JUNE NEWS DATES FOR YOUR DIARY - Mimosa Kids
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JUNE NEWS
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Wednesday 2nd June, 6:30pm
Transition to School Seminar
All families are invited to attend our Transition to School Seminar presented by Kirsty
Fantini, leading Early Childhood Consultant. We strongly encourage Bilby and
Kookaburra parents to attend this seminar.
Monday 14th June
Queens Birthday - Public Holiday
The centre will be closed.
2021/2022 Closure Period
Please note our last day will be Thursday 23rd December 2021
and our first day back will be Monday 10th January 2022.
NEWS & UPDATES
Team News
Welcome to the team Emma! Emma is a Diploma trained educator with over 15 years
experience in the early childhood industry. Emma will be working three days a week, in
each of the rooms, covering educators leave and off the floor time. Emma will spend
the next few weeks getting to know the children and families.
Transition to School Seminar
Save the Date for our Transition to School Seminar on Wednesday 2nd June, 6:30pm. We highly
encourage parents from the Bilby and Kookaburra room attend this seminar. Leading early childhood
consultant Kirsty Fantini will cover a range of topics including; what is school readiness, how to
know if your child is ready to school, what your child needs to know before starting school, how to
best prepare your child for school and so much more! Click here to RSVP.
Vacancies
We currently have a small number of vacancies in the Bilby room on a Friday. Please get in touch
with our Director if you are interested in securing a position.
Speech Screener
Talk Shop Speech Pathologists are offering 15 minute discovery visits/phone/zoom consults for
parents concerned about their child's speech. This free consultation can be booked here. If you have
any questions about your child's speech development, simply speak with one of their educators.
Mid Year Survey
At Mimosa Kids we believe in the importance of working in partnership with parents and families to
provide the highest quality of care to you and your children. By taking the time to fill out this survey
you will be helping the centre to set new goals as well as gain a better understanding of the
expectations and needs of the families in our centre. Click here to complete the survey. Thank you
again for your ongoing support.
JOEYS NEWS
What a busy month the Joeys have had in May! We can’t believe it’s half way through the year, and looking back on
photos from 6 months ago has made us realise just how much our little jarjums have grown.
A HUGE thank you to all of our mother’s, aunties or grandmothers that were able to participate in our Mother’s Day
Morning Play earlier in the month. We appreciate the time that you were able to spend with us and the children were
so excited to spend this special morning with you – we look forward to inviting you back to the centre for a play soon!
In the meantime, if you ever have an interest, tradition or passion you would like to share with our Joeys we would
love to have you visit the class - even just to read a story! You can always approach an educator at the centre or call
us to organise an appropriate time.
The Joeys have found enthusiasm for Loose Parts Play this month, and we spent much of May rotating the variety of
materials available on the shelf for the children to experiment with in their play. There are SO many benefits to Loose
Parts Play as it creates an open-ended learning environment for the Joeys to experiment, problem-solve, create,
express ideas and make new understandings around early maths and science concepts.
Our room and centre philosophy around play-based learning is very evident in these type of activities, where children
can take control of their learning by engaging with their surroundings to support self-confidence. We plan to add to
our collection of loose parts in the coming weeks to foster the children’s interest and continue to dive into all the
learning that Loose Parts Play has to offer!
Another interest started in Native Australia, exploring this theme in plants, animals and even cooking in our dramatic
or sensory play spaces. We used lemon myrtle, paperbark and Lilly Pilly with the home corner areas being particularly
popular where we discovered a variety of ways to incorporate this theme into our imaginary play. From stovetop
cooking, to paperbark or fire cooking and even BBQing, we intentionally included a combination of bush tucker and
supermarket staples and the Joeys were so intrigued by the variety of materials found. Eventually this naturally lead
us to explore ‘healthy foods’ and where they come from, learning that food that is good for our bodies are found in
nature! The Joeys took this learning to a variety of activities where we collaged large pictures of fruits and vegetables
to display on our wall, made a range of juices, did our shopping in a fruit market style play area and read stories
about keeping our bodies healthy. We can’t wait to continue this topic over the weeks ahead.
