news&views

Celebrating
our achievements
Relationships are EVERYTHING!
Christmas boredom busters
Skills, experiences and helpful hints
ISSUE TWO December 2010
geraldine.kindergarten@blogspot.com
 NEWS & VIEWS issue no.2
Great
community.
Great
education.
Great
kids!
GERALDINE KINDERGARTEN
News & Views Magazine
25 Wilson Street, Geraldine 7930
HEAD TEACHER: Tania Boland
PHONE: 03 693 8888
EMAIL: geraldine.kindy@xtra.co.nz
BLOG: www.blogspot.co.nz
Geraldine Kindergarten
DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Saltmine Design
24 Hislop Street Geraldine 7930
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Fi McCafferty
PHONE: 03 693 8237
EMAIL: fi@saltmines.co.nz
Teaching makes
AS THE YEAR draws to a close it is a
time to celebrate and reflect on our
achievements and create new plans for
improvement in the year to come. We
are presented with some challenges as
we start 2011 with the current financial
climate in early childhood looking grim,
and the education sector as a whole
fighting to sustain a quality learning
environment for all. I am reminded as
I write this of the ‘Teachers Matter’ conference we attended at the
beginning of 2010, where Karen Boyes said encouragingly, ‘Teachers
make all professions possible!’ It is important to remember how
valuable teachers are to our society. We are often quick to make
teachers responsible when things are going wrong. We forget to
thank them for the amazing job they do educating and socialising
our next generation each day. We are so fortunate in the small
community of Geraldine to have many qualified and experienced
teachers to support us and guide our children from kindergarten
through primary and secondary school and into our workforce.
What a great place to raise children!
OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING IN 2010 The teaching team have
been involved in professional learning this year, completing courses
with Karen Boyes on how the ‘Habits of Mind’ (and our curriculum
Te Whariki) link with the new New Zealand Curriculum framework
for schools, through the key competencies. Teachers came away
from this course inspired by such a dynamic speaker and were
affirmed, knowing we are offering high quality teaching and
learning experiences to the children of Geraldine Kindergarten.
The course allowed us to dig a bit deeper into the current theories
on teaching and learning and consider what areas of our practice
we needed to critically explore.
We continued this exploration through CORE Education. We have
focused on sustaining our assessment and planning for learning
practices, using ICT as a tool to support children to see and reflect
on their own learning. By using ICT, children are able to view
themselves as the ‘experts’ and as capable, confident learners.
We know that the children of today, who will be citizens of the
 from the EDITOR |2

all other professions possible

21st century will need to be ‘learners for life’. They will need Mind’. Also, this magazine has been linked to the CORE Education
strengths in some of the following areas to be successful in life; and New Zealand kindergarten's Incorporated websites as
the ability to really consider and think about their own thinking an example of high quality practice.
(metacognition), an empathy and understanding for people
Working together with Geraldine high school students, we have
different from themselves (especially important with the
mutually supported each others learning through projects in
development of global communities), creativity, the ability to be
sport, culture, science, and literacy this year. We appreciate and
risk-takers, to be able to work and think as a team, to problem
value the students and teachers who come to the kindergarten
solve, to persist, to manage themselves responsibly, and to
to share their learning with us, knowing they enhance our
generate and consider options or alternatives. Two key points
children’s learning by positively engaging in tuakana-teina
we have considered in our own teaching are, firstly, the need to
relationships (mentoring from a more experienced peer).
give children time to think and respond - experts say we need
We have continued to support students from Aoraki Polytechnic,
to allow at least 7-10 seconds for a response - and secondly, to
and three students from Geraldine High School as part of the
take the time to sit back, observe and listen to children playing,
Gateway work experience programme in 2010.
prior to engaging with them. It is frustrating for children when an
adult interrupts their work with their own ideas and subsequently EXTERNAL REVIEW OFFICE REPORT Again, we are excited to
disturbs their thought processes and planning. have received an excellent report from ERO highlighting
strengths in the quality of teaching and learning: ‘Teachers
We took the opportunity to participate in a workshop by
view children as competent and confident learners, where
Tessarose Productions. This gave teachers the opportunity to
teaching practices extend children’s thinking and where play
revisit our use of music and movement in our teaching. We came
creates many opportunities for meaningful learning to happen
away from this course enthused about the potential of music to
for our children’. Further strengths noted were a richly
support children to explore their own body, spatial awareness,
resourced environment and a range of opportunities for children
movement and the important role movement plays in
to engage meaningfully with ICT. ERO reported on the quality of
developing the connections in their brains necessary for
planning, assessment and evaluation of children’s learning, our
language and mathematics. Music can help us be in tune with
relationships and interactions with children, families and
our emotions, calm and excite us too.
whanau, external services and the wider community as other
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS We are fortunate to have built a areas of strength. A full copy of the report is available at the
relationship with Jan Beck-Manawatu, the Maori health advisor kindergarten or online. Check the Education Review Office
from Wave. Mrs Beck-Manawatu has supported us to not only website.
improve our Te Reo (speaking Maori), but also our
Your positive feedback has allowed us to continue ‘GK News
understanding of the importance and protocols for celebrating
& Views’ in 2011 – so keep that feedback coming! Check out our
Matariki and learning our mihimihi. We are also exploring a
Christmas holiday boredom busters and we wish you all a safe
Maori perspective on paptuanuku aroha (sustainability) and
and happy holiday. Remember slip, slop, slap and wrap.
with the support of local acting teacher Jill Roberts, have
Enjoy a Merry Christmas from your Teaching Team at
supported our tamariki (children) to learn the legend ‘Tarahaoa’
Geraldine Kindergarten.
- creating turangawaewae (a standing - a place to belong).
We are fortunate to have been asked to support Bayfield and
Templeton Kindergarten teachers learning of the ‘Habits of
Tania TANIA BOLAND, HEAD TEACHER
3| COURAGE & CURIOSITY adventures from the playground

