Being safe at Kindergarten.

An added complication to a Friday afternoon nearly end of session at kindergarten is a smoke alarm.... signalling an unscheduled fire drill! Thanks to all the families who indulged us as we evacuated to our usual space and ensured we were all safe. Some families wondered about how their children knew what to do.... we practice a fire drill during less contentious times of the day every month! It's great to know the procedure holds up during more complex times of the day! :) we evacuate to the top point of the top gate and roll call after the signal. well done tamariki and families who humoured us as we did it.... .good news?  no lasting fire damage of any sort!

Rocking the food technology!

 Have you been wondering why your children are asking to bring whole apples in as part of their lunchbox repertoire? At Northland  Kindergarten we have a designated kai space where we all eat our morning tea or lunch kai. We have available an apple peeler and corer machine that the children get a kick out of using to prepare their apples. It's so much fun! A while back ours broke so we were without it for a few months... and this term we are 'machine capable' once more! So many apples to peel and slice into rings or springs! As we enjoy the transformation of the apple, it gives us a great context to talk about healthy food and the physics of a simple machine in action.... so keep on going keen investigators!

Today at Kindergarten....

so - here's a recent use of ICT to support children as they plan, assess, reflect and adjust their learning approaches.... well done Summer!

supporting children's learning using ICT tools as 'glue' in the active process

Hi all... at Kindergarten the trained team are always ready to articulate curriculum planning decisions we make. ICT is one of these areas. here's a clip from a different kindergarten in the Whānau Manaaki association from 7 or 8 years ago. This Kindergarten was part of a pilot project in the area of supporting science learning using simple ICT tools such as occasional internet with a teacher, digital photography and integration of highly magnified information using microscopes and images to process and express what we've discovered. You may recognise the approaches and some of the tools as this Kindergarten shares personnel with ours! :)

Take a peek of the whys and possibilities for developing children's working theories.......

Vinnie .... Ako at Kindergarten!

Vinnie shares with us his passion around machines...... and tackles challenge to find an ever widening range of ways to express his ideas. How fab that he is taking on a learning risk in the learning pathway he is following... and a leadership role as he shares his work with others...kia kaha! Great work in our Kotahitanga and Manaakitanga project my friend!

QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PISA RESULTS

QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
PISA RESULTS
Early childhood education helps overcome the effects of poverty on maths results.
Children living in poverty in New Zealand are more than six times more likely to under achieve in maths than well-off children, a new report from the OECD says.
The report, "Low-Performing Students - Why They Fall Behind and How To Help Them Succeed" found the disadvantage of poverty was made even worse by a lack of early childhood education.
While poverty is the most significant factor in achieving in maths, the report says taking part in early childhood education for at least a year is also significant. Children who miss out on ECE are three times as likely to fail at maths.
The report is based on the results of tests of 15-year-olds known as PISA (the Programme for International Student Assessment).
New Zealand’s results were above average, but have fallen behind since the last assessment, and inequality had worsened.
The report said poor performers tended to do less homework, have less perseverance and motivation, and were more likely to skip classes than higher achievers.
New Zealand had stronger than average links between socio-economic status and low achievement, but it did not have more low-achievers than most other developed countries.
The report recommends that countries ensure schools were supportive but also demanding, and provide under-achievers with remedial teaching as soon as possible. Ensuring children from diverse backgrounds are attending the same schools helps lift lift achievement, the OECD's analysis shows.