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Literacy at an early ageBoy from the book-less ‘burbsTa-karo koutou/Co-operative group playFamilies of ESL

ISSUE 15 April 2014

ContentsEDITORIAL:

ERO findings eagerly anticpated 2

ALWAYS MORE TO LEARN:

Boy from the book-less ‘burbs 3Literacy at an early age 4

A DAY AT KINDERGARTEN:

Tākaro koutou/Co-operative group play 5

OUR CULTURE:

Families of ESL 7

BOT - BEHIND THE SCENES: 9HOME & KINDERGARTEN COMMITTEE: 10

NEWS & VIEWS Issue 15

GERALDINE KINDERGARTEN

News & Views Magazine25 Wilson Street, Geraldine 7930

HEAD TEACHER: Tracey NelsonPHONE: 03 693 8888

EMAIL: geraldine.kindy@xtra.co.nzBLOG:

geraldinekindergarten1.blogspot.comGK NEWS & VIEWS ARCHIVES:

kindergartengeraldine1.blogspot.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Fi McCafferty24 Hislop Street, Geraldine 7930

PHONE: 03 693 8237EMAIL: fi@saltmines.co.nz

Greatcommunity.Great

education.Greatkids!

Greatcommunity.Great

education.Greatkids!

HEATHER GOT MARRIED!

Congratulations, Heather and Phil on your February 22 wedding! We have had so much fun helping you prepare for the day. The children have even enjoyed exploring their thinking around weddings…

“You have to have flowers to get married” – Chloe

“I remember now, my mum and dad got married in China” – Lucy

“I got married to Zackaria” - Amos

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD to the shortly-to-be-released findings of the EducationReview Office (ERO) who visited in March so that we can share them with you.

Every school and early childhood centre in New Zealand is reviewed once every oneto four years, depending on how well-placedthe service is to promote positive learningoutcomes for children. The Kindergartenwas last visited four years ago so we are looking forward to receiving our final report.

It is an independent review that assures the Government (and service communities)about the quality and effectiveness ofschools and early childhood services.Children are the centre of ERO’s focus andto ensure that the service has the capacityto sustain and continue to improve itseffectiveness in promoting children’swellbeing and learning.

The visit is also an opportunity for us to celebrate the successful teaching andlearning that occurs at GeraldineKindergarten and to build upon our current self-review processes.

When our ERO reviewersvisited, they observed ourteaching practice and looked at documentation that showedevidence of high qualitypractice in the areas ofgovernance and management/whakahaere, leadership/arahi,curriculum/mātauranga andteaching and learning/tikangawhakaako.

We are totally committed to providing thevery best learning experiences for yourchild, clearly supported by our worldrecognition as the first ECE centre ofexcellence in the Habits of Mind.

Our high performing teaching teamsupported by a strong Board of Trustees,Home & Kindergarten Committee andsupportive families and community, willensure that our Kindergarten continues to be an innovative leader in the field ofearly childhood education both within New Zealand and the world.

TRACEY NELSON

We recommend that children wear firmfitting shoes all year round. Somefootwear like jandals can restrict whata child gets involved with and are notvery secure when a child is trying totake risks with climbing, etc. If youknow you child is involved in anexcursion please ensure they havesuitable walking shoes on.

ERO findings eagerly anticipated

Happy feet

Editorial |2

AS A CHILDREN'S WRITER, most peopleassume I come from a book-loving kind offamily. They imagine a childhood filled withbedtime stories and a library of well-wornfavourites taking pride of place in the livingroom. Nothing could be further from thetruth. I grew up in a determinedly book-free household. My father maintains to thisday (rather proudly) that he never read abook he didn't have to.

I don’t remember when I learnt to read.What I do remember is how I would escapeinto books for hours on end. My life wasn'tin any way terrible. It was, in fact, a veryordinary, suburban childhood. But that wasprecisely what I was escaping from. Therun-of-the-mill-ness. Books offered adoorway into exotic worlds where excitingthings happened.

By the time I was ten, I was a member ofevery library within biking distance of myhome, thereby circumventing the school'sthree-books-at-a-time policy. One teacherdoes deserves special mention. My Year 7

teacher, Mr Staib who, on my last day ofprimary school, gave me his personal copyof ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ by NortonJuster. It was an ultimately life-changingevent because it was the first book thatspoke directly to ME, planting a small seedin the deepest corner of my mind - one dayI could be a writer, too.

