Nipperville Early Learning Centre

This is your friendly reminder that this Friday 26th July Nipperville will be participating in national tree day🌳🪴
Along with planting some natives ,we are encouraging staff and children to dress up in tree / nature clothing or colours .

NAIDOC WEEK learning in our Flinders room !

Last Friday the children participated in a sensory activity using Ochre. Ochre is used as a foundation of cultural expression. Ochres are primarily natural pigments and minerals in the soil or charcoal. These natural pigments (colours) were originally used to depict Dreamtime stories and maps. They were used in body painting, rock painting, on artefacts and sometimes even sand. Educator Dakodah who is a proud Wiradjuri woman came into the Flinders room to share her culture and do an Indigenous learning Incursion with our younger babies, focusing on Ochre painting ! The children thoroughly enjoyed this learning experience and having the opportunity to see/feel/use Ochre. 🖤💛❤️

4.1 Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity.

Outcome 2.2 - Children respond to diversity with respect.

Principle - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives are embedded.

Last week to finalise all of their NAIDOC learning, Warrego made 2 types of Damper ! 🍞
Lemon Myrtle Damper & plain Damper. Damper bread was traditionally cooked by our First Nations Peoples on a stick over ashes that were dampened, which is thought to be why it gets the name. The children were split up into 2 groups to make the different Dampers, all children actively participated by pouring, mixing and being part of our constructive conversations about Damper. This educational cooking expirience was enjoyed by everyone involved !!

Outcome 1.1 - Children have a strong sense of identity.
Outcome 2.2 - Children respond to diversity with respect.
Outcome 4.4 - Children resource their learning through connecting with people, places, technologies and natural materials.
Principle - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives are embedded.
🖤💛❤️

Nipperville community, we're calling your help !
Its come to that time of the year when we do our annual pyjama day fundraiser. This year we have created a fundraising page, where all donations will be going toward buying children in foster care resources.

Our pyjama day will be next Friday the 19th of July, where we invite all children and staff to wear they're cozy pyjamas, oodies or sleepwear to have a day of comfort !
We are asking children bring in a gold coin donation for our fundraiser, rooms will have buckets for cash donations on the day. If you or anyone you know would like to make a larger donation, feel free to jump onto our fundraising page and donate on there. Lets aspire to inspire !!
We thank all families for your generosity x

Nipperville ELC Did you know that children living in foster care have the lowest educational outcomes in Australia? I am raising money for a cause that means a lot to me and I would appreciate any support you can give. The Pyjama Foundation supports children living in foster care with learning, life skills, and con...

Bush walk to micro forest for Warrego & Latrobe.
🌳🪃🌲🌿

Today the children enjoyed a bush walk to micro forest where they explored, imagined & created.
The purpose of today’s bush walk was to embed indigenous perspectives by exploring what life may have been like back in the day for our First Nations Peoples. The children created nature jewellery, used muddy puddles and sticks to create art, made an imaginary campfire to cook their food and so much more !!

At the Micro forest, children participated in various activities such as a hide and seek game (thirring-nunna, an Aboriginal game) and then children went onto making their nature bracelts by collectiong leaves and flowers within their surrounding to create their bracelts. Another game we also played as a similarities to an Aboriginal game called koolchee koolchee (rolling ball game), the children try to roll the ball to hit the pots that we found at the micro forest, but then the children turn the game to throwing the ball in the pots. While we were there we also discussed and pretend to make a bonfire, learning about traditional fire-making techniques used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people.

Outcome 1.1 - Children have a strong sense of identity.
Outcome 2.2 - Children respond to diversity with respect.
Outcome 4.4 - Children resource their learning through connecting with people, places, technologies and natural materials.

Principle - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives are embedded. 🖤🫶❤️

The 7th-14th of July marks NAIDOC Week.
🖤🫶❤️

NAIDOC Week is a significant event in Australia that celebrates the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The rooms have been planning/ creating meaningful learning environments that embed Indigenous & Torres Strait Islander perspectives that further spark constructive conversations about culture with our children. It’s important that we understand & teach our future generations about the history of our country & the traditional land owners.

Outcome 1.1 - Children have a strong sense of identity.

Outcome 2.2 - Children respond to diversity with respect.

