Eastmont Newsletter

Issue 8, September 2019

President's Report

Holidays are almost upon us! Just a reminder that now that it is Spring, all children need to wear their sunhats at kinder and parents need to apply sunscreen on days that the UV is above 3 (in accordance with our Sun Protection policy)

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) packs for families returning in 2020 will be handed out during the first week of term (or mailed out to families not currently at Eastmont). These will have important information and forms that need to be completed and returned in a timely manner to secure places for your child/ren for 2020. 

Helen is retiring at the end of the year. She has been a loved member of our team for 26 years. We are having a combined birthday/farewell for her at the Coach in Ringwood on Thursday 19th September. Please RSVP by if you can make it. This is an adult only event – the children (and current families who can’t make the dinner) will have a chance to say goodbye during set sessions in December. 

Please put the following dates in your calendar:

  • Our last working bee for the year will be held on Sunday 6th October from 9am – 11am to prepare the kinder for Term 4. It will be a big working bee as we have a big list of jobs to do so we need lots of people to help! Everyone is welcome to come along. Please RSVP using this link:  https://volunteersignup.org/PHMWD
  • Our Bunnings BBQ Fundraiser will be held on Sunday 20th October. We will also be running a cake stall at Bunnings. It is expected that all families pitch in to help with this event and help on the day and/or bake something for the stall. There will be more information coming soon.  

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Term 3 holidays!

- Cassie

Dates for your Diary

4yo Report

After teaching the children the Pirate Song, Helen organised a treasure hunt in the garden. The children all made pirate hats and drew their own maps before going outside to search for the treasure chest. There was lots of excitement when they discovered a gold-coloured box filled with pretend gold coins and chocolate frogs to take home.

We have been continuing with work sheets each week to help extend and develop the children’s fine motor skills. There has also been lots of creating at the pasting table with children working on their own projects using paper, tape and a variety of recycled materials.

Outside the children enjoyed helping to design and set up various obstacle courses using a combination of plastic hoops, metal  A-frames, wooden blocks and a tunnel. It was even more fun jumping, climbing and crawling through the various courses.

To coincide with National Science Week we were visited by Science for Preschoolers. The children all enjoyed lots of hands on experiments including making volcanoes erupt.

Little Woodworkers visited and we all learned about sustainability and the importance of trees in our environment. All the children then assembled a wooden toolbox as a present for their dads using real tools including hammers, screws and power screw drivers.

Thanks to Megan, Melissa, Cassie, and Emma for organsing a wonderful Father’s Day morning tea. The children did some fun activities with their dads/special visitors and enjoyed the hot party pies and sausage rolls.

The Responsible Pet Education Program visited the kinder last week. On Tuesday Simon brought his dog Rory and on Friday Pam brought Jemma. The presenters talked to the children about how to keep safe around dogs including their own pets. This program is supported by songs that we have been singing with the children including “I Love my Dog” and “Stop, Ask, Smell, Pat”. The children took turns demonstrating the safe way to approach dogs and then were able to pat Rory or Jemma.

The children have enjoyed learning about the colours of the Aboriginal Flag through the action song titled, ‘Red, Black, and Yellow’. To build on this learning the children got to examine a didgeridoo. The class engaged in shared conversations as the children hypothesized about how the Didgeridoo became hollow. To learn more we viewed a clip of an Indigenous Australian selecting and making a didgeridoo and the children were amazed to learn that termites hollowed it out!

Don’t forget-Footy/Dress Up Days next Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th September.

- Sonya & Kate 

3yo Report

To mark the start of spring we planted some bean seeds in one our raised garden beds and we discussed how plants need water and sunlight to grow. We have been singing The Spring Time Song, Little Seed and Vege Patch. The children have enjoyed a sensory experience playing with the kinetic sand, painting on the clear easel with liquid chalk markers and painting with watercolour. We also had our footy colours/dress-up day.  The children spread nuttelex and covered their bread in sprinkles to make fairy bread for snack time.  We played musical bobs during mat group time. During the past few weeks the children have discovered the wooden indoor blocks. They have enjoyed building with the blocks often spending a great amount of time creating their structures and requesting their buildings to be photographed and included in the slideshow. Emily and Carmel from Carrington Health (Dental) visited during two of our sessions and spoke to the children about dental health. The children participated in an activity about everyday foods and sometimes foods. We were shown the correct way to brush our teeth. Thanks to Megan and the Committee for organising the Fathers Day morning tea, the feedback I received was the the event was a great success. 

- Sue

Social & Fundraising Update

Well another term has almost finished and then it will be Term 4, the last one of the year, which is hard to believe! The Social & Fundraising team has been a bit quieter this term, but we are busy chipping away at upcoming events and fundraising. Thank you to the 36 Fathers / Special friends who came to the Father’s Day morning tea in late August, it was a huge success. The Dads that I have spoken to had fun spending the time with their child, seeing what they do at kinder and creating a special gift together. Thank you to Cassie, Mel, Bron and Emma for helping out in my absence. The Vision Portraits were also a big success with 14 families booking in. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t have the photos taken outside, but the photographer still managed to take some great pictures for all the families. I am looking forward to receiving mine and putting it in my frame, as I am sure the other families are too. 

Our next fundraiser is the Expression tea towel with all the self-portraits the children have drawn. (So cute!) I can’t wait to see the finished product in the next few months. This year we will also be adding an exciting new product, so look out for the flyer and order form in the children’s pockets this week. Such great Christmas presents.

Our other big fundraiser for Term 4 is the Bunnings BBQ and cake stall on Sunday 20th October at Vermont South Bunnings. As this is one of our biggest fundraisers for the kinder, so we would love all kinder families to volunteer their time to help out on the day or bake something for the cake stall. We will need lots of baked goodies to sell. So for all those bakers out there, get ready to bake!  More details and a volunteer sign up will be sent out soon. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and is already for the fun of Term 4. 

Thank you

- Megan

Our 2019 Teachers

Our 2019 Management Committee

Director: Sonya Skok - eastmont.kin@kindergarten.vic.gov.au 

President: Cassie - president@eastmont.org.au

Vice President: Melissa - vicepresident@eastmont.org.au

Treasurer:  Kath - treasurer@eastmont.org.au

Secretary: Carole - secreatary@eastmont.org.au

Minutes Secretary: [Vacant] -minutessecretary@eastmont.org.au

Enrolment Officer (3yo): Xiao (Maggie) - enrolment3yo@eastmont.org.au

Enrolment Officer (4yo): Katie - enrolment4yo@eastmont.org.au

Social/Fundraising Coordinator: Megan - fundraising@eastmont.org.au

Grants/Policy/OHS: Sarah - grantspolicyohs@eastmont.org.au

Projects/Maintenance: Jawad - projects@eastmont.org.au

Communications Officer: Bronwyn - communications@eastmont.org.au

Administrative Officer: Lynette Ellis - admin@eastmont.org.au

CONTACT US

At Eastmont Pre-School we offer a play-based, child centred-curriculum that is guided by the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework and the Early Years Learning Framework. Click here to read more about the Eastmont Philosophy.