Pancake Tuesday Tuesday 25 th February 2014

1. Pancake TuesdayTuesday 25th February 2014 The Starfish children have been flipping pancakes in their dramatic play in home corner and have been busy making pancakes with play dough. Our emergent curriculum saw us making our own pancakes today. We washed our hands and put on our cooking aprons before we began. The children helped measure the plain flour and milk placing them into the bowl, Mrs Lindsey’s cracked an egg in too. The children mixed the ingredients making sure there were no lumps. Mrs Lindsey scooped the batter into the hot fry pan to cook. We watched the cooking batter for bubbles popping before it was time to flip the pancake over. When our pancakes were ready, Mrs Lindsey put them onto a plate for us. Mrs Della Penna helped us choose if we wanted jam or lemon and sugar on our pancakes. They were very yummy!!!

2. Our Emergent Curriculum:Where to from here?Further cooking with the children based on their interestsCooking with tan barkOven, pots and pans with play dough National Quality Standards: • Educational program and practice: QA1 • Standard 1.1: An Approved Learning Framework informs the development of a curriculum that enhances each child’s learning. • Element 1.1.3: The program, including routines, is organised in ways that maximise opportunities for each child’s learning. • Children’s health and safety: QA2 • Standard 2.1: Each child’s health is promoted. • Element 2.1.3: Effective hygiene practices are promoted and implemented.  Analysis of Learning • Identity: Children are open new challenges and make new discoveries. • Identity : Children use play to investigate, project and explore new ideas. • Wellbeing: Children share humour, happiness and satisfaction • Wellbeing: Children recognise their individual achievements. • Wellbeing: Children make new discoveries, and celebrate their own efforts and achievements and those of others • Learning: Children are curious and enthusiastic participants in their learning. • Communication: Children respond verbally and non-verbally to what they see, hear, touch, feel and taste. • Communication: Children engage in reciprocal interactions using verbal and non verbal language.

3. Reflection JournalFinger painting with shaving cream The Dolphin children loved the feeling of shaving cream finger paint on the white table. The children enjoyed spreading shaving cream all over their side of the table until it was completely covered. Suri giggled as she spread the shaving cream, “Look!” Suri held up her hands. The Rebekah and Eawan were very excited and squealed with delight over covering the whole table in shaving cream. Zak said it felt soft and Owen P said it was warm The children used their palms of their hands to spread the finger paint and their fingers to make different patterns into the finger paint.

4. Our Emergent Curriculum:Where to from here?Finger painting with coloured shaving cream on a flat surfaceFinger painting on the see-through-easel with a friend on the other side National Quality Standards: • Educational Program and Practice: QA1 Standard 1.1: An Approved Learning Framework informs the development of a curriculum that enhances each child’s learning. Element 1.1.5: Every child is supported to participate in the program. Standard 1.2: Educators and co-ordinators are focused, active and reflective in designing and delivering the program for each child. Element 1.2.2: Educators respond to children’s ideas and play and use intentional teaching to scaffold and extend each child’s learning. Analysis of Learning • Identity: Children are open new challenges and make new discoveries. • Identity : Children use play to investigate, project and explore new ideas. • Wellbeing: Children share humour, happiness and satisfaction • Wellbeing: Children recognise their individual achievements. • Wellbeing: Children make new discoveries, and celebrate their own efforts and achievements and those of others • Learning: Children are curious and enthusiastic participants in their learning, • Communication: Children respond verbally and non-verbally to what they see, hear, touch, feel and taste. • Communication: Children engage in reciprocal interactions using verbal and non verbal language.

