Term 2 Week 1

Please click on this link to view our Term 2 Newsletter

*Please note Forest Kindy starts back this Tuesday the 9th of May.

QUACK QUACK QUACK...
Kindy has been transformed this week into a hunters paradise! The children have been busy imagining, researching, planning, constructing, and testing out our FOUR maimai! The ponds were fed and the ducks enticed to stop by...A big thank you to our families for dressing up today and sharing in this special day that is an Annual event for so many of our Southland families. The camo paint topped off our disguise...as the children tip-toed over to the maimai as so not to disturb the sitting ducks! Imagination, role-play, sharing with others, and making memories! And a big thanks to Elle for our delicious bacon and egg pie - a staple in any maimai! We are hosting another Hunters Day on Monday for our Mon/Tue/Wed Group.

Term 1 Week 13

Wow what a busy final week of Term 1 we have had!!

Photosynthesis

This week we have revisited our leaf screen printing and nga tamariki in Discovery Time explored eco-literacy further.
Through the screen printing the children began to take a closer look at the size, shape and colour of all of the different leaves which make up our Kindy backyard!! This provoked discussion about the different parts of different plants (Botany) which provoked us to revisit our knowledge of photosynthesis. Check out these awesome leaf prints & flower diagrams the children have made!!!

The Shadow Corner

The projector has been an awesome provocation for the tamariki this week. Through the projector the tamariki have continued to explore our question; "Where do stories live?" They have had a great time creating their own stories through a variety of props ... dinosaurs, animals, blocks, wooden trees and their very own hands!! This experience has also linked in with our current planning 'Ecological Identity' as the tamariki have continued to build their eco-literacy knowledge through these wonderful stories.

Easter Creations!!

This week the tamariki have been busy making and creating their own 3D Easter Eggs!! Each uniquely designed photocopied, decorated, cut out, stapled and stuffed with recycled paper from our shredder.  Wow, this was quite a process which needed a lot of concentration, creativity and persistence!! Ka pai he tamariki.  And a big thank you to to Liam Ferris for provoking all of the other children with your very own cool drawing of an Easter Egg which we shared at Monday Morning Meeting :)

Easter Bunny!!!

It is that time of year where we look out for a big fluffy thing with two big ears......the Easter Bunny!!
We were soo lucky this week to have finally reached the Easter Bunny at the last minute so we could ask if he could please visit Winton Kindy. Thanks Isla for those all important numbers 8817. These mornings also provided a wonderful opportunity to bring a plate of food to share with all of our Kindy friends and their families!! A big thank-you to you all for bring a delicious plate of food to share!! And thank-you to all of the family members who were able to join in the Easter celebrations here at Kindy, it was awesome to see you all!!

A BIG thank-you to all of the kind people who contributed to our end of year tidy up!!
He rau ringa e oti ai
Many hands make light work :)

Term Break

Today is our last day fro Term 1 (Thur 13 Apr) ...  Term 2 begins Monday 1st May 2017 - Fri 7 Jul 2017.

Wishing you all a Happy Easter!! Be safe, everyone!! We can't wait to hear all about your Easter celebrations & term break adventures  :)

Ka kite ano, 

Judy, Christina & Elle.

Term 1 Week 12

Ecological Identity...
Albatross Colony - Life Cycles
Our soaring Albatross is finally complete, flying overhead of the nest to protect the not so little egg below...


Hunter-Gatherers @ Forest Kindy
For Reef's final Forest Kindy Day he led the gang down to the stream for a spot of fishing - one of his favourite pastimes...patience was key, as the children waited in anticipation for a bite on the end of their line!



Where Do Stories Live?

This week the children have posed a very important question, as we discussed the possibility of inviting the Easter Bunny along to Kindy next week, but were unsure how we would be able to get in contact with him..."Where does the Easter Bunny live??" Hmm...the children pondered for a moment before bursting into korero...
CJ: "He lives in a hole!"
Isla:"I know his phone number!"
Holly:"We could send him an email"...We wait in anticipation...






The Big Hungry Wolf!
And another tall tale that has been unfolding has been at Forest Kindy...Originally "The Big Bad Wolf", after much reflection, the children wondered if perhaps, he was just a hungry wolf that no one had befriended. And so, instead of being fearful of the "Woo...Woo" sounds, we are now on the lookout for clues for where to find him to offer him a drink of water and something to eat from their lunch - how very kind indeed!

