It is Term 3 already! The staff and I

would like to extend a warm welcome

to new families joining the Pre-School

and to siblings of existing students

beginning their pre-school journey

with us.

Term 3 is usually a busy term and this

year is no different, with many

activities being planned.

Earn and Learn: Thank you to

everyone for collecting the Earn &

Learn stickers which have allowed us

to get some great new recourses

which will be delivered in Term 4.

Week 2: ‘Local Government Week (29

July - 4 August 2019) showcases and

celebrate the work and services

councils across NSW provide to their

communities. Many councils use the

week to encourage their community to

explore the ways in which local

government is part of their lives, and

what their council does.’

We have been invited to be involved in

Local Government Week and will be

participating in a visit to Coronation

Park to view some Council machinery

such as garbage truck, grader and

excavator. On Thursday the Council

Ranger and Health and Safety Officer

Visit will visit the Pre-School.

Pyjama Day 9 August 2019: Raising

A U G U S T 2 0 1 9

DATES TO

REMEMBER

PJ Day

Fri, 9 Aug

cold coin donation

Fire Truck Visit

Mon, 19 Aug

SCHOOL PHOTOS

Tue, 20 Aug &

Fri, 23 Aug

Father’s Day

Afternoon Tea

Fri, 30 Aug

2.30pm—3.30pm

Last Day of Term 3

Fri, 27 Sep

Dropping Off

Please remember to

use the Woolworths

carpark to drop off

and pick up

Hats

Children need a

broad brimmed hat

to play outside

From the Director’s Desk funds to assist those in our local

community with medical needs. (Flyer

attached to the newsletter) The Pre-

School children and staff dress in

Pyjamas and enjoy a ‘Big Breakfast’

together in the classroom. Gold coin

donations welcomed to support Yass

Valley CanAssist

Time to start thinking about ‘School

Readiness and Transition to School’

During Term 3 the educators begin

completing ‘Transition to School

Statements’ for those children who

will be starting school next year.

Completed Statements are sent onto

parents who are invited to give

consent for their child’s statement to

be sent onto prospective schools.

Families of children going to school

next year are asked to please let

Kathy know which school your child will

be attending in 2020.

I would like to take the opportunity to

thank families for your continued

support which comes in many different

ways, assisting our wonderful Pre-

School in all sorts of ways.

Until next month

Cheers

Wendy

It’s been a very busy first half of the year for the

Committee. Unfortunately, we have had to cancel the

Boots n All Black Tie Ball due to a lack of numbers,

however, we have learned so much from this process

and we will now focus on organising an incredible event in

2020 for the Yass Montessori 40-year anniversary.

We have had a few queries from parents who have asked why a fundraising levy

is charged at the pre-school and that we also ask for help in fundraising events.

As most of you are aware, the Committee’s focus this year has been to secure

funding and raise money to build a new state-of-the-art pre-school as soon as

possible. The fundraising events that have been organised this year are to help

with costs associated with the building process. Please note that all requests for

helpers are voluntary for these events and are very much appreciated.

All parents are welcome at the Committee meetings, which provide parents with

an update of the running of the Pre-School and an opportunity to ask questions.

It’s also a great way to meet other parents.

Everybody is welcome to attend the meetings and the next meeting is on:

MONDAY, 12 August 2019, 6:30 pm at the Pre-School

Com

mittee C

orn

er:

Everybody is welcome

Page: 2

Thank you Zoe for bringing in Berry today, Sophie and Elsie enjoying a pat!

In the Children’s House: How the child learns:

The use of the materials is based on the young child’s unique aptitude to

learning which Dr Maria Montessori identifies as the ‘absorbent mind’. In her

writings, Dr Montessori frequently compared the young mind to ‘a sponge’. It

literally absorbs information from the environment and then child retains this

literally absorbs information from the environment and the child retains this

ability to learn by absorbing until they are almost 7 years old.

Experience has proved Dr Montessori’s theory; that a young child can learn to

read, write and calculate in the same natural way that the child learns to walk

and talk. In a Montessori Classroom the equipment invites the child to do this at

their own periods of interest and readiness.

What have the children been interested in?

Arts and Crafts - Bubble Painting: The children

have been using straws to blow bubbles in

watercolour paint, placing paper over the bubbles,

popping a creative pattern onto the paper. Blowing

through straws engages the thinking part of the

brain, oral work such as blowing things quite hard

assists children to practice control of their breathing

and relaxation. And it is also just fun to do.

Metal Insets: The

children have been

making ice- cream cones with

the Metal Insets and creating

booklets using the insets and

frames. Metal Insets assist children to

practice control of hand movements,

develop lightness of touch when tracing

and practice the shapes that are used

when forming letters.

Page: 3

“Education cannot

be effective unless

it helps a child

open themselves

up to life.”

Dr Maria

Montessori Ellie bubble painting

Mychie and Delilah are

working with the Metal

Insets

Page: 4

“The most

important

period of life is

not the age of

university

studies, but the

first one, the

period from

birth to the age

of six.”

Dr Maria

Montessori

Sensorial: Dr Montessori developed a Sensorial

Curriculum in order to make the most of the child’s

‘sensitive period of development’ Montessori

sensorial education involves the refinement of the

children’s senses through repeated manipulation of

specifically designed materials. Sensorial activities

isolate and provide concrete examples of abstract

concepts that are perceived through the senses,

such as dimension, form, colour, texture, sound and

scent.

Zoology: ‘When children come into contact with

nature, they reveal their strength’ Maria Montessori, The Discovery

of the Child, p.69. The scientific study of animals is exciting for

preschool aged children, who seem to be naturally drawn to

animals and insects. Zoology focuses mainly on naming and

classification, providing children with a platform for age

appropriate discussion about how animals are diverse and how

they are related.

