, learning about policy cars, cells, flash lights and breath testers. We enjoyed playing getting to know you games, which were hilarious and lots of fun. Our Harmony children had some fun days with the Peace and Bambini children.
From Angie, Katrina And Stewart.
Room of Peace:
A warm hello from the staff in the Room Of Peace. We are now moving on to sandpaper letters and numbers. This activity focuses on pre-writing and pre-math. In the room of Peace we are also concentrating on establishing creative arts skills like colour recognition and sorting into shades. Our Grace and Courtesy lessons have been going well, with more and more children in the class spontaneously saying thank you and please throughout their day, which is making our day. We are also learning about the states and territories of Australia, where we live and where Stanthorpe is on the map. As the days are getting warmer we are all looking forward to summer so just a reminder that children need to have hats and sunscreen applied before they start in the morning and please ensure children have drink bottles. Stay safe and take care until next time, Mel, Ellen, Teagan and Joshua.
Fees:
Please check that your fees are 2 weeks in advance as per fee policy. 4 weekly Statements will be issued. Sandy is no longer with the centre please see Julia about finances if necessary. All staff are able to accept payments and will issue a manual receipt for all cash payments.
Sign in Sheets:
Dear parents last week 17 parents signed in or out incorrectly. Please ensure you are signing your child/children in correctly. It must have a time, signature and the name of the person clearly identified who is bringing in or picking up the child/children. All absent days have to be initialled and include the name of person.
Incorrect signing in or out of your children can result in a withdrawal of government funding. Please ensure this does not occur. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
Children may remain with us until school age, and continue until age 12 for before, after school and vacation program are available.
Policies reviewed this month were:
Aboriginal Torres Strait Island, Continuity of Care, Critical Incident, Discrimination Harassment, Maintenance, Media Policy, Pets on Premises, Robbery, Staff Handbook
Policies to be reviewed mext month are on display in the hallway:
Administering First Aid, Anti-Bias, Asthma, Medication, Nappy Change Policy, Natural Disaster, Snake Policy, Staff Sickness, Visitors Handbook Orientation Families, Staff and Parent Complaint & Grievance Forms and Blog policy.
Vacation Care: Book now for summer adventure with Angie & Co, during the school holidays.
Please refer a friend and be eligible to receive $50.00 off your fees. We have Vacancies available, including the infants.
Lost Property: Please ensure that you have checked the Lost property in the foyer area. All clothing not claimed will be delivered to St Vinnies as of the 30th of October. Current CLOTHING is still in the rooms, please check also.
Book Club: Parents please ensure that would have put in your scholastics book orders in on the specified dates.
CK Bus: Our bus CK has been operating for several months now and the children love going to and from their homes on their bus. We are picking-up and dropping off from the child’s home, also we picking are up and dropping off from School. This courtesy service is available to all children who attend the centre. If you would like to know more about the bus please contact the office (conditions apply).
NEWS FROM THE ROOMS
Daisy Corner:
Hi, to everyone, we have had a very eventful few weeks in the nursery. Our assistant Jess has moved on, but our previous staff member Evonne is back after being away on maternity leave. We would like to welcome, Brodie and Ryan to the nursery room. Exciting news is that Rhiannah is just about to take her first independent step. Our children Lucas and Loke have been playing with the cars and making lots of car noises. For craft we have also been making bugs and as part of language development we have been looking at and reading about butterflies. In the next month we are going to do some gardening and growing some flowers.
Best wishes, bye for now, Teresa and Evonne.
Sunflower Nook & Bambini Room:
Hi there folks and welcome to another newsletter. Elysia and I would like to welcome our new children into our classroom, Nicole, Cody and Flynn. We would also like to say a farewell to Corben who has been transitioned up into Harmony room with Angie and Katrina. W-hoo we have been having lots of fun in the Bambini room. Elyisa and I have conducted a sustainability activity with the Bambini children. We also taught the children how to make their own beads out of recycled paper. We then extended that experience by teaching children to thread beads. This was an exciting activity which we all enjoyed participating in. Our next sustainability activity will be making home made planters. We have farewelled staff member Melissa but welcome Tania to our group.
Cheers Tracey, Elysia and Tania.
