...where children are happy to learn
Taking
Enrolments Now for 2024!
28 Julie Street Blacktown NSW 2148
Ph: (02) 9622 6990 Mob: 0421920096
blacktown@happydayskindy.com
Welcome to May!
I would like to acknowledge the Dharug people, the Traditional custodians of the lands on which I live and work today. I pay my respects to elders past, present and future for they hold the memories, traditions, culture and hope of Aboriginal Australians.
Pack your warm clothes its starting to get cold.
What's on in May!
Healthy Harold
Monday 6 May
Children aged 3-5 are invited to particiapte in the Health Harold Incursion.
This topic is about putting healthy food into our bodies.
$12 per child who participates, can be charged to your account or paid in cash. Permission slips have been handed out to you.
Worlds Biggest Morning Tea
Thursday 23 May
Australia's Biggest Morning Tea is a community event that raises vital funds to make a big difference for those impacted by cancer.
Please join us in participating on the 23rd May at 9am. please donate a gold coin on or before the day.
Mother Day Afternoon Tea
Friday 10 May
Join us for a special afternoon tea for all our mums, grandmas, Aunts, godmothers and those alike. We invite you all to come celebrate all things woman with some special treats and fun activities. 2pm-3pm
National Sorry Day
Friday 24 May
National Sorry Day is an Australia-wide observance held on May 26 each year. This day gives people the chance to come together and share the steps towards healing for the Stolen Generations, their families and communities. Stolen generations refer to Indigenous Australians who were forcibly removed from their families and communities.
On this day we will be teaching the children about the Aboriginal way and culture and the history behind colonisation.
Dinosaur Day
Wednesday 15 May
Dinosaur Day is the occasion to learn all about the different types of dinosaurs! This includes common lizards, snakes, turtles, and crocodiles.
Children may wear Dinosaur inspired clothing on the day. or bring in a book related to dinosaurs.
National Reconciliation Week
Monday 27th-31st May
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) Happy Days will learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
Important Reminders
Fob (DOOR) Key
Please speak with Miss Ashleigh or the other Educators if you have not received a key. There us a charge of $25 per key, refunded at the end of your child's enrolment, once returned.
App Change over
In the next coming weeks Happy Days will be switching over our Xplor and Kinderm8 to one app called OWNA. Please note that you will need to fill out a new enrolment form. Nothing will change in regards to your CCS or hours. We are just putting everything into one place. You will also not need your phone to sign in or out, you will be allocated a code for sign in, so will make it much easier for you each morning.
Please feel free to contact Miss Ashleigh if you have any questions.
Clothing & Sunscreen
Please ensure your child has a bag which contains SPARE CLOTHES which includes shorts ,pants shirts, jumpers, socks and underwear. We understand that your child may not have accidents however spare clothes are required for those times your child may have an accident or gets wet or dirty.
As the weather is beginning to change, please bring WARM CLOTHES in your child's bag for weather changes such as a long/short sleeve shirt, a pair of shorts and pants/tights, spare socks and a jumper.
SUNSCREEN MUST BE APPLIED BEFORE OR UPON ARRIVAL AT THE CENTRE. You will find our sunscreen on the sunscreen table in the classroom just outside the foyer.
Sleep Sheets
SLEEP SHEETS ARE REQUIRED for all children 2-4yrs who are not in the Mighty Mangoes room.
These must be CLEARLY LABELLED with your child’s name and placed in a labeled pillow case. Your child may not have a sleep however it is our duty of care to allow your child to have a rest for 10min listening to soothing music while the room is cleaned after lunch. Your child will then be invited to participate in quiet activities with the educators.
Policy Review
Every month we review a set of policies to ensure that they are relevant and up to date according to regulations.
You are invited to provide feedback on our policy of the month below (send your feedback to blacktown@happydayskindy.com):
Incident,illness and truma Policy
Emails
Please look at your emails regularly. This is one of our main sources of communication with families. Ensure that you are emptying your inbox to allow new emails to come through. Your child could be missing out on many experiences or communications between staff and yourself by not checking them. Most emails are also copied into Kinderm8 please ensure you have logged into Kinderm8 to see your childs learning and day.
Car Park Etiquette
Onsite parking is something for all of us to share. Please follow these simple car park rules for everyone's safety:
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PARK AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE COLOURBOND FENCE to allow another vehicle to park behind you. We can safely fit 4 vehicles at any time during drop off and pick up times if everyone is parked appropriately.
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DO NOT PARK IN THE DRIVEWAY IN FRONT OF THE CENTRE, this is the thoroughfare to allow vehicles to enter and exit safely at Happy Days.
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MAKE YOUR DROP-OFF/PICK UP AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE if you have parked someone in. If you’re planning on talking with an educator, we advise you to park on the curb side instead.
