Making Friends and Reflecting On Their Day At School

Dear Gecko Class Families, 

It was lovely to catch up with you this week to chat about how your Gecko has been settling into their new class. I found our time extremely valuable, as we exchanged our observations, and shared insights into the progress and growth your child has been making this term. Thank you so much for working in partnership with me to support your child's learning and development! 

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Making Friends

This year, we were excited to welcome many children from the Panda class into the Gecko class, along with some fantastic new friends. It it lovely to see the welcoming classroom community that is beginning to blossom among the Geckos. They show kindness by inviting each other to play and have recently been using the "Buddy Badge" system, which allows them to invite new friends to join in their play or to seek out playmates. 


As the term progresses, it's important to remember that interests and friendships can change. Encouraging children to be open-minded and willing to play with different people fosters social skills, empathy, and a sense of belonging. During our Parent-Teacher meetings, some parents expressed interest in helping their children build friendships within the class. To facilitate this, we've included photos and names of all the Gecko children. You can have fun learning the names of your child's classmates together. Encourage your child to share who they enjoy playing with and who they'd like to befriend.  

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Encouraging your child to reflect on their day 

Encouraging your child to reflect on their day can be a valuable experience. Looking through weekly photo albums together can provide a great opportunity for this. By discussing the classroom happenings, you can help your child reflect on their learning and engage in meaningful conversations about their school life.

Here are some helpful questions you can try with your children when they come home from school: 


Open-Play

During class time, we discuss the activities available for our open-play sessions. Below is the visual we will be using this week. This can serve as an additional tool to encourage your child to talk about what they have played with while at school. You can also motivate your child to consider the areas they have yet to explore and invite them to try new activities!

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Family Maker Survey 

Thank you to those parents who have submitted the Family Maker Survey forms. It's fantastic to see so many talented parent makers in our community!

Kindly note, I'll be reaching out to some parents directly via email to schedule a time that works for both the Gecko class and your schedule. Please know that there's no pressure to participate at this time, and if the timing doesn’t work for you, that’s completely understandable. We'll have other volunteering opportunities later in the term and throughout the year :) 


Photo Albums 

How The World Works AM / PM 

This album contains photos of the children during arrival play, open-play time and some whole class activities. This album is updated weekly. 
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PE AM / PM 

We have PE every Wednesday.  As you can imagine we are enjoying the PE class, running around and helping children with the activities. I hope you can appreciate that we try our best to update the album regularly. 
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Small Group Activities

We have various small group activities throughout our daily Gecko Class time. Photos of these activities are uploaded to separate albums on the Gecko Class Blog.
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Making With Boxes! 

After reading the story "Boxitects" written by Kim Smith, the children were inspired to design and create their own things using cardboard boxes. Over the past two weeks, the children have been designing, collaborating, and creating in our creation station! They explored different materials and used a variety of tools to make their amazing creations! 

** Some snapshots can be found here: AM / PM **

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Let's Learn About Materials 

Through the song "My Five Senses," children were encouraged to think about the purpose of each sense. They then explored the senses of sight and touch by examining a sensory wall filled with materials like foil, shells, wooden chips, and sandpaper. The children showed great curiosity, asking questions about the materials and expressing interest in learning more about their origins and uses.

This week, the children will embark on a "Material Hunt." using an I-Spy frame, they will explore the school grounds, observing how different materials have been used to create various objects around them. 

Kindly note this photo album will be updated throughout the week as the Gecko's continue their inquiry. 

**Some snapshots from the activity can be found here: AM / PM **

Have a fantastic week ahead! 

Ammie :) 



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