Mattingley

Dear Mattingley families and friends,

It has been another busy and wet winter week for our Mattingley friends but that doesn't mean the fun stops.

This week we have been following up on the children's current interests very evident in their play, interactions and class conversations.

Our forest inquiry continues to gain momentum as we excitedly prepare for our excursion to the Botanic Gardens.

We began our research asking the children what they know about forests and what they would like to further learn about.

"How long does it take for a tree to grow?", asks Chloe.

"What are the tree roots made of?", wonders Samuel.

"Who looks after the forests?' asks Mrs Rocca to which Annaliese answered  "The forest man" straight away.

The children also thoughts about what they might see in the forest inspired by a youtube clip we have been watching called the "Trip to the Rainforest".

"Avocado trees", says Lachlan
"spiders", adds Felix
"monkeys" shouts Oscar

"and crocodiles", adds Daniel

The children have also been very interested in fire engines and what firefighters do and came up with an idea of building a fire station.  But first, they have been given a challenge to individually design a fire truck that we can use as a model.

We engaged in a discussion about which materials we could use and how to use them wisely.

"A box for a truck"- Felix
"bottle tops for headlights- Walter

"we need four wheels like a car"- Walter

"Only motorbikes have two wheels"- Felix
"Sirens make sound to let people know they are coming"- Ashton

"Don't forget the axe. If the house is burned down they have to chop the windows with it.- Felix
"The ladder is for climbing" Oscar.

"Yeah, for when someone is stuck high up", Oliver.

Mud Marvellous Mud!

Mud and puddle play continues to be a popular activity the children engage in. Please continue to pack spare clothes, rain coats and rubber boots for your little ones. If  you have mistakenly received other items of clothing that do not belong to your child, please can you return them to the ELC. We have had a few items go missing lately. Thank you.

We are looking forward to how these inquiries shape up in the coming weeks.

If you haven't given back your permissions slips yet, please remember to do so. We can't wait for Thursday and we are hoping for a great weather for this upcoming adventure.

Enjoy a lovely and safe long weekend and let us know about it.

Ms Mason and Mrs Rocca