Dear families,

We hope that your children are settling in well to kinder and having a great time making friends.

Please enjoy reading through our termly newsletter to learn about all the wonderful learning experiences the children are participating in. There is a beautiful cultural song that you can listen to and plenty of the children’s reflections for you to read. There are diary dates to note for each kindergarten plus school open day dates.

We would like to encourage all families to participate in any of the opportunities there are for family involvement at your child’s kindergarten in 2024.

General Manager’s Update

Welcome to MEYM! We hope that your child/ren are enjoying their first few weeks of Kindergarten and are starting to make new friends and are developing relationships with key educators. For some children the transition to Kindergarten will be an easy one with a skip in the door, a kiss on the cheek and wave goodbye. For other children and parents this transition takes a little bit more time and persistence. If you are concerned about any separation issues please make time to talk to the teacher or educators at your service. We have many strategies to assist you and your child to make separation easier.

Families are always welcome at our services at any time. For children attending the long days we understand that some may be very tired initially as days can be busy. Please discuss this with the teacher and educators and you can always pick your child up early if this is the best option.

Our priority is your childs education, care and wellbeing. Our programs are designed to work with families to support all aspects of your childs development. Our teachers and educators design individual programs for children based on contemporary practice, knowledge of your child and your priorities for your child. There will be long term goals and short term goals set for each child. Please speak with your teacher, if you haven’t already, about setting educational goals for your child.

We look forward to working with you throughout the year to ensure your child has a wonderful experience at Kindergarten. We are more than happy to receive any feedback. If you do have any concerns or positive comments please talk with the Service Coordinator in the first instance as some things may be resolved relatively easily this way.

I would also like to welcome St Linus children and families and community to MEYM and we are looking forward to getting to know the families and the community better so that we can support you if need be.

If you need to contact the General Manager the email address is gm@meym.org.au.

Sarah Vallance – General Manager

Area Manager’s Update

Hello, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Nikki Gill and I am MEYM’s recently appointed Area Manager, my role will entail me overseeing the day-to-day operations of the 7 MEYM services. I was originally from the South-west of England and moved to Melbourne 9 years ago with my husband and then 2 teenage sons. I have worked in early education sector for the past 23 years in multiple roles, most recently as a Kindergarten Team Leader/teacher for two local authorities. I have a huge passion in supporting educators to deliver high quality programs and be the best version of themself, service compliance and building valuable community connections. I will be regularly visiting all of our kindergarten’s and hope to meet many of you during these times. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email n.gill@meym.org.au if I can answer any questions you may have or be of support. Nikki Gill – Area Manager

Pedagogical Leader’s Update

Ciao everyone, I’m learning more and more Italian through my visits to Lake Park Kindergarten, grazie to Caterina, Siobhan and the children for helping me learn.

I have a couple of projects on the go this term, however the teaching, curriculum and the children’s wellbeing & engagement is my main focus.  I’ve been so impressed with the calmness and confidences the children have been displaying at all the services I’ve visited, bravo.

At St Linus recently I sang along to the beautiful Inanay song while working in the office.  All the children were so engaged in this Indigenous tune, it was hard to believe it was their first full day at kindergarten with Lin & the team, amazing.  Please find the link to Inanay song here

Through songs children develop patterns and rhymes that help them develop language & literacy skills.  Songs also help children understand stories about culture and history.  Having a wominjeka (welcome) song at kindergarten embeds the importance of tradition for our Indigenous community but also in our MEYM community and  also links them together.

Wominjeka to term 1 everyone.

Meredith Bardwell, Pedagogical Leader

Enrolment Officer’s Update

Wishing all our children and families a warm welcome into kindergarten.

Information for applying for kinder for 2025: An email was sent out to all our enrolled families explaining the process for registering for kinder in 2025. If you are a recently enrolled family and did not receive this email please let me know enrolments@meym.org.au

Timetables: Timetables of our kindergarten programs for 2024 are available here. 2025 timetables will be available mid-year and will be available to view on our website.

