Friday 31 May 2013

The Geraldine Museum

Our Friday Nohonga tahitanga trip was to our local Museum There was a lot to see and some of the displays were fascinating. Babies being in an old cart by a goat, traction engines in a flood and then there was some fun turning the handles of the butter churns. the children were intrigued by the old telephone exchange where you had to turn an dial for the numbers. Alex recalled that 'You had to put the cables in where you do the numbers


Thursday 30 May 2013

Sharing a story through song and movement



A favourite group experience at the moment is using a funky style song to tell the story of "The Gingerbread Man" and using the parachute in creative and innovative ways to bring life to the story through movement.
Engaging so many senses makes this literacy and music activity  a powerful learning experience and so much fun that we all want to be part of it. Can you see Amber capturing it all on video on the ipad?
Pai rawa atu te kupu ra /that song is awesome!

Tuesday 28 May 2013

It needs more steam.

The sandpit is often one of the busiest places at kindergarten, and it is a great place for working theories to develop. We see lots of group play and discussion often centres around volcanoes, rivers, water ways, lakes, treasure and gravity.Yesterday Innes, Michael, and Logan used a pipe and filled it with water from small buckets....... slowly. "It needs more steam" said Innes. Is steam useful, I pondered? We talked about what was needed to make steam, "water" said Michael, some trains have steam "yes" said Logan "they do, they have coal and fire too." Is steam made by pressure?


 
Perhaps we could visit the vintage machinery museum and find out more about how useful steam has been over the years. What it was used for, and we can talk about what it is used for now.
.

Thursday 23 May 2013

Its Milking Time!

This afternoon a local man Neil dropped off a new resource for the children.
Wow how exciting to see our brand new red dairy shed!
Everyone enjoyed being able to share their own knowledge and understanding around the rotary milking shed and exactly how it worked.

Unfortunately, we didn't have enough cows to fill up shed so a giraffe and pig were lucky enough to be involved in the experiences. Our children are able to think flexibly and explore creative ideas, both individually and as a group, allowing for purposeful contributions by all.

Jed even decided that he needed to make a woolshed alongside the milking shed and joined in on the creative ideas being generated by the gorup of children.
Thank-you Neil for your wonderful creation, we cannot wait for the sheep yards to arrive!

Tuesday 21 May 2013

Dont Forget!

Nathan Mikaere Wallis is speaking at the Geraldine Primary School tommorrow night from 7.30-9pm.
We highly recommend this workshop, having heard Nathan speak before.
'The Developing Brain and how this imp[acts on children reaching their potential'
The evening will be relevant for parents of pre-schooler's. We hope to see you there, if transport is a problem please speak with a member of the teaching team.

Friday 17 May 2013

Electric eeling in the mighty Waihi River

We need to celebrate our Kindergarten when we are able to take the children out into the community!  Geraldine may be a small rural town but it has so much to offer and today we ventured down to the Waihi River to meet Hamish from the Fish and Game in Temuka.

The children have been so interested and involved in fishing of late Hamish agreed to meet us with his new and novel way of fishing!

 It was called Electric Fishing! 



Aiden shared with us that it could "Electro-shoot you!" 

  What amazing knowledge our children are willing to share! 
So we had to take care, Hamish and Ben wore waders to prevent any electric shock.  However, it didn't save the fish from being caught!

We netted brown trout, eels, and bullies!

We learnt so much.  Did you know that cockabullies live in salt water and in fresh water they are called bullies? 

Thursday 16 May 2013

Disco Anticipation Heightens.

Only one more day until our very first kindergarten disco and we can't wait! A special thank you to our Home and Kindergarten Committee for all their hard work orgainising this.
We have been practicing our dancing all over the kindergarten environment in anticipation.We are such creative movers. Watch out for our favourite Jump Jam songs-"Who Let the Dogs Out" and "Witch Doctor" and our other favourite " Gangnam Style"



We also got to make some special disco biscuits for supper.

Wednesday 15 May 2013

PLAYDOUGH

 Here is the recipe for our soft playdough that children enjoy playing with each day. On a Wednesday  the d children help our Kindergarten aide make the dough - It is such an enjoyable experience!

Playdough
4 ½ cups salt
6 heaped tablespoons of cream of tartar
1 ½ cups oil
Add dye for colouring
Add 3 litres of boiling water and another 1 ½ cups
STIR
Add 7 ½ cups of high grade flour
STIR IN
Add another 4 cups of flour
                                 KNEAD (using heat resistant gloves)



Kia ora mo to awhi / thanks for your help!

Tuesday 14 May 2013

Bart Calls in For a Visit

Keisha-Mei had a very innovative way of getting home at the end of the session last week on Bart her pony.
At Kotahitanga time Keisha Mei described Bart to us as a chestnut pony and we were intrigued. Chestnut was an unfamiliar colour to many of us " It's a yellowy brown" Keisha Mei articulately described. When we met Bart at the end of the session we could see that Keisha Mei's description was very accurate.



Thursday 9 May 2013

Geraldine Kindergarten Disco




Kindergarten Disco 
on
Friday 17th May
at
Geraldine Primary School
From
5.30-6.30pm

Entry fee - $2.00

Organised by the Home and Kindergarten

Wednesday 8 May 2013

Welcome back to Term 2


The term has began a little cooler. Children can shed layers of clothes as the day warms up and so please if possible to name your clothing.  Its the time to place hats and coats into the  back packs and a change of clothes.

The elements of the weather create so many exploring opportunities and children love hearing and feeling the sounds of autumn and winter.

Remember to check out our  
Kindergarten BLOG 
to keep up with the happenings 
at Kindergarten!
The BLOG is also a great backup
to check up on times and events
at Kindergarten!

Your comments and ideas on 
the BLOG
are very much appreciated and we
encourage everyone to share the 
BLOG with your children and see 
what they say!

A huge thank you to Helen for organising the painters, diggers, gardeners and cleaners  to ensure the Kindergarten continually looks cared for and an environment that children can safely play!