July 2023

Hi friends welcome to a day at preschool! Today I’m sharing a glimpse of what an ordinary day in our little world looks like. It’s all about the moments of play, learning and discovery that make up a typical day at our preschool. A Day At Preschool The kids arrived with big smiles ready to jump into term 3 after the two-week winter break. Some of the parents made me laugh when they commented on how happy and relieved they were because preschool was open again. It must have felt like forever for them! A Busy Morning During Indoor Play It was pizza time in the home corner which we transformed into a pizza restaurant, complete with a pizza oven, felt bases and toppings. I made the pizza oven two years ago and I think it’s lasted quite well so far. This morning I had to repair the oven door with sticky tape. And it also needs a new light but overall it’s surviving quite well considering how often it gets used. This is what the pizza oven looked like when I first made it. It’s looking a bit more tired these days. After a busy morning filling so many orders, the pizza chefs made a big mess of their workstations. I had the pleasure of ‘tasting’ many of their creations. Some kids worked on tricky puzzles. Others practiced their cutting skills. Lots of rolling and squishing playdough. Some kids totally nailed their box construction game as they created impressive-looking robots. Morning snack time. Look at these delicious lunch boxes! The children from the other class made pancakes during their morning activities. Instead of maple syrup, they poured Blue Agave syrup on their pancakes and they loved it! Although I must say that anything sweet is usually a guaranteed winner! I tried some of the leftovers and they tasted great! Well done teachers and children!! This week we are celebrating NAIDOC week and we watched a video about traditional aboriginal dances. Then it was lunchtime for me and outdoor playtime for the kids. All the staff have to tag team lunch breaks to make sure that we meet our supervision ratios. We get a 50-minute break and this is when I also grab the opportunity to get some blogging done. After my break, it was time for music and movement followed by lunchtime for the children. After lunch, it was relaxation time. The kids each picked a fidget toy. Then settled down on pillows for about 30 minutes. Today no one fell asleep but sometimes we might have one or two children drift off for a little nap. When relaxation time was over the kids packed away their toys and pillows and it was time for more outdoor play until pick-up time. Afternoons are always a flurry of activity at preschool, with packing away and cleaning as well as getting things ready for the next day. Trust me, there’s never a dull moment! It’s like a built-in workout and who needs a gym membership when you’ve got this much physical activity? Getting my steps up is a breeze, and it’s definitely a great way to stay active. So, that’s a day at preschool- a mix of fun and hard work every single day. As an educator, I’m grateful to be part of these little ones’ lives as they learn and grow. I have to admit that keeping up with their endless energy can be tough on this not-so-young body. Not to mention all the setup and cleanup we do all day long. But it’s a very rewarding job and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Except maybe on rainy days when we are stuck inside. On those days I might let my mind wander and briefly daydream about switching careers hehe!

After the winter school holidays, we are back at preschool and kicking off by celebrating NAIDOC week. What is NAIDOC week? NAIDOC week is an annual event held in Australia and the acronym “NAIDOC” stands for “National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee”. During this week, Australians come together to honour and celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC week is all about colourful festivities, cultural performances, and art exhibitions. As well as a variety of activities that showcase the contributions of indigenous Australians to our nation. NAIDOC week typically falls in the first full week of July each year. NAIDOC Week At Preschool Celebrating NAIDOC week at preschool is important as it’s a special time when the children can learn about the history and culture of Indigenous Australians. We get to hear stories, do arts and crafts and learn about their traditions. By doing all these activities we show respect and kindness to our First Nation friends. And it’s also a great way to learn and appreciate their heritage better. Today we had an Aboriginal performer come along to the preschool and she introduced us to her culture. She shared some songs and traditional dances. It was interesting to learn some words from her language and she even brought along some tools used by her ancestors for hunting, gathering and preparing meals. At the end of the performance, the children had the opportunity to get their hands painted with an emu symbol. And interestingly, the paint she used was made from a special rock called Ochre. Ochre is the natural pigment that has been used for thousands of years by indigenous Australians in their traditional art and ceremonies. The children were curious and attentive throughout the show, which was great to see because they can get easily distracted. After all, they’re only four and five years old! Their endless energy and eagerness to explore means that their focus can easily shift from one thing to another in a matter of seconds. So I thought they did a great job of sitting still and following along. I enjoy having incursions at preschool because apart from them being so much easier to organise than excursions. They are also a fantastic opportunity for our preschoolers to learn about different cultures and traditions. And each experience is valuable as it helps the kids to appreciate and understand how others live.