Ah! Wolf footprints! He's gone this way!

Gosh, he must be a BIG Wolf!

Home-Grown
Our Ecological lenses has spread from Kindy to home, with a big thanks to Sam Cairns for bringing in his juicy tomatoes, and Alice Pulley for sharing her Granny and Grandad's peas and carrots with us all - delicious!


The Language of Ecological Art - Screen Printing
This week Elle introduced the Screen Printing to the group. The first part was foraging for the most beautiful fallen Autumn leaf...followed by exploring this new art medium hands on!

Ryan deep in thought as he figures out how to work with screen printing

And with Easter just around the corner, we have been crafting some beautiful collage cards with the children to share with family and friends.


Enjoy the weekend...Last day of Kindy for Term 1 2017 is Thursday the 13th of April. :)

Term 1 Week 11

                                     Where do Books live?
This week we've introduced storymaking books ... opportunities for our children to pictorially share tales & adventures.  What a pleasure, as teachers,  it is to narrate these stories. And Elle has brought along some OLD books - Grimm's Fairy Tales (we are reading Hansel & Gretel at the mo) & some books on athletics (Have-a-Go Athletics @ St Thomas's on Wednesday).

                                   
And also this week Judy has introduced the children to Boris ... all the way from Italy. Boris has very cleverly hid himself in Judy's storybox.  You may even be able to guess what or who Boris might be? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post ... with your ideas!

                  The Albatross Egg
We continue to be fascinated through our daily encounters with the Albatross Cam. The chick & the nurturedness of it's parents @ the Royal Albatross Colony - Otago Peninsula.    We've watched the parent birds soar & glide into the Colony & into the nest with such grace - their wing span is phenomenal ... between 2.5 - 3.5m span. How priviledged we are to have this colony right @ our back door.

We wondered about offering the children a challenge - could they capture this intrigue by representing their understandings of this magnificient seabird (world's largest seabird in fact) & its colony - and they were indeed up for the challenge.

Forest Kindy - Tue 28 Mar 2017

We welcomed Isla Langford, Holly Mitchell & CJ McDougall this week.

   

  Up where?                                                                                                                                                             Great tree climbing skills.  Aaysuma's Dad - Lil Hari Sapkota - shimmed up the tree to hang our very naturalistic tree swing with the help of Isla's Dad - Anton Langford.  A BIG thanks for  rescheduling your day to join us!  

Our storymaking continues @ Forest Kindy ... Once Upon a Forest!

What are you looking at everyone?

Tadpoles ... where?

And those mysterious painted stones are still 'popping' up around the Forest! Hmmmm ... interesting!

Let's follow these fantails ... where will they take us?   These small insectivorous birds of Australasia led us right to the 'Three Little Pigs' house!  How did they know which direction to go to & how to get there? They continue to be intrigued by us ... as much as we are intrigued by them!

And check out what Kahn McMullen brought along ... some Budgie eggs to share with the Forest Kindy kids.  We've delicately placed them in the Dragons nest ... and we'll check up on them next week. Gosh we might have some DragBudgie birds soon.

 Watch this space!

Have-A-Go Athletics @ St Thomas School

What's athletics?  A combination of running, jumping & throwing ... so our obstacle course @ Kindy has been set up for the last two weeks in both introducing & practising these skill sets. And then Wed morning arrived ... a perfect morning to showcase what we can do!

Toby Langford 'fine tunes' his technique.

Right ... let's give this a go!

Go Ryan !!!

Run where? 

Ready, Set, Goooooo

Check out this 'action packed' technique of Hunter Wilson

Ready, steady,  JUMP Kyle! 

Tks for helping us Libby Jesperson & Ella Colvin 

A BIG thanks to all our Parents who were able to come along on Wednesday!

Stories live where?

Raewyn from the Winton Library joined us on Thursday ... to share some stories.  Gosh what a captivate audience you have Raewyn.  This is a fortnightly routine that has indeed captivated our Thur/Fri group @ Te Wanaga time (1pm).  Tks for coming in Raewyn ... see you in a fortnight!

Have a great weekend everyone ... Ka kite ano!