Education Starts With Us...

University of Auckland Professor Sally Merry is leading the development of an app which aims to be a 'fitbit' for mental health for young children, called 'Super Kids'. Click on the link below to read more... Early Intervention By Us Is key

Play Based Learning Article Click on the link above One of the topics that our group would like more information on is play based learning.  Who is doing it?  Why?  Will our parent community accept play based learning? What are the pros and cons?  A topic for us to discuss...

In March, Kohia Terrace School Team Leader, Felecia Tomich spoke to our group about supporting special needs children in the classroom.  Felecia has extensive experience and qualifications working with teachers in this area as she worked for the RTLB for many years as well as teaching NE/year 1 students in Auckland schools. A big thank you to Nicki and Jane at Meadowbank School for hosting our first event for 2018.  The link to Felecia's slide show information on this presentation is below. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1BH_R_h0VGLwe88QFlHTgdClHfw2P7hxog5CKJcKcjTE/edit?ts=5a9e3bcf#slide=id.g31de3880de_0_1

One of the ideas we shared last year for working in a more inclusive and productive way, is inviting local NE teachers to talk to ECE parents about starting school.  Sarah Brown at Kohia Terrace School went and spoke at the Gardner Road AGM in February to parents.

Our meeting at Kohia Terrace School at the end of last year was about setting goals for 2018.  This is what we came up with. Considerations for 2018: Open afternoons inviting ECE into schools - meet teachers (after school).  Get to know school environment Play based learning - what does it mean? Invite in a guest speaker Cohort entry.  What does it mean?  What are schools doing?  Policy?  Primary teachers coming into kindys to talk to parents for evenings  Visiting centres during the day - see children in ECE environment Communication about transition programmes with different schools  Competencies reporting and aligning with ECE curriculum.  Show parents links Handover letter/report from the ECE teacher to NE teacher.  Agreed document Cultural differences. Guest speaker sharing Chinese transition needs. Korean?  Indian?  Managing parent expectations  Supporting children with special needs.  Guest speaker from behaviour team  Relationship building

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-learned-kindergarten-boost-creativity This article is great...it all starts here.  Please click on the link above.

Your Team.  Introducing Principal Alison Spence, Kohia Terrace School.  Introducing Gaylene Brownlie, Head Teacher, Gardner Road Kindergarten.  Introducing Sarah Brown, NE/Year 1 Teacher, Kohia Terrace School.  We are your ECE/NE Team for ACCoS.  We are here to support best practise amongst our community for transitioning children to school.  We will do this through meetings, professional development and sharing resources and ideas.  We welcome your input.  

/ https://nzareblog.wordpress.com/2018/02/02/starting-school-teachers/ This article is great - explaining the importance of having rich transition programmes for starting school. Please click on the link above.