Te Whariki
New Zealand
Early Childhood
Curriculum
In early childhood, knowledge, skills
and attitudes are closely linked.
These three aspects combine to
form a child’s working theory.
Children are developing more SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION:
elaborate and useful working
theories about people, places and
things in their lives. These working
theories contain a combination
‘The rocket flew up with water
of knowledge about the world,
skills and strategies,
YEAR 10 SCIENCE extension students from Knowledge. They are also using techniques
attitudes and expectations. Geraldine High School visited us and shared such as listening, questioning, predicting,
several experiments with our excited making comparisons and remembering to
Kindergarten children. create and build on their working theories.
The experiments gave the children New Zealand’s Early Childhood Curriculum,
opportunities to explore scientific concepts Te Whariki, sets out the following goals under
such as elements, gravity, forces, electrical the strand Exploration – Mana Aotaroa:
circuits, and chemical reactions and changes. • Children learn strategies for active
Participating in these experiments exploration, thinking and reasoning;
encourages children to use Habits of Mind • Children develop working theories for
such as Questioning and Problem Posing, making sense of the natural, social,
Remaining Open to Continuous Learning, physical and material worlds.
Thinking Flexibly and Applying Past
 |4

‘They made a
volcano and it was
a foaming volcano.’

‘We had goggles

for safety.’

‘A foot pump - they

used it to point the
rocket up at the sky!’

‘The boys made a

noise with batteries.’
and air and a pump!’ ‘Mixing colours -
orange green and
Having the students visit us was a great
way to affirm links to our wider community purple…and yellow!’
which includes the high school students and
their families, and a fantastic opportunity for ‘Glasses to keep our
the Kindergarten children to be mentored by eyes safe from fire,
the students. In the future we hope to enjoy smoke and glass.’
more of these visits which will strengthen
the relationship between Kindergarten
and the high school, and encourage more
‘The eggs! They went
active learning alongside some inside the glass with the
knowledgeable mentors. paper and they couldn’t
EMMA YOUNG come out.’
5| Need a HELPING hand?
Transitioning to school
TRANSITIONING TO SCHOOL can be
an emotional time and a little bit
scary for both children and parents.
We thought that with the support of
our contributing schools we would
give you some handy hints to help
give your child the skills they will need
to make the experience less overwhelming
for everyone. Thank you to Winchester,
Geraldine and Woodbury schools for your
collective ideas.
SKILLS
WORK WITH YOUR CHILD TO LEARN TO:
• Greet someone verbally with eye contact
• Recognise their own name
• Write their name in upper and lower case
letters i.e. Emma
• Begin to recognise some alphabet letters,
names and sounds
• Hold a pencil correctly (triangle pencils
available from the Warehouse Stationery)
• Use scissors
• Go to the toilet by themselves
• Catch sneezes and coughs (in the crook
of their arm)
• Be independent and able to open and
organise lunchboxes, dress themselves,
carry and pack their own bag
• Sit on the mat with a group of children
• Count to ten
• Know shapes and colours
• Have knowledge of social skills and
boundaries
EXPERIENCES
FAMILIARISE YOUR CHILD WITH:
• Nursery rhymes and fairy tales
• Poems
• Looking at books together - talk about it,
read lots of books, develop a love of
reading and have a set time for reading
• Having fun with rhyming words
• Talking to together - it takes a lot of
practice to learn to speak and listen as
well. Use every opportunity - in the car,
mealtimes, at the shops etc
• Spending quality time with an adult
• Holding conversations/social interactions
• A lot of oral language
• Singing
• Fine motor co-ordination
• Basic math - counting, sorting, comparing,
ordering, patterning, matching
• Writing - practice writing a letter, make a
sign or a card
OTHER HELPFUL TIPS
FOR YOUR CHILD:
• Be able to tie up their shoe laces or
have the option to wear velcro shoes
• Be able to blow their own nose properly
• Know how to wash hands correctly by
using soap and water for 20 seconds
• Have their name on everything
• Have a backpack large enough to
carry everything in
• Have a drink bottle with water
GAEL WILLIAMS
 LEARNING IS FUN so be a learner every day |6

