Seabrook Kindergarten 15 Truganina Ave,

Seabrook, Vic, 3028 Ph: 9395 3012 / 9395 3014

Issue 1, 2018

Welcome to our first Newsletter for 2018

A warm welcome to all our families for 2018. We hope that your child is

settling well at Seabrook Kindergarten and that you have had a positive start to year.

My name is Sharon and I am a parent of a child in the Seahorse group. I put my hand up at the AGM last November and volunteered to be the

Newsletter Co-ordinator for Seabrook Kin-

dergarten for 2018. If you have any ques-tions about this newsletter or have any

ideas for future newsletters, please speak to Mandy or Amanda in the front office –

they will pass all messages onto me.

Thank you and happy read- ing!

Hi from the Kinder Office!

Hi, Mandy here from the Kinder Office. Hopefully I have now intro-duced myself to all the 131 families we have welcomed into Seabrook Kindergarten for 2018. I am still getting there with all the names, so please bear with me! I have over 19 years’ experience and training in Early Years Education and hold a foundation degree in Early Years. I also have many more years in office administration and management.

I have been the Kindergarten Operations Manager for Seabrook Kinder for 5 years now and I love working here. It is a busy role but rewarding role and I enjoy getting to know so many families over the year. From 2018 I am delighted to tell you that, Amanda Lowe is now working in the office permanently on a Thursday and Friday. Amanda has support-ed me for several years now in the office at the busiest times of the year and is a valuable asset to the kinder. It’s great to have her in the office on a regular basis. This means the kinder office is open 5 days a week now, term-time only. Sometimes we are out on kinder business, so if we are not available please use the locked box for handing in infor-mation or give us a call/send an email or pop back to the window on your next drop off/pick up.

Please come and say hi to Amanda and I in the office if you have any questions regarding the kinder operations. If it is related to your child’s progress, please speak directly with your child’s teacher. Thank you. -

Have a great year!

Diary Dates

Thursday 29 March 2018

Term 1 ends

Sunday, 8 April 2018 Working Bee 10–12noon Volunteers needed, see office to put your name down. $50 maintenance levy refund-ed, only one claim per year.

Monday, 16 April 2018 Term 2 begins Wednesday, 25 April 2018 KINDER CLOSED: ANZAC Day Monday, 11 June 2018 KINDER CLOSED Public Holiday (Queens Birthday)

Kinder Contacts

If you have concerns or queries please do not hesitate to contact either:

Sue (Kinder Support Manager) Dolphins.kinda@hotmail.com.au

Mandy (Kinder Operations Manager) seabrook.kin@kindergarten.vic.gov.au -------------------------------------------------------

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE!!

www.seabrookkindergarten.org.au

Much more info and photos of our wonderful

Important

Reminders

The Locked Box Are you looking for the locked box? The locked box is a safe place to post any reply slips, office paper-work, raffle ticket stubs and monies, book club orders. It is a bit hard to locate when the corridor is full of parents and children! Here are a few photos showing you where it is. Please do use it, it is safe, convenient and emptied regularly by the office staff. Thank you.

Collecting your Child Late from Kinder

Seabrook Kindergarten relies on the prompt collec-tion of your child or a child in your care after the kinder session has ended. The teachers and assis-tants are required to pack up, plan and set up for the next group straight after the session has ended and they therefore cannot fulfil these job require-ments if children are picked up late, which then impacts the kinder. The committee of management, made up of par-ents that you elected at our AGM last November, may choose to review and amend the current kinder’s fees policy and delivery and collection of children policy to discourage the late collection of children from kinder. Any changes to our policies will be displayed in the kinder corridor and families will be informed of such changes.

Registered Child Care Claim-ing and Receipts

At the end of terms 2 and 4, we will be issuing receipts for care provided in terms 1 & 2 and then again for terms 3 & 4. These receipts can only be issued at the end of terms 2 and 4 - after the care has taken place, even if you have paid the whole year fees upfront.

DO NOT LOSE THESE RECEIPTS! These receipts are issued by the Seabrook Kindergarten us-ing a template from Centrelink. Please store your receipt safety if you wish to make a claim. Detailed information on how to make a claim (by download-ing a form from the internet) will be provided in the next newsletter. You have up to 12 months after the care has tak-en place to make a claim. Claims are activity tested (based on working hours, studying or seeking work). More information is available from: https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/forms/fa018

End of Year Survey

Results for 2017

Results have been compiled from our end of year survey. The key areas that our families were

asked to respond to included;

Communication: Results covered the level of communication given to parents regarding their child’s progress and

the educational program.

Facilities:

Families were asked to rate the level of satisfaction regarding the buildings/playgrounds and

equipment/resources both indoors & outdoors.

Educational Program:

This area of the survey covered topics regarding the needs/expectations of the child being met,

the program being developmentally appropriate and meaningful to the child, the programs sensi-

tivity to cultural and individual needs and whether the balance of activities in the program re-

garding active/quiet and indoor/outdoor ranges were being met.

