October Newsletter 2021

With Halloween fast approaching, October is drawing to an end and we are able to reflect on what we have learned, the friends we have made and the journey we have taken. With the weather warming up, we thank all the parents for remembering the children's hats, water bottles and shoes every day. We had Dentist Liz from Fun Smiles come to our centre and bring her Dentist Bus. She taught all of the children in the centre how important it is to brush your teeth daily and also discussed with the children healthy eating. Many of the children had a visit in her dental van and had their teeth examined which was a very fun and a great early introduction to visiting the dentist in a relaxed , calm and fun environment. Dentist Liz will be returning with her dental van in 6 months, just before Easter next year, so we look forward to her return.

This Thursday we are having our Halloween disco. The centre looks great with our Halloween decorations, and the carved pumpkins are a great topic of discussion. The teachers are all excited with their costumes ready for a fun day filled with fun activities and lots of dancing.

Next Tuesday 2nd November, we will be celebrating the Diwali Festival of lights. This festival symbolises Good Health, Happiness and Prosperity. It is a celebration of light symbolising Light over Darkness.

We will be celebrating with traditional music, dance and of course will all be enjoying many activities like making lanterns and sari dress ups, arts and craft, Rangoli and Henna patterns and storytelling.

Some of our teachers will be wearing their traditional dress, and our children can also wear their traditional dress or even bright colours to celebrate the day.

Parents, please do not forget to continue sending your re-enrolment forms for 2022. We are collating our rolls for next year and we are waiting for all the forms to be submitted online as early as possible.

This year, we would like to give to those less fortunate than us, and would like to participate in The Salvation Army Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal.

"Started in 1987, this appeal is Australia's largest and longest-running gift collection Appeal and focuses on collecting gifts and raising funds for daily necessities, with financial contributions also going towards providing locally responsive support services and emergency relief. Thanks to the generosity of the Australian community year after year, the Appeal has raised more than eight million gifts for people doing it tough, with close to 400,000 gifts being collected and nearly $300,000 in funds every year. But this year, the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal is needed earlier and more than ever before in its 33-year history. The collective impact of the Black summer bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic across Australia has led to an exponential increase in the number of Australians experiencing hardship, with many people having to seek assistance for the first time."

We will be placing a box in the foyer and accepting donations of toys/gifts for the Kmart wishing tree. Families are welcome to bring gifts either wrapped or unwrapped ready for us to deliver the thoughtful donations. If wrapped, please indicate the age group and gender the present would suit best. We thank you in advance for helping to support this worthy cause. Please leave your donations before the last day of November.

Please do not forget that this Friday is a public holiday in Brisbane and our centre will be closed. This is the Ekka holiday which was postponed in August.