Term 4 Week 2

What a lovely way to start the week with Labour Day on Monday...I'm sure after all the excitement of being back at Kindergarten last week that many of the children (and teachers) were in need of the looong weekend! So a short but busy week here, with more Kindergarten photographs on Tuesday, and more new families joining us in the TF group. It's great to see new children and families feeling welcomed into the Kindergarten...an important time to reiterate our dispositional focus for Term 4: "What if KINDNESS/MANAAKI were the only rule?" Please take a few moments to introduce yourself to our new families, or to find out the names of parents that your child raves about at home! This role models for your children how to interact with others in new situations, and I'm sure we can all remember a time when someone has reached out to us and what a difference that has made to our sense of belonging to a place; such as being a part of the wider Winton Kindergarten whanau...Kindness breeds kindness!

The tamariki catching up over the kai table at morning tea...Taking time to listen and be a part of the group

Jodie and Poppy arrived with cupcakes they had baked for their teachers...How very thoguthful and kind of you girls!

Logan was so happy to see his good friend Alyssa...Logan had made some "Get well soon" treats for Alyssa to make her feel better!! Kind gestures go a long way :)

With the wintery weather we have experienced over the past few weeks, the children have been having lots of fun with their imagination and role play inside. You may have noticed huts being constructed with chairs, lycra, and anything (everything!) the children find. These huts have become home to many families and characters this week! Continuing on from last week where the children were in deep conversation regarding wedding rings and their purpose/meaning; Kylie introduced some adult dress ups such as hi-vis work singlets, high heels, and even her own wedding dress!! We have been overhearing lots of discussion as the children share their understandings about marriage, the roles of mums and dads, and what it means to be an adult. The children are learning about the construction and reconstruction of their working theories through these conversations...For example, the children are taking what they know and supplementing this knowledge with new ideas from their peers. They are challenging their beliefs with the ability to take on new information which may or may not oppose their current ways of thinking! This is why we promote play FOR learning...So much can be discovered through our social interactions!

Amazing Me Programme
This week we have revisited our Amazing Me Programme with DVD 4 of the series. The children have been learning about expressing how they feel, and the importance of letting others know that it's okay to be upset or angry. Suzy reiterated "Stop Think and Act" which we now hear the children repeating to their peers in their play - tu meke, awesome!

MTW Group...
We are starting to look forward to our bus trip to Invercargill on Monday the 5th of November when we head to the Capital E Production "Around the World and Buck Again" at the Civic Theatre. Many of the group performed at the Civic Theatre in August for Polyfest so it will be a nice way to revisit some of those memories as we become the spectators! PARENTS: Please ensure permission slips and the $8 to cover ticket costs are returned so that your child can attend this amazing event!

TERM 4 PLANNING

Term 4 Newsletter 2012

Welcome back Term 4

Welcome back to all our families to our final term of 2012...where has the year gone?! It sounds like everyone enjoyed the two weeks away...We have heard lots of stories about what everyone got up to away from Kindergarten!

The teachers brought in some shells they collected during the term break as provocations for the children. This week we have been exploring with our senses...What do the different shells feel like to touch?? Dylan Pope explained that you could hear the ocean if you put the shell up to your ear and listen carefully! Sally's 'magical' oyster shells drew a lot of attention as we experimented with dry and wet...watching the shells change colours as they were dropped in to the bowl of water. Along with shells Christina also brought in a crab to invite the children into the Project room for further investigation...What did it feel like? Were we brave enough to pick it up? What features did we notice?? On the underside of the crab the children noticed something a bit odd...Was it a tail? Alex Hart was convinced it was a tail, while Riley Chapman thought they did not...A few children gathered to watch the great debate and were a little unsure about which side of the fence they were on...Luckily Jack Keith, our 'Problem Solver' for the week was in the room and was able to offer his assistance...Perhaps we could found out on the computer!! The group concluded that yes crabs DO have a tail - excellent inquiry guys!

Inside the children have been having lots of discussions about families, especially the roles of mums and dads - we even overheard a complex conversation about the purpose of wedding rings!! Charlie Robson shared his holiday experience with us...Charlie and whanau made their own "Ghostbusters" movie! Watching this amazing effort has inspired the children to think about making our very own kindergarten movie...Watch this space! PARENTS: If you would like to offer your time and knowledge for our movie project please let us know - especially those of you who are a bit ICT savvy - much appreciated!

The Polyfest DVD arrived at Winton Kindergarten on Wednesday and we enjoyed coming together to view our achievement. The children looked so proud spotting themselves and their peers on the big screen, and they could be hear singing along to some of the waiata. I can't wait to see what next year will bring after such a huge success this year!

The beans that were planted in the jars have just shot up over the term break - How are the beans at home looking?? Sally and a group of children helped to re-pot them in the garden as they were running out of room in the relatively small jars!

This term we continue with our planning focus "What if KINDNESS were the only rule?" PARENTS: Keep an eye out for "Random Acts of Kindness" around home and add to our Proud of Me box for Wednesday afternoons! Reinforcing Random Acts of Kindness instills a sense of self-esteem and motivates the children to seek out positive praise and remarks from their parents, peers, and teachers...It's great to overhear the children commenting on the kindness of others, the smile on their face and 'buzz' they feel is immeasurable!

Kaytie and Savanna are eager to lend a helping hand for preparing lunch...Very thoughtful and KIND girls. Well done!

Wow check out Robot Jack Keith that the Discovery Time group created on Wednesday...Thanks for your help Marissa, Alex, Emma, Alyssa and Sam!

Max shows our new Kindy friend Aidan the awesome sandpit!

Millie takes time to slow down and gain a closer examination of the fish...have they grown over the holidays?

Kenny's big day is finally here...And how special is it to have your big sister Alex and good friend Twizel by your side!

Tristin is welcomed by good friend Albie and little brother Freddie...What a KIND gesture looking after Tristen on his first day!

We welcome back our TF group today and look forward to seeing some new faces joining the Kindergarten whanau. We intend to incorporate both the MTW and the TF group in our movie project, and so are eager to hear their suggests and ideas about what we could do for this!!

Tue 9 Oct

We hope the Term break is all going well ... albeit the weather.  We just wanted to share this with you especailly when there is LOTS of puddles, at the mo.  

Just a reminder we have Helen Campbell (Transition to School) speaking next Wednesday night (17 Oct) & Kindy Photos on Fri (19 Oct) & Tue (23 Oct).

See you all on Mon 15 Oct !!!