Gaythorne Community Kindergarten

🚀🌟 Blast Off! 🌟🚀

To celebrate the end of a fantastic term in Kindy A, the children had an out-of-this-world Space Party! 🌎✨

Over the past few weeks, the children have shown so much curiosity and enthusiasm for learning about space. Their interest has led our learning journey as we've explored planets, rockets, astronauts, stars and the wonders of our universe through play, discussions, stories, and hands-on experiences. 🌌💫

Today, children and staff came dressed in their best space-themed outfits and enjoyed a fun-filled day of space songs, face painting, creative arts and crafts and plenty of smiles and laughter. 👩‍🚀🛸🌙

What a wonderful way to celebrate a term of curiosity, discovery, and learning together... Have a fantastic school holiday break everyone 💙

Part of our Sustainability units and learning about Caring for Country has been investigating how to care for animals. Throughout the month of May, we were lucky enough to be able to provide first-hand experiences to the children in Kindy and Pre-Kindy in looking after animals. A big thank you one of our wonderful families who brought in both baby chickens and guinea pigs for the children to help care for. This was invaluable learning, sparking so much interest and conversation, even after the animals left. It since extended to considering how we can care for the other animals in our Kindy environment, such as Dennis the Magpie.

National Reconciliation Week was held from the 27th of May to the 3rd of June. Our centre commemorated this with a bunch of outdoor and nature-based activities, to foster the idea that "when we care for Country, Country cares for us" - a key message that we teach as part of Reconciliation.
Together, we also began a shared artwork on one of the walls in the yard, demonstrating unity and community.
Reconciliation is something we do everyday, so our learning won't end here. It will continue through incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in our everyday practice.

On the 27th of May, both Kindy B and Pre-Kindy participated in National Simultaneous Storytime. Along with over 2 million other children around Australia, they read Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller. Kindy A also read the story on their days earlier in the week. What a great way to bring shared literacy to the centre and into the world of the children in our care.

Last week we welcomed some of the team from Fish'n'Flips Upper Kedron, who taught us how to be safe around the water. They read us a story, taught us a song, showed us the flags that we see at the beach and taught us how to put our hand up in the water if we are in trouble. THEN we all got to try on life jackets, which can help us float in the water.
Thanks Fish N Flips Upper Kedron for spending your morning with us!

Our rooms have been busy learning about ANZAC Day this week. With our centre being so close to base, and many children having one or both parents in the Defence Force, this day holds special significance for us. Many books were read, ANZAC cookies were baked, wreaths and poppies were made and the last post was listened to. We were even lucky enough to have a real service dog visit, and we learnt about the role animals play in Defence. Thank you to the families who have volunteered time this week to make the learning more meaningful for our children.

To our service men and women, past and present, we thank you for your service. Lest we forget.