My stories are seldom inspired by real-lifeevents or memories. Often my initialinspiration is a word or phrase whichtickles my fancy for whatever reason. I don’t write ‘for kids’. I simply write storiesthat (hopefully) speak to kids like me. It doesn’t pay to over-think or over-analyseit. All I can do is rely on my instincts andhope for the best.

For more information about me and mybooks go to: www.kylemewburn.com. To read my soapbox article discussing theimportance of children's literature go to:http://booknotes-unbound.org.nz/soapbox-cart-rainbow-hued-unicorn.

KYLE MEWBURN

3|

Have you liked ourFacebook page yet?

This is a great way toget important

messages.

Boy from the book-less ‘burbs

THIS TERM WE WERE lucky enough to beinvited to take the children to the GeraldineLibrary where Kyle Mewburn (Kyle is a NewZealand author who wrote some of ourfavourite kindergarten books) was ready andwaiting ,with some of his children’s booksthat he had written.

When we arrived Kyle explained what he hadto do when writing his books. He pretendedhe was a pirate doing silly little things justlike a pirate would, making all the childrenlaugh. This was great as recognised forchildren that using humour and theirimagination is really important.

The children really enjoyed listening to Kyleas he told them about different ways hecomes up with his books, where his ideasstarted ,allowing them to realise that usingyour imagination and be creative helps youto come up with wonderful ideas to startnew projects just like he does when startinga new book.

This visit to the library was a great way toallow our children another chance to beimmersed in literacy and a great opportunityfor young boys to see a male involved inliteracy. While we were at the library Kyleread some of his favourite books out loud tothe children.

Reading aloud to our children is a great wayto develop children’s literacy. Why readaloud? Reading aloud helps developlanguage, Installs a love for reading as youdemonstrate that reading is important,pleasurable and valued. It helps buildliteracy skills through story telling andfamiliarity with the printed word, and is afabulous way to spend time bonding withyour child by sharing a book. In earlychildhood it is important for children to haveaccess to language and symbols throughsharing books.

Language and symbols are systems forrepresenting and communicatinginformations, experiences and ideas. We usesymbols to produce text in all aspects:written, oral, visual, informative andimaginative , informal, formal, mathematical,scientific and technological. (Ministry ofEducation, (2007) Kei tua o te pae )

Providing children with oral written andvisual literacy, language and symbols allowschildren to develop an early understandingand provides a sound oral foundation ofliteracy, particularly in conversation andstorytelling, and this foundation is integralto the basis of reading and writing (Ministry of Education, 2009).

HEATHER MORAN

Be interested in what your child isdoing, their attempts at writing andtheir pictures, if you cant tell whatthey are then ask, they will be morethan happy to explain to you.

Let your child choose what theywrite or draw.

Display their work, be proud of it andrevisit it with them.

Telling stories, listening andresponding, reading together, askingand answering questions.

Use rhyming and repetition words,allowing them to fill in the gaps withrepetitive words or rhyming words.

Bringing stories to life, acting themout together.

Drawing in the sand, misted upwindows, or with chalk.

Read child appropriate chapterbooks together, like Charlie and thechocolate factory, one chapter anight, the suspense in what is goingto happen next keeps theminterested and wanting to read moreas you spend time together as afamily.

Most of all value your child's effort itis the experience that counts at thisstage.

Encouragingliteracy at home

Literacy at an early ageHe whakamothoitanga ki nga Pukapuka/ An introduction to books.

always MORE to learn |4

SINCE RETURNING TO Kindergarten this yearwe have noticed a lot of co-operative groupplay happening in the afternoon session.Children are using skills, such ascommunication (both verbal and non-verbal), to confidently and successfullyengage with others in play. Normally wefind that children in the afternoon sessiontend to be engaged in solitary play, oftenworking alongside others (also known asparallel play). We see children activelylearning with others, contributing theirideas, strengths and interests, and workingtogether to find out what they want toknow. This links with our previous groupplanning around a shared interest in fireplay from Term 3 and Term 4 in 2013.

As children enter Kindergarten we take our time to support and work alongsidethem to help build a sense of belonging -depending on individual experiences andtemperament this can take from one week

to one month. As time goes on childrendevelop trust in their Kindergartenenvironment and the people within it,developing independence and confidencefor exploration. Opportunities for socialinteraction allow for children to experienceand learn about the ‘give and take’ ofwhanaungatanga/relationships, workingwith others and learning about workingtogether. Te Whaariki, our Early ChildhoodCurriculum states that ‘Children learnthrough collaboration with adults andpeers, through guided participation andobservation of others, as well as throughindividual exploration and reflection’.

