BMX Fun

A group of boys have been riding their bikes at kindergarten everyday for the last 2-3 terms, so we decided it was time to explore some tracks outside the kindergarten gate.  After some innovative biking track designs in the kindergarten playground and through the sandpit we decided it was time to visit the BMX track.  What an amazing morning out with many of our parents coming along to help out. The boys rode like champions for 1 hour, we had to set up a drink station for refueling as they just kept going.  It was exciting to see them tackling some very challenging slopes and challenge themselves to ride with such perseverance and determination.

We have also ventured out onto the Railway Reserve to explore some of our local tracks close by kindergarten.

We never quite made it along to the end of the track on the first day as the weather became a bit icy and wet so the next day so we decided to walk to the track and test the track for safety. 

It is always fun to discover the places and spaces nearby kindergarten together with friends,and we will soon head back on our bikes to test these slopes.

Learning about Geodes

Thanks to one of our morning families we had an opportunity to find out about geodes, we all gathered around to see what wonders would be inside when we hit it with the hammer.  The shiny crystals were clear, sparkly and almost diamond like as the sun shone down on it.  The geode broke into several pieces and we all had an opportunity to touch it and observe it up close.

Engaging in literacy

Everyday everywhere there are opportunities for children to engage in literacy experiences, signing in each day is just one way to do that.  Being able to sign in as a group is a very powerful way for children to work together and to notice the work of their peers.

A Matariki Visitor and Story

Hello, Its Luca here, said a voice, when I answered the phone today. Can Mum and I come and tell a story to the children today.
It is always a special time when children who have moved on to school return for a visit. When Luca was at home recovering from a cold he thought it would be a good time to come to share a story about Matariki that he and his Mum had been enjoying. Kristin had made some wonderful props, felt fish and a magic net to help her tell the story. The children remembered the story of the seven little star fishes from our telling of it the day before. The story end with the one star that remained nameless so that children can put their name on the star. In this way they will be among friends while they sleep.
Alexis and Mitchell where asked to name the last little star.
Thank you Luca and Kristin for sharing this story with us today.

The Quiz Night was a huge success!

Fit, fun and full of energy is the recipe for a fantastic Quiz Night.  All but one is a kindy Mum, dressed for action and all cylinders firing they had a great night together, gaining a prize for the noisiest table.

A bit thank you to Woody for being a fabulous Quiz Master, Gaye, Margie and Cassie's grand dad for being the markers, and our wonderful FLG team who organised such a successful night.

Matariki Celebrations

As Matariki rises in the night sky we are celebrating the time of harvest and the beginning of the Maori new year. We have been sharing stories about the stars of Matariki and preparing and sharing Kai together. Today the children bought along a vegetable to add to delicious soup. We cooked sausages and the children toasted marshmellows on the brazier in the kindergarten playground.

While the fire was being prepared the children helped to illustrate the story of the seven little fishes caught in the fishermans net and rescued by  Tama nui te Ra who took pity on them. He flung them into the sky where they became the stars of Matariki. Six of the stars he named, Tupua nuku, Tupua Rangi, Waiti, Waita, Waipuna o Rangi, Ururangi, and the seventh with no name is for any child to give their name.
If you would like to see a little story about this go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvWU-Wl4Ycc&safe=active

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvWU-Wl4Ycc&safe=active

Reduce reuse recycle

Sarah Langi from the Nelson Environment centre has visited us regularly to support us as we work toward our goal of reducing waste in our kindergarten. This morning as she helped us sort through the days rubbish she reminded us that some of our rubbish can be rescued and reused, such as our yoghurt pots, some paper, and plastic containers with the numbers one to  seven on the bottom. The children told her that our food scraps go to the bokashi bin, the compost heap and the worm farm where the worms turn it into soil to feed our plants.  Sadly there is some rubbish that can only go to the landfill because it doesn't break down. This rubbish often turns up in lunch boxes as chippy packets, muesli bar wraps and glad wrap which Sarah calls sad wrap because if it blows around and ends up in our oceans the fish and other sea life can swallow it and die.
The children are learning about ways to care for our kindergarten, each other and our world. Thinking about and taking action about our rubbish is one way we can do this.

