Pikanini Two always start their day off with adventures. We have been going to the wild space to revisit our garden and see our herbs growing. The children like to explore living things; sticks can be used for digging in the dirt to find bugs and insects. At one time out in the wild space, they discovered a snail, and we had a great conversation about how we must take care of it, especially when it’s still a baby. Our herbs have grown so well since June. The children get to explore the plants and have a taste of it.
For NAIDOC Week, the children were shown Aboriginal dances, pasting natural materials that were picked from outside by the children and educators for arts and crafts. Their artwork turned out to be so beautiful.
We pretended to make a fire. Feedback from a parent showed that her daughter has good knowledge about their culture, and she also brought in a book to share about her Aboriginal background. We also did an activity on how Islanders cook in an earth oven. The children showed much interest in this experience.
Olympic games in France were also embedded into our program. We walked around the centre with a torch to represent the event’s opening.
During Book Week, children had a wonderful book-reading session with a grandparent. She read amazing books, Thelma the Unicorn, one about a polar bear, and another about a Grandpa going to the beach with his grandchild. We also had a child bring her book to read to her friends. “Claris the mouse “. Educators were dressed as characters in the Caterpillar story, as fairies and Bunnies, and as Little Red Riding Hood.
During the forum, educators have been intentional about shapes and colours. We have a few children who can name and identify colours and shapes and count from one to ten. We support the children in counting by singing, counting songs, counting objects, or getting involved in their play, such as jumping.
For sustainability, we have been skilling the children to use leftover water from their bottles to water our plants. As a team, we have provided opportunities to collaborate with the children, giving them ownership of their environment where they can take care of it and look after it.
Mrs Laqere
Pikanini Two Curriculum Leader