Harmony Room:
This month the room of was host to the Schoolies. The Vacation Care program was a great success. The children describe it as “the best program ever”. It included many craft activities such as bracelet making, clay creations, collage and scrapbooking, lot’s of walking for our health, cooking and ball games. Our most exciting adventures occurred when we got imaginatively lost in the woods and went caving. We all enjoyed visiting the police station, learning about policy cars, cells, flash lights and breath testers. We enjoyed playing getting to know you games, which were hilarious and lots of fun. Our Harmony children had some fun days with the Peace and Bambini children.
From Angie, Katrina And Stewart.
Room of Peace:
A warm hello from the staff in the Room Of Peace. We are now moving on to sandpaper letters and numbers. This activity focuses on pre-writing and pre-math. In the room of Peace we are also concentrating on establishing creative arts skills like colour recognition and sorting into shades. Our Grace and Courtesy lessons have been going well, with more and more children in the class spontaneously saying thank you and please throughout their day, which is making our day. We are also learning about the states and territories of Australia, where we live and where Stanthorpe is on the map. As the days are getting warmer we are all looking forward to summer so just a reminder that children need to have hats and sunscreen applied before they start in the morning and please ensure children have drink bottles. Stay safe and take care until next time, Mel, Ellen, Teagan and Joshua.
Fees:
Please check that your fees are 2 weeks in advance as per fee policy. 4 weekly Statements will be issued. Sandy is no longer with the centre please see Julia about finances if necessary. All staff are able to accept payments and will issue a manual receipt for all cash payments.
Sign in Sheets:
Dear parents last week 17 parents signed in or out incorrectly. Please ensure you are signing your child/children in correctly. It must have a time, signature and the name of the person clearly identified who is bringing in or picking up the child/children. All absent days have to be initialled and include the name of person.
Incorrect signing in or out of your children can result in a withdrawal of government funding. Please ensure this does not occur. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
Friday, October 9, 2009
We are learning about sustainability
This week the Bambini Room also planted some seedlings.
This activity was encouraging sustainability by using everyday resources to implement learning experiences.
Tracey our Bambini Group Leader recently attended a professional development seminar on Sustainability and we are all excited about the wonderful knowledge she has recently acquired. As you can see from the photos the children really enjoyed this activity.
This activity was encouraging sustainability by using everyday resources to implement learning experiences.
Tracey our Bambini Group Leader recently attended a professional development seminar on Sustainability and we are all excited about the wonderful knowledge she has recently acquired. As you can see from the photos the children really enjoyed this activity.
Another fun week at Country Kids
As the week draws to a close the team from Country Kids wanted to let you know what we did and learnt this week.
Firstly staff and children at Country Kids have begun exercising each morning with a dance. We all found this most exhilarating and helpful as we prepare ourselves for the day.
It was so wonderful seeing children and staff dancing and laughing together. We found the children are really enjoying this new element of our daily programming, and they love tiring us adults out by repeating the dance over and over.
Firstly staff and children at Country Kids have begun exercising each morning with a dance. We all found this most exhilarating and helpful as we prepare ourselves for the day.
It was so wonderful seeing children and staff dancing and laughing together. We found the children are really enjoying this new element of our daily programming, and they love tiring us adults out by repeating the dance over and over.
Friday, September 11, 2009
VACATION CARE
To all Parents,
Do you have to work over the school holidays?
Are your children bored and driving you up the wall?
Well have no fear Country Kids are here!
At Country Kids we a rearing up for our best school holidays program yet.
We have carefully designed an exciting program for school aged children between the ages of 6-12.
Stretching over the whole school holiday starting from the 21st of September and ending on the 2nd of October your children will enjoy everyday of our vacation care program.
Some of our activities include visiting the Maze, jewellery making, playing sports, scrap booking, and even having lunch at Red Rooster.
But parents don’t worry we have also included some educational activities like visiting the Art Gallery, Library, Police Station and Fire Station.
Please come and join us these holidays.
Book Now, ring Country Kids on 4681 1600.
Do you have to work over the school holidays?
Are your children bored and driving you up the wall?
Well have no fear Country Kids are here!
At Country Kids we a rearing up for our best school holidays program yet.
We have carefully designed an exciting program for school aged children between the ages of 6-12.
Stretching over the whole school holiday starting from the 21st of September and ending on the 2nd of October your children will enjoy everyday of our vacation care program.