When to commence kindergarten: Children are eligible for one year of 3yo kinder and one year of 4yo kinder before commencing school. A second year of kindergarten will only be considered when a child shows delays in two or more key areas of learning and development that meet specific areas of eligibility set by the Department of Education. Feeling your child is too young for school will not meet the critera. Families with children born between January and April can choose which year to start their child at 3yo kindergarten. These children can start 3yo kindergarten in the year they turn 3, or in the year they turn 4 years old.

Please keep the Enrolment Officer updated of the following change in family circumstances: Change in address or phone number, update of concession card or visa status, update of your child’s Medical Action Plan, Court orders, Child Protection or Child and Family Services support.

Absence from Kinder: If your child is going to be absent for kinder please email or call the kindergarten service.

If your child will be absent from the kinder program for a period longer than 2 weeks please inform The Enrolment Officer in writing to enrolments@meym.org.au with the length of time your child/family will be absent.

Cancellation: If you wish to cancel out of a kindergarten program again, please advise the Enrolment Officer in writing giving 14 days notice of cancellation.

For families wishing to have a tour of our kindergartens please book a visit through our Book-a-Tour on our website. Families have an opportunity to view our wonderful kindergartens and meet some of our educators who will be able to answer any questions about the programs.

Important Dates

Term Breaks
Term 1 Start Date 29 Jan Finish Date 28 March (note MEYM kinders close end of day Wednesday 27 March. Staff PD training is on 28th)
Term 2 Start Date 15 April Finish Date 28 June
Term 3 Start Date 15 July Finish Date 20 September
Term 4 Start Date 7 October Finish Date 20 December
You will be notified of the last date of kinder for the year nearer the time.

Monday 11th March our kinders will be closed due to Labour Day Public Holiday.

MEYM all Staff PD Training Days where our kindergartens will be closed: 28 March and 4 November 2024.

Facebook and Instagram: Please visit and follow our facebook and instagram pages as we are posting information, notifications and photos of our programs there!

For any enquiries regarding kindergarten programs, enrolment or orientation, please email Samantha, Enrolment Officer at enrolments@meym.org.au

Thank you, Samantha Zuccarelli, Enrolment Officer, MEYM

Important Dates:

11^th of March Labour Day – Kindergarten closed

Week of 18^th of March we will be acknowledging St Patrick’s Day

Week of 25^th of March we will be acknowledging Easter

28^th March MEYM Professional learning day – Kindergarten closed

Term break 29^th March – 14^th April

Whats happening in our kindergarten program: We have been enjoying seeing the children and families from last year again and am enjoying getting to know the children and families who have joined us this year.

Incursions/Excursion Information: Bayley Mifsud an Aboriginal artist whose Aboriginal name is Merindah-Gunya (meaning beautiful spirit) is visiting the Blue group on Thursday the 18^th of April from 9:30-10:30, Red and yellow group Tuesday the 23^rd of April from 9:30-11:30.

We will be working on a collective art piece with all the programs to represent the service.

Bayley has a mural in the Airport West Shopping centre by Centrelink. If you visit this with you child, please take a photo and send it or bring it in to share.

Here is a link to Bayley’s website https://merindahgunya.com.au/

From the team at Gowanbrae Children’s Centre

Whats happening in our kindergarten program: The children in Kingfisher group have settled into the year well, with excitement and curiosity fuelling their learning. We have been exploring mathematical concepts such as weight, length, gravity and force through water play, blocks and obstacle courses. The children have been leading their own learning by sharing with us their interests and what they would like to explore at kindergarten. Our first few weeks have been filled with lots of joy and laughter and we cannot wait to continue exploring a range of STEM concepts with the Kingfisher group this term.

The Dragonfly children, many of whom are new to Lake Park Kindergarten, have been finding their sense of belonging in their new learning environment. They have done this through exploring every inch of the kindergarten, from mixing paint and sand together, racing cars and trucks through bridges they have created and learning about their new friends. The children who have returned from last year are also finding opportunities to play with each other since many of them were engaging with other children but this year they are rediscovering themselves and  forming new friendships. The Dragonfly children have a passion for music, singing and dancing and we have already had many dance parties. Art and craft experiences are also very popular among Dragonfly children, including making Lunar New Year ornaments and water painting.

