Education Workshops in our Early Years Centre

Dear Parents,
Tuesday afternoon, in the Early Years Centre, had a very different feel. When the children had gone home, approximately 30 parents arrived for our parent workshops. I started in the Messy Play session led by Ms.Karissa and Ms.Cheska. The participation was high as parents showed their skills in threading a needle, using tweezers, sewing shapes on a plastic board and using chop sticks, all against the clock. We finished by making play dough from flour, oil, baking soda, salt and water. All of these activities encourage young children to use fine motor movements and are great preparation for the mechanics of writing.
Two other workshops focused on the teaching of phonics and maths. Ms. Tamara and Ms. Molly explained how children are led through a structured scheme in phonics, consisting of different phases, so they can learn letter sounds and how to blend them. The website about Jolly Phonics was recommended to parents, especially for those who are unsure of the letter blends and sounds as short videos model this for you. In the maths workshop, Ms. Cat and Ms. Isabelle looked at practical ways you can bring maths alive at home. Different apparatus and technologies used for counting, learning about shapes and balances were explored. A final message was given to parents about the benefits of playing together with your child and engaging in fun activities such as baking. Weighing ingredients, setting the oven at the correct temperature, counting the number of cakes you can make, decorating a fraction of cakes a certain colour are just a few examples of how maths can be used in practical activities.
Many studies demonstrate that there are clear, measurable benefits for children when their parents are actively engaged in their learning. Children are more likely to develop positive self-esteem, be motivated to learn, be positive about school and achieve good grades. If you would like to find out more about the ideas mentioned in the workshops then please go to your child’s class blog or contact one of our team of teachers in the EYC.
Next week we have a number of primary children who have been selected to take part in the Winter Showcase. All parents are invited to join us in the Auditorium for mince pies and refreshments before the concert which starts promptly at 6pm.
In addition to the Winter Showcase, we have the EYC festive sing-a-long which will be held on December 14th and the Phase 2 exhibition on December 15th. A busy and exciting end to term 2! I look forward to seeing you all at one of more of these events.
                                                                                             Ms Sue Hill, Head of Primary
FINE DINING
Congratulations to our fine diners this week:
-    Seong Jun 2B
-    Amélie Dunn 3B
-    Minh Anh 4S
-    Minh Chau 3B
-    Cocoha 4S
-    Dovin 2B