From our office
Children's Christmas Party
Christmas greetings to the families and friends at Piptree! We have had such a big year filled with learning and what better way to celebrate our year with a Christmas Party with all the wonderful families, their children and the staff. A big part of our Centre philosophy is to include families into activities and it is always great when parents join us for special events, so it was lovely to create special memories with everyone. The staff prepared some of the children's favourite activities, including, paper cutting collage, play dough and drawing. Parents were able to see their children interact with their friends and visit classrooms to look at how far they have come through the year. One highlight of the party was the Christmas dancing show! Some children joined in the fun through dance, games of limbo and singing Christmas carols. Joly Santa also came to visit with a big sack of presents. Children were delighted with their gifts. A big thank you goes out to all the families who brought in a yummy plate of food to share! It was a variety of all the delicious dishes and treats. The day ended with lots of dancing and laughter! Family and children got down to boogie with lots of silly dance moves. Once again, thank you to those that came to the party to celebrate what our children have achieved! In closing, we hope that our families have a wonderful and Merry Christmas and we look forward to all the memories in 2018.
Graduation Party Kindergarten Class 2017
The Kindergarten Graduation was a fantastic celebration event. I would love to take this opportunity to thank our Early childhood teachers, Miss Tertia and Miss Yu mei and all educators, who were involved in preparation, for their amazing efforts and making it a great success.
"These are the things I learned (in Kindergarten):
1. Share everything.
2. Play fair.
3. Don't hit people.
4. Put things back where you found them.
5. Clean up your own mess.
6. Don't take things that aren't yours.
7. Say you're SORRY when you hurt somebody.
8. Wash your hands before you eat.
9. Flush.
10. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
11. Live a balanced life - learn some and drink some and draw some and paint some and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
12. Take a nap every afternoon.
13. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
14. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
15. Goldfish and hamster and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we…"
― Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
2018 Room Staff
Educators will be changing rooms on the 15.1.2018 and the children will be moving up on the 22.1.2018, once all the children are off to prep.
2018 Room staff
Pips (6 weeks to 2 y) Sanchita and Amanpreet
Sprouts 1 (15 months to 2 years) Melissa and Zeljka
Sprouts 2(15 months to 2 years) Isha and Annie
Buds (2 to 3 years) Sharon, Lydia
Blossom 1 (3 to 4 years) Nikki and Briohny
Blossom 2 (3 to 5 years) Yu mei and Cindy
Poppies (3.5 to 5 years) Tertia and Hamda
Kitchen: Amy
Relief: Hayley, Tracy, Susana, Hale and Tracy.
Keep smiling, J
Hello all!
Another year is almost over and we would just like to personally thank all of our parents and babies for making this year so great, we truly would not have been able to do it without you all. This time of the year is very busy as Christmas is just around the corner, a lot of babies are reaching that 15-month mark and parents are wanting them to go up to the next rooms, thank you all for understanding and being patient with this transition period. In addition, just a reminder we are able to keep babies in the room until they are 2 years of age.
This month we had some fun with textures, shapes and colours. Focusing on these we did some "ice block painting" where we made some ice blocks using paint and water for the babies to explore and touch, some funny faces were made when they touched them and lots of "oh" and "ah" noises. We also had some fun with stamp painting, using recycled materials to make some circle shapes on the paper. A lot of the babies are getting the hang of their hand grips and had a lot of fun with this activity.
With Miss Annie being away this month we've had a few different people in the room, having unfamiliar faces is a great way for babies to become social beings and it allows them to be confident to explore their world.
Miss Annie will be back at the beginning of December and we are all so excited!
Next year Miss Annie and myself (Miss Melissa) will be moving rooms, only next door so we will continue to see all the older babies faces next year. But for the younger babies Miss Sanchita (current blossom 1 teacher) and Miss Amanpreet (current relief staff) will be the new teachers for next year. We know they are super excited to be caring for your little ones.
We hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year and we look forward to a great year ahead.
Thanks for reading ☺ Love, Miss Melissa and Pip Friends xoxo
Hello to the Blossom 2 Family,
Wow, what a year it has been. With a blink of an eye, we are almost at the end of the month where we congratulate and send our children to prep next year. They have learnt so much this year. A year which was filled with hands on experiences, and real life interactions to develop a holistic child based on the kindergarten curriculum. As mentioned in the previous newsletter, the second half of our year was based upon the alphabet which involves the children brainstorming what they would like to learn based on the letter. We have come to the end of the alphabet list with the letter 'Z' and looking back, all the children have come such a long way since the beginning of our journey together. In the past months, they have been rapidly developing and consolidating their self-help skills that will support them during next year when most of the children move to their new school to start prep. Recently, we have introduced a 'Little helper' system where one child volunteers or is chosen to be a little helper for the day. The purpose of this is to encourage children to become more independent by taking on leadership roles. Helping to read a story during group time and helping to check that each area is clean after use, are just some of the responsibilities the little helpers would need to take on. Overall, the class has increased in confidence in themselves as learners.
