Rainy Days

22nd February

What do we do when it is raining but the children want to get outside and play? We put on our raincoats, get out the umbrellas and off we go to the playground. And if the children don't have an umbrella? We have now purchased 15 Kindy raincoats so that we can get outside no matter what the weather. So it looked like we had lots of little orange gnomes out in the playground that morning!

Who needs a hose to turn the slide into a water slide when it has been raining? The
children soon discovered how fast they could come down when they pulled their coats down so that they were sitting on them or if they laid on their tummies. What fun we all had!

Did you know

What a surprise we got when we started to dig up our carrots which had grown enormous green tops over the summer holidays.
First carrot out of the ground was white, then another white carrot, then a yellow one. What was going on here. Did we plant parsnips by mistake?
As we dug we were pleased to see one or two orange ones among our harvest. There was even a reddish one with and orange centre.
There were theories offered by children and adults. The garden was too shady. We had multi coloured seed.
I was curious so had to investigate. I discovered that 'Carrots originated in Middle Asia, with some historians believing that they were known as far back as Ancient Egypt over 5,000 years ago. It is not clear if they were actually cultivated at this time, however by the 10th century in Afghanistan, they were being grown in the colours purple or yellow.
These weren’t the only colours around, however. In addition to purple and white, carrots were grown in red, yellow and even black.
It has been said that in the 16th century some Dutch farmers succeeded in growing the first orange carrots in honour of the House of Orange.
This may or may not be true but it makes a good story.
Looking in the Kings seed catalouge I see that you can by seed for these carrots of many colours.
Why grow only orange carrots, I say.
The children agreed that whatever the colour, carrots fresh out of the garden make good munching and crunching.

The wonder of nature

A big thanks to Margaret and Jake for bringing in the baby canary so that the children could have the unique experience of seeing a 15 day old chick in action.  Jake's family raise many different birds at home and Margaret had discovered this chick cold and not very responsive that morning.
The good news was that when she took it home from kindergarten and put it back into the nest, the adult birds took over its care again.

Chips for morning tea

Returning to kindergarten it is time to assess the state of our gardens which have had to cope without regular watering over the break. A rainy December and new bark on Mt Wharepapaiti has meant the grasses planted have thrived over summer and are looking good.
Digging out the potato barrel revealed a kilogram or two of potatoes. I had some willing helpers to dig them out of the dirt and Ratisha cleaned them with a scrubbing brush and water. Thanks Ratisha.
Leaving them damp in a plastic bag over the weekend wasn't such a good idea we discovered. Pooowheee!!!!! Where did that smell come from?
Another round of scrubbing and cleaning was in order. Again Ratisha was a great helper.
What should we do with them now. After some discussion about the different ways to eat potatoes it was decided we were going to make CHIPS.
There is never a shortage of helpers when it comes time to prepare food. You can't cut up potatoes with a blunt knife so out came our sharpest knives and the chopping boards. Taking turns, the children soon had the potatoes chopped, spread on a tray and in the oven.
Only two sticking plasters were needed when fingers got in the way!
By the time the chippies came out of the oven most of the children were all sitting down for morning tea.
Ratisha was able to share them out to those keen to try the result of our hard work and good growing and cooking skills.
Can't wait to plant some more in the coming season.

"Sharing our pets"

This week both Devin and Stuart brought their pets into kindergarten for us to all enjoy. Devin was very excited to see his Mum and Dad come through the gate with the kittens. Almost immediately a group of children came running to see what was inside the box. Funnily enough right behind them came Stuart's Mum with his pet canary.

Dan and Shantelle soon had the children organised sitting down and quietly waiting for the kittens to approach them so that could have a hold. Everybody commented on the softness of their fur and the roughness of their tongues when the kittens tried to lick them . These three cute kittens are looking for forever homes, so if your after a new family member you might like to chat to Devin's family.

Stuart's yellow canary sat up on top of the art easel all morning and kept Tania entertained while we went out side to have a session with Lee. As we came back we heard him singing a most beautiful song which was pretty cool.
Thank You Devin and Stuart and your whanau for bringing in your pets to meet us.

