Newsletter

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to Term 4!  I hope you all had some nice family time during the holiday break.

At the beginning of last week, we were able to spend some time in nature and notice all the spring changes.  In our morning sessions, the Reception room provides children to with opportunities to experience learning through play.  We introduce literacy learning through stories and morning circle.  This literacy learning is enhanced through the buddy reading program that I have introduced this term with Sally’s Class.  The children from Sally’s class buddy up with a Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 child and read to them a book of their choice.  I have found this to be a great session for not only literacy skills but also for building relationships with the older children.

 This week has been very busy with swimming.  The children have loved their lessons, albeit exhausting.  I was really proud of how well the children negotiated the noise of the centre, while also listening to the instructor and staying on task for the duration of the lesson.  Thank you to Claire and Tha’is who helped with swimming this week.

 Preparations have started for the Spring Festival in Week 3.  Each morning, we spend 5 or 10 minutes in Bethany’s room to learn all of the Spring Songs and dances for our Festival. 

 This term we have also introduced ‘Project Time’ on Thursday and Friday afternoons.  This is where the Reception’s come together with the Year 1-4’s and we work on specific projects together.  Last week we worked on tissue paper flowers and craft that will be used as decoration for the Spring Festival and this week we are also working on freshening up the garden.  Thank you to Claire Pym for preparing the garden beds and for donating the plants that the children have planted into the raised beds and wine barrels. The children have thoroughly enjoyed finding hidden treasures of potatoes as they have been going about their gardening.  If you would like to offer assistance and be involved in this ‘Project Time’ please contact me as I am putting together a roster for parent helpers. 

 In our cooking time last week, we made lemon cordial. Cooking is a wonderful way for children to further their mathematical understanding.  While squeezing the lemons we made predictions on how many cups we might have and then how many more lemons we might need to fulfil the recipe.  Our cooking lessons create enthusiastic dialogue and collaboration around mathematical concepts. Thank you to the families that donated the amazing lemons for us to use.  This cordial was made with honey which ended up being more like a warm honey and lemon drink, but the children still loved it.  We are hoping next week to run a little stall to provide warm lemon drink to the whole school at lunch time.

Enjoy the sunshine!

Laren

"Blooming with spring" is inspired by parents vision to see the classroom garden beds putting on a show of spring beauty.  With the spring festival next week, it is the perfect time to get into the garden! You are invited to join us!

 We spent some time yesterday morning removing old plants and tidying up the beds. Laren did some planting with the children yesterday afternoon some plants kindly gifted by Charlottes grandparents Barbara and Lyndsay Pym. Gemma Green (Ziggys Mum) is kindly gifting plants today. We have some more plants coming from my local buy nothing group.

 How can I be a part of the Bloom like Spring BRPS Family Project?

We are looking for free plants and seedlings of veg, herbs and flowers.

Do you have any connections locally with the  buy nothing group, Uraidla gorilla gardeners or grow free to gift free plants?

Do you have seedlings, self seeded plants in your garden?

Do you have family member (grandparents or aunts/uncles) who are avid gardeners and have plants to gift?

Not really in a working bee, but more of just a plant what you have type of way. (Please follow covid guidelines of sign in with QR code, signing into the Visitors Book in the office,  social distancing and wearing a mask on school grounds).

If you would like to gift plants and leave the planting to our children, please message me on 0438837236 and I can make arrangements with Laren and Bethany.

 The garden beds closer to Bethany's  room are wicking beds, so better for higher water plants and might fair better over summer.

Claire Pym (Charlotte Pym) on behalf of the P and F.