A few friendly reminders for this month –
Please ensure to pack a minimum of 4 nappies for your child per day of attendance (a message was also sent
via Appsessment)
The weather has gotten very cold recently, please check your child’s bag to ensure they have plenty of spare
layers to keep them warm! Please ensure each of these are clearly labelled.
If your child is displaying symptoms of being unwell, please keep them home where they can recover and
prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Please see our Infectious Disease Policy or speak to an educator for
specific exclusion periods.
Thank you for your support and we look forward to another exciting month ahead.
Have a fantastic month!
Sammi, Aster, Hala & Annalise
BILBY NEWS
Transition to School Seminar - Wednesday 2nd June, 6:30pm
The Bilbies have had another exciting and busy month of learning and exploring! This month the educators in the Bilby
room have been planning experiences with a focus on the natural environment, as they begin to show curiosity and
enthusiasm for the world around them. This flowed naturally from learning about the new autumn change into having
a natural home corner, and now to the vast array of bugs our world has to offer.
At the beginning of the month, we had our lovely Mother’s Day play and lots of the Bilby’s mums and grandmas came
in to experience their children's play environment with them! The Bilbies loved being able to show their mums
around, and for those whose mums couldn't make it, enjoyed playing with their friends’ mums instead. With activities
including painting, block construction, drawing, fairy small world play, and the very popular nail salon, everyone was
super busy all morning having so much fun! It was so special for the Bilbies to have this experience!
Our nature focus began with the changing weather and the onset of autumn. As the leaves were changing colour the
Bilbies began to learn all about evergreen and deciduous trees, why some trees stay green and why others turn orange
and red and lose their leaves. To encourage this learning the children did a vast array of autumn themed crafts
including making their own leaves with blotter paper, cutting out autumn leaves and making chains, and painting
their own trees. Whenever we went outside the children would enthusiastically point out the evergreen and deciduous
trees in our surrounding area.
We soon began a natural home corner for the Bilbies to further explore the different trees and plants and their
potential uses. The home corner has slightly different elements every day as we use up and get new resources. We
started with lots of lemon myrtle and lilly pilly berries, along with paper bark and gum leaves, and now have a variety
of different plants and the introduction of rice and lentils to allow them to practice scooping with a spoon as they
play. The area also includes scissors for the Bilbies to use instead of a knife and cut up their ingredients. The buzz of
the new area is yet to wear off and it's busy every day! We also recently added some lovely baby dolls in indigenous-
patterned clothing so that they can focus on making something for the baby and encourage meaningful making.
During this period, one of the Bilbies discovered a Slater bug outside, and thus the insect takeover began! After the
raging success of the ducklings last month, we had planned to have a new classroom pet, butterflies, but
unfortunately due to diseases going around the butterfly population we have had to postpone that experience for
later in the year. The children were quick to get over this disappointment however, as they instead got a jar of
“wrigglers” which we recently discovered will turn into mosquitos! Every day the children have a look at the jar and
watch as they grow from little wrigglers into larger bugs and finally into their adult form. They are fascinated with the
way they move around in the water and will sit and watch them for long stretches of time.
Along with the wrigglers, we have had a brief look into the more common bugs such as ants, crickets, grasshoppers,
cockroaches, spiders, worms, cicadas, beetles, and flys - learning about things like how many legs insects and spiders
have, where the different bugs live, and how they get around. Once the general introduction to bugs was underway,
we began to look closer at why we have bugs. Together we learned about the different animals that eat the bugs that
we may find annoying, and how if all of the bugs were gone, the animals would be too! Then we learnt about the bugs
that people eat by watching a video on the 30 most edible insects and spiders which the Bilbies found very
interesting. It included the type of bug, where in the world it is from, who eats them, and how they are eaten. More
recently we have begun to focus on two of the bugs that indigenous Australians eat - the witchetty grub and honey
ant. To accompany this learning the Bilbies have had many bug-themed activities to explore including a search and
find table, clay insect making, bug jar drawing and painting, spider web painting, ladybeetle number games, and bug
bingo which everyone has had so much fun participating in!
We will continue this learning focus into the new month as the children’s interests develop.
