Principal's Message - Reddam House
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2ND
15THMARCH
MAY 2018
2020
23RD MARCH
16TH MARCH
2018 2018
Principal’s Message By Mrs Kath Boyd
Dear Parents,
Every day, I proudly observe the loving, genuine interactions between our teachers and children. During
these connections, the teachers are providing support, encouragement and motivation, as well as
information, resources and guidance to their young friends. Likewise, when I read through the Daily
Journals, individual student and group observations on Tapestry, I gain a deeper understanding of the
experiences the children are being offered and an appreciation of the learning that is taking place.
Children throughout all four stages are being encouraged to investigate and solve problems with each
other and with their teachers, and as a result their thinking and learning is becoming deeper, richer and
more complex.
“Quality adult-child verbal interactions are a critical component in effective early childhood programs.”
(Sammons & Taggart – 2004)
The Early Years Learning Framework firmly endorses play-based learning. It also strongly recognises the
significant role that teachers play in helping to ensure that children’s play and learning is effective and
meaningful for them. One of the most important things that we do is to engage in conversations with
children, based on our relationships with them. Sustained, shared thinking involves children and teachers
working together in conversations which provide opportunities to discuss and think about problems or
challenges in a serious, extended way. Pictured above: Mila Rose, Sara & Araiya (Stage 3)
In everyday reality, many of the conversations that adults have with children are superficial (a passing
comment) or directive (telling them what to do or how to do it). There is a time and a place for both of
these ‘passing conversations’. But, if that is the limit of our interactions with children, then we have little
opportunity to connect seriously with children’s learning and thinking. We must, teachers and parents,
make time for open-ended and exploratory conversations.
“What will your children remember? Moments spent listening, talking, playing and
sharing together may be the most important times of all.” (Gloria Gaither)
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 1
Principal’s Message Continued... By Mrs Kath Boyd
The aim should be to not just be involved in children’s play, but using this shared experience to take
advantage of opportunities to extend and enhance children’s thinking. By engaging children in deep
conversations about what they are doing; by asking open-ended questions to encourage their thinking;
and by supporting them to reflect on and evaluate the success or otherwise of their efforts, we can help
children to begin to think in more sophisticated and abstract ways. As children talk through ideas and
questions, new ideas and creative solutions have the chance to emerge. In the process, children not only
broaden and extend their understanding of the problem at hand but they also begin to learn the value of
collaborative approaches to problem solving. Stopping with your child for five minutes and investigating
the experiences displayed on the wooden Provocation Table (upon arrival or departure if time permits)
allows for these deep conversations to occur.
Some good questions for encouraging and extending conversation include:
What do you think might happen next?
What is happening here?
Why do you think that happened?
How can I help you solve this problem?
How do you think they might be feeling?
What would you do if …?
How did you do that?
What do you like most about your...?
Can you tell me about what you’re doing?
Can you tell me more about that?’
‘I wonder why …?’
“When adults take the time to involve themselves in children’s learning in a collaborative way - helping to
extend, support and guide children’s thinking rather than simply providing immediate answers to children’s
questions - they enable children’s thinking and learning to become deeper, richer and more complex.”
(Touhill – 2012)
Pictured below: Miss Grace and Kyle (Stage 2)
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 2
Stage 1R & 1E By Ms Natalie Horstman
“The cold never bothered me anyway.” (Frozen)
Welcome to Antarctica. This week we investigated animals from this icy continent, such as the iconic
penguins, whales and seals. We also incorporated icy fun sensory experiences for the children to enjoy.
Interesting facts about Antarctica:
It is the coldest place on Earth
It is also the southern-most continent on Earth
It is almost double the size of Australia
Because Antarctica experiences such little rain, it’s classified a desert!
Miss Nat did an experiment where the children were able to learn about how the animals in Antarctica
keep themselves warm. We poured water into a tray with some ice and then the children put their hands
in a bag filled with pom poms (emulating the animals’ fur) and when they submerged their hands in the icy
water, they discovered that they didn’t even feel the cold!
We then made fake snow using bicarb soda and shaving cream and the children were such great helpers,
mixing the ingredients together. They were quite fascinated and wanted to feel the ‘snow’ with their
fingers. Continuing our sensory exploration, Miss Manu facilitated a footprint experience. The children’s feet
were painted black (the paintbrush tickled our feet!) and then placed on paper to create a penguin
shape, which they then decorated. We followed this up by re-creating penguin footprint using small
penguins as our painting tool. We compared the penguin print to our own footprints, noticing the
differences in the patterns - it was so adorable seeing little penguin feet waddling around the paper!