Summer Fun.

We trust you have managed to have a restful break and taken some time to enjoy a break with the ones who are important to you.Each of the teachers came back feeling refreshed and excited about a new year ahead. And from the many conversations we have had with you and your children we get the feeling that you are too.Many of the children have been so excited to get back into kindergarten and without missing a beat that have taken up where they left off last December. One of the pleasures of summer in Nelson is the many ways we get to enjoy the water. And kindergarten is no exception.During an afternoon session this week two of the boys decided to have a bit of a water fight, the laughter and fun was contagious and soon we invited them to bring the water onto the slide.I am sure any body walking past kindergarten was thoroughly entertained by the laughter and fun they could easily see happening.Before long as you can well imagine a group of excited and eager children arrived to have a go too.Lynne came up with the idea of trying out the new clear tunnel ( it was certainly a hit). I think the children enjoyed being able to watch each other go through it.At the end of this we had several very wet soggy and happy children.While the warm weather continues you can be sure that plenty of water play opportunities will arise so make sure you send your child with a few changes of clothes.

Welcome back and welcome to Arkmid's family

2012 at Nayland Kindergarten has begun, yes we are back! 

Arkmid our very special kindergarten camel, who flew back with Lynne from the UAE last year, would like to welcome you all back and we look forward to catching up with you all and hearing about your holidays.

Arkmid has some exciting news to tell you all, his family Jamal and Jamelia flew out from Dubai for the holidays and they have decided to stay and enjoy Nelson and Nayland Kindergarten.  They have been very busy catching up with old and new friends over the Christmas and New Year and exploring Nelson to find out what exciting things there are to do here.





















Arkmid loves to go home with children and families to have adventures, and there are lots of exciting stories in his profile book about going on holiday in the Marlborough sounds, having an operation to fix his wobbley neck and getting up to mischief with his kindergarten friends.

So watch out for further stories about their adventures and we look forward to sharing their stories with you.
See you all back next week.

Hard to believe another year of life, love, learning and laughter at Nayland Kindergarten has come to an end.For me it has been a fantastic year, one of challenge, inspiration, new learning and much laughter.
Thank you to you all, children , parents, families and my fellow teachers for a wonderful year, I have loved it all, and thank you for your friendship and support. I wish you all a safe and restful holiday break .
Just recently I read a great quote from a website "kidshealth.org" which said" Children on average laugh 200 times a day. Adults laugh 15 - 18 times a day.Having a child gives you the chance to make up a pretty big humour deficit" .
Food for thought indeed.Take time to relax and enjoy your family. Remember to Laugh often.
I wish you all a safe and happy Christmas and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.
Nga mihi nui kia koutou (Warm greetings to you all)
Kaiako Mary.
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Metacognition in action

Be as amazed as I was today as Levi constructed a geometrically balanced sky tower.
Levi has been starting his day in the block corner for 3 terms now, and each an every day he brings new thinking and new designs to which he applies his growing knowledge and skills base.
Levi and I had been discussing why his recent buildings were toppling over, and how he could make his foundations more stable. (As there has been alot of talk about earthquakes ). He responded quickly with a fresh idea to strengthen his base by multiplying his blocks, and this soon led to new thinking about the height he could possibly build to. He started with a 1 block base, then 2, then 3 then 4, testing its strength and shake ability each step of the way.
The proof is in the pudding, as they say - Check this out.

 Levi's first goal was to make it higher than me  - all of my 1.55 metres.  
It soon surpassed me and he needed another chair to reach higher.
He measured everyone against it as they  passed by.









Levi then dismantled the top part of his tower and remodelled it with much larger blocks.  The care, precision and design were without fault.  He ensured it was strong by testing each level with a shake test, and the larger blocks were placed across ways to balance the structure.


Levi allowed me the privilege of putting the block on the top, with the help of the two chairs stacked on top of each other.

Levi and I have looked at many of the tallest buildings in the world, but this time Levi, the Burj Kahlifa comes to mind.

I wonder if you will be a structural engineer one day or maybe an architect or builder?