Some of our activities include visiting the Maze, jewellery making, playing sports, scrap booking, and even having lunch at Red Rooster.
But parents don’t worry we have also included some educational activities like visiting the Art Gallery, Library, Police Station and Fire Station.
Please come and join us these holidays.
Book Now, ring Country Kids on 4681 1600.
Tracey Cullen Employee of the Month June
The employee of the month of June is Tracey Cullen. Tracey has worked very hard over the last month in the Bambini Room. Her programming has been up to date and she is constantly creating fun and exciting learning experiences for the children in her room and throughout the centre. She is always seen with a smile on her face, and consistently keeps her room paperwork up to date and organised. We appreciate all your hard work Tracey. Well done!!!
Teresa Matthews Employee of the Month July
The employee of the month of July is Teresa Matthews. Teresa’s room is always neat and tidy, and her paper work in consistently up to date. Theresa’s calm nature has had a wonderful affect on the Daisy Corners calm and relaxing atmosphere. Her regular attendance at staff meetings and her dedication to her professional development through her study is commendable. Congratulations Teresa, your hard work has been recognised through this award.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Daisy Corner News article
It gives us great pleasure to introduce to our Community our New Infant Room Group Leader Teresa Matthews.
This room is a wonderful environment for under two year olds and is available to assist parents with their daily duties.
This room is a wonderful environment for under two year olds and is available to assist parents with their daily duties.
Teresa Matthews is a mother of three herself, so she knows just how busy parents can be trying to meet the needs of family and community, not to mention a little time for themselves.
Teresa is looking forward to meeting with you to discuss the individualised and group programming she will put in place for your child to monitor and extend their curiosity about their world while they develop to their full potential. The programming will cover physical, social/emotional, creative, cognitive and
Teresa who previously won the title of Apple and Grape Harvest Festival Queen title in 1982, will be assisted by– Country Kids Young Ambassador Ashleigh Taylor and our opening Teacher Georgia Gray, the centre Assistant Director..
Teresa is looking forward to meeting with you to discuss the individualised and group programming she will put in place for your child to monitor and extend their curiosity about their world while they develop to their full potential. The programming will cover physical, social/emotional, creative, cognitive and
Teresa who previously won the title of Apple and Grape Harvest Festival Queen title in 1982, will be assisted by– Country Kids Young Ambassador Ashleigh Taylor and our opening Teacher Georgia Gray, the centre Assistant Director..
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Room of Peace:
A warm winter Hello, Another month has flown by. Last week we celebrated under 8’s week on with fantastic expressive art activities outside in the morning and again in the afternoon, Great fun was had by all. Our room has been having fun with puppet shows, which is helping with the children’s social/emotional skill development and with taking turns. We are always working on our phonemes, with I spy game, matching sounds to objects around us. New to the room are the bells and the children try and match the bells by listening to their sound. Some of us are learning to play familiar songs with the bells. Colour tablet box number three which is colour sorting in shades from lightest to darkest has been introduced. We welcome Ellen to our room to learn the Montessori methods. During the cooler days, we will be playing outside later in the mornings taking advantage of the fresh air and sunshine. As these children mature, there is less emphasis on sleep at rest time but more emphasis on consideration for others who do need sleep. The challenge for our children is remaining quiet while others are resting. Until next time stay safe and take care, Mel, Kate, and Ellen.
Harmony Room:
Big Hi to All, We have been singing some Rhymes lately and rainbows emerged from these. We’ve discussed how they come about. We’ve talked about their colours and how they blend. We’ve associated this with paint mixing. Many of the children have been building block towers and counting how high we can go. Some have made some awesome play dough animals. We had a fun under 8’s day last week and did some fence painting, which is hanging in the hallway. We made and played with dough, explored with collage stamping and even painted a big yellow bus. A big welcome to Ebony, Mekayla and Luciana, who are all settling in well. Parents please remember to have names on jumpers and jackets. Once they come off its hard to find the owner without a name on the garment. Jo rejoins us this week from 9-3 daily.
Bye for now, Teresa, Kate, Teagan and Michelle
Bye for now, Teresa, Kate, Teagan and Michelle
Sunflower Nook & Bambini Room:
Hello there everybody, Welcome to my first newsletter as Group Leader of the Bambini Room. We have temporarily closed the Sunflower Room. Daisy Corner is our under 2’s group. My assistants will be Elysia, Jaime and Kasey as relief. I am sure we will make a fantastic team to support and complete a great program for all the children.
