Term 3 begins!

Dear Monkey Class Families,

As the final term of K1 unfolds, it's wonderful to see how smoothly the children are settling back into their school routine. They have enthusiastically joined in all activities as we started tuning in to our final unit of inquiry for the year: How We Express Ourselves, while also continuing to deepen their understanding within our year-long unit, Who We Are.

Who We Are: Navigating Our Inner World

Leading up to the term break, we observed that many children were navigating a range of big emotions. We dedicated time to sharing and discussing these feelings, creating a safe space for them to explore their inner world. Building upon this, and drawing inspiration from the delightful story 'The Colour Monster' by Anna Llnes, the Monkey class children embarked on a creative journey, designing their own monsters. They thoughtfully chose both the colour and the emotion they wished their monster to represent.

Our classroom now proudly features a dedicated "Emotion Check-In" area and display. This space provides a visual cue for children to pause and identify how they are feeling. We reinforce the important message that all emotions are valid, and that recognising our feelings is the first step towards developing healthy coping strategies. While each child's approach may differ, the fundamental process involves pausing, naming the emotion, and then exploring ways to move forward. 

Upon our return to school, it was also a valuable opportunity to revisit our self-management traffic light. Having observed significant growth in the children throughout Term 2, we wanted to check in on their perceptions of their own developing skills. This activity, which we review each term, provides a powerful visual representation that empowers children to take ownership of their progress. It was encouraging to see that across the board, the children felt confident that none of the skills consistently required adult support. However, they identified a few areas where they still appreciated some guidance:

Drinking water: Many agreed that it's an easy task, but sometimes they simply forget and need a gentle reminder, especially as some don't naturally gravitate towards water.

Playing nicely: While most children felt they could play harmoniously, a few acknowledged that it can be challenging when strong feelings arise around specific toys or preferred ways of playing. They recognised that while teacher reminders are still sometimes needed, they can also actively help each other and collaborate to resolve conflicts.

Lining up: Whether it's for washing hands or heading to the playground, waiting patiently can be tough! Some children admitted to sometimes pushing to be at the front of the line.

Getting Ready / Dressed: Most children shared that they still needed help with some items of clothing, and some mentioned that their mums, dads, and aunties do it for them, but they are tring to do it by themselves.

Circle time: Taking turns to listen and speak remains a skill we are actively developing. With so many exciting ideas to share with friends and teachers, it can be hard to wait their turn. We will continue to focus on this throughout our current unit, as well as during home sharing activities, where children will learn the importance of attentive listening and building upon others' contributions.

Communication skills are intrinsically linked to how we interact with others and our self-management abilities. Language serves as a vital tool not only for expressing our own ideas but also for understanding the perspectives of those around us. This term, we will be placing a greater emphasis on turn-taking and developing strong conversation skills, fostering an understanding of the crucial role listening plays in effective communication. This naturally connects to our "How We Express Ourselves" unit, as the children will be sharing their diverse ideas, likes, and dislikes related to the arts, while simultaneously cultivating an appreciation for the unique expressions of others.

How We Express Ourselves

To kickstart our "How We Express Ourselves" unit, we began by tapping into the children's prior knowledge, asking them what "The Arts" meant to them. Unsurprisingly, many children initially associated it primarily with drawing and painting. This provided a wonderful springboard to introduce them to the vast and diverse world of artistic expression.

During circle time, we delved into various art forms, including:

Visual Arts: Painting, sculpting, and photography.
Performance Art: Exploring the difference between watching and viewing performances.
Music: Playing instruments and singing.
Dance: Discovering the many different forms of dance we can explore in the coming weeks.

The children then had the opportunity to vote for which art form they were most interested in exploring first. With a majority in both classes choosing performance, we anticipate a little more drama and theatre exploration in the coming weeks, and perhaps even creating our very own performance – time will tell!

Building on the children's enthusiastic engagement with colour in our last unit of inquiry, and connecting beautifully to our current "How We Express Ourselves" theme, we've now moved into practical colour mixing. We wanted to test their understanding: could they create a brand new colour by combining just two? The charming 'White Rabbit's Color Book' by Alan Baker provided the perfect inspiration before the children eagerly dove into a sensory experience, using their fingers to blend and discover the magic of colour creation.

Google Albums

I have created new Google Albums for Term 3, which you can access through the links below.

Monkey AM Class - Term 3 | Monkey PM Class - Term 3

I will also keep the Home Sharing albums active throughout the term, so please feel free to add photos to these albums should your child wish to share any activities and or experiences with the class. 

Monkey AM - Home Sharing    |     Monkey PM Home Sharing

Parent storyteller albums will also be updated throughout the term

Parent Storyteller Album

Have a lovely week ahead and we are excited to see how the children continue to explore and express themselves through these various art forms throughout the term!