In the Italian program, the children helped cooked pancakes and exploring masks for Carnivale.

Currently, at group time, the children are learning each other’s names through a hello song. The children are enjoying playing with puppets including Humpty Dumpty, Froggy and Baby! We will continue to support the Dragonfly group as they continue to grow their passion for sensory play and active exploration.

Please remember to bring in your child’s all about me form if you haven’t done so already. We would really love to know more about you and your child and this way we will gain an understanding of your child’s interests and needs and your expectations. Lastly, Lake Park Kindergarten has enrolled in another year with the Resource Smart Schools Program. Here at Lake Park Kindergarten, the children are starting off with learning all about waste and practicing ways to integrate sustainability! Our goal is to minimise waste being sent to landfill through practices of reduce, reuse and recycle. At Lake Park, we are encouraging families to help children pack a nude food lunchbox and use reusable containers to pack their food rather than once use only plastic containers; plastic straws etc. This not only helps us reduce waste but it helps reduce cost to our environment and bills. For instance, educators continually talk to Dragonfly children which bins to use when throwing our waste at kinder.

Tips to reduce waste at home include:

• Say no to single-use items (coffee cups, straws, bottled water, plastic bags)
• Buy products with less packaging or recyclable packaging
• Buy in bulk, and refill and reuse containers
• Buy second hand or swap goods
• Repair rather than replace
• Choose reusable cloth nappies, apply for Merribek’s $100 cloth nappy subsidy
• Avoid food waste, compost your food scraps and green waste at home, or use
• Council’s Food and Garden Organics Bin
• Responsibly recycle and dispose of household and office items

Lake Park Sustainability Program: Lake Park Kindergarten is part the Resource Smart Schools Program. The Resource Smart Schools is a program offered by Sustainability Victoria that supports Victorian schools & early learning centres to embed sustainability across their facilities community and curriculum, while saving resources and money. Here at Lake Park we are learning and practicing ways to integrate sustainability.

We have recently completed our Resource Smart Core and Biodiversity modules, great work! We are now working on completion of the Waste module. The Waste Module helps schools minimise waste sent to landfill through the practices of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’, and save on bills. In addition to saving money, there are many social and environmental advantages to reducing waste consumption, such as minimising our impact on the environment. Here are some tips to help you reduce waste in your own home.

Childrens Reflections: “I like to ring the bell and help everyone to let me know its group time!” – Saara

“ I like reading the Bluey story too!” – Alfie.

Volunteer Opportunities: We will be looking for parent volunteers for our nature programs once we start in term 2. Stay tuned for dates!

Teacher Communications: As a relatively new team we have really appreciated the support and feedback we have been receiving from children, families and the community. We look forward to working with you all and building a wonderful learning community this year.

From the team at Lake Park Kindergarten

Important Dates: Allied Health Team – Meet and Greet on Wednesday, 13 March 2024.

Allied health Team – Stay and play session for possum and wombat families) on Monday, 25 March 2024.

Whats happening in our kindergarten program: The first month of term 1 focuses on building a trusted rapport with the children and supporting them to feel safe and secure in their environment. For some, it has meant this is a new environment and the first time away from home, but for many others, it has been a stepping-stone from our three-year-old programme across to our 4s. Term 1 focuses on getting to know each other, our peers and establishing our routine.

All the kindergarten groups at Moomba Park are working together on our identity and belonging space in our foyer. It is an inquiry project inspired by the book Welcome to Country by a respected Elder, Aunty Joy Murphy, beautifully given form by Indigenous artist Lisa Kennedy. This space represents our connection with each other and to Place. Children will develop a sense of group identity and be able to make links with their family and community.  The children and educators will continue to extend on it all year through community walks, bush kinder, incursions, and observation and learning in indoor and outdoor environments.

Childrens Reflections: Most children in our three-year-old groups (Echidna and Wombat) have settled into their learning programs. The children are actively learning about the routine and transitions. In Echidna group children are practising turn-taking and sharing skills. Children have begun to develop trusting relationships with peers, and some independently initiate social interactions. Educators are promoting healthy eating and encouraging children to understand their bodily needs and adequately eat and drink water. 