5. Reflection JournalHappy Greek EasterThursday 24th April 2014 Easter coincided this year with Greek Easter. In our Starfish group we have 5 families with a Greek background. On our return from holidays Arianna, and her mum, Effie joined us to share the tradition of Greek Easter. Effie explaining about fasting during the lead up to Easter. Going to midnight mass and breaking the ‘KokkinaAvga’ or red eggs in English. Effie talked about making ‘Tsoureki’, traditional Greek Easter bread. Arianna told the children in Greek she had been to see ‘Hristos’ or Jesus’ house! Effie helped the children boil and paint hard boiled eggs. They looked amazing! Thank you, Arianna and Effie for sharing Greek Easter with us.

6. Our Emergent Curriculum:Where to from here?We will celebrate Mother’s Day in May andFathers Day in SeptemberWe will invite other families in to share their cultures and traditions. National Quality Standards: • Educational Program and Practice: QA1 • Standard 1.1: An Approved Learning Framework informs the development of a curriculum that enhances each child’s learning. • Element 1.1.2: Every child’s current knowledge, ideas, culture, abilities and interests are the foundation of the program. • Relationships with Children: QA5 • Standard 5.1: Respectful and equitable relationships are developed and maintained with each child. • Element 5.1.2: Every child is able to engage with educators in meaningful, open interactions that support the acquisition of skills for life and learning. Analysis of Learning Identity: Children sense & respond to a feeling of belonging. Identity : Children share aspects of their culture with other children & educators. Community: Children begin to recognise that they have a right to belong to many communities Wellbeing: Children share humour, happiness and satisfaction Learning: Children are curious and enthusiastic participants in their learning, Communication: Children contribute their ideas & experiences in play & small & large group discussion. Communication: Children sing, chant rhymes, jingles & songs.

7. Reflection JournalHappy Mother’s DayThursday 8th May 2014 Today we celebrated Mother’s Day at Preschool. The mummy’s were invited to join us for an hour during the session. When the Mummy’s arrived we played indoors. We showed them all the different activities we like to play with. The children and mums could also have a turn together at some special activities; hand print painting, joint painting at the easel and pasting. The children showed their Mum’s what to do when the pack up music started. Packing up took no time at all!!! We also invited our Mummy’s to come and dance with us to the ‘Wiggly Woo’, ‘Rock-a-bye your bear’ and ‘Fuzzy the Clown’. Some of the Mum’s did a fantastic job following the directions with us! We also sang our ‘Bumble Bee’ song, the Mummy’s enjoyed hearing us saying our names. We washed our hands and shared afternoon tea of scones with jam and cream, a cup of tea and some fruit. We concluded our special day with a story about how special Mummy’s are and presented them their gifts. The children were so excited to give their Mum’s their gifts, everyone came with a cuddle too. Thank you to our Mummy’s for joining us and we hope you have a special day on Sunday. Happy Mother’s Day !!

8. Our Emergent Curriculum:Where to from here?* Discuss our day with our Mum on Sunday* Discuss other members in their families * Father’s Day celebrated in September National Quality Standards: • Educational Program and Practice: QA1 Standard 1.1: An Approved Learning Framework informs the development of a curriculum that enhances each child’s learning. Element 1.1.2: Every child’s current knowledge, ideas, culture, abilities and interests are the foundation of the program. • Relationships with Children: QA5 Standard 5.1: Respectful and equitable relationships are developed and maintained with each child. Element 5.1.1: Interactions with each child are warm, responsible and build trusting relationships Element 5.1.3: Each child is supported to feel secure, confident and included. Analysis of Learning Identity: Children sense and respond to a feeling of belonging. Identity: Children openly express their feelings and ideas in their relationships with other children and educators. Identity: Children are open to new challenges and make new discoveries. Identity : Children share aspects of their culture with other children & educators. Community: Children begin to recognise that they have a right to belong to many communities. Wellbeing: Children share humour, happiness and satisfaction. Learning: Children are curious and enthusiastic participants in their learning. Communication: Children contribute their ideas & experiences in play & small & large group discussion. Communication: Children sing, chant rhymes, jingles & songs. Communication: Use creative arts, such as drama, dance, movement, music and storytelling to express ideas and make meaning.