Kiwi Newsletter – May|June 2016

Kia Ora,

Sadly we said goodbye to two of our staff members Len and Cecilia who have moved on, Len to start a new phase in her life and Cecilia to work in a Centre closer to home. They will be greatly missed and we are indebted to them for their commitment and enthusiasm over the years.

We also fare well Theo and Holly who have transitioned to the Tuataras. The kiwi teachers have loved having you both in the kiwi room, watching you both grow and develop, taking all your great skills, on your new journey. We wish you both all the best on the next phase of your learning journey.

Staffing
Winsey will be away for 5 weeks from the 24th June until the 3rd August. Isabella will be relieving during this time. Jane will be away from the 8th August until the 5th September We will also have Isabella relieving during this period. Jane will be on Professional Development on 7th and 8th July a reliever will cover these days.

Margaret and Lyn are happy to announce they have accepted positions in the Kiwi room and will be with you on a permanent basis from now on. We both look forward to following the children’s learning journeys and working with their Whanau.

Programme Planning
Colours (May)
During the month of May the children followed a theme of colours. Experiences the children became involved in were colour themes for a particular day where we would have different toys and playdough. eg yellow day/red day. We mainly focused on the primary colours of red, blue, green and yellow. The children also went for a walk to find the colour blue in the outside environment. We practiced our Waiata colour songs and also taught the children the colours in dutch, phillipino and chinese. A game of eye spy was played with the older children some of who were able to identify the right colour of the item.

Matariki (June)
Celebrating Matariki, this signifies the beginning of the Maori New Year, a time for the community to give thanks to the earth, sky and sea and acknowledge the past and the future. For our children in the kiwi room it means acknowledging New Zealand history and honoring our bi-cultural commitment.

Experiences the children have been involved in were making star cookies. The children mixed all the ingredients together and pressed out the dough. In the afternoon the children had them for afternoon tea We made so many that whanau were able to sample them as well, which they all agreed were very yummy.

The children also painted paper lanterns, this was one of those lovely messy experiences that can be highlighted on their clothes when they are picked up parents at the end of the day. When the art work was dry they were made into lanterns which you can see hanging in the kiwi room. When Matariki is over the children can take their lantern home.

SONG OF THE MONTH
The most popular song this month as requested by our children is Row Row Row Your Boat.

Row row row your boat,
Gently down the stream,
Merrily Merrily Merrily Merrily,
Life is but a dream,
Row row row your boat,
Gently down the stream,
If you see a crocodile,
Don’t forget to scream.

You children will love it if you practice with them.

Reminders
During the winter months please ensure that your child has warm clothing jackets, hats and a pair of gumboots that could be kept at the Centre.

If your child is sick or away for the day please ring in and let staff know so that it can be recorded on the roll.

Ka Kite from the Kiwi team.