Gawler Riverside Early Learning Centre in Gawler, South Australia | Education

Gawler Riverside Early Learning Centre

Locality: Gawler, South Australia

Phone: +61 8 8522 6662

Address: 1 Scheibener Street 5118 Gawler, SA, Australia

Website: http://www.grelc.com.au/

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22.01.2022 We had Cathryn and Angie come and visit us from the Gawler Library to read to the children, this was the first of our now weekly visits. This is a great opportunity to build community connections and for children to broaden their understanding of the world around them.

20.01.2022 Over the past few weeks the preschool children have engaged in a range of experiences to support their understanding of healthy hygiene habits. We already have a hand washing song that we sing regularly. To extend on this we have been doing frequent demonstrations of how to wash hands properly. One of these demonstrations included using paint and gloves to represent how the soap must cover all our hands to remove the germs. As you would be aware per a previous post, the child...ren conducted an experiment to see what germs are in their environment and what is the most effective way to remove germs. The bread has been up for a few weeks and we have started to notice significant changes. The bread touched by hands washed with soap and water was the cleanest and has only just started to develop mould. The bread children rubbed on a mobile phone was the dirtiest, so remember to wash your mobile phones! We have used pepper, soap and oil to show how germs don’t stick to hands when we clean them with soap. We have also shown children how to catch their coughs and sneezes in tissues or their elbow, using a spray paint bottle. Other measures we have taken to protect children include, moving our learning program entirely outdoors, including sleeping outside. This has taken off well and children are responding well to this. We are also talking to children about social distancing and have changed table seating arrangements so that there aren’t as many children sitting at the tables. Please continue to support educators and your children by following the measure we put in place and staying home if you are able or are unwell. Thank you and stay safe. See more

19.01.2022 This week the babies in Nursery have been very busy learning how to care of themselves and each other. As part of this experience the Educators have provided the children with some medical kits and medical outfits. Karlee brought in her stethoscope so the children could listen to each other’s heart beats, the children all engaged in this experiment and appeared to enjoy it. Educators have been role modelling to the children how to use the equipment on baby dolls. Providing children these experiences give children a sense of responsibility for their own wellbeing and that of others while building skills such as, responsibility and respect for the needs and wellbeing of the group.

18.01.2022 The preschool children have been interested in learning about shapes recently. To support and extend on this the preschool educators have provided a range of experiences to build children’s knowledge. We had a big shape game, where children had to run into the shape called out. They created their own shapes using the rubber band boards. Children felt shapes in the sensory box and tried to work out which shape they had. We also made a new matching game which everyone has enjoyed. Children are building their numeracy knowledge and learning about the different attributes of shapes. We will further extend on this by providing more opportunities for children to explore the shapes in their environment.

17.01.2022 Gawler Riverside Pre-School is recognised by the federal government to deliver early childhood education to children prior to school.

16.01.2022 As the weather warms up the babies have been out in our local community exploring the environment. The babies enjoy seeing the different sites and the different people that are out and about in the community. The babies enjoy looking in the windows of the local shops and seeing the different window displays. If you see them out and about give them a wave as they really enjoy waving back.

16.01.2022 There has been an increase in viral gastroenteritis (gastro) in childcare centres recently. Gastro is a common illness which can be more serious for young child...ren, older people and people with pre-existing conditions. Gastro is highly infectious, but you can help stop the spread by following these tips: Keep children at home while unwell. Children should not return to childcare until no diarrhoea or vomiting for 48 hours. Avoid preparing food for others for at least 24 hours if you have been sick. Wash hands with soap and running water. Wipe down surfaces. Seek medical advice if you are concerned or there are signs of dehydration, fever, severe abdominal pain or bloody diarrhoea. For more information visit: https://bit.ly/3nfKC13

16.01.2022 The vacation care children are today enjoying the Hahndorf Farm Barn. We have milked cows and fed the orphans.

15.01.2022 On the 29.4.20 the toddler children were so excited to play back in their room with new toys. We have new animal toys, a parrot, lion, duck and a horse. We discussed the animals, the sounds of each animal and where they lived. Educators then encouraged the children to have a race. The toddlers and Debbie lined up, Mel shouted Go along with the children and they pretended to be the animals that they were holding, making the sounds of each of them. The children are sharing humour, happiness and satisfaction.

15.01.2022 We would like to advise you that we are currently having some issues with our phone line. We are working to sort this out as quickly as possible. In the meantime you are welcome to send an email through to [email protected] with your queries. Thank you for your understanding. UPDATE: your calls should now be re-directed accordingly.

15.01.2022 The preschool term project is Exploring different identities, roles and careers. We have been exploring different careers each week and this week have been investigating Police Officers, Firefighters and Paramedics/Doctors. We have been reading stories, exploring resources and investigating through many different play experiences. The preschool educators have been organising incursions with our local community and families, and we can’t wait to share these with you. Our fi...rst visit was from the Freeling Country Fire Service. The preschool children and toddlers were very excited to meet the firefighters and see the truck. We met Ricky, Emily, Quinton and Jai. Quinton and Emily showed us a range of different equipment that we use on the fire-ground, such as hoses, stop-go signs, e-flares and BA units. Jai, Ricky and Sam took small groups of children to have a turn squirting water with the hose. We then went in small groups to have a look on the back of the truck, it was a bit of a squeeze because the truck was so big. The children loved looking at all the things, learning about the truck and getting to use the hose. They had so many questions and did a fantastic job listening.

