The importance of the Monkey Bars for Physical Literacy

Let it goat...let it goat!

You've goat to be kidding me!

Maaaa the goat came to kindergarten for a visit today.  The children were beyond excited...not so much Maaaa!  However she was a good sport and played the game well.

 Tending to the needs of animals requires children to give thought and attention to something outside of themselves and supports the practice of caring.  (Wilson, 2001). 

"We know that children learn by living.  If they live with kindness and respect, they learn to be kind and respectful.  If they live with love and compassion, they learn to be loving and compassionate." (R Wilson, 2012). 

Duck, duck...goat!

                                                                     What a fabulous day with Maaaa the goat.  Hope you've enjoyed the photos.  That's about it from us...we've goat to go!

Thanks for visiting.

Nga mihi nui

Tania

Celebrating success

In recognition of a job well done

I'd like to take this opportunity to share our news and celebrate team success for achieving a result of "very well placed to promote positive outcomes for children" from the Education Review Office (ERO, 2015).  This sees us on a 4 year review cycle which we think is pretty cool and acknowledges all the work we do at Bream Bay kindergarten.

"Success is no accident.  It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do" (Pelē).

Part of the review process required us to put forward thorough documentation that showcased our programme and work with children and families.  Added to this we hosted review officers within our centre for a day where they took opportunities to appraise our practice and curriculum for quality education.  Here are some of their findings...

"Bream Bay Kindergarten provides high quality education and care for children...A particular goal has been on supporting children's capability as independent, powerful learners, who are confident in their identity, culture and heritage.  Children are capable, engaged, decision-makers...

...children play for long periods in cooperative and collaborative endeavours.  They negotiate and plan together.  Teachers support all children to choose how and where they wish to play.  Children follow their own interests.  They demonstrate motivation to practice existing skills and to explore new skills, and learn from their play in powerful ways.  Children also demonstrate a high degree of fun and enjoyment in the company of others.  Literacy, mathematical and science concepts are well integrated in the centre programme as part of children's play...

Teachers' professional knowledge and research-focused approaches impact on the ways they present the environment.  They place a strong emphasis on affirming and celebrating children and families..." (ERO, 2015).

This latest report will be available to read on line after the 23 September 2015 at www.ero.govt.nz, meanwhile we have a copy at kindergarten if you'd like to read.

A special mention...

 To Donna, Rowan and Sandy...caring teachers who ensure interactions with children are centred on respect, warmth and affection.  You continue to grow your practice by challenging your thinking and looking for new ways to ensure the environment and teaching practices offer a variety of new learning opportunities that enhance learning outcomes for children.  Thank you for your positive attitudes, the care and support you offer on a daily basis, your on going professionalism but most of all, for just being you!  The work you do is outstanding and is much appreciated!

Arohanui, Tania.

To our wonderful network of parents who take time out of their busy lives to join us on this journey...thank you, we appreciate you too!

And of course to the children of our kindergarten, we always hope that the memories created during your time with us are filled with feelings of joy and happiness, surprise,  mystery and adventure...it is truly a privilege to spend time with you.

That's it really, we're a bit excited!

Thanks for visiting,

Nga mihi nui,

Tania 

Sandwich Day

Self portraits

Through the eyes of an artist

Paper and pens set up next to the mirrors beckon children to investigate.  A glimpse of their own reflection is enough to ignite their curiosity and spark creativity.

The creative process of self portrait work offers insight to how the artist views them self.  In essence a self portrait is about self discovery, a celebration of individuality and uniqueness from an inner perspective.

Ann Pelo states "When we invite children to create self portraits, we offer them mirrors and encourage long, sustained study of their faces from this unfamiliar perspective.  Then we ask them to re-create themselves on paper, weaving together the image that they see in the mirror with the person they experience themselves to be.  Their portraits are eloquent statements of self." (2007)

If you look closely, what do you see?

After some time spent looking in the mirror, we invite children to focus more specifically on the features of their face.  We ask children to observe, to linger and notice intricate details.  The shape of their face, the slope of their nose, the way their eyelashes frame the outside of  their eyes...

We help children decipher the lines of their face and call attention to elements that are missing from their portrait.  During their work with self portraits children grow skills for looking closely and for communicating what they see and think (Pelo, 2007).

"Look and draw, look and draw" I encouraged Indy.

"Eyes, nose, eyebrows up on top of my eyes. Hairs on my eyes" said Indy.

"Do you know what they're called" I asked Indy.

"Uh, uh" replied Indy.

"They're called eyelashes" I said.

"Eyelashes" repeated Indy.

"Yes, eyelashes.  Can you make your eyelashes blink?" I asked.

Indy looked in the mirror and blinked her lashes.  After careful observation and exploration Indy transferred this new knowledge to her self portrait.

 

Exploration of 'self' continues...noticing intricate details to add to her portrait.



"What do you see when you look in the mirror? 
What stories does your face tell?"


"These self portraits are windows into the children's identities.  Their details tell us how the children see themselves and what they choose to emphasize in their drawings about themselves."
(Ann Pelo, The language of art, 2007).

Luke is another keen artist and has spent much time exploring this art medium recently.    

Self portrait work is an exciting way to enrich and inspire self discovery.

To extend on this interest, I invited him to create 'emotional' portraits of himself.

What does angry, sad, frightened or happy look like?

Luke's playful exploration with the mirrors and focused study of his face enabled him to notice intimate details and subtle changes in the emotions he expressed on his face.

Immersed in the richness and pleasure of the experience and excited to hone his skill, Luke seemed to enjoy the opportunity to revisit this art experience again and again; eager to create several self portraits today.

"Does your face look the same when it's an angry face?" I asked.

"No look, my nose has got lines on it" he said as he experimented with the facial contortions of an 'angry' face, "and my teeth are all tight together" he observed.

"When I'm sad I have no top lip only a bottom lip.  When I'm really sad, when I'm crying, some water drips out of my eyes" Luke commented during his exploration.

"I have a circle face" said Poppy.
"Look how I do myself.  That's how I actually do my hair.  That's how I actually do me" said Poppy as she studied her changing expressions in the mirror and drew her self portrait on paper. 

"That's a crazy face!  I can do a chin.  That's how I actually do my chin.  There's how I do my forehead" said Poppy.

Art touches the soul... art is communication... it reaches out from the canvas and passes through the eyes of the viewer right into his heart where it can leave an imprint of beauty that can make the spirit sing. 

(Nina Baldwin)

Thanks for visiting,
Nga mihi nui,
Tania