SCIENCE & VISUAL ARTS:

Which came first:

the chicken
or the egg?
THE CHICKENS HAVE ARRIVED! We put a clucky
hen in the lovely coop featured in the first issue
of News & Views - made by the children with
help from James Craddock and materials kindly The arrival of
donated by Geraldine ITM (thank you). the chickens
The children looked at the hen often, and we
kept a calendar for each of the 21 days it took created a lot
for the eggs to hatch. We had to ‘Manage Our
Impulsivity’ and not disturb her too often.
of excitement!
The Taylor family of Carew provided bantam
eggs and sadly our clucky hen didn’t always
keep all of the eggs warm. But two gorgeous
little chickens eventually hatched.
We waited quietly for the chickens to come out
into the run. And they did! We gave mother hen
a slater and she ate it, but first she showed her
chicks. Jessica painted a picture of our hen,
Jessica and Kelisha decorated the border with
their printing.
Now that they have hatched, the children are
carefully feeding and watering the chickens.
Please talk with your child about how a mother
hen protects her chicks and keeps them warm -
and how does she tell them that there’s fresh
food about?
ssica
LIZ MILLS Our hen by Je
7| LEARNING IS FUN so be a learner every day

SOCIAL SCIENCES:

How important are

Wise words:
He aha te mea
nui o te ao?
What is the most
important thing BEING AN EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER relationship building is very important
in the world? I have had the fortune to watch a lot of on every level to ensure that our three-year-
He tangata, he three-year-olds meet and play with other olds develop to become confident and
tangata, he tangata. children at kindergarten. Mum and Dad are competent learners in the 21st century.
It is the people, excited but anxious at the same time. Often
Children entering kindergarten are learning
it is the people, it’s the first time that the child has been
what it’s like to interact with different kinds
it is the people. parted from their sibling and often questions
of people, new places, and wide ranging
arise like‘Will they like it?’, ‘Will they eat?’,
experiences. They approach those
MAORI PROVERB or ‘Will they play with the other children?’
interactions with courage and curiosity
Of course it’s not always easy to be parted rather than judgment.
from those so close and assumptions can’t
Children will choose where they will play,
always be made, in whatever role we play,
who they will play with and alongside, and
that we will know what to do. Adults are
will come across situations that will
learners, too, bringing their own
challenge them. Their language will develop
expectations and aspirations to their
as they problem solve, build strategies to
child’s learning environment. Therefore,
work with others and share what they know.
 |8

our relationships? The habits that

surround relationships
are encouraged rather
than taught at
Geraldine Kindergarten.
For example, children
will be immersed in
communities where
people discuss rules,
are fair, explore
questions about how
things work, and help
each other.

They are learning in the moment and no

judgments need to be made.
A wide range of friendships develop
in our learning environment. It’s a place
where children find comfort and take turns
in letting the other lead. A place where they
learn to share toys and immerse themselves
in creative and imaginative play that
supports them as they make sense of the
world in which they live.
As a teacher it is fascinating to watch as,
over time, these wonderful relationships
form. I have learned so much from watching
your children play!
LOUISE SHERRATT
9| BEHIND THE SCENES our Board of Trustees