The survey was designed to assist the committee, in collaboration with staff, in evaluating the

current operation of Seabrook Kindergarten and to determine our future direction. It has greatly

assisted us in working towards achieving our goals.

Items received from the Woolworths Earn &

Learn in 2017.

Starfish News

This week we also had a visit from Nikola, who

brought her dog Annie, and they talked to us about

Pet Responsibility, and how to treat all dogs, even

their own.

We have also enjoyed creating self-portraits of ourselves to show we belong to our kinder and celebrated Holi by creating colour hand prints.

The Starfish Group have settled very well this term, thanks to Sue, Jayne and

our relief teacher Ranu, they have made fried rice for Chinese New Year, and

danced with the Chinese Dragon.

Dolphin News This year we have a great group, which is settling very well and are enjoying the learning we are achieving.

We have celebrated Chinese New Year, by dancing with our own

We are learning the kinder rules and limits. We celebrated Holi, by paint-ing with powder paint.

We also read the book the ‘Colour of Me” book by Karen Kratz, and the children painted themselves, family or friends. We also had a visit from the Responsible pet program,

teaching us how to be safe around dogs, with the help

of Nikola and her dog

We look forward to term 2, have a safe Easter break. From Sue, Sue R and Joy

Seahorse News

The children were also involved in Chinese New Year activities, whereby the children enjoyed drumming and doing the Lion Dancing.

The children have been exploring aspects of their identity through lots of role-play, both at indoor and outdoor playtime. They have also

started to become familiar with the routines of the kindergarten and they can confidently explore their environments during play. We have

been encouraging the children to play co-operatively and work collaboratively with their peers when they are involved in activities. The

children are also encouraged to negotiate their rights in relation to others using their verbal skills, rather than physical responses.

Welcome to the Seahorse Group for 2018! This term of course we focused on settling in time, whereby the children learnt the new kinder routine and learning to adjust to the

longer hours. This term we started with discussions about our ourselves and our families and what happens at kinder. We have been

encouraging the children to develop a strong sense of their own identity within the kindergarten program. By getting to know all their

friends’ names, the children will begin to feel that they belong to their kindergarten community.

The children were also involved in Chinese New Year activities, whereby the children enjoyed drumming and doing the Lion Dancing.

We are now also looking forward to Easter festivities, such as

the Easter egg hunt. We will have an Easter egg hunt during the

last week of term. We are also looking forward to the chicken

hatching, the eggs will be delivered next term and we will have

the program for two weeks at kinder. We will have discussions

about the chickens and their life cycles as well as discussions

about other animals that lay eggs and their life cycles.

Until next time…. Belinda, Frieda and Pamela

Frogs & Turtles

Frogs and Turtles The children are now beginning to settle within their groups,

feeling more confident and comfortable as they explore the

play spaces and experiences and build on those secure

attachments with educators which is so very important to them

feeling safe and supported at Kinder.

Our sessions consist of both an indoor and

Outdoor, play based program where the open ended

experiences allow the children the opportunity to engage at

their own developmental level.

We endeavour to extend the children’s own interests and incorporate intentional teaching activities to

scaffold learning and develop skills. All of which allows their participation in a variety of rich and

meaningful inquiry-based experiences.

The incorporation of celebrations into our programs can be an enriching experience for all the children.

We have so far celebrated Chinese Lunar New Year and the Indian festival of colours, Holi.

We would like to thank you all for your patience and understanding throughout the orientation period as

the children have transitioned into their groups. We do understand it was a big commitment for you but

we did experience a much calmer and smoother settling period for everyone even though at times it may

not have felt like it.

We look forward to many more adventures in learning next term which starts Wednesday 16th April.

Pamela, Joy and Julie.

News from the Seabrook Community

Wishing all our kinder families

A restful and enjoyable break and we look for-

ward to seeing you when term 2 arrives!!!

Please check out our semester brochure in the foyer, highlighting our weekly programs

and other activities and events.

We have lots of regular classes and groups from dance for all ages, jujitsu, pilates, art

classes and fun for toddlers.

Starting term 2 :

-Wednesday morning ‘Stay and Play session’ for under 5’s and a Mums and Bubs

group following.

-new Nia program on a Friday morning from 10.00am – a gentle exercise/dance

program for adults/teens.

-Yoga is back term 2 in the cottage on a Friday

The centre notice boards have more details on each of our centre based programs

as well as events and activities

around Hobsons Bay and Wyndham –often free and for families.

Do you know?

anyone with type 2 diabetes? There is a monthly group that meets every Saturday.

We hire the centre on Saturday afternoons/evenings or midweek for small family func-

tions and children’s preschool birthdays. See more information in the foyer or on the

website at

http://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Community/Community-hubs-centres/Seabrook-

Community-Centre

If you would like more information please have a chat at the office window.