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DO NOT PARK IN THE STAFF CAR PARK.
Collection of Children by Others
You must call the Centre or inform educators if somebody else is collecting your children from Happy Days.
Children under the age of 18 are no permitted to drop off or pick up your child. An adult must always be present.
A valid ID from the person picking up your child is required to be presented to one of our educators for photocopying.
Fees
Please ensure that you have attached your bank details to your Xplor app to allow for direct debt of your fees. Failure to make payments will result in a late fee of $20 per transaction.
Please Note this will be now charged in the new app OWNA
Open and closing Hours
Please be reminded that Happy Days opens at 7am. Educators will not allow any child to enter the centre before 7am.
We close at 6pm. Parents must collect their child before 5:55pm as this time will allow staff to close the centre and go home to their own families on time. A late fee of $2 per minute will be applied to your account for any late pick-ups. To ensure this doesn't occur please have an emergency contact on standby to pick up your child.
What we got up to last month...
World Autism Day
In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared 2nd April as ‘World Autism Awareness Day,’ while many organisations have declared April as “Autism Awareness Month.” These campaigns were created to highlight the world’s need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism. Inclusivity and respect are basic human rights. Educating the community about autism will lead to a society where children and adults with autism can lead full and meaningful lives without experiencing stigma or discrimination.
At Happy days, all educators and many children wore blue to celebrate Autism day . The children were educated about Autism through experiences like creating puzzle where they drew their friends, families and even educators. During discussion children learned that all our minds are different, and everyone deserves to be accepted and included.
Anzac Day
Today we celebrated Anzac day to honour our soldiers. Children learned about this day through range of experiences like creating poppy flowers with red and black bottle lids, green paddle pop sticks. Children also engaged in sensory bags with soldier picture in it as they develop complex sensory coordination. Making wreath with fresh flowers and leaves was another engaging experience for children. The children also enthusiastically participated in cooking Anzac biscuits where they displayed their mixing and measuring skill. Some children also involved in poppy handprint. During music time we took the opportunity to watch the video of Dawn service and learning what Anzac day is? Children loved listening to the trumpet sound and we all stood in silence for few seconds to pay respect to our brave soldiers.
Focus Learning Programs
Happy Days Social Skills Program
During the month of April the children have looked at the topic of emotions. The children were able to watch videos, created mind maps and also participated in a matching game which were all based around extended the children's knowledge about the different emotions. The children were very clever at completing the mind map as the children all worked as a together and discussed all the emotions. The children then watched a video about all types of emotions and how to handle your emotions. After the children had watched the video they had a discussion afterwards. The children were also able to engage in the table set up of matching the different emotions together. The children had lots of fun doing this. To end of the month the children did a mind map which was based around what made them happy. The children came up with some very good answers as the children all spoke about different things. Next month the children will extend on the topic of emotions and participate in more games and activities based on emotions.
Playing And Learning to Socialise (PALS)
Happy Days Sustainability Program
Eco-Warriors
This month, the children participated in a variety of experiences during Nature Play Week, using natural resources found at home or in our yard. There was a lot of sensory play, with the children using their senses of touch, smell, sight and sound to explore resources from the sea and the land. The older children were exploring the differences in colours of natural resources, such as leaves and flowers, using colour wheels, and they also made attempts to draw a variety of plants and leaves. The younger children had a nature scavenger hunt outdoors, looking around the yard for various leaves, rocks and insects. The children were also able to make different craft using leaves, bark, shells and making paint brushes using small branches and leaves.
We continue to make use of loose parts during everyday play, including pipes and tubes for construction and engineering and containers for sorting.
Munch and Move
Happy Days Health & Fitness Program
Children this month have continued their learning of dental hygiene and their new fundamental movement skill, jumping. Practicing our jumping was done through quite a few role-play games. These included hopscotch, music and movement time where we exercised and jumped like certain animals and games such as jump over the water. Children were invited over at their own pace to participate in these activities, and for the most part quite enjoyed doing these. Children were taught jumping is using two feet rather then one, and were quick to show off how high they could jump. Continuing our dental topic, the children performed more hands on activities during this month. Using our big model teeth, we learnt about how to brush properly with care, and how long to brush for. Children had then taken the opportunity to use our toothbrushes and some soap to clean the model teeth while they had paint on them. Whilst brushing them and after rinsing them, the children had observed if there was any paint left over. Thi raised the discussion how to brush everywhere, including our back teeth, and to spend more time on them.
Community Engagement
Happy Days Community Initiatives.
