January/ February 2014

A Message from the Director..... Wow, week 2 of Term 1 already, before we know it Easter will be upon us. Term one will see a very busy term ahead at preschool with the children working in settling into both the three and four year old program. I would like to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to both the new and existing families of the Tocumwal Preschool community. It is my hope as well as the Tocumwal Preschool Educators, that you enjoy being a part of the 2014 preschool community as well as your child learning journey. Over the holidays there have been quite a few changes to the indoor and outdoor environment of the preschool. Indoors we have seen the removal of the preexisting office, with a new one installed in the back store room. We have also seen new childrens sinks installed. A big thank you too Stacey Almond who worked tirelessly on this project all holidays. Also a big thank you to educators and families that provided assistance during this time painting and being a part of our DIY renovations. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome back our educators to the 2014 year: Jessica Williams ( Bachelor of Education Early Childhood) Full Time Director & Teacher Kirsty Heaton ( Certificate 3 in Childrens Services studying Diploma of Childrens Services) Full Time Assistant Madyson Hawker ( Certificate 3 in Childrens Services studying Diploma of Childrens Services) Maternity Leave Replacement for Donna Bear Donna Bear ( Certificate 3 in Childrens Services studying Diploma of Childrens Services) Currently on Maternity Leave Rebecca Bennett ( Certificate 3 in Childrens Services) Casual Preschool Assistant Leanne Pettit ( Certificate 3 in Childrens Services) Casual Preschool Assistant

Points of Interest: Kids interacting with the elderly program commences on Tuesday 4th of February 2014. Friday 14th of February 2014- all invoices are due now unless on a payment plan Family Art Classes at Tocumwal Preschool will be on: - Tuesday 18th of February 2014 - Wednesday 26th of February 2014 - Thursday

Some Helpful Tips for Starting the Preschool Year..... Personal Belongings: Please label childs belongings including bag, clothing, shoes and socks. If not staff find it extremely difficult who owns what items your entire lunch box, labeled the to identify

The preschool mailbox is located near the front counter. Please place all permission notes, and

Suggestions: Please speak to staff at any time if you have any concerns or suggestions. We would like to thank the families for their support, praise and lovely comments in the suggestion box. Signing In and Out: Please be reminded that all families are required to sign their child in and out of the center on any day they attend. A person over the age of 18 year must sign the child in or out. Please speak to our educators if someone different will be dropping off or picking up your child. Slip, Slop, Slap: We are constantly discussing the children about slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat. There is sunscreen located on the sign sheet. Hats: Please make sure your child has a sun hat, with their name marked on it. We are encouraging the children to wear their sun hats outside. Clothing: With the hot summer months here it is important that children are provided with protective footwear and clothing. We discourage children wearing thongs and clothing with shoe string straps. All shoulders need to be covered. Spare Clothes: We would like to ask that you pack a spare set of clothes for your child. Please place them in their tote tray or in their bag. This can be used in the case of an emergency. Fruit and Healthy Eating: At Tocumwal Preschool we implement the Munch and Move healthy eating programming and policies. Please ensure your child have fruit, and a sandwich if they are staying at preschool for a full day. Cold Food Items: If you have cold items such as yoghurt, cheese, or fruit that you would like placed in the refrigerator, please write

If you have any scraps from home please bring them in for our preschool chooks, and duck. They love fruit and vegetable During the preschool curriculum we use recyclable items for collage and pasting. If you have any milk bottle caps,

Please bring your IGA shopper dockets to preschool. IGA provide the preschool with a donation based on the Preschool offers before and after preschool care on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday. Please speak

Kirsty Heaton

Leanne Pettit

Madyson

Hawker

Beck Bennett

At Tocumwal Preschool we have a nutrition and healthy eating policy. Families are encouraged to pack healthy foods such as cold meats, cheese, yoghurts, sandwiches, fruit etc. Children at Tocumwal Preschool are involved in the Early Childhood routine of staggered morning teas. Children are able to access their lunch boxes from 9:30am until 11:00am. During this time the children can sit at designated tables to enjoy their morning tea. Educators record when children eat. At 11:00am the childrens lunch boxes are placed in the refrigerator until the whole group sit down for lunch at 12:50pm. If you have any questions about the preschool staggered morning tea please doesnt hesitate to speak to our educators. The preschool has strictly no chocolate, chips or soft drink policy.

Kids Interacting With the Elderly Program

The 4 Year Old Children will be participating in the Kids Interacting with the Elderly Program in conjunction with Tocumwal Community Hostel. This program will involve the children visiting the Hostel once a week to participate in craft activities with the elderly. The

Early Years Learning Framework With the implementation of the new national curriculum and accreditation rapidly approaching us it is important that both the staff and parents of Tocumwal Pre School are aware and familiar with the documents and terminology associated with it. The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is based on the three notions: Belonging: Experience belonging: Knowing where and with whom you belong- is an integral part of human existence. Being: Recognises the significance of here and now in childrens lives Becoming: Becoming reflects the process of rapid and significant change that occurs in the early The tree is a visual representation of the components of the EYLF. With the 3 Bs being the roots, the Principles and practices as the

Tocumwal Pre School Curriculum Tocumwal Pre School follows an emergent curriculum that is the childrens experiences are planned according to their interest as well as family contribution. The preschool curriculum engages the use of the Early Years Learning Framework for the planning and documenting of the childrens learning. It is the professional responsibility of the Tocumwal Pre School to document the children learning in relation to the learning outcomes and to plan for and provide experiences and interactions as individual children show emerging knowledge and skills or when they need extra support to move on in learning. Each childs individual learning is documented through an individualized portfolio as well as a collective preschool reflective diary. Individualized portfolios are more than just happy snaps they contain information about each childs personality, interest and needs. They tell families and educators about the learning this is happening and how is being supported. The entries in the childrens individual portfolios will depend on how much

Immunisation

There have been changes to the immunisation documentation required upon enrolment. The new immunisation regulations require parents to provide proof that their child is fully vaccinated. Acceptable records include an Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR).

Please make sure your child is wearing suitable footwear for running, skipping walking and climbing. It is
Family Art Night: The family I Belong To

The Early Years Learning Framework is based the principles being becoming and belonging. Tocumwal Preschool promotes connected partnership between our preschool communities, families and children. For the 2014 year Tocumwal Preschool would like to show a connection between the families, children and services through various mediums of art. The Tocumwal Preschool educators would like to invite the preschool families to, Tocumwal Preschool Family Art Night: The Family I Belong To. The Tocumwal Preschool art night will be held over three sessions. Session dates include the following: Tuesday 18th of February 2014 Wednesday 26th of February 2014

Family Portraits To show a clear connection between our preschool and families we would like to do a 2014 Family Tree Display. Could families please bring in or email family portraits to