The children in the Wombat group enthusiastically explore indoor and outdoor learning environments. Small group collaboration is evident throughout the day. Children have been preparing play dough in the morning; they are getting first-hand STEM experience, learning what ingredients are required, the quantities, and how the texture of the ingredient/s changes in the process from dry to wet and into a stretchy dough.  Children’s interest in flames sparked a conversation about lava and volcanos that was extended and supported by educators to make volcanoes in the sandpit. The possum group joined as well and shared their ideas. We wondered how Lava might feel. How hot would it be? Can we touch it? What is the shape of a volcano? As soon our sandpit volcano erupted the children wanted to touch and feel it.

Incursions/Excursions Information: Our programs are inspired by the inquisitive minds of the children’s interests as they emerge. An early interest in books had influenced our first incursion. We were lucky to have Nicola, from The Fawkner Library, visit our four-year-old groups (Kangaroo and Possum) and engage the children with her storytelling through reading books and singing some children’s songs. It is equally great to begin connecting with our local community. She had read the story titled ‘10 Cats’ by Emily Gravett, which enabled children to explore the topics of counting and colours. Children actively hypothesised the outcomes when two to three colours were mixed together and expressed excitement when their guesses were correct. The next story Nicola read was titled ‘The Go-Away Bird’ by Julia Donaldson. This book focuses on the theme of friendship and working together. During this book, children were seen actively reading along with Nicola when the grey bird shouted, “GO AWAY! GO AWAY! GO AWAY!” Children were also seen enjoying trying to figure out the species of birds in the story.

Children were introduced to Australian animals such as Koalas, Kangaroos, Possums, Galas and Eagles through a puppet show. Children expressed an interest in the Australian native animals; educators’ observations about children’s knowledge on Australian animals were quite divided, educators will plan a learning experience related to Australian native animals where children can become familiar with the animal’s name, habitats and their natural behaviours. 

Service Improvements: Yard upgrade work will commence at Moomba Park Kindergarten in late April 2024.  At the moment we don’t have exact dates, however families will be updated via email at the start of term 2.

Teacher Communications: Moomba Park Kindergarten team is looking forward to the year ahead.

From the team at Moomba Park Kindergarten

Whats happening in our kindergarten program: It’s been a wonderful start to the year at Newlands. The groups are settled and happy and seem to be ready to learn and play

Blue group has been spending a lot of time getting to know the new faces in the group as well as connecting with old friends who have returned for another year. The mixed age grouping is already proving to be super successful with older children supporting and guiding their younger peers.

Blue Group is showing an extreme interest in science. Some children are learning about the planets – being lead and informed by one child who has a strong interest. They have been looking at posters of the planets and exploring an old wooden space rocket. Some have been painting the planets on all their art work and others have been sculpting them out of garden.

Some children are  interested in the garden and have been spending time in the yard. The children were enjoying exploring an old sunflower the other day and have begun to de seed it. Once the weather is right we will replant and see if we grow some more flowers.

Inside the group has been enjoying the puzzles. We also have several book worms who simply enjoy looking at or being read a good book!

Red Group have been loving the climbing fort outside. They have been using it to extend their interest in dramatic play. They loved the canvas slide when it was set up and using to support their gross motor skills to climb up and jump down. Now they are enjoying extending this interest by jumping onto the crash mat.

The group explored bubble painting last week which allowed them to form beautiful art work using straws and their breath. The results are really interesting and I am sure will lead to some interesting conversations.

They have all really enjoyed making playdough and then using it in really interesting ways.

Bush Kinder/Nature Program: Newlands Preschool has received a grant to help develop an on going Nature play program. Rowan will be working on this behind the scenes for the next few months and we will hopefully be starting to do regular incursions in term 2 and ongoing. We will be able to use the grant to purchase some wet weather gear and other useful resources that makes the program a great part of what we do here at kindergarten.

Child Safety Information: Just a reminder to hold your child’s hand in the carpark. It can be a very busy space with cars reversing as people come and go. The front door will be locked until 8:20 to help keep all users of the community builder safer.