We used our investigative skills to play “Where are the Penguins?”. Miss Manu hid penguins in a tray of rice,
which represented the ice and snow in Antarctica . Once we found them, the children helped the
penguins to navigate their way home.
Heather kept the ice-themed experiences going with ice painting artworks. We used coloured ice blocks
on paper for the children to explore their creativity. Incorporating STEM into the experience, we watched
how the ice melts as it's exposed to the warmer air.
Further discovering the continent, we engaged in a boat trip expedition. Using water, blue glitter, shaving
foam, penguins and boats, we ‘sailed’ through Antarctica where we saw Penguins and ice. Some of the
children creatively placed the penguins on the boat so they could ‘drive’!
At group time, we read three stories about penguins: Pip the Penguin by Joy Crowley, Hiku - The Penguin
by Nicole Snitseller and The Little Penguin by A. J Wood.
Next week we'll be diving in the ocean!
Have a lovely weekend,
Natalie, Manoela, Heather and Tash
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 3
Stage 1R & 1E: Antartic Expedition
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 4
Stage 1R & 1E: Where are the Penguins Hiding?
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 5
Stage 1R & 1E: Language & Literacy - Exploring Penguins
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 6
Stage 1R & 1E: Penguin Printing
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 7
Stage 1R & 1E: Coloured Ice Painting
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 8
Stage 2R & 2E By Ms Skye Parker & Ms Grace Nolan
What a jam packed, buggy week we have had! This term’s provocation is all about connecting the
children to the world around them, whether it's in our own backyard, the community or the different
countries from our heritage. Our first weeks’ focus was all about the insects and bugs in our garden,
stemming from an emerging interest shown by the children, with Week 2 coming around the corner,
we noticed we still were so curious about all the bugs, beetles, spiders and worms we were finding.
Taking the children’s lead in this, we decided to extend our insect inquiry for another week.
Placing some magnifying glasses on the table with our ‘minibeasts’ - different stages of insect life
cycles captured in resin - the children were inspired to take a look in our garden bed. This was an
unpredicted experience but demonstrated the level of wonder and excitement of finding what was
lurking underneath the wooden stumps and bark. Most children had never seen a magnifying glass
before and so experimented with using it both close to their eyes and away. This was a great
intentional teaching moment as Pa, Skye and Grace were able to model the correct way to hold it
and guide children in using it for their own discoveries.
Our main literacy focus throughout the week was The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and
looking at the different stages the caterpillar goes through. In the previous week we looked at the egg
laying on the leaf and this week we were able to look up close at a caterpillar and chrysalis (fun fact:
The book mentions a cocoon, however, butterflies create a chrysalis, not a cocoon - sorry Mr. Carle).
Reading the book sparked lots of discussions on what caterpillars eat and what foods are healthy and
what are ‘sometimes’ food, beginning to look at healthy eating through the eyes of caterpillars was
pretty funny but also educational. We also read another counting book - How many Peas in a Pod?
by Judy Watson and Margaret Allum which helped support the children’s developing counting skills
while still being in the same theme of the garden.
To extend on our developing numeracy skills, we used twigs, leafs, flowers and play dough to create
our own ‘stick insects’ and asked children to count the different materials they used. Asking children
to count using one-to-one correspondence is a beginning step towards grouping and counting
confidently. The children were also invited to create their own hungry caterpillar using balloons and
paint. Once the children dotted the paint on, they were then asked to touch the paint dots to count
them, creating a sensory and concrete counting experience.
For our creative experiences this week, the children were asked to make their own spiders using their
hands, this was a slimy sensory experience but the children loved getting their hands dirty! It also
allowed the children to count the legs of their spider and begin to talk about the different types of
spiders - how many legs do they have? What colours can they be? How big can spiders get?
Our outdoor play had elements of free play and structured dramatic play. Free play is really
important, especially at this age, to allow children to develop social and emotional skills as they
navigate turn taking, sharing, building friendships, problem solving and initiating and joining in play. For
our structured outdoor and gross motor play, we were guided by Pa in pretending to be caterpillars,
wriggling around on the floor before wrapping ourselves up to make a chrysalis and then of course,
transforming into a beautiful butterfly. The children’s understanding of the butterfly life cycle
throughout the week has grown so much as they started to use the correct terminology.
Next week, we are branching out from our small garden and focusing on the community around us.
Children are valued and active members of their community and the world around them, it is through
guidance and opportunities that they really can shine and be seen as such.