Often parents aspire for their children toform relationships with others when theyfirst begin their time here. Above we have outlined the ways we support this co-operative play. You can also supportyour children’s understanding around theirengagement in play through acknowledging

5| learning IN the PLAYGROUND

Ta-karo koutou /Co-ope

|6

DEMONSTRATE RESPECT Treatchildren the same way you treatother important people in your life –the way you want to see themtreating others and yourself.

MODELLING Model the behavior youwant. Show the child, by example,how to behave. Children are watchingus all of the time and will grow up to be like us - whether we want themto or not.

MAKE A BIG DEAL Make a big dealover responsible, considerate,appropriate behavior – with attention(your eyeballs), thanks, praise,thumbs-up, recognition, hugs, special

privileges, incentives (NOT food).

INCOMPATIBLE ALTERNATIVEGive the child something todo that is incompatible with theinappropriate behavior; “Help me pick up six apples” (instead of running around the shop).

CHOICE Give two choices, both ofpositive and acceptable behavior.“Would you rather tiptoe or hop tothe bath?” (“You choose or I’llchoose for you”).

SOURCE: SPACE magazine (2014); froman article written by Katherine C. Kersey, Ed.D)

rative group playwhat they are doing to engage with you andothers. This can be reinforced by verbalisingand encouraging co-operative play that theyare engaged in.

As the teaching team think about whatexperiences they are providing for children in this session we will be really mindful toprovide experiences that will continue toenhance co-operative group play - we couldget the parachute out, play duck-duck-goose,and name games...

We will also continue to suggest languagethat can be used when children are unsure in a social situation.

For example, greeting others:

“Hello, my name is ................. .”

“Come and play with me in the sandpit.”

“What are you doing? I would like to play with you.”

ASHLEIGH McPHERSON

parenting tips

Positive

7| our CULTURE

2014 IS WELL UNDERWAY and it has been a privilege to welcome new and old familiesto the Kindergarten. We have quicklyrealised that our numbers of migrantchildren has suddenly increased. Familiesfrom India, Philippines, Chile and China arenow amongst our Kindergarten community.

These different ethnicities give us anopportunity to reflect on how we valuewhat qualities they bring to ourKindergarten to increasingly strengthen ourwhanaungatanga/relationships. We know the courage it takes for families when theyfirst come to Kindergarten - if you addanother layer when English is your secondlanguage the feeling must be overwhelming.

As Kindergarten teachers, we have awonderful opportunity to extend our ownlearning, to deepen our cultural awareness,and to explore our own thinking about therole of the parents and community ineducation.

Because of the diversity of culturalbackgrounds the teaching team havewelcomed the challenge to build a strongsense of belonging for all children. We are

Families of ESL[English as a second language]

able to do so by respecting what they canbring - like sharing their experiences,learning a little of another language, anddisplaying and highlighting writing andsymbols of origin in a variety of ways. Inrespect to each child’s first language we aredeveloping connections and building trustthat their language and culture are valued intheir new place.

So it is wonderful to see the familiessupporting each other by coming togetherto Playgroup on a Wednesday afternoon.When attending they get a chance to meetand greet a teacher and this allows thechildren to become familiar with the playenvironment. Meeting and getting to knowone another before starting has become aneffective way to pave the way for familiesand their children to feel comfortablecoming to Kindergarten.

One child commented that they didn’t wantto play with another because they spokedifferently. We recognised from this thatchildren do notice difference and we couldtake the opportunity for a teachablemoment to talk about the world and wherein the world we live! We placed a world map

on the wall and familieswrote notes about wherethey came from, providing avisual display.

The richness of culturethat is present within theKindergarten can onlydevelop when we value thewhanaungatanga/close ties, we develop withwhānau/families. This is reflected in theconversations we have with whānau thatsupports the planning for children’s learning.

The whanaungatanga/relationship weendeavour to have with our families is ‘about knowing you are not alone, but thatyou have a wider set of acquaintances thatprovide support, assistance, nurturing,guidance and direction when needed.’*

LOUISE SHERRATT

*Te Tari Ora o Aotearoa, NZ Childcare Association

|8

On Tuesday 15 April children inour morning session will bewalking to Talbot Forest for anend-of-term picnic (and Easter Egg hunt, shhhhhh). If you wouldlike to come along on this popularexcursion please let us know!

