Welcome back everyone and welcome to all our new families to our Engadine Preschool family. We have certainly had a very warm start to the term. The children have been enjoying the outdoor learning environment and having lots of water play and picnics. Bilby room staff for the year are as follows: Class teacher – Renee (full time) Educators – Anita (full time) Jacquie (Full timer support worker) Danielle (Part time M, T, W) Rachel (Th, F) Gumnut room staff for the year are as follows: Class teachers – Helen (M,T,Th,F) , Eve (W) Educators – Stevka (full time), Paula (M, T), Megan (W,Th, F), Dianna ( M,T,W, support worker) (RFF Support) Tess and Danielle.
If you would like to join our Management Committee this year please add your name to the nomination sheet in the foyer.
If you have any requests for Guest Speakers at our parent meeting please see Renee, Helen or Eve to let us know. We are more than happy to arrange a topic of interest for you at our parent meetings. We have been busy in both classrooms so far this term. Some of our little Gumnut and Bilby children have been having some settling issues but they soon settle once they get a reassuring cuddle from one of the staff.
We would like to remind you that if your child is still unsettled after you leave, we will call you and arrange a meeting to discuss how we can best help your child settle when they arrive at preschool. It’s always a pleasure to watch the joy the children experience when they have one of their parents come in and join them in the classroom. If you would like to come and spend some time in the classroom with your child either just helping or sharing an interest of yours we would love to have you. Last year we had lots of parents and grandparents coming in and the children really enjoyed this and learnt a lot as well.
We have a website, Facebook page and preschool app that is now on line. Please go and have a look and see what you think. Both are still new to us so your feedback will be most appreciated. The web address is www.engadinepreschool.org.au. Our Facebook page is Engadine Preschool Kindergarten and the app can be access through SKOOLBAG and then look for the upload for EPK You can now fill in your waiting list forms on line. In the coming weeks we will be sending out forms for families that are returning next year to let us know what days you would like for 2020.
Universal funding has been confirmed for next year now so the lower year before school and the new lower three year old fees will apply. The percentage of funding for three year olds is set to increase by a further 5%. We still have some two day spots available at the beginning of the week for this year. If you know of anyone looking for great early childhood education and care please ask them to have a look at our website and come and see us for a walk through and chat.
Fee invoices have gone out this week. Please look in your email accounts for this. You will note that it comes under the by line of Hubworks which is the major software we use to communicate with families and administer the preschool. All emailed notes will also come from Hubworks so if you have not received your newsletter or invoices please come and see us straight away so we can work out why this is happening.
The replacement day lists for each room have now been posted. Just a quick reminder that the rules for using these days have changed this year. You may only post or take a replacement day from the room that your child is enrolled in and each replacement day taken will be charged the full fee of $50.00. Fees will be credited back to families if a day is taken. If you change your mind about taking a day from the list 24 hours’ notice must be given or the daily full fee will still be payable. Replacement days may be posted if you know your child will be unable to attend preschool for the day due to circumstances such as illness or going on a holiday.
This is our new shade umbrella for the decking area. It has already proved to be a wonderful investment and the children have enjoyed playing under the shade with their friends and educators.
The STEPS Eyesight Testing Program will again be offered to all children turning 4 or going to school next year. This is a free program available to children attending child care setting in NSW. Notes have been laced in your child’s communication folder for you to read and then fill out and return to preschool if you wish your child to participate. In the past this program has picked up quite a few children with eyesight problems that have been successfully treated.
This year we are pleased to announce that the children will all be having yoga lessons during the year from a fully trained children’s yoga teacher. Each class will have a weekly lesson with out teacher Olivia for six months. This term the lessons will be on Friday mornings and in term 3 this will change to the other end of the week. We were able to get a grant from the Quality Learning Environments grant program to fund this exciting intiaitive. We have been working on embedding the KidsMatter and WINGS programs into our daily practices with the children for many years and these programs have featured heavily in our quality imporevement plans over the recent years. Yoga is aimed at promoting and protecting positive mental health in children. We want to create an educational environment for the children that will continue to embed positive, inclusive and resilientbehaviours, where every child can achieve their best mental health. Some other benefits of practicing yoga with young children are emotional development – through self confidence, connection with their bodies and imaginary breadth, social development through interaction, communication and collaboration, cognitive development through attention and focus, concentration, memory and co-ordination and lastly physical development through balance, strength and flexability. The educators will also be involved in practicing yoga to all the children throughout the week. We look forward to seeing the many health benefits to the children as the year progresses.
Gentle reminder to all parents to please ensure that you pack enough spare clothes for your child to accommodate for any little accidents that may happen whilst they are distracted with new toys and friends or experimenting with water activities. Also a reminder to make sure your little ones have covered shoulders so they are sunsafe when out in the outdoor area.
This year we have no children currently enrolled with a severe food allergy that results in an ananaphylaxsis reaction, therefore there will be no restrictions as to the foods children will be permitted to bring for their morning teas of lunches until further notice.
Save the Date to Vaccinate app has recently updated and parents are asked to update their app so that they still receive their reminders when their child’s vacinations are due.
Gentle reminder…….Sometimes little pieces of equipment from preschool find their way home to your houses when they have been forgotten in pockets during play or popped into a backpack for “safe keeping”. If you find such a piece of equipment can you please return it to preschool. Little people sometimes forget they have them squirreld away.There will will no questions asked or judgment.
We are looking forward to an awesome year this year full of wonderful experiences and learning.