Grace, Skye & Pa
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 9
Stage 2R & 2E: Investigating Mini Beasts & Bug Hunt
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 10Stage 2R & 2E: Investigating Mini Beasts & Creating Spider Art
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 11Stage 2R & 2E: All About Bugs!
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 12Stage 3R & 3E By Mr Luan Oliveira
Hello Stage 3 Families!
The literary focus this week was Australasian Children’s Authors. We dived into the creative minds of
Graeme Base, Pamela Allen, Rod Clement, Mem Fox and Jackie French. Between these five famous
authors, there are hundreds of books written, dozens of awards and millions of homes who know and love
at least some of their work. That is large proof of their substantial contribution to literacy in early childhood.
“The fire of literacy is created by the emotional sparks between a child, a book,
and the person reading.” (Mem Fox)
When reading stories by Graeme Base, we noticed his incline in discussing sustainable practices and the
impact of human activity on the environment, from environmental degradation to conservation of nature
and habitat. In Uno’s Garden we saw never-before-seen animals and how human’s curiosity led to the
destruction of a forest. In The Water Hole we met animals from various biomes and learned about the
scarcity of natural resources.
Pamela Allen likes to turn daily situations into ludic stories. Her captivating illustrations convey movement
and animation. We saw Mr McGee blowing up like a balloon after eating a red apple (Mr McGee), John
and Jane’s humorous attempts to pick a pear from a tree (The Pear in the Pear Tree) and a cautionary tale
about taking care of our environment that showcased famous sights in Sydney (A Bag and a Bird).
When turning to Rod Clement, not only did we notice his love for birds, we could also see how colourful his
creations are. In Olga the Brolga, Edward the Emu and Feathers for Phoebe we met exotic birds who all felt
the need to stand out and try to be someone different. This sparkled a debate on our particularities and
how being different is what makes us special and unique. If we were all the same, no one would stand out.
Next on our list, Mem Fox discusses everyday matters and offers valuable lessons whilst exploring social-
emotional topics. Koala Lou showed us how motherly love is eternal and it should be reciprocal, Harriet,
You’ll Drive Me Mad! taught us that this same motherly love should be respected and appreciated; and
Grandpa Shoes illustrated how good intentions should be cherished but you should still voice your feelings.
Jackie French was our final Australasian writer this week. She has a love for Australian animals and that was
shown throughout her stories we read. Josephine wants to Dance - in which we meet a kangaroo ballerina,
Diary of a Wombat - about a demanding wombat, and Millie Loves Ants - about a hungry echidna. Fun
fact: Jackie is a wombat tamer and she used to live in a shed with a wallaby called Fred, a black snake
called Gladys and a wombat called Smudge.
A great weekend to you all!
Luan, Sara, Vivian, Doris & Charity.
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 13Stage 3R & 3E: Nature Play Dough
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 14Stage 3R & 3E: Constructing with Shapes
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 15Stage 3R & 3E: Leaf Printing & Paper Bag Birds
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 16Stage 3R & 3E: Sensory Trays, Counting Pebbles & Newfound Friends
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 17Stage 4R & 4E By Ms Lauren Hall & Ms Lanneke Jones
Term 2 has started with excitement as many more families are welcomed back to our Lindfield campus. As part of
‘Being – Exploring Our Planet,’ this week we investigated Dinosaurs and the world before humans inhabited the Earth.
Discussion revolved around prehistoric times, the names and features of each dinosaur and which dinosaurs were
herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. The children noticed how each dinosaur had features that may have evolved
into modern animals, such as the Iguanodon forming into a lizard, Eoraptor into a crocodile, the Ichthyosaurus was
very dolphin-like, and the Microraptor is similar to an eagle or an owl. We categorised the dinosaurs into various
groups including the periods when they existed, investigated the Earth's timeline up until 65 million years ago, and
which continents each type of dinosaur inhabited.
Using the children’s natural fascination with dinosaurs to lead our learning this week has certainly led to deeper
learning about other things. We know that curiosity boosts learning - meaning that when a child is intrigued by
something -- when they have questions -- their brains are especially primed to learn the answers. Paleontology is a
great opportunity to teach the children about biology, evolution, and scientific thinking.
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in
awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries
merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day.” (Albert Einstein)
Around our classroom the children enjoyed small world play, role-playing with dinosaurs and imagining how they lived.
Lanneke had made ‘fossils’ from salt dough and imprinted our small plastic dinosaur toys onto them. The children used
brushes to search for fossils like real paleontologists, and constructed research from the wonderful books Lauren
provided. Once they found the fossils, the children studied the shapes or imprints and decided which dinosaurs they
could be based on how many legs they had, if they had wings, and the shape of their tail, scales and their head. Our
paleontologists recorded their findings on clipboards using the magnifying glass to see details, and the blackboards
were used to write the very, very long names given to all the dinosaurs.