REMINDERTalbot Forest

9| BEHIND THE SCENES from the Board of Trustees

RESPECT • EXCELLENCE • LEADERSHIP • TEAMWORK • PERSEVERANCE • ACCESSIBILITY

WOW! WHERE HAS THE FIRST PART of theyear disappeared to? One minute we aregetting organised to start for the year, thenext it’s nearly term break. Some of itmight be that so much has happened itmakes the time go faster.

The term started off with some newequipment arriving which was purchasedwith the fundraising money the hardworking Home & Kindergarten Committee

raised last year, e.g. the new high-climbingladder (pictured), a free-standing mirror(safety-glass of course), a new football (AKA soccer) nets, various other equipmentand the iPads for individual teachers.

The iPads tie in nicely with the BOTapproving and budgeting for the use of e-Portfolios for learning and assessment.There will be more information on thiscoming from the teaching team next term,but it will be another way for them to sharewith families their child’s journey atKindergarten. A huge thanks to the Home & Kindergarten for all the work they do notonly in raising funds, but for the help andsupport they give the teaching team and ofcourse the extras for families (I’m lookingforward to the upcoming disco).

In March we welcomed the ERO reviewers toKindergarten. We look forward to receiving

their report – we should be able to share itwith our families around the beginning ofTerm 2. Sadly, we then farewelled ourKindergarten aide, Val Overton-Carhill. We all wish her well in her new position.

Soon we will also be farwelling Liz Mills fromher permanent part-time teaching position,but will welcome her on to our relievers list - we look forward to seeing her then.

Lastly, we are getting prepared for theGeraldine District Free KindergartenAssociation AGM on Wednesday 9 April,7pm at the Kindergarten. Nominations forthe BOT have been called for and nonominations will be asked for on the night.We look forward to seeing as many as ourparents there as possible, as it is a greatoccasion for us to let our families andcommunity see what we have achieved overthe last year. We farewell Max de Bonth andAshleigh Pace from the Board this year. A huge thankyou to both of them for theirinput into the governance of the GDFKA.

HELEN MAYGENERAL MANAGER

PLEASE NOTE: Nominations for theBOT are not called for on the night.

2014 TERM DATES

TERM 1: 23 January - 17 April

TERM 2: 5 May - 4 July

TERM 3: 21 July - 26 September

TERM 4: 13 October - 19 December

GDFKA BOT AGM 7pm Wednesday 9 April

New year off to a busy start!

RESPECT • EXCELLENCE • LEADERSHIP • TEAMWORK • PERSEVERANCE • ACCESSIBILITY

IT IS AMAZING how fast the year zooms byas we say goodbye to daylight savings timeand say hello to the cooler months ahead.

It has been a busy first term, with aninformative coffee session, the Trike-a-thon,and a committee-run disco for the 3-6-year-olds of the Geraldine community.

We also said farewell to two of our Home & Kindergarten Committee members thisterm as their children have moved on tostart school. We thank Connie Quigley andHayley Billett for their hard work andcontribution within the committee, and wish them all the best for the future!

This term’s coffee session approached thetopic ‘English as a second language’. Wecelebrated the fun and interest that culturaldiversity brings to the community and toour Kindergarten. We hope that we are able

to provide friendly support to the newfamilies of Geraldine, many of which comefrom nationalties that do not speak Englishas a first language. The coffee sessions arerun by the Home & Kindergarten Committeemembers, and are held near the end of eachterm, in the McKenzie rooms in the buildingnext door to kindergarten. We advertise theupcoming topic of the coffee session on thecommittee notice board situated on thecorner wall where the children hang uptheir bags.

Look out for more information later in theyear about our fun events. The ‘Ladies try itin Ten’ evening will be returning this year,along with the ‘Scarecrow Trail’ as part ofthis the 2014 Arts & Plants Festival.

Wishing you all a safe Easter holiday breakwith lots of family fun!

BEHIND THE SCENES from the Home & Kindergarten Committee |10

Coffee sessions celebrate culturaldiversity and provide family support

Disco 11 AprilPrimary School Hall 5-6pm

And they’re off! Children and grownupsalike had a great time at this term’s annualKindergarten Trike-a-thon.

Wilson Street, Geraldine 7930 PHONE: 03 693 8888 EMAIL: geraldine.kindy@xtra.co.nz BLOG: geraldinekindergarten.blogspot.com

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