Thank you to all the parents for continuing to bring in your child’s sleep sheets in a separate bag - the Bilbies are
great at remembering to bring in their sheets each morning and having them easily available is great for their growing
independence.
A reminder that if you wish for your child to wear a sleep nappy, to please pack one in your child’s bag as we do not
have any spares to put on otherwise.
Despite the cooler weather, the children are still required to wear a hat (or beanie) whenever they are outside - it
would be fantastic if parents could ensure their child has a hat on before they join us outside in the mornings.
Dionne, Steph, Talia and Georgia
KOOKABURRA NEWS
Transition to School Seminar - Wednesday 2nd June, 6:30pm
This month has been packed with excitement and many events including…
Mother’s Day – What a great turn out! Thank you to the mums that could make it as we know all your
schedules are very busy, we loved having you. The children were excited to show their mums around the
classroom and teach them the rules, we even had some children willing to share their mums with their
friends. Esme said “I liked painting with my mum I made her a rainbow”.
Making Pizza - We had a spontaneous idea the other day to make pizza dough from scratch which educator
Jaana was nervous about as she had never tried this before. All the children on that day got involved and
learnt the structure of a recipe and what ingredients go into pizza dough. We watched as the yeast formed
and bubbled then joined in together to mix the dough and let it sit to rise. Each child got their own piece of
dough to form into a base we then added sauce, cheese, ham and pineapple to make classic Hawaiian pizzas.
This was a fun and messy experience, we would like to incorporate more cooking experiences into the
Kookaburra room throughout the year.
Healthy Harold - This was a great event for the children to get involved in as Harold targeted a lot of
conversations about friendships which is what we have been focusing on with the Kookaburras over the past
couple of months. Harold talked about ‘Thumbs up’ and ‘Thumbs down’ friends, he showed us what makes a
‘Thumbs up’ friend and what makes a ‘Thumbs down’ friend.
‘Thumbs up’ friend – Someone that is kind to you, wants to play with you and treats you nicely.
‘Thumbs down’ friend – Someone that is not willing to help you or be kind.
Harold played new exciting games with us which the children were very intrigued in, these games aimed to
develop partnerships with children and build resilience. Overall the Kookaburras were very pleased with
Harold’s visit.
Skills and themes we have been learning in our classroom:
The Human Body - The Kookaburras have been focusing on the Human body over the past few weeks, the
idea sparked from a discussion about taking care of our friends and our bodies. The children have been
showing their interest and engagement in discussions about body parts and what they are used for, a lot of
the class are putting their knowledge to use and learning off of their peers building great team skills.
Outer Space – We have also concentrated on the topic of outer space as the children are really interested in
this!. We have been busy planning experiences and activities that are fun and beneficial for the children.
Educator Jenifer has been practicing a new song with the Kookaburras about the planets in the solar system
which is very catchy, ask your child to sing it to you we are sure they will know the words!.
Something we are trialing…
As some of you know we have been trialing a new morning routine with the Kookaburras. We have been
splitting the group into two for the duration of morning play. One group has been going outside whilst the
other group is inside then they swap over. We decided to trial this as we thought it might provide a better
opportunity for the children to learn in smaller groups.
The Jar - We have introduced a new thing to the Kookaburras as an extension on friendships and kindness.
Over the last few weeks we have been talking with the children about ‘The Jar’. The Jar is a system in which
children and educators work together, if the educators or children see each other perform kind or helpful acts
around the centre then they will get to fill up the jar. Lately we have been using all kinds of items like pom
poms, rubbery ducks and gemstones to fill up our jar. A few children have had the opportunity to use the jar
system as they have shown acts of kindness such as helping their friends, follow instructions well and being
respectful. Our first goal is to fill the jar with 24 items, once the jar is full we will reward the children with a
treat of their choice such as a dance party, movie day, bake a cake or decorate the classroom. These ideas
were all brainstormed by the children themselves!
A few things to note:
If your child is sick or has any symptoms of a runny nose, coughing or sneezing please keep them at
home
Please try your best to come along to the transition to school night! We feel that it is important for
families to be informed of all the important information to fully prepare your child for school
Please remember to bring spare changes of clothes in your child’s bag each day including t-shirts
both long and short, pants, socks and undies.