On another note, we have come up with some creative experiences during group time discussions about what we would like to learn. A highlight was our slime making time where everyone helped by following a step by step guide that lead to much success. Children really enjoy this sensory play and they highly request it every day. Another high light is our outdoor warm ups in the morning. We practice some light exercise movements that help us start out day as a class, which have been helpful. The alphabet practice books are being filled rapidly as we have recently seen children take initiative of their own learning, which we are very impressed to see. Our next month will be busy with preparation for graduation and to get the children into the festive season by doing Christmas related activities as well as to continue our self-help skills.
It is a time that is bittersweet and exciting for the new adventure ahead. Children know how to help each other, actively participate when they are in the classroom and I'm sure that they will grow into kind loving people that will make a change in their world. It has been a real pleasure to teach these children and watch them reach their milestones and we will continue to guide them to become confident, happy learner
Miss Yu-mei and Lydia
Greetings from the kindergarten room (Poppies)
How did we get here so fast?! It's the end of November and we all know what is around the corner. But let's focus on what is happening in the kindergarten room.
It is amazing to observe how the children have grown into these independent, self-assured little beings. Yes, positive guidance is still required in some instances but for the better part the children are sorting out little incidents amicably.
The children actively participated in harvesting and planting veggies and herbs in our little garden in the playground. Angela from KarmaKids Grow visited the kindergarten rooms where the children learnt how to care and nurture gardens. They also planted their own herbs which they could take home for further nurturing, taking responsibility for its care. At the end of the session each child was rewarded a certificate in completing a course of displaying responsibility and care when planting seeds and seedlings. Veggies and herbs harvested were shared with the parents where they could add it to their meals.
Transition Statements have gone out to all children starting prep next year. I am happy to say that the parents were appreciative and satisfied with this document as they said it is a true reflection of their child. Any concerns or enquiries were discussed at our parent/teacher interview with all uncertainties resolved.
Enter your text here ...
Dear Sprouts 1 parents
Can you believe it, we are already at our last newsletter for this year! It has been an eventful year for our Sprouts 1 kids. We've made many new friends, and enjoyed times both good and bad along the way.
Thankfully, this year has been jam packed with smiles and laughter. Many of the children have gone from speaking children language, to being able to speak 2-3 words sentences. What an achievement! And, of course, we all enjoyed singing songs and dancing together.
For the remainder of the year, we will be doing many festive activities and learning Christmas carols leading up to Christmas. I'm certain that the children will love the experience.
Finally, just a friendly reminder to remember to bring spare clothes for your child. The temperature is creeping higher, so please make sure to bring your child's water bottle, sunscreen and hat.
Thank you all for this wonderful year, and see you in 2018!Love Miss Nikki
Sprouts 2
Hello to all our families in the Toddler Room. It's December already, and Christmas is just around the corner!
We would like to welcome all our new friends and their families to our lovely Toddler Room. We're looking forward to having a fantastic time together.
For the past few weeks we experienced wonderful learning experiences from the children's interests that have been incorporated in our programs and furthered through activities that enhanced their learning in all areas.
Now that the weather is getting hotter, please make sure your child has a hat, a shirt/dress that have sleeves to cover their shoulders and sheets for sleep time every day they come to childcare. Don't forget to label everything too.
As we will now be doing some water play activities, please send 2 changes of clothes per day and for those who are now toilet training.
Thanks, SharonGreetings from the Buds room!
wow! we are few weeks away from Christmas. Time just flew away!
Through all this time we saw how the children in buds room incredibly accelerated in different areas of their play and learning. We welcomed Xinrui, Mayank, Magdelene, Jade and their families into the buds' room. We are pleased with how they've integrated into the environment.
It's the children who really keep us motivated and trying our best to replicate their enthusiasm and involvement!
Currently, the children are demonstrating an interest in role play. They like to pretend to be a doctor and check their friend's health. It's really interesting and cool to see how much responsibility children are taking for their own health and physical well-being. We've also had group discussions about healthy foods.
