With the enormous challenge facing us from COVID–19, the Preschool team has been working hard to maintain relationships and connections with our families and their children. With an unknown end in sight, our main focus has been to support our families to establish and maintain a flexible and gentle daily rhythm at home. Predictability and consistency provide security, helping to hold the young child and create calm in a time of turmoil.
As a team, we had many long discussions on how we could continue delivery of our program to Preschool-aged children using an online model (a totally unheard of concept for us). We felt that each of the four Preschool groups needed to be offered a range of information and ideas, based on the activities we do with the children when they are physically present. Families have then been able to choose what works best for them at home.
Packages were created and sent home, and support has been given to families via various online platforms. Some of the information and ideas we sent home included; the process of creating a story with or for their child; ideas for being out in nature with their child; art and craft ideas based on the seasonal impulse; an offering of the words of familiar songs and stories; recipes for activities such as baking 'crunchy buns'; as well as the process of following their child’s interests and developing projects and activities based on those interests.
The craft activities offered included making a pom-pom chicken, creating a gnome, making a necklace, painting a rolly polly pumpkin, as well as our beeswax favourites, Nibbler Mouse and Slip Slide Snail.
We look forward to seeing our Preschool friends soon and sharing everything that autumn has to offer.
Craig d'Arcy
Preschool Coordinator
As a team, we had many long discussions on how we could continue delivery of our program to Preschool-aged children using an online model (a totally unheard of concept for us). We felt that each of the four Preschool groups needed to be offered a range of information and ideas, based on the activities we do with the children when they are physically present. Families have then been able to choose what works best for them at home.
Packages were created and sent home, and support has been given to families via various online platforms. Some of the information and ideas we sent home included; the process of creating a story with or for their child; ideas for being out in nature with their child; art and craft ideas based on the seasonal impulse; an offering of the words of familiar songs and stories; recipes for activities such as baking 'crunchy buns'; as well as the process of following their child’s interests and developing projects and activities based on those interests.
The craft activities offered included making a pom-pom chicken, creating a gnome, making a necklace, painting a rolly polly pumpkin, as well as our beeswax favourites, Nibbler Mouse and Slip Slide Snail.
We look forward to seeing our Preschool friends soon and sharing everything that autumn has to offer.
Craig d'Arcy
Preschool Coordinator