- Community Pantry- Our Community Pantry has fallen short in the past 12 months, and this is something that is very close to our hearts. Being able to help our Happy Days community brings us so much joy. We understand the cost of living, the forever working parent thats why we have our community pantry available for our families, so you don't have to run to the shops after picking the kids up from daycare because you forgot to get something out for dinner why don't you gran some pasta and a pasta sauce from our pantry to make your life a little easier.
- Happy Days Community Library- we encourage our children to borrow the books we have available here.
-We like to extend our thanks to Stephanie for donating papers and boxes to the service. We also like to say thank you to Nissereen for making us part of Eid celebration and offering as delicious biscuits to enjoy.
Happy Days Culture Program
Culture
At Happy Days, Aboriginal learning is embedded through various experiences. Such experiences are giving children opportunity to learn and broaden their understanding of Aboriginal and Indigenous culture. Children participated in learning about the Aboriginal symbols through matching game and rock painting.Children loved to be part of Yarning circle ,singing their favourite song while creating sounds with tapping sticks. Children are involved in listening to the dream time stories like ,The thirsty sand frog and Why Kangaroo hops .
We also celebrated Eid during this month where children learned about this festival as they participated in craft .
Classroom Updates
Happy Days Preschool/School Readiness Program
Mighty Mangoes
MIGHTY MANGOES:
This month, Mighty Mangoes have moved on from space and began exploring cultures, in lieu of their intense interest from culture week. The first week we spent observing what cultures mean, what languages one of us spoke and all our different cultures among us. We reviewed 2 countries so far, Australia and Italy and children have so far observed cultural foods, landmarks, animals and song. Children have performed these various learning experiences through crafts, discussions, cooking and song and dance. Children have also learnt greetings in other languages, and are excelling quite well in recalling them off memory. Children can also now recall what their cultures are, aswell as their peers. To make this topic a bit more personal for the children, we have changed a show and tell topic to bringing something from their culture, so the children came share their knowledge with the Mighty Mangoes of what they know. Children have quite taken to our cooking experiences, swell as learning the proper cooking etiquette such as hygiene and safety. Their knowledge on animals is growing aswell as we observe what climates are right for each animals. Children have also grown fond of exploring our physical map and globe, each time we observe a new country and learning where the country is and what its shaped like.
SCHOOL READINESS:
This month, we have begun our ‘Show and Tell’ group sessions with the Mighty Mangoes, and it has been great to see the children enthusiastic about sharing their news items with their peers. The children are developing important skills through our Show and Tell, including their spoken language and listening skills, becoming confident in talking in front of a group of their peers, as well as understanding asking and answering questions.
We have continued our focus on numbers, through the interest of the children, and they are often seen practicing copying and writing numbers, using our templates at the drawing table, as well as involved in counting and sequencing number games.
The children have also shown interest in our alphabet focus each week, with the children brainstorming words that begin with a particular letter. The children continue to think of new words each week that we can add to our growing list. We also focus on the use of upper case and lower letters, especially when writing our names. The educators offer the children the use of the name cards at the drawing table, where they can practice the formation of the letters of their name.
Learning Group for 3 to 4 year olds
Sweet Strawberries
During April, the Sweet Strawberries focused on the topics of Easter where they engaged in Easter themed play set ups as well as crafts, including Easter egg decorating and bunny panting. This was also when the centre had the Easter party which the children all enjoyed very much. Then the topic was Nature Play Week where we used nature resources such as rocks, sticks, leaves, flowers and sand in our play experiences as well as the craft. This was popular as the children have an interest in using nature in their play to develop their sensory skills. The Sweet Strawberries have recently started on the topic of Weather. We are taking a look at the different types f weather, the things that make them that weather as well as what we would wear in the different types of weather. The children seem very interested in this when we have discussions and will gradually develop more knowledge of this topic as it continues. Hopefully the children learn as much as possible in this topic and then we will be able to extend to a related topic.
Learning Program for 2 to 3 year olds
Throughout the month of April the Go Bananas have been involved in a wide variety of different topics which involved lots of different activities. To start off the month the children participated in Easter in which they did lots of craft and also a Easter party which the children seemed to really enjoy. It was then nature week the children participated in lots of both indoor and outdoor activities based on the nature around them. The children showed a really big interest into this topic and for some of the activities the Go Bananas joined with the Sweet Strawberries. The children engaged with creating craft, nature bracelets, planting seeds, nature videos and also scavenger hunts. The children enjoyed being able to spend time outside looking at their environment and investigating. The children were able to work on their team work skills while also creating there own individual crafts. To end of the month the children looked at ANZAC week. The children were able to learn about the meaning of this and also learned about the meaning of the red poppies. The children did some crafts relating to Poppies while also helping to make some ANZAC biscuits which they enjoyed. Next month the children will be looking further into Mothers Day as the children will be able to use there imagination and get creative when looking at this topic.
Go Bananas