Sorting out the paper, plastic which can be rescued and reused and rubbish for the landfill

 

Sarah helps the children to count how many pieces of rubbish in

 lunch boxes will go to the landfill, what can be recycled for the compost or worm farm and what can be reused.

 

An environment that promotes complex thinking

When teachers are thoughtful and responsive to the environment, children respond with wonder and awe.  A complex environment brings complex thinking in that engages complex social groups.  Physical exploration is about taking risks, whether you are building with the blocks, or problem solving complex pipe constructions or riding your bike through a challenge course.

The teachers were in awe this week noticing complex play and thinking unfolding and growing each day as the children worked together in both the indoor and outdoor environments.

4 watertroughs staggered by height enable much bigger water exploration.

Of course our amazing Nelson winter makes this all very possible.

So where to next??  

What do we know about insects

Observing insects in the playground prompted some further exploration as a giant web was recreated using the climbing bars and a nearby tree. The addition of the kindergarten insect collection and a book about insects and the children were soon busy making discoveries and sharing what they know about the lives of insects, where they live and how they camouflage themselves so that we can't find them.

 

Family fun night at Birchwood school hall.

Thank you to our wonderful Family Liason Group for organising the family tea at Birchwood School Hall recently. We shared kai together and  the children introduced their whanau to some of the songs and games we enjoy at kindergarten.

Winter Water exploration

I watched with delight as a child experimented with syphoning from a bucket of sticky mud, he jiggled the pipe up and down several times, stopping every now and then to see if the water was travelling up the pipe.  He went in search of more water, pouring it into the bucket,  he then jiggled the pipe up and down again, stopping to look down the pipe.  The high level of activity had drawn other children into the play, and they set about working together.  The teamwork was spontaneous and they worked like a well oiled machine, almost reading each others minds, one by one they found vessels to pour water down the pipe. Another child responded by connecting pipes together and when the water poured out the joins another child responded by packing mud around the join to block it up. This play continued for over 45 minutes, and during that time there was lots of laughter and excitement too.

Tanya Batt comes to visit

There are special opportunities that just can not be missed and having story time with Tanya Batt is one of those treasured moments.

Teachers, children and parents were spellbound by Tanya's magical storytelling for 1 whole hour, which was filled with wonderment, humour and lessons for young and older.

Tanya also ran workshops for 50 teachers sharing her knowledge and skills about story telling - loads of inspiration and story telling tools for teachers.  (Check out her website)

Thanks for visiting Nayland Kindergarten Tanya and sharing your expertise with children, families, whanau and teachers.

Ambie Ambulance comes to kindergarten.

In response to children's interest in professionals who help in the community we invited Tamra from St Johns to bring her child sized model ambulance "Ambie" to afternoon kindergarten. Tamra showed us all the equipment we would see on an ambulance and asked the children to talk about what each thing might be for . Sylvie-Rose volunteered to have her arm bandaged and we all got to activate the siren.
                                                             

Fire Truck Fire Truck I want to ride on a FIRE TRUCK!

This afternoon a fire truck and two fire fighters came to kindergarten. They let us sit in the engine, they showed us all the equipment and their uniforms and then we all got to squirt the fire hose.
Visits such as the fire engine support children's current interests in emergency services, police, ambulance drivers, doctors and of course fire fighters. Children are able to make links between things they know and their dramatic play and learn more basic skills around fire safety. 

 Teachers have purchased 3 new fire fighting suits for the children which are replicas of the  NZ fire service uniforms and we know the children will enjoy these very much. Watch this space as Ambi the mini ambulance is scheduled to visit us next week continuing to support the children's interest in the medical and emergency services.

Saying goodbye to Kaiako Sue

What a fun week we have had in saying a sad farewell to Kaiako Sue Allen, The morning children walked to Isel Park where we had morning tea and a treat of lemonade ice blocks from Sue.
We played games with the rainbow ring and walked through the park and found a secret butterfly tree where all the children were hiding and Margie thought they were all lost.

 Afternoon children and parents had a special afternoon tea party also with Sue and we finished her last day with  a concert with Levity Beet and his amazing instruments and stories followed by a shared morning tea party with children and parents.

Check Levity and his music out on his website: http://www.levitybeet.com/

Thank you Kaiako Sue for being such a great teacher and friend to us all and we look forward to many catch ups.