Please make sure your child always has a hat or a beanie packed in their bag
Children are strongly encouraged to not bring toys into the centre, we have had a few incidents where
children have lost their beloved toys we would hate for this to happen to your child. Please make sure
your child does not bring any toys with them to kindy to ensure that they don’t get lost.
Thankyou everyone! We are looking forward to the next month as we will officially be halfway through the
year!
Jennifer, Bec, Jaana & Sophie
MONTHLY SUSTAINABILITY DRIVE
NATURAL MATERIALS
We are located in such a beautiful nature filled community that we would love for the
children to have more natural resources to use throughout their play. If you have any
trees or plants in your garden that have dropped leaves, bark or flowers, we would love
to add them to our play experiences. Although we are specifically asking for these this
month, we always encourage the children to bring in natural materials they find on their
travels outside of the centre!
Some of examples of what you may find...
+ Autumn leaves
+ Pine cones
+ Tree bark
+ Unique flowers/plants
+ Native plants
We of course want to respect the local environment so ask that you
only bring in items that have already fallen from a tree/plant.
ON REVIEW THIS MONTH
Policies & Procedures
Each month as a centre we review some of our services Policies and Procedures (P&P). Not only are
our P&Ps reviewed by management and our educators, but we ask that families also contribute to
the reviewing process.
Reviewed last month: Last month we reviewed and updated the following policies: Writing Reviewing
and Maintaining Policies, Student and Volunteer Policy , Record Keeping and Retention Policy ,
Management Recruitment and Professional Development Policy , Enrolment Orientation and Waitlist
Policy, Fees Policy, Governance Policy, Contractor Management Policy, Family Law and Access Policy,
Privacy and Confidentiality Policy, Unenrolled Children Policy, COVID-19 Management Policy &
COVID-Safe Plan. Simply click on the reviewed policy to download and read.
On review this month: Throughout May we are reviewing the following policies and procedures in
relation to Quality Area 1: Educational Program and Practice - Educational Program and Practice
Policy, National Quality Framework Policy, Multicultural Policy, School Readiness Policy, Child
Protection Policy, Additional Needs Policy and Play Policy. Simply click on the policy to download and
read.
To share your thoughts and ideas on any of these Policy & Procedures, click here!
If you would like a copy of any of our policies or would like to view our Policy & Procedure
Handbook, simply get in contact with our Director who can send you a digital copy, or you can access
a hardcopy of each policy outside our office door.
Quality Improvement
Each month we also review one of the National Quality Standards outlined by our National Body,
ACECQA. These standards guide our service’s practices and are vital in maintaining a high-quality
centre.
On review this month: This month we are reviewing Quality Area 1: Educational Program and
Practice. At our June Team Meeting we will be reflecting on the following questions in relation to
this quality area: How do we provide a differentiated curriculum that supports children’s varying
capabilities, learning styles and interests? and How can we improve the ways in which we engage
children in making decisions about their own learning?
To share your thoughts and ideas on our QA1 critical reflection, click here!
To comment on our reflective questions above, strengths or areas for improvement in this or any of
the seven quality areas, visit our ‘Quality Improvement’ board located on the brick wall beside the
Joey room door. You can also read our full Quality Improvement Plans by simply visiting our Parent
Library located outside the office window. Alternatively, you can email our Director who will sendyou a digital copy.
To learn more about the National Quality Standards visit www.acecqa.gov.au
SERVICE DELIVERY
We value your input, suggestions, and participation in all aspects of our centre. If you have any
questions, suggestions or concerns with Mimosa Kids service delivery please let us know.
You can speak to us directly or contact us via Phone: 9453 1162 or
Email: mk.admin@mimosakids.com.au
If you would like to contact our Director you can call or email her, alternatively you can contact our
Approved Provider Chris at chris.adney@educateandcare.com.au
COMMUNITY LINKSIF YOU'D LIKE US TO INCLUDE YOUR BUSINESS IN OUR COMMUNITY LINKS SECTION OF OUR
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER PLEASE EMAIL OUR DIRECTOR AT
MK.DIRECTOR@MIMOSAKIDS.COM.AU
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