Outcome 4.4 - Children resource their learning through connecting with people, places, technologies and natural materials.

Principle - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives are embedded. 🪃

In Leichhardt one of the ongoing intentional teaching areas has been connecting with others & promoting social skills. This week the children and educators have extended this area of social learning by setting up a “collaborative construction project” - based off a story the children read called “They came from the planet”.

The children challenged their complex fine motor skills by using scissors to cut the cardboard whilst other children were busy practicing their writing & painting skills by decorating the rocket ship. This activity prompted teamwork, all children were actively engaged in different areas. All children collaborated and encouraged one another to succeed. Well done Leichhardt! 🚀🤝

Outcome 4.1 - Children use play to investigate, imagine and explore ideas.
Outcome 5.3 - Children use the creative arts to express ideas and make meaning.
Outcome 1.1.5 - Children establish and maintain respectful, trusting relationships with other children and educators.

Our June & July educators of the month are….
Lanu Sianoa & Yeshi Peldon !! 👏🥳🏆

Lanu is receiving educator of the month in June for stepping up in her role as a lead educator and for all her adjustments to the curriculum program so that it better accomodates, all of the children. Lanu has also been focusing on embedding more Indigenous and Torres strait Islander perspectives within the room. 👏

Yeshi is receiving educator of the month in July for her ongoing efforts to build a sense of belonging and connectedness to children, staff and families in the room. Her commitment to connecting with families and the surrounding community has not gone unnoticed. 👏

Congratulations and a very well done to both Lanu & Yeshi for the ongoing efforts to connect & embed being, belonging and becoming within our service.

Over the past several weeks the educators in our Diamantina room have been working closely with some of our families to create different, enriching experiences and activities for the children of Diamantina to participate in.
We had story time with one family, We had music time with another family. The children participated in so many different learning environments.

It’s so nice to see so many of our families actively engaging with our service. Community plays a crucial role in early childhood education. It involves the connections between children, families, care providers, and local organisations. A strong community provides a supportive and inclusive environment that helps children grow their social-emotional skills and feel a sense of belonging. Thank you to all families that came in to our service to engage & learn with our children ! 💗💙

Outcome 1.4 - Children learn to interact in relation to other with care empathy and respect.

Outcome 2.1 - Children develop a sense of belonging and connectedness to groups and communities and an understanding of their reciprocal rights and responsibilities as active citizens.

Outcome 3.1 - Children become strong in their social, emotional and wellbeing.

Outcome 4.4 - Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, places, technologies and natural processed materials

A very big congratulations to our CEO of Children First Learning Centre/s, Martin Corkery on being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia. Martin’s work & contributions to the ECEC sector have been overall tremendous and most certainly have not gone unnoticed. Well done Martin ! 📣👏🎉

Over the past few weeks the ongoing learning topic in Warrego has been “ Dinasours”. 🦖🦕This was an extension of the children’s current interests in the room.
The children have been learning all about the prehistoric animals such as the differences between omnivores, carnivores and herbivores. What dinasours ate, and the living conditions dinasours had to adapt to which sparked today’s science experiment. Today the children & educators created a volcano 🌋 this was to resemble the harsh environments Dinosaurs lived in. The children actively engaged during this experiment and made lots of observations -

Comments from children -
- “Is it hot?”
- “Dinasours cant play in lava”
- “Omnivores don’t eat lava”
- “Will Dino’s survive the volcano?”

Outcome 3.2 - Children become strong in their physical learning and wellbeing.

Outcome 4.3 - Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another.

Outcome 5.3 - Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT NIPPERVILLE 💙🩵🤍

These are just some of our main events/days to remember in the near future. As the event dates get closer we will send updates out with more information surrounding each event !!

Reconciliation week at Nipperville ! 🖤💛❤️
This week the Nipperville children & staff have been learning about & coming together to celebrate Reconciliation Week.
Throughout the rooms our amazing educators have been setting up meaningful activities and experiences for children to explore and learn more about our First Nations People.

Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and perspectives encourages openness to diverse perspectives, enhances all children’s experiences and assists in the authentic advancement of Reconciliation. It is a commitment to children’s learning about what has come before and working together for what is to come.

Outcome 2.2 - Children respond to diversity with respect.

Outcome 3.2 - Children become strong in their physical learning and wellbeing.

