Term 1 finishes on Friday April 5th.

Kinder resumes on Tuesday April 23rd

Spare clothes

please pack a set of spare clothes for your chikd! Children will regularly get wet and dirty or may have a toilet accident, we do not have enough spare items on hand to fit all children!

Donations for the programs are always welcome, listed below are some of the items we love!

Soft wood offcuts for woodwork (no treated pine please)

Buttons, ribbons, beads, craft paper, Velcro, material scraps, glitter, sequins, bottle tops, yogurt pots, 1 litre milk cartons, bread ties..

medical needs

There are children enrolled in the centre with health needs that require everyones support. Please make sure no foods come to kinder containing nuts. It is also imperative that should your child come into contact with chicken pox that the kinder are informed immediately. Specific food intolerances will be shared with groups however as a centre it is important we support all childrens wellbeing.

Changes at home

Please communicate any changes in family circumstances with your childs teacher, or with Nicki. This may include family members leaving the home, changes to financial circumstances, or the need for outside supports. All discussions are completely confidential and will always be focussed on the childs wellbeing. Should your child be affected by any court orders please give the kinder a copy immediately.

immunisation histories -

Up to date immunisation with a medicare history statement are a legal requirement. We are asking all families to provide one, as unfortunately if you do not have one your child cannot attend the service. These are easy to obtain at medicare or through the my gov website. You can email it to kinder to save printing. Health centre books are not accepted.

Kinder Funding, how does it all work?

Currently all 4 year old children are entitled to attend one year of preschool in the year before they attend school. The Government provides a subsidy to go toward this opportunity. Your kinder fees and fundraising make up the difference to actually run the programs. 3 year old preschool is not yet funded, although it will be within the next 5-10 years. As such 3 year old programs can only operate on the fees they collect.

Sometimes there is a gap in this funding, particularly when it comes to specialist support, as the Commonwealth and State Funding bodies do not cover all possibilities. It is also important to remember that the preschool costs the same to run, whether all groups are full or not. As such,

your fees and contributions to fundraising efforts are so important in continuing to offer the high quality program we offer to all children.

2020 preschool enrolments

The Mornington Peninsula Shire have opened up enrolments for both 3 and 4 year old places next year. You must enrol online to attend next year! Please head to their website to ensure your place!

Cook Books

Available for purchase at kinder! $10 only!

Uniforms

The link to purchase uniforms is https://eduthreads.com.au/collections/sorrento-pre-school

Information session at Sorrento Primary

News from the 4 year old groups

The children in the 4 year old programs are settling in to their new groups well and are spending time developing trusting reciprocal relationships with both their educators and one another. They are contributing to shared stories and projects about themselves and their families as they build a sense of belonging to their groups and our kinder as a whole.

Routines transitions and group expectations are an important part of the first few weeks of kinder. When the children have a solid understanding of what is expected and what comes next anxiety is reduced and learning opportunities can be maximised.

Educators are building their understanding of the children in their groups, observing and recording developmental skills and areas where the children can be extended and supported. Parent teacher interviews are generally held at the end of Term 2, but your childs teacher is always ready to spend time with you to discuss your childs progress at kinder.

The children are taking part in cooking experiences that take in to account healthy eating habits, individual food tolerances and opportunities to learn and practice skills. They are exploring our indigenous heritage and culture, the natural world, and took part in a hands on marine education experience with Seaweed Stevie.

Our music program with Bev (our beloved piano player) begins in March. Each Thursday the children enjoy a half hour with Bev, incorporating songs, movement and dance with her piano playing skill.

Later in March the children will be attending the Schools Enviro Expo at the Briars – this experience introduces sustainable practices – worm farms, planting, fruits and vegetables – as well as highlighting the needs of marine life, hooded plovers, indigenous flora and fauna and how we can support them. This very hands on excursion is so often the highlight of the year for many families!

Nicki & Alison; Cath & Nat; Shaney & Rachael

News from the 3 year old groups

The children are settling in and adapting to the kinder routine well. Our first split sessions worked well and we received lots of feedback from parents saying they liked the gentle transition.

Our learning goals for this term are to support the children with separation from parents, for the children to build trusting relationships with educators and to become familiar with the daily routine. Emilie and I will be focusing on building relationships with both children and families.

The Purple Group children have shown interest in dress-ups and babies, playdough, and block construction. Outdoor interests are the swings, tricycles, sand pit and the rabbits. The Yellow Group children have shown interest in sea creatures, playdough, block construction. Outdoor interests are the swings, cubby house, sand pit and the rabbits.

Suzie & Emilie