The children are really enjoying the move from Sunflower into their new “big” room with lots of time to roam and explore their new surroundings. The wooden building blocks, lego and stacking pegs are firm favourites. Many of us are also enjoying sensory play, finger painting, clay play and shaving foam.
We are working towards promoting self-help skills, with washing faces, taking off and putting on shoes, packing away toys and putting our rubbish in the bin. Most of the children are doing really well with these skills. Reading and looking at books as well as flashcards are really popular in our room. A variety of books are made available to all children at all times. Cheers from Tracey, Elysia, Jaime and Kasey.
The children are really enjoying the move from Sunflower into their new “big” room with lots of time to roam and explore their new surroundings. The wooden building blocks, lego and stacking pegs are firm favourites. Many of us are also enjoying sensory play, finger painting, clay play and shaving foam.
We are working towards promoting self-help skills, with washing faces, taking off and putting on shoes, packing away toys and putting our rubbish in the bin. Most of the children are doing really well with these skills. Reading and looking at books as well as flashcards are really popular in our room. A variety of books are made available to all children at all times. Cheers from Tracey, Elysia, Jaime and Kasey.
Daisy Corner:
Hi All, Many of our infants are walking so this month the Daisy Corner has been focusing and advancing self help skills, like washing hands, self feeding and self dressing. We have also been playing with building blocks, singing songs, finger plays and enjoying books together. If it is warm we go outside for some fresh air. Due to other staff changes, this group will now be led by Teresa with Ashleigh as her assistant and Nicky in the afternoons, however as Opening Group Leader I will still be there on those cool early mornings. Georgia, Nicky and Ashleigh.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Country Kids celebrates Under 8’s Week
Between the 22nd to the 29th of May Country Kids is celebrating Under Eight’s Week. Under Eight’s week is celebrated by childcare centres, primary schools, family day care scheme and local communities across Queensland. This year’s theme is “Creativi
ty – let it happen”. Country Kids Early Learning Centre recognises that encouraging children to be creative is giving them the opportunity for their voices and values to be seen and heard. Country Kids Early Learning Centre chose to have an activity day held on Thursday the 28th of May. Children participated in activity stations including stamping, play dough, drawing, fence painting, box collage and storytelling through puppets. Children also partake in a number of cultural activities including dancing, music and didgeridoo playing. All children within the centre took part in these creative expressions creating master pieces which will decorate our centre.
ty – let it happen”. Country Kids Early Learning Centre recognises that encouraging children to be creative is giving them the opportunity for their voices and values to be seen and heard. Country Kids Early Learning Centre chose to have an activity day held on Thursday the 28th of May. Children participated in activity stations including stamping, play dough, drawing, fence painting, box collage and storytelling through puppets. Children also partake in a number of cultural activities including dancing, music and didgeridoo playing. All children within the centre took part in these creative expressions creating master pieces which will decorate our centre.Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Cournty Kids 3rd Anniversary
On Saturday the 16th of May Country Kids Early Learning Centre celebrated their 3rd anniversary. The centre participated in a non-domination Montessori celebration which focuses on celebrating the number of times the earth has rotated around the sun since Country Kids opened. Parents’ children and staff walked around in a circle 3 times to celebrate Country Kids 3rd anniversary.
As our guest of honour Glen Rogers, the previous mayor of Stanthorpe, attended and had the great honour of cutting the cake. Families and other guests enjoyed a sausage sizzle and fairy floss, while children had their faces painted and took part in a number of arts activities including painting and dancing.
We would like to thank all in the community who attended our festivities, those who helped out on the day and our guests of honour Glen Rogers. Thank you for making our 3rd anniversary a success. We look forward to celebrating many more.
As our guest of honour Glen Rogers, the previous mayor of Stanthorpe, attended and had the great honour of cutting the cake. Families and other guests enjoyed a sausage sizzle and fairy floss, while children had their faces painted and took part in a number of arts activities including painting and dancing.
We would like to thank all in the community who attended our festivities, those who helped out on the day and our guests of honour Glen Rogers. Thank you for making our 3rd anniversary a success. We look forward to celebrating many more.
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