Service Improvements: Newlands bathrooms are due an upgrade over the March and April Break. Hopefully it will give this space a bright newer feel.

Teacher Communications: The staff would like to extend a huge thank you to those who have taken the time to offer some wonderful positive feedback about the learning program and the overall positive way the year has started. Your feedback is appreciated

From the team at Newlands Preschool

Important Dates: The last day of Term 1 will be Wednesday 27^th March. We will be closed for 2 weeks and will reopen for Term 2 on Monday 15^th April. We wish everyone a very happy Easter and Eid Mubarak!

Whats happening in our kindergarten program: It’s been a wonderful start of term with many enthusiastic children eager to explore, create and socialise. With the warm weather we have been doing a lot of sensory water or ice play which is always a favourite, art and craft activities, construction – especially the Magnatek blocks, home corner with the girls in 4yo Yellow all having babies this week as we introduced our new baby bassinets and change table that we ordered last year. We have been reading a lot of stories, listening to music, dressing up and singing songs on the stage, making bridges and tunnels in the sandpit and often finding the ground in the upper playground has turned into lava. Lucky we all remember to wear our lava shoes to kinder. Science experiments, playdough, painting, recognizing our names, self help skills such as getting our lunchboxes in and out of our bags, toileting, washing hands, learning what language ‘Wominjeka’ is from, the list goes on and we are having lots of fun doing it all!!!

Bush Kinder/Nature Program: Unfortunately we are waiting on the Council to mow the grass in Bush Kinder and the builders to erect their fences to stop us gaining access to the building site before we can start our Bush Kinder program. Hopefully we won’t have to wait much longer as we can’t wait to get back there.

Child Safety Information: At the start of the year we discuss the importance of only going where there is a teacher because we can’t keep you safe if we can’t see you. We’ve been reminding the children if they want to go outside or up to the top playground where there is no teacher, just to ask and we will make it happen. We have some very clever children who can open the gate leading into the top playground and sometimes need reminders to wait for a teacher so that we can make sure they are safe.

We also find at the start of the year that there are some negative behaviours while children adjust to the long days, new children, teachers and routines, and may hit out at others because they are over tired, overwhelmed or just can’t get the words out to express how they are feeling. We are working with all children to speak up and say “Stop”, to move away if the other child doesn’t listen and to let a teacher know.

Parent Fundraising Group: Thank you to those parents who attended our Parent Fundraising Group meeting. It was a great start and hopefully we can have a successful fundraising year. Our first fundraiser is an Easter Raffle. We are asking families to donate something small for the raffle such as an Easter egg, book, bags, baskets, wrapping goods, etc. so that we can make up the hampers. Raffle tickets are being sent home this week with a return date of Monday 18^th March. Tickets are 1 for $2 or 3 for $5. The raffle will be drawn on Friday 22^nd March by the children in 4yo Purple.

Volunteer Opportunities: We have been very lucky to have had Simone, a Preservice Teacher studying at Victoria University, working with us this term. It is great to have an extra set of hands and eyes early on in the year when we are all getting to know one another. Simone will sadly finish up on Friday 22^nd March. Last week Simone got our Loose Parts Play shelves back up and running and they are located near the classroom door if you have any odds and ends lying around at home or work that will be useful for art materials. These also include natural materials, so leaves, gumnuts and petals would be most welcome.

Service Improvements: There has been no progress with our extension, and we are still patiently waiting for the next building permit to come through. The 4yo Purple children have decided that their dads can build us the new Kinder and have it done super-fast. It is very tempting to take up their offer!!!

From the team at Oak Park Kindergarten

Important Dates: Monday 11^th March: Labour Day public holiday. No kinder

Wednesday 27^th March: Last day for term 1

Thursday 28^th March: Staff PD day. No kinder

Monday 15^th April: First day of term 2

Whats happening in our kindergarten program: What a great start to the year we have had at St Linus! The children are all settling in well to the kinder routine and engaging with all the experiences offered to them. We have seen lots of sand and water play over the past month, which has been perfect for those hot days we have been having. Building and construction has been a major part of our programs, with children engaging and using their imaginations and fine motor skills to create their master pieces. Turn taking and sharing has been a focus, and has been happening as children engage with their peers while playing board games, creating an ice cream shop and waiting their turn for the swing and bikes.