Simply the best

Just a little Christmas cheer for our wonderful story gran Jenny. She is the ultimate story gran turning her hand not just to reading books, but to dancing, face painting, artwork, dramatic play and mat time mahem. 

There are not enough thank you's in the world Jenny to tell you how much we really appreciate everything you do for the children at Nayland Kindergarten.

A New Birthday Chair

The wonderment of numbers

At 11 minutes past 11 oclock on the 11th day of the 11th month in the 11th year of 2000 Nayland Kindergarten celebrated the wonderment of numbers.

Our varied understanding of the importance of this day was celebrated by the children and teachers as they counted the seconds backwards from 20 to 0 to that moment when the number aligned.

I wonder what the children will think in 1 year, 5 years or 10 years time when they look back on this moment as they celebrate other important dates in their lives.

Signing off but not out!

Yes it is official my badge now says I am a teacher, not the Head Teacher, as Margie and I have exchanged roles.  I have had an amazing journey over the last 8+ years as Head Teacher at Nayland Kindergarten, and can genuinely say that I have loved every minute of it.

I delight in seeing ex Nayland Kindergarten children and families in the street, in their places of work and popping back into say hi.  Just the other day a young man called out over the kindergarten fence to say hi, and as I stood there looking up at him (all of 6 foot) it reminded me of the many families and children who have been a part of this place during my time. 

I would very much like to thank my work colleagues, Kindergarten Association, children, families, local schools and the wider community for the many opportunities, experiences and fun times.
The best bit is, that I get to stay in "the best job in the world" and continue to be a teacher at Nayland Kindergarten.

Thanks to Philippa for my new photo, she has certainly captured me at play, after all who would not want to play everyday.

The wharenui is near completion

The walls are on, thanks to Tala and a number of children who helped bang in the tag nails to hold on the bamboo cladding. It is now time for the roof and the placement of the kowhaiwhai panels to be completed and we will have our new permanent wharenui (meeting house).
The children have been learning their waiata to be ready for the powhiri and also several children have begun learning the karanga to call our visitors onto our marae.

Lucy has made a sign reminding the children of the tikanga of the wharenui which are no shoes, no water and no food. At our place it also means no sand or mud.

 

The wharenui signifies a greater journey for the tamariki and kaiako of Nayland Kindergarten as we strengthen our te reo through the daily recital of our mihimihi and srengthen our use of te reo throughout our day. What a journey and what a celebration. Watch this space to see the wharenui completed and the powhiri which we will share with our community including Nayland Primary, especially past tamariki and their whanau and Akomanga wha - Room 4 and Kaiako Nicky Mason for all their teaching and support of our journey.

Check out earlier posts on this blog about our first wharenui and is you would like to learn more te reo and tikanga around this event and in everyday practice.
http://www.learningmedia.co.nz/ngata/
http://www.korero.maori.nz/

Lines LInes Lines

 

Kaiako Sue Matthews has ignited an interest with children and teachers in lines and spider webs after watching the amazing video " Our Creative Children."  The children have been experimenting and creating with string, wool, sticks, paint and beads. The art work is stunning and in many different forms.

Take a look at the movie below and see the provocation for some of our  art work over the past three weeks.
http://youtu.be/2Mf6In5e1EE

Dancing with the stars

We love to dance and dance at Nayland Kindergarten whether it be inside or out. Lady Gaga is a favourite and she is often choosen by both the boys and girls.  Of late we have created a stage in the blue room where we have audiences to show our techniques and artistic abilities to. So if you have a spare few minutes come and have a boogie with us. 

Music and dance are core elements of our curriculum and fit within the teaching teamʼs belief in the importance of creativity in childrenʼs learning and development. Musical research tells us that movement is important for brain development and visual ability. Research also tells us that children who are capable movers become confident people. Children’s ability to move their bodies and manipulate it are essential skills in learning about direction and spacial awareness. These are critical skills that are then transferred to the learning of symbols such as letters and their formation. Children need to have control of their torso, shoulders and arms before they master the ability to control finger movement.