We also played with playdough. Children loved to mix and mould dough into shapes of animals. It also helps their sensory motor skills and develop their play ideas! By making different animals with playdough they learn about animals names and sing the song 'Old MacDonald had a farm.' This make their learning interesting and enjoyable.
This month we also learnt about patterns, shapes, matching pairs, and puzzles. Activities like these help children to develop range of skills and processes such as problem solving, inquiry, researching and investigating. They transfer and adapt what they have learnt from one context to another.
Who thought learning could be so much fun!!
I wish everyone merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Miss Isha, Miss Cindy, Miss Hayley.
Hi everyone,
It is nice to see the children have grown up and really flourished this year. We can't believe that it is almost at the end of the year and how quickly it has passed by. Most of the Blossom 1 children are moving up to our Kindergarten room next year, except some younger ones, who will stay back in the Blossom 1 room for another year. The children have become a lot more confident when talking in front of the group about their weekend stories. Most of them can recognise their name initials in prints and be familiar with letters and numbers. They can even hold writing implements to make marks and manipulate equipment like scissors, glue and Lego. This month children showed a huge interest in playing with the Doctor set, pretending to become doctors and patients and practising bandaging skills. When children engage in pretend play, they are actively experimenting with the social roles of life. We also did 'Treasure hunting' at our outside playground and children learnt about rockets and how they go into space. Currently, the children are able to manage their own eating, and finish within a time frame as well as serving themselves.
It would not be possible to run the room so smoothly without the help of Miss Zeljka. She always comes up with innovative art and craft ideas. She also helped to organise activities, decorating the room and settling the children. A very special thanks to her.
I hope you all enjoy this festive season. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Until next year, Miss Sanchita and Miss Zeljka
Enter your text here ...
Hello to the Blossom 2 Family,
Wow, what a year it has been. With a blink of an eye, we are almost at the end of the month where we congratulate and send our children to prep next year. They have learnt so much this year. A year which was filled with hands on experiences, and real life interactions to develop a holistic child based on the kindergarten curriculum. As mentioned in the previous newsletter, the second half of our year was based upon the alphabet which involves the children brainstorming what they would like to learn based on the letter. We have come to the end of the alphabet list with the letter 'Z' and looking back, all the children have come such a long way since the beginning of our journey together. In the past months, they have been rapidly developing and consolidating their self-help skills that will support them during next year when most of the children move to their new school to start prep. Recently, we have introduced a 'Little helper' system where one child volunteers or is chosen to be a little helper for the day. The purpose of this is to encourage children to become more independent by taking on leadership roles. Helping to read a story during group time and helping to check that each area is clean after use, are just some of the responsibilities the little helpers would need to take on. Overall, the class has increased in confidence in themselves as learners.
On another note, we have come up with some creative experiences during group time discussions about what we would like to learn. A highlight was our slime making time where everyone helped by following a step by step guide that lead to much success. Children really enjoy this sensory play and they highly request it every day. Another high light is our outdoor warm ups in the morning. We practice some light exercise movements that help us start out day as a class, which have been helpful. The alphabet practice books are being filled rapidly as we have recently seen children take initiative of their own learning, which we are very impressed to see. Our next month will be busy with preparation for graduation and to get the children into the festive season by doing Christmas related activities as well as to continue our self-help skills.
It is a time that is bitter-sweet and exciting for the new adventure ahead. Children know how to help each other, actively participate when they are in the classroom and I'm sure that they will grow into kind loving people that will make a change in their world. It has been a real pleasure to teach these children and watch them reach their milestones and we will continue to guide them to become confident, happy learners.
Miss Yu-mei and Lydia
Greetings from the kindergarten room (Poppies)
How did we get here so fast?! It's the end of November and we all know what is around the corner. But let's focus on what is happening in the kindergarten room.
It is amazing to observe how the children have grown into these independent, self-assured little beings. Yes, positive guidance is still required in some instances but for the better part the children are sorting out little incidents amicably.
The children actively participated in harvesting and planting veggies and herbs in our little garden in the playground. Angela from KarmaKids Grow visited the kindergarten rooms where the children learnt how to care and nurture gardens. They also planted their own herbs which they could take home for further nurturing, taking responsibility for its care. At the end of the session each child was rewarded a certificate in completing a course of displaying responsibility and care when planting seeds and seedlings. Veggies and herbs harvested were shared with the parents where they could add it to their meals.
Transition Statements have gone out to all children starting prep next year. I am happy to say that the parents were appreciative and satisfied with this document as they said it is a true reflection of their child. Any concerns or enquiries were discussed at our parent/teacher interview with all uncertainties resolved.
Cheers, Miss Tertia and Miss Briohny