Dear Chapple Room Parents and Friends,
As part of our unit of inquiry this term, we have been looking into what makes us different, special and unique. It has been a challenging concept for the class to grasp, but one we will continue to focus on and develop throughout the term. We have drawn our side profiles using shadows, measured our height and weight, drawn our portraits and are currently working on special boxes that contain pictures, photos and smells that each individual child likes. Here is some of the dialogue from recent discussions we have had in the class. Next we will broaden the topic by trying to explain what characteristics we value in our friends that make them special to us.
What Makes Us Special
Some people have curly hair and blonde hair. Zoe
We have different ways to make things. Xander
I have different favourite colours everyday, I don’t think everyone else does. Tommi
I have different toys than other people. Xander
Because I’m funny. Ryan
I have more toys than anyone in this class. Jack
Sometime when I go walking I skip across the road when the cars aren’t coming. Zach H
Cause my favourite colour is red and yellow and it’s called firey. Gabe
I have different coloured skin. A whitey colour. Aston
You mum and dad (make you who you are). They use cement and a round thing with holes in it and they put it in your tummy and whoever makes it is God. God is like your mum cause God is somebody that makes you and your mum is somebody that makes you. Then you have to go to the hospital to get the baby out. But make sure you’re married first otherwise they can’t see the baby and oh oh! There’s nothing in there! Owen
We also wish Miss Freer all the best for her wedding this Saturday and can’t wait to have her back. Mrs Nacca will be with us in the Chapple Room from now on, which we are very thankful for!
Chapple Team
Dear Parents,
This is week we have continued our investigations about birthday celebrations with many children sharing pictures from their 4th birthdays. We have created a display board of photographs which the children are returning to frequently as they engage in discussions and share their memories. We will be continuing our birthday discussions next week and would love for those children who have not yet shared a photograph to do so next week. If your child has already shared a photo this week we'd like for them to bring along a special birthday present that they have received (please no toys).
Don't forget to send in your traditional Christmas recipes. If you are coming and sharing a plate of your recipe please remember that we are a nut free centre.
Thank you,
Juliana and Coney
Dear Parents and Friends,
This week the children have been busy extending their knowledge of silkworms and their anatomy. The children have been noticing the different body parts especially how they eat. To highlight the features, habitat and habits, Mrs Cooper brought some amazingly big earthworms from her garden. We set them up on a tray and did some recording of the children’s ideas…
Eden exclaimed “That’s a huge one!"
James W shared “Look how big they are!”
Abhi said “These are smaller” as he pointed to a couple of tiny ones wriggling in the dirt.
Izabella noticed “They have no legs”
Luca shared “They eat dirt!”
Sebastian said “I’ve seen one earthworm at my house.”
After a little while James noticed the worms had disappeared, “Where have they gone?”
He dug around a bit and found some under the dirt. Izabella was brave and picked up one of the huge ones “He’s not really hard!” as she gave it a pull and squeeze. Abhi noticed that there were no worms on view either “They’re sleeping” as he covered the worms with even more dirt.
The children were fascinated to touch and search for the earthworms in the soil. As we spend more time observing, discussing and sketching the earthworms and silkworms we shall make interesting discoveries about their similarities and differences.
Many thanks,
Emma, Pip, Cristina and Heidi
Dear Friends of the Cooper Room,
This week we have been involved in all sorts of activities. Our interest in stories has provoked lots of ideas for play and investigation. We have read many versions of "Jack and the Bean Stalk" and planted our own bean seeds to see if we could grow a beanstalk too. The children have also been enjoying hearing the Christmas story about baby Jesus, born in a stable. The children have been retelling their version of the story using a small wooden Nativity set.
"We were all babies, like Jesus," said Zac
"Mrs Blake had a baby but his name is Edward," added Liam "not Jesus!"
"Ammar has a baby too!" said Henry
"My baby is a boy. He is my baby brother." said Ammar
Sabian also shared a kite he made at playgroup which has now become a new interest in the class - kite making. The weather has been perfect over the last few days to test out our kite flying skills. Next week we might head to the big oval to fly a real kite.
Lastly we welcomed Miss Bowden back from holidays with a big warm reception. She shared many pictures of Singapore with the children and kindly gave us some beautiful chopsticks. Today we cooked some yummy rice to test out the chopsticks and our skills at using them. What fun! What tricky rice to eat! What a mess, but it was YUMMY! Join us for more yummy treats in our Chinese Restaurant next week!
Kind regards
Susan and Coral
This week the Langley children have been very excited to discover some silkworms in the tank in our room. We have been observing them through magnifying glasses and watching them wriggle about and chomping on the mulberry leaves. The children have enjoyed helping Miss Nicole and Ms Kerry change the leaves daily. We have also enjoyed some great conversations with the children about the silkworms.
“Dat leave has a hole,” said Charlie A
“Why did you take da poo poo out?” Dougal asked
“They don’t want to live in dere poo poo” Charlie A responded
"They called silkworms,” Chase told us
“Dat one bigger, that one little, dat one hiding in his room” Charlie A said
“Do bite us?” Chase asked
“No they don’t bite, they are busy eating their leaves” Miss Nicole told the children.“Leaf from mums garden,” Said Chase
“I garden with my mum,” Said Dougal
“They’re good, day not biting, day don’t have tongues” said Chase
“What will they turn into a butterfly or moth?” Ms Kerry asked the children
“A frog,” said Thomas M
“Gon to be a moth,” said Alec
Some of the children have been very keen to hold the silkworms and are learning that they need to be very gentle as they are very delicate. We will be sending the silkworms home this weekend with one of our class members to help look after them and feed them.
Kerry, Nicole, Ange and Hayley