In the sandpit the children made volcanoes out of sand and stuck containers in the middle. We mixed water, dish
soap, bicarb soda, red dye and vinegar to create an erupting liquid that looked like lava. The children were so
excited and watched on in amazement. They then enjoyed creating dinosaur worlds and role-playing with our
dinosaur figurines. Next the children had a go at chipping away at some small dinosaurs that were frozen in ice. The
children used spoons to chip through the ice and also used a vinegar solution to help melt the ice. The sandpit was
also used to dig for dinosaur bones which Lauren had hidden there. The children enjoyed the excitement of finding
the bones and tried their best to persist with their digging. It was an exhausting job for some!
Around the classroom the children played imaginatively, role playing shops, going on holidays and making
huge block worlds together. The scope of their imaginations always displays great thought and development of
processes, as they construct real world situations together. The teachers encourage the children to take the time to
consider others as they play, negotiating the resources and experience spaces.
At the art table the children were invited to make paper plate pterodactyls, decorating the bodies with pieces of
tissue paper and adding a head, hands and feet. We learnt that a lot of these flying dinosaurs were very vicious and
would dive down to waters to eat fish (like many of the birds today do), swooping down to catch smaller dinosaurs
and creatures in their claws. The children also drew their own dinosaur creations. They thought what their own
dinosaur would look like, and created wonderful images, drawing shapes for a head, body, legs and arms and tails.
Then they carefully cut those shapes and stuck them onto black paper and drew wonderful backgrounds for their
dinosaurs to romp in. There was a ‘ghostasaurus’, a ‘rainbowsaurus’, and even a ‘plate-hop-asaurus’! The children also
created colourful dinosaurs made of cardboard shapes. They painted rainbow colours, with shapes for scales, and
feathers, drawn with crayons.
Our book of the week was There’s a T-Rex in Town!. The story invites the reader to imagine what it would be like if
dinosaurs roamed the earth today. Imagine if their big teeth and appetites were for people and buses, and buildings!
The T-Rex could see things from 500 metres away, their teeth were very sharp, and they also had an incredible sense
of smell. The T. Rex had the strongest bite of any land animal ever! He was also called the lizard king, and weighed
6tonnes and was up to 12metres long. He ate meat, so he was a carnivore.
Music making this week took on many fun moments when Miss Lanneke invited the children to join her for dance and
movement as she taught the Prehistoric Animal Brigade. This song names different types of dinosaurs and the children
were encouraged to take on the actions and movements of each kind too. We followed each other around the
classroom making a chain of dinosaurs. The other great song was called My Dinosaur Pet by Neil Sedaka. He re-wrote
the words of his old hit My Calendar Girl for his grandchildren, publishing a lovely illustrated book to accompany the
music.
Thank you for a great week together roaming the earth with Dinosaurs. Next week we look forward to exploring our
weather systems and climate.
Lanneke and Lauren
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 18Stage 4R & 4E: Pterodactyl Artwork
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 19Stage 4R & 4E: Our Colourful Friends
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 20Stage 4R & 4E: Digging for Bones & Volcano Experiment
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 21Stage 4R & 4E: Palaeontologists - Digging for Fossils
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 22Stage 4R & 4E: Dinosaurs Galore Artwork
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 23Playball
Stage 1 and Stage 2
This week Miss Heather focused on our ball skills as she passed out some balls and encouraged the
children to kick them to her and other friends. Then, the children all had a ball and were invited to catch
and throw the ball with Miss Heather. The children learnt how to position their hands for catching. Miss
Heather also demonstrated some good core workout techniques and asked the children to sit with their
legs out like an ‘L’ shape, then while holding the ball, the held it above their head and then tapped the
ball from side to side on the ground. Then, with a partner, the children rolled the ball to each other,
catching and pushing the ball! At the very end, Miss Heather played a fun ball game where all the smaller
balls JUMPED out of the basket and scattered everywhere! The children laughed so much and loved
collecting the balls again to be thrown into the air. What a great morning to warm us up and have some
fun!
Stage 3
To warm up our body in preparation for this week’s lesson, Miss Heather invited us to sit down and roll the
ball on our leg, and then we chose one friend to pass the ball to. After that, we used our gross motor skills
to roll the ball around the cones. We rolled the balls carefully so we didn't touch the cones. Lastly, the
children took turns to throw the ball to Heather and Heather threw them back to us. To the end the lesson,
Miss Heather played Super Hero Catch. The children helped to fetch the balls which Miss Heather spread
out. The children had to make sure they got the ball before the villain played by Miss Heather. They were
SO excited to get the ball!