Outcome 4.4 - Children resource their learning through connecting with people, places, technologies and natural materials.

Principle - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives are embedded. 🖤💛❤️

Does your little one have trouble sleeping?
You might be interested in this lights out online program to help support families with children who have issues going to sleep at night.

Warrego have finished creating their reconciliation garden !! The children & educators have been having lots of meaningful discussions about the Inidgenous culture and native plants to Australia.

For reconciliation week the Warrego educators and children wanted to create a meaningful display for reconciliation week, so they created a reconciliation garden filled with native Australian plants. The children then decorated their hand prints and stuck them in the garden as an extra sea of hearts display !! Well done Warrego. 🌱🪴🖤💛❤️

Outcome 2.2 - children respond to diversity with respect.

Outcome 4.3 - Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another.

Principle - Aboriginal and Torres straight islander perspectives are embedded.

With the Flu session well and truly upon us, I just wanted to make families aware that Act health have pop up centre for free child flu vaccination.

I wonder what our Warrego children are getting up to today, digging in one of our old garden beds. Possibly preparing the garden for a reconciliation week activity next week? Who knows, we’ll have to follow along and see what Warrego are planning !! 😍🌱✋

Outcome 2.4 - Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment.

Outcome 3.2 - Children become strong in their physical learning and wellbeing.

Outcome 4.4 - Children recourse their own learning through connecting with people, places, technologies and natural and processed materials.

Today we said farewell to one of our nursery educators Magda 🥹

Magda has been a big part of our Nipperville team and her contributions to the service have been tremendous and overall phenomenal. We wish you all the best on your future endeavours.

It’s never a goodbye, but a see you later ! 💗

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY !! 💗💐

Apologies for the belated social media post’s we have had technical difficulties recently.

On the 10th of May we celebrated Mothers Day at Nipperville. Within each of the rooms there were pamper stations/arts & craft areas set up for mothers, grandmothers and any other special female figures to enjoy with their children.
We had a ‘decorate your own bag station’ in Warrego.
We had a tattoo station set up in Diamantina.
We had Arts & crafts in Leichhardt, Flinders & Yarra.
We had hand scrub in Latrobe and so many other activities/experience’s with light refreshments amongst the rooms. It was so nice to see so many smiling faces come in to celebrate such a fabulous celebration with the Nipperville community.

Outcome 1.4 - Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect.

Outcome 2.2 - Children respond to diversity with respect.

Outcome 5.3 - Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media.

2024 winter charity drive !

Just a reminder about our Mother’s Day celebrations tomorrow morning.

Today we said goodbye to Kat our Administration officer.
Kat has worked with us for 13 years ! During this time she has made wonderful connections with both staff and families and will be greatly missed.
Thankyou for amazing contribution to our service Kat.
Kat is moving to a new job in a school and wish her all the very best for her new adventure.

Diamantina have been discussing collaboration with families during the recent parent and educator interviews. This is a continuous focus throughout the year and finding ways for families to participate in the educational program and centre as a whole. Last week one of the Diamantina parents Kate joined us for a reading activity with the children. Kate read three books, Zog by Julia Donaldson, Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker and Basketwork a Hair McClary book about Schinitzel Von Krumm!
Zog and his escapades was a favourite of the group, as the children enjoyed the colourful dragons and the funny tasks Zog had to do. Thank you so much Kate for taking the time to read with us!

In other activities, the children have been noticing more and more the change in seasons. Their environment has seen the tree leaves change from green to a vibrant yellow or orange and of course they have started to fall in the yard- a yearly event! 🍁🌳

In one activity the children used the leaves they had found in the yard for a tracing practice. The children were able to view the patterns in the leaves with a more magnified approach as they traced around the features.
The environmental changes have also been featured in their gardening activities with educator Sangita. They helped pick ripened fruit from the lime tree and an array of different vegetables such as onion, carrot and broccolini from the gardens. When these ingredients had been picked, the group used the children’s knives to cut the broccolini into short pieces and the onion and tomato in medium pieces. With educator supervision the children preserved in cutting the pieces and when completed Sangita took them to cook in a pan. When the cooking process was over the children saw the changes in the ingredients from being cooked and were able to taste. They asked for more! It was wonderful to see the children engaged with the preparation of the cooking and enjoying tasting the vegetables. This encourages healthy eating and trying new foods. 😋🥦🥕🍅🧅