What does the

Board of Trustees do?
The Board of Trustees governs the Geraldine Looking ahead to 2011 we may have up
...
OUT THIS SITE Kindergarten, whilst the General Manager to four vacancies on the board.
HEY! CHECK
oversees its operation. The Board is
responsible for setting the strategic SURVEY RESULTS
direction of the Kindergarten Association In our recent Strategic Planning Survey,
and overseeing the management of some families said they would like us to
personnel, property, finance and consider changes to the afternoon
administration. It is the Board’s responsibility session time.
to deal with employment matters referred to After feedback from the Strategic Planning
them by the General Manager as well as on the hours of afternoon session the Board
ensuring effective communication with
Did you know? the community.
recently conducted a survey on changing
the hours of afternoon kindergarten.
New Zealand While this sounds all very official being We received 29 replies (thanks to those who
Kindergarten's on your Board of Trustees, it is actually took the time to reply). The number of
Quality ECE: Worth the a job made much easier due to the fact replies and the mix of opinions was not
investment report states: that we are supported by a enthusiastic conclusive enough for a change to be made
teaching team and Helen, our fantastic at this stage.
‘High quality early and knowledgeable General Manager. From these results, a working party is being
childhood education helps The 2010 GDFKA Board of Trustees set up to investigate different options.
prepare young children members are: Two Board members, the General Manager,
to succeed in school and Head Teacher and a teacher representative
Matt Morrison, President
become better citizens: will make up the team and will put forward
Sarah Foley-Smith, Vice President
they earn more, pay more a paper to the Board by June 2011. In the
Max De Bonth, Treasurer
taxes, and commit meantime the kindergarten morning and
Kim Harris
fewer crimes’. afternoon sessions will continue as is.
Michelle Schoneveld
Sarah Wilson OUR COMMITMENT
Adele Quinn
Geraldine Kindergarten is committed to:
TERM DATES
Ashleigh Pace
2011 Your Board of Trustees are all volunteers
• 100% qualified and registered teachers
• Ratios of one teacher to every ten children
who are elected for a two-year term • High quality early childhood education
TERM 1: 26 January - 15 April
TERM 2: 02 May - 15 July
TERM 3: 01 August - 07 October
TERM 4: 24 October - 21 December RESPECT • EXCELLENCE • LEADERSHIP • TEAMWORK • PERSEVERANCE • ACCESSIBILITY
 parents NOTICEBOARD |10

Meet Matt Morrison

PRESIDENT, GDFKA BOARD OF TRUSTEES
FAMILY I am married to Andy and we
have three children; Sam, Molly-Kate and
Will. All three have attended Geraldine
Kindergarten and Will is currently in the
morning session. Sam and Molly-Kate
attend Geraldine Primary School. I am
a teacher at Geraldine High School and
Andy teaches at the Primary School.
REASONS FOR BEING ON THE BOARD
I was very fortunate to have been
brought up in Geraldine. I attended
Geraldine Kindergarten, Geraldine Primary
and Geraldine High School. Now that I have children of my own it is a
great opportunity to become involved in their education. I am
passionate about education, have some experience in educational
Christmas holiday
leadership and basically see this as a chance for me to give some of
my time back to the community. boredom busters!
• Have a family baking day – baking makes great
Meet Kim Harris •
Christmas presents.
Make a grass head; put soil and grass seed in an old
GDFKA BOARD MEMBER stocking – water daily and watch the hair grow!
• Pitch tents in the back yard and go camping.
FAMILY I am married to Grant and have two • Fill buckets with water balloons and have a good,
children- Caleb who's five-years-old and in old-fashioned water balloon war!
his second term at Geraldine Primary School • Make the most of our beautiful local native forests
with a bush walk in Talbot Forest, Peel Forest, or
and Georgia who's coming up for three.
check out the Maori rock art at Kakahu.
We live in a beautiful spot on a few acres at • Create a treasure or scavenger hunt.
Te Moana. I work part-time at McKenzie • Take a tour around town at night to look at the
Healthcare as a Quality Coordinator and houses decorated with Christmas lights.
I also coordinate Geraldine ‘Mainly Music’ • Introduce your children to the games you used to
at St Mary’s Church. play when you were young; Monopoly, Twister,
‘Jackpot’ using a tennis racquet and ball, spotlighting
REASONS FOR BEING ON THE BOARD with a torch in the back yard.
I believe that Early Childhood Education is extremely important • Make a puppet show (recycle old socks!).
and feel that I have some skills and experience from my worklife in • Make a picnic and take it anywhere you like.
healthcare management that can be of benefit to the Association.
FOR MORE IDEAS GO TO:
http://www.byokids.com.au/content/view/766/57/
Wilson Street, Geraldine 7930 PHONE: 03 693 8888 EMAIL: geraldine.kindy@xtra.co.nz BLOG: geraldine.kindergarten@blogspot.com