Stage 4
This week Miss Heather practiced throwing and catching with each child, while the children were seated.
Miss Heather also played ‘ball explosion’ with them, and the children collected each colour as they were
thrown in the air. Another activity involved them pushing the ball around the plastic cone, in and out
around each one.
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 24Yoga
Stage 1
We all sat outside on the purple and black mats in a circle in the glorious sun. Miss Charity invited the
children to sit down on the mats and listen to very calming zen music whilst practising animal yoga
positions.
Stage 2 and Stage 3
Namaste, it’s Yoga day! Miss Charity led the peaceful yoga lesson this week. Beginning with practising the
breathing exercise which children observed their breathe that came through their nose to their tummy.
Then children practice animal poses. First, they did “butterfly pose”, and while doing this children affirmed
to themselves “ I am unique”. For the cow pose, children said “I am kind”. They moved on to rhino pose
and said “ I am a leader”. When they did giraffe pose, they said “ I can reach the stars”. For puppy pose -
“I am friendly”.
Stage 4
This week Miss Charity lead our Yoga lesson, practising our moves together in the mats. We breathed in
deeply, became mindful of our bodies and surroundings, and let our minds be still. We listened to relaxing
music, and then did a guided meditation together. Our feelings were described as fish swimming in a
pond, and each one given a name. Sad, happy, angry, anxious, excited, etc. When we think, “I am a
Pond," we control those many emotions. We can watch them swimming around, and decide which ones
come to the surface. It was a truly calm, beautiful way to start our day together.
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 25Simply Fun
Stage 1
To start the class, Miss Vivian sang the Welcome Song, and then she showed us how to navigate through
the circuit, consisting of hula hoops, the climbing bridge and balancing beams. All of the children were
really engaged and confident—such a great way to improve their gross motor skills and balance. We
ended the class by dancing to nursery rhymes.
Stage 2
This week in Simply Fun with Miss Vivian, children warmed up by stretching their bodies and singing songs
together. Once they were ready, Miss Vivian showed them the sequences of the obstacle course which
the children navigated through. They had to jump from one hoop to the other, step using alternating feet
on stepping blocks and climb over two curved wooden frames. Seeing the children carefully go through
the obstacle course showed the teachers how mature they are now, especially their physical
development. After the children completed the obstacles course twice, they came to give Miss Vivian a
big high-five to celebrate their success. Well done everyone!
Stage 3
Our Simply Fun class this week was run by Miss Vivian. We started our lesson by doing some stretches. Firstly
we sat and placed the soles of our feet together, holding them with our hands. Our legs were forming
the butterfly "wings" then we gently pressed our knees down to increase the stretch. Then we enjoyed an
exciting circuit where we jumped in/out of the hoops and hurdles, climbed up some bridges and
balanced on some beams. Finally we danced to the Hokey Pokey while doing the actions.
Stage 4
In this week’s lesson, we danced, jumped around an obstacle course, and sang together. Taking the time
each day to move our bodies gives our children opportunity to develop body awareness, spatial
development and also learn to be generous, and share space and time with each other. Waiting their
turn, moving to a beat, stepping through small targets and stretching together was great fun and got our
heart pumping.
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 26Drama
Stage 1
This week’s Drama lesson with Miss Pa started with a discussion about how cold it is in Antarctica which
lead to learning a song called We're going to Antarctica. As part of the class, the children placed a
blanket around them (trying to warm up) and also tried to impersonate seals!
Stage 2
During this week’s lesson, we explored the life of spiders, especially the part which spiders released the
web from their spinnerets. Alexander liked it so much that later he found the yarn which we used as spider
web he pulled it out so long and said " I want to make spider web!".
Stage 3 and 4
We started the lesson by playing the Sleeping Bunnies songs with Australian animals. We hopped, slithered,
crawled, jumped, swam and skipped like tree frogs, dolphins, lizards, kangaroos, wombats, snakes and
crocodiles.
Then, we took a magic wand and transformed ourselves into princesses and princes, werewolves, snails
and back into our human forms. On our way back from our adventure, we had to cross a snow storm, hot
sand, gooey mud, crawl through a tiny tunnel and finally Luan and Sara carried each child on a boat to
cross a river.
To finish our class, we’ve read Magic Beach and acted out things we do when we go to the beach, like
surfing, building sandcastles, swimming, collecting shells, etc.
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | LINDFIELD NEWSLETTER 27You can also read