Childrens Reflections: What has been your favourite thing to do at kinder?

“Playing with my book in the tent” Carter

“The swing” Billie

“The kitchen and the swing” Joshua

“Cars and trains” Flynn V

“Caterpillar thing outside” Tommy

“Build some toys” Michael

Incursions/Excursions: We will be commencing our regular local excursions soon; please ensure you have returned your permission form as soon as possible.

Parent Fundraising Group: Thank you to all those volunteers who contributed to our Bunnings BBQ on Sunday 3^rd March. Upcoming event this term includes the Easter raffle- please keep your eye out for emails regarding this in the next week.

Volunteer Opportunities: If you would like to volunteer in our service, please ensure you have a valid working with children’s check and that the service has a copy of this.

Service Improvements: Our yard will be undergoing improvements over the coming months. We have recently met with the landscapers and are hoping this work to make our yard more inclusive, will begin within the next few weeks. Any major works will be undertaken during term holidays to limit the disruption to the kinder sessions.

Teacher Communications: We would like to welcome Fazkia and Clara to the 4-year-old program. Both Fazkia and Clara come with a wealth of knowledge and we are very lucky to have them come join us at St Linus.

From the team at St Linus Kindergarten

Important dates: Harmony Day – 20 March

Ramadan

Easter Celebration

Whats happening in our kindergarten program: Our primary focus for Term 1 is to establish strong relationships with families and children, aiming for them to feel a sense of belonging, learn about respect and kindness, and adapt to their new environment, routine, friends, and educators. To achieve this, we have been actively engaging with your children through various experiences and discussions to better understand them and learn about their interests. Throughout this term, we will continue to work on building your children;s understanding of kindness and

respect, nurturing their social and emotional skills, and boosting their confidence to feel safe, secure, and supported in their new environment

and relationships. The children also enjoyed a variety of sensory experiences, which helped facilitate their interests, social and emotional skills, gross/fine motor skills, creativity, investigations, and exploration. These experiences provided them with opportunities to actively use their senses of touch, smell, sight, and hearing. We offered activities such as playdough, sand play, water play, imaginative play, and construction to cater to the childrens interests and developmental needs.

Parent Fundraising Group: Bunnings BBQ Fundraiser April 20th at Coburg Bunnings on Gaffney Street.

Teacher Communications: Program information will be displayed in an A3 display book, located in the foyer. We encourage families to look through it and add any comments you may wish. This book will contain reflections of the program, childrens voices, photographs and some written documentation. Currently we are putting together individual formative assessments – these will assist guiding individual goals for each child and provide a platform for the program. These have been developed through observations and through the information we received in the family questionnaire.

From the team at Turner Street Kindergarten

Our Community

Rhyme TIme: Enjoy a fun-filled session based on music and movement as you and your baby share rhymes and action songs. Rhymetime introduces carers to fun ways to support baby’s physical development and literacy. Rhymetime is for pre-walking (0-18 months) babies and their carers. 

Rhymetime session times

Rhymetime sessions are held during school terms on:

• Tuesdays, 10.30am at Fawkner Library
• Wednesdays, 10.30am at Glenroy Library
• Thursdays, 10.30am and 11.30am at Coburg Library
• Fridays, 10.00am and 11.00am at Brunswick Library

WordPlay: Let’s use our words to play!  Word Play is a free literacy program for families to learn English together and make the most of pre-school play. Learning through play is an important part of pre-school learning and in these relaxed sessions we use books, puppets, puzzles and blocks  to learn together.  Word Play is aimed at pre-school children aged 3-5 years.

Word Play session times

Word play sessions are held during school terms on:

• Mondays, 1.30pm at Glenroy Library
• Wednesdays, 10.30am at Fawkner Library

MEYM would like to thank you for taking the time to read our Newsletter