Week 7 finds the Fairy Wrens much more settled into the Preschool rhythm, even after a week of interruption and the trauma resulting from the flood disaster. It is wonderful to witness how resilient the children are and how nourishing the consistent daily and weekly Preschool rhythms are for them. Some of the children have been talking about the floods, and we create space for speaking and listening. I have adapted a story by Susan Perrow called ‘The Sparkling River’, which touches on the flood subject, and have started telling it to the children. The story brings a positive perspective on the many helping hands that come from all over the land, bringing a sparkle to our eyes and hearts.
There have been many birthday celebrations in Term 1 - eight so far and two more to go! It is lovely to have the parents present at the birthday celebrations again after COVID restrictions. Another activity we can do with the children again is chopping the fruit for morning tea - there have been many eager helpers every day!
Outdoor play has been special. The children have been busy climbing the mulberry tree, enjoying the swings, cooking mud and sand cakes, building roads and tunnels in the sandpit, taking friends on a trolley ride, picking flowers, seeds and little fruits as ingredients for all the yummy dishes they cook in their busy cubby house cafe, and much more. The inside play has also been rich and creative, with children engaging in all sorts of imaginative play be it solo, peer-to-peer or in a bigger group.
We plan to visit the school library in Term 2, for a story and a chance to explore the early childhood book section. This visit will be a great opportunity for exploration of the children’s local environment and connection with the school community, similar to our visits to the creek and the Farm, and also a fun way to help our little learners develop curiosity, cooperation, imagination, enthusiasm, inquiry, and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active participation in the school community.
Karina Carvalho Barbosa
Fairy Wrens Preschool Group