Cohen completing the Butterfly

Zoology template

Hannah is washing the elephant

Matthew is constructing the Pink

Tower blindfolded.

Zoey completing the Fish

Zoology template

Page: 5

“Establishing

lasting peace is the

work of education;

all politics can do is

keep us out of

war.”

Dr Maria

Montessori

The article below is an interesting read.

Screen Time for Children – the implications for health – (Sue Charlton

Australian Physiotherapy Association Paediatric Physiotherapist)

‘In Today’s society we are increasingly using electronic media as a means of

communication, education and recreation. Social media has become the main

method of young people keeping in touch.

This has led to a rapid increase in the amount of screen time children are

experiencing. Many investigations have looked at how this may be affecting

children, in the first two years of life there is rapid maturation of the brain and

nervous system and strengthening of the muscular system. During this time

of rapid coding and programming of the developing brain under the age of

two, children should have no screen time at all. They already have enough

new sensations bombarding their learning centres from the messages coming

from their own bodies, as well as their surrounding environment.

From two years of age it is recommended that children should have no more

than one to two hours of television viewing each day. It is now more common

for children of this age to be allowed to play with iPads and mobile phones,

this also is screen time.

On commencing school, the use of computers and television will increase with

the curriculum, but the recommendation

remains that there should be no more than two

hours of recreational screen time’

Interestingly it is suggested that increased levels

of screen watching can lead to:

Increased levels of emotional

distress

Anxiety and depression

Increased levels of obesity

Sleep disturbances

Housekeeping:

• ‘Visit with Me’ please note this has been moved to Week 3 this term…

Week 2 is going to be a busy week at the Pre-School

• Hats and Drink Bottles: Please remember Hats and Drink bottles, some

children are coming without hats and drink bottles

Dr William

Page: 6

“Let the

children be

FREE.”

Dr Maria

Montessori

• Framed Question on the Foyer Bench: Last week the question was

asked ‘Did you know the Pre-School has a website?’ Please take a look

at our website and pass on any suggestions for additions or

improvements to Kathy thanks.

• Working Bee: It is proposed to have a working bee during September

School holiday to wash the windows and weed the garden. (This will be

followed by an informal get together in Coronation Park for a sausage

sizzle afterwards).

Sustainability: DID YOU KNOW? For many, a cuppa brewed with a tea bag is a daily ritual and in many countries the teabag reigns supreme.

The first use of the teabag dates back to over 100 years ago, when a New York tea merchant sent out samples of tea packed into silk bags. People assumed that the bags were to be used in the same way as metal infusers, and placed the entire bag into the pot to brew the tea. It was then that the convenience of the teabag was born.

The old tea bags were all made from natural fibres and could completely biodegrade but now in our world of fast paced convenience - many are made and sealed with plastic. So how do we know which tea bags can go in the compost and which should go to landfill? The answer is unfortunately not as simple as you might think.

It seems each tea company has a different kind of tea bag paper. Some are made from a blend of manilla hemp, cellulose and thermoplastic fibres, some companies refer to the plastic element in their bags as synthetic fibres and some companies proudly state their bags are made from abacá plant with no plastic in them at all.

Which popular brands contain plastic and which don't?

These tea bags do not contain plastic:

• Lipton Quality Black and Intense (traditional tea bags) are made from Manilla hemp and cellulose fibres. They are compostable but not recyclable.

• T2's new teabags, which recently changed due to customer demand (yay!), are now made from cornstarch and are biodegradable

• Twinings tea bag paper is produced from the abacá plant which belongs to the banana family, Musaceae. It is chosen due to its long, strong fibres.The 'String and tag' tea bags used are sealed by crimping the paper tightly down the centre and folding and using a cotton stitch at the top. These do not have any polyethylene component and do not contain plastic.

Moana -

pouring

• Tielka tea bags have zero plastic content and the fabric is made from corn fibre.

• Lipton Green Decaf, Chai and Herbal (traditional tea bags) are made from Manilla hemp, cellulose and thermoplastic fibres. They are not compostable or recyclable.

• Bushells Tea Bag paper is made from Manila hemp, cellulose and thermoplastic fibres, as such they are not compostable or recyclable.

• Nerada tea filter paper is manufactured using a blend of high-quality manila hemp, which does contain a tiny percentage (less than 2%) of food-grade synthetic fibres. These fibres are used to heat-seal the teabag, ensuring that the tea remains inside the bag while brewing.

• Nerada are currently in the process of trialling a new filter paper made from 100% natural fibres and plan to introduce it into their tea bags as soon as soon as the trial results are successful.

• Madura tea bag filter paper is comprised of 80% natural materials, with the balance being made up of synthetic fibres.

• Tetley claim they continually seek to work with their suppliers to improve and explore the most sustainable production processes and methods. However, as a result of the manufacturing process, Tetley tea bags do contain a very small amount of plastic to ensure the bags remain closed when they are in your tea.

If you're wanting to go zero waste and still use a tea bag, you can try out a reusable one! Check this local website out— www.amalatierra.com.au.

Our Community: Please see attached flyers:

School Readiness—open to all children (regardless of the school

your child will be attending) off to school next year

Yass Public School Information Day—14 August 2019

Art & About—Yass Memorial Hall,

5 to 9 August 2019

123 Magic & Emotion Coaching—

8, 15 & 22 August 2019

PJ Day for our local CanAssist

Matilda - sweeping

Page: 7

“We shall walk

together on this

path of life, for

all things are

part of the

universe and

are connected

with each other

to form one

whole unity.”

Dr Maria

Montessori