Term 2, 2024 - Turner Preschool Term Letter
Preschool Staff
Munnagayi class - Liga Ailte and Anna Sofios
Gulambany class: Kerri Hayes and Sonia Nair
Dear Parents/Carers,
Welcome back to Turner Preschool! We look forward to continuing to work with you to support your child.
Early Years Learning Framework
At Turner Preschool we provide a play-based program where children have the opportunity to engage in sustained and meaningful learning experiences in open ended, rich environments. The program is designed using the Being, Belonging and Becoming: Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) which focuses on developing children’s learning under five broad outcomes;
- Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity
- Outcome 2: Children are connected and contribute to their world
- Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
- Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners
- Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators
Copies of the EYLF are available at the preschool or online. You will see reference to this document in the preschool program, reflections and the children’s learning portfolios.
Inquiry
Our big ideas and inquiry continue this term, in order to develop deep understanding of key concepts. The preschool unit of planned inquiry this term is Who Am I in my Relationships?. Through group discussions, individual and whole group artwork, games and stories, we will be inquiring into our connections and relationships. We celebrate diversity in our preschool, and would like to learn more about individual families, their personal and cultural stories and relationships to different countries around the world. We will post more information and an opportunity for you to share this with us through Seesaw.
Our preschoolers are increasingly confident with our daily preschool routines. They are developing independence as they learn how to set up and pack up for themselves. Our group times continue to offer opportunities for reflective thinking and ‘wonderings’, as well as supporting children to think and explore how their actions affect others.
Individual children’s interests and learning needs are also central to preschool programming. When planning for learning we use our ongoing observations to plan authentic, meaningful and inclusive learning opportunities that support children’s real world experiences. These may arise as we discover interesting facts when we are reading together, exploring the indoor and outdoor spaces and when the children engage in activities outside of school, which they share with their peers.
Literacy
Quality conversations are a crucial tool for literacy development, and is reflected in our philosophy and our educators’ practice of interactions every day with your children, building on and extending their ideas and supporting more complex sentences and vocabulary. We will continue to read and discuss quality literature, developing comprehension and skills in retelling and sequencing stories. Oral language and awareness of sounds in words (phonemic awareness) is supported through playing simple games during group time, singing songs and learning rhymes. Every day children have many opportunities to recognise and write their own names and develop their representations of ideas through pictures, paintings and writing symbols.
Numeracy
Numeracy play is evident every day in preschool - in pretend play, block play, outdoor play and science play. For example, peg number boards, counting toys, hopscotch, car garages, shopping and home corner, playdough, books and rhymes, puzzles and manipulatives all contain numeracy concepts. We will continue to engage in meaningful calendar maths activities, exploring a variety of early maths concepts. Group time and interactions with educators provide many more opportunities to count and talk about numbers for different purposes.
Collaborative partnerships
We encourage you to consider being part of the school P&C, becoming part of our wider school community. Other opportunities that are advertised in the school newsletter including coming along to the Ukelele group on Wednesday mornings (8:15 in the senior music room), attending coffee chats, working bees, supporting us on excursions and participating in our learning journeys, concerts and casual get-togethers.
We are looking forward to another exciting term, and value working with you to support your child. Please contact us at any time throughout the year to discuss any issues of concern or simply to ‘touch base’.
Kind regards,
Kerri Hayes and Sonia Nair
Liga Ailte and Anna Sofios
Lunch Release Teacher – Kayla Gifford, Antonia McGuire
Executive Teacher – Kayla Gifford