Possibly the most rewarding aspect of preparing for Assessment and Rating is the act of looking back and reflecting on our strengths and achievements and the amazing things we have done together as a kindy community. Yes, there’s been big things like awards, celebrations, renovations and our Bush Kindy program but there are also many, many smaller things that make this place rich and wonderful, things that have been shared, inspired and led by members of our diverse community. In 2018 a Yellow Group Mum suggested and supported us to partner with the Brisbane Botanic Gardens to create an educational program for pre-school aged children. We piloted it and six years later early childhood nature lessons are a permanent part of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens educational program, attended by kindergartens across Brisbane. Wow! In 2019 a Dad working as a set designer for QPAC arranged for all the kindy children to attend the premiere of a children’s theatre production, where some of our young friends were interviewed with cameras and microphone to gather their feedback. Amazing! Another Mummy organized a grant and two Queensland artists to work with our children to create the much-loved water-dragon sculpture, Magil, at Cubberla Park. And day to day family members have enriched our program in so many ways, such as by running spectacular dry ice science demonstrations, leading a wonderful Shabbat dinner, playing the cello at the Art Show, gardening with the children, instigating the creation of a recycling hub, bringing in pet guinea pigs, budgies, chickens and cats, teaching the children how to make and pour cement, make sushi and avocado chocolate mousse, learn a dance routine to “Firework” by Katy Perry and learn to count in Hungarian…..the array of amazing ways that our community has worked together to create a rich and meaningful program and environment for our children is astounding. That is why our kindergarten is so great and why we hope that we go well in our assessment visits next week.
We are settling back into kindy after the holidays and have been immersing ourselves in many independent explorations – using mortar and pestles to crush and mix chalk, leaves, dirt and sticks to make natural paints, making our own colours from paint powders and inventing names for the novel tints and shades, making paper sea creatures as we talked about the Torres Strait Islands, constructing long, cardboard tube “telephones” to talk to friends and making collections of “fire rocks” and “clues”. This is certainly a wonderful time of the year when projects can become especially creative.
More good news is that our Reconciliation Action Plan, our RAP, has been approved and published! This is an important step in our commitment to embedding deep respect and building meaningful connections with First Nations people and cultures, in particular the Yuggera and Turrbal people on whose land the kindy sits. Thank you to Tracy for leading the RAP and for being so genuinely interested and proactive in building our understandings.
Thank you to our incredible staff for going above and beyond in the lead up to A&R, juggling the day-to-day teaching responsibilities with all this extra. You are more amazing than you know and you deserve a proper weekend very soon.
Thank you to our fabulous committee for the work you have done, from writing policies to sorting out nightmare sheds, we appreciate all that you do.