This week we say a sad farewell to educator Iram. Iram has worked at Nipperville for 16 years as a floater educator in all 6 rooms. She is also a fantastic organiser, running the preschool drop off and pick up service efficiently and shopping for the centre resources. Even though Iram is still young, she is beginning her retirement and will be spending her days looking after her grandchildren! We wish Iram and her family all the best, we will definitely miss your smiling face and helpful manner. 🩷

Stop the voms and runny poos 🤮💩

We’ve all heard about viral gastroenteritis (gastro) – it’s a common illness that’s around at all times of the year.

Gastro causes vomiting and diarrhoea and spreads easily from person to person.

If you become unwell with gastro, stay at home while you’re unwell, and for 48 hours after symptoms stop.

Help stop the spread, by:
👏 washing your hands regularly with water and soap after going to the toilet, changing nappies, and before touching food
❌ avoiding preparing food for others, if you can
🧼 cleaning contaminated surfaces (for example benches, floors and toilets) immediately using detergent and hot water
🚫 not sharing your towels or linen with others.

Most people recover with rest and plenty of fluids 🥤

People, such as babies, elderly people or people who are immunocompromised, may need to see a doctor if they can’t drink enough fluid and have an increased risk of becoming dehydrated 🧓👶👩‍⚕️

Latrobe children joined educator Puja yesterday to explore different ways to make sounds with a variety of musical instruments. Puja had a small basket of instruments and she showed the group each one, asking them 'what do you think this? and 'what sound do you think this makes?' The children said 'loud' or 'bang bang'! Once the instruments were introduced, the children had an opportunity to play some of them together along with Puja. They performed common nursery rhymes such as 'twinkle little star' and the children tapped, banged and shook their instruments along to the rhythm! Quite an orchestra!

In other activities, one of the children's favourite picture book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. As an extension upon this interest the children were invited to create their own hungry caterpillar using red/ green paint and craft rolls for the body sections.

The construction costumes and magnifying glasses have also been popular with the children this week. Popping on their high vis jackets and hard hats, the children pick up the tool kits and head off to a long days work on the construction site!

The Yarra children have been experimenting with various ways to creatively express themselves! An aspect of this investigation involves exploring different utensils to paint with. This exploration has seen the children using the short brushes which when grasped and placed down onto the paper have a 'stamp' effect. These little brushes are popular to use as the children like to 'stamp, stamp' onto the paper and create circular patterns!

They have also been able to use a more traditional style paint brush, these can be trickier as the shape of the paint brush is a bit awkward to manipulate in their hands.

In another activity the children were provided with a mop style brush. This was the funniest looking utensil the children used! The mop at the end of the brush was swirled around and scattered paint all over much to the children's delight! 😂

Great artistic experimentation Yarra!

Flinders children have been exploring the animal kingdom, including prehistoric and mini beasts! They were given an opportunity to inspect some of the bugs and dinosaurs closer up, using the magnifying glasses to enlarge their view. Children spotted different features such as patterns and scales on the dinosaurs skin.

Whilst they were able to explore the smaller versions their eyes also lit up with excitement at observing the giant dinosaurs and insects set up in the room! The children can correctly identify spiders with their 8 legs and ladybugs.

In other activities the children have been continuing to collaborate on art works such as chalk drawing or drawing on paper with textas. Grasping and manipulating the texta or chalk aids in the development of fine motor skills at this age. This includes developing eye hand coordination, pencil grasp and increasing hand strength. There has been lots of patterns made and swirly circles!

Congratulations to Alex who received Educator of the month for March! Alex received this award in acknowledgment of his efforts in implementing a new method for educational programming, taking on more responsibilities and for his role as room leader in the Leichhardt room. Well done Alex! 🤩🎉

Last week we participated in a routine fire drill procedure. We conduct fire drills once every 3 months at Nipperville to help prepare the educators and children in the event of an evacuation.

The children reacted well to this excursion especially the babies who took it as an adventure and we heard a few 'ooh' and 'aah' as they travelled along the evacuation route!

Great job everyone! 👩‍🚒🧑‍🚒🚒