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News & Events
The Edible Garden –
At Explore & Develop Artarmon we care for the world and its future and children are given the opportunity and responsibility of taking care of the Edible Garden. We love that we are able to grow vegetables, fruits and herbs in an area which is very unique. To strengthen the connection with our families we encourage families to use what we have grown together in the Edible Garden. Recent crops include cherry tomatoes, celery, broccoli, strawberries, oregano and basil and we are looking forward to the growth of the beetroot and pea plants.
Playball Tuesdays –
Each Tuesday we offer an extra curricula sports program. The children learn not only about teamwork, ball skills and extend on their developing gross motor skills, but also personal development life skills and school readiness through sport participation. Playball has 3 main objectives, which link to our Explore and Develop Centre Philosophy;
1. Improve physical competence,
2. Develop concentration, focus and listening skills and
3. Develop confidence and social skills.
Most importantly the program is a happy and positive experience for each child to feel good about themselves.
Cultural Celebrations –
At Explore and Develop Artarmon we are lucky to have a wonderful mix of families from a variety of cultural backgrounds. We truly love celebrating everyone’s unique traditions.
Nowruz (Persian New Year) was celebrated in March, with one of our families coming to share with the children ways to celebrate this festival. We took part in dancing to Persian music, exploring the table of offerings and enjoying a delicious Persian lunch which was organised by one of our Persian families.
Songkran (Thai New Year) was celebrated in April with a centre Water Fight. All the children 2-5 years were involved after we discovered, by looking at pictures and reading from books and the internet that Thai people celebrate by throwing water on each other. So much fun was had by all.
Library Excursions –
At Explore and Develop Artarmon we believe language and literacy skills have a critical role in a child’s development. To further the children’s awareness of written words and understanding of the importance of reading to children, we hold excursions to the local library. Travelling on the bus to the library provides a great opportunity for road safety awareness and being able to search, read and borrow books furthers the children’s confidence and builds on their love for reading.
Community Involvement –
As our curriculum revolves around extending the children’s interest we are always happy to involve the people in our community.
Motorbike Visit – The Juniors and seniors interest had led to the exploration of motorbikes and road safety. A friend in the community brought in a race motorbike for the children to explore all the safety aspects to riding on the road and what you should wear when riding. The children learnt about the importance of wearing a helmet and clothes which protect their arms and legs. This was a great way to help them learn through practical investigations.
Learning Through Firsthand Experience –
The ocean is a wonderful place which invokes curiosity and fuels many discussions among children of all age groups. At Explore & Develop Artarmon we encourage the children to learn through firsthand experience. The Ocean interest led to an excursion to Manly Oceanworld where the children discovered what was living in the ‘touch pool’ and was captivated by the huge sharks, stingrays and fascinating colourful fish.
Parent Information Evenings -
It is our belief that for our centre to work collaboratively with our families we need to provide up to date educational opportunities. In the month of May we had a Clinical Psychologist come to the centre for a parent information evening. We discussed early brain development, attachment, biting and tantrums. All the parents went away feeling that they had been provided with great information and ideas which were realistic to implement in their busy daily life. Parent Evenings are held throughout the year and we strongly suggest that families attend as we see it as a great opportunity to learn more about the Early Childhood Profession and network with the families in the Explore & Develop Artarmon community. Information nights include;
· Meet & Greet the Families & Staff Evening
· Transitioning Room Information Evenings
· School Readiness
· The Important role of Fathers
· Brain Development & Attachment
Building a Strong Team –
It is highly important that the team at Explore & Develop Artarmon learn how to work collaboratively so that our high quality of care is maintained. In May we celebrated our 2 year anniversary of providing the community with a high quality educational setting. Our focus for the celebration was ‘Teamwork’. We strengthened the team through team building activities which included tower constructions, completion of mixed up puzzles, followed by a Car Rally Treasure Hunt. The day ended with a wonderful dinner filled with laughs as we discussed the day’s events.
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