14.01.2022 October is Mental Health Awareness month. Did you know 1 in 5 Australians suffer from mental illness every year. Be it a family member, a friend, a neighbor, a colleague we are all affected by this illness in some way. For the month of October, a team of our Educators will be putting One Foot Forward, and walking to raise much needed funds for early detection, prevention and treatment of mental health disorders. We would love your support too. Come join our team and commi...t to walking a set amount of kilometers in October, or help us reach our $250 fundraising goal by donating to our team. You can join our team or donate here: https://www.onefootforward.org.au//therangeselcgawlerriver Happy walking!!

13.01.2022 Dear Families, As we all continue to grapple with the impacts of the Coronavirus we wanted to update you on our stepping up of measures to ensure as much as possible we are able to keep our Service free of the virus at all times. NEW ENTRANCE PROCEDURE FOR ALL FAMILY, STAFF AND VISITORS... In addition to our existing request to have people sanitise on entry and exit we have taken the decision to supervise this and add the further measure of temperature checks as soon as possible. What this will mean for everyone commencing Monday 30th March, is that we will have changed the entrance code for the Service which will only be made available to staff. To enter the Service you will need to follow this procedure: 1. Ring the doorbell if a staff member is not present 2. To be admitted to the Centre you are now required to have your temperature scanned and hands sanitised (We are awaiting delivery of temperature scanners and will implement these as soon as they arrive). Please note: a. We are also looking to reduce the number of people entering the centre, including siblings, additional family etc. Siblings can stay with the staff member at the entry or we can take your child into the centre for you 3. We will also ask you to confirm if you or your child is showing signs of the following symptoms: a. Cough b. Sore Throat c. Shortness of Breath 4. We will also ask you to confirm if you or your child has in the past 14 days a. Travelled anywhere outside of the State b. Been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with Covid-19 5. We will refuse entry to anyone who: a. Displays a temperature recorded at 37.5 degrees Celsius or above, b. Identifies Symptoms of the Covid-19 Virus c. Confirms they are in a group of people mandated by Government to be in Self Isolation Please Note: If you are refused entry please DO NOT behave aggressively towards our staff who are only acting under direction in the best interests of the safety of the children in our care. If you are refused entry please seek medical advice and gain medical clearance prior to return. Please start self-isolation if applicable Please remember, if you have chosen to keep your child from the centre please send us a quick email letting us know to assist us in our planning and rostering.

12.01.2022 In response to the Government's 6 Day Lockdown starting at midnight please be aware the Centre will be open only to the children of "Essential Workers" from 19-24 November inclusive. We ask that you contact the Centre VIA EMAIL if you will be sending your children to the Centre over this time to assist us with our staffing

12.01.2022 Educators have been planning cultural experiences this week to embed more cultural traditions into our everyday program. We have been making traditional musical instruments, to manipulate each morning as we sing Ninna Marni and our favourite Nursery Rhymes. Today Mel encouraged the children to make Rainsticks, in many cultures rain sticks are used to mimic of the sound of rain. Mel had some small crystals, to create the sound, tape, and coloured paint. Mel encouraged the chil...dren to put the small crystals into the paper towel roll. Once the children had put some crystals in they were then encouraged to paint the roll, the children used their fingers for this. Once the children had painted their Rainsticks Mel placed some paper and a rubber band on the top to finish. The children appeared to be engaged with this experience as they explored the diversity of culture, heritage, background and tradition and that diversity presents opportunities for choices and new understandings. See more

12.01.2022 Families that are having holidays over the Christmas period can you please notify us by completing a holiday form ASAP. This will help with allowing some of our educators time off to refresh after the year that we had. These forms are due back by Friday the 4th of December for you to be eligible for the reduced holiday rate.

12.01.2022 Every year, National Reconciliation Week is celebrated from the 27th of May to the 3rd of June. It is a time dedicated to building positive, respectful relationships between Australians and celebrating indigenous culture. Today we painted our hands with the colours of the Aboriginal flag, the children are building strategies and skills, including conversation skills for initiating, maintaining and enjoying relationships with others. manipulating paint brushes and helping each other.

10.01.2022 During this tough time it is crucial that we support our local businesses. Our educators have been enjoying a vital pick-me-up on us, while we support local.

09.01.2022 The educators at GRELC are passionate teachers. Here is the team participating in professional development to build a stronger understanding of documentation. This is 1 of 3 sessions we will be holding to extend on our educators knowledge to create meaningful documentation for childrens learning.

09.01.2022 Here at Gawler Riverside ELC the children have been engaging in Story Time at the Gawler Library. While engaging in these activities the children develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active community participation. It has been a great opportunity to be able to get out into our community after having a year with Covid.

06.01.2022 Currently we are looking at spring and new life. We are providing the children at Gawler Riverside ELC with the opportunity to experience this by looking at hatching and rearing some baby chickens. We placed some fertile eggs into the incubator. After they had been there for a week we had Samantha’s Mother In Law come and show us how to see if we have chickens forming inside. How exciting, currently we have 7 eggs with little chickens inside. Stay tuned as we continue looking after our eggs.

05.01.2022 The Nursery Room’s Mother’s Day Art Currently the babies have been exploring their artistic flair with pouring paint. We decided to do pouring paint pictures based on the babies’ interest. The babies have been very interested in pouring water, sand and other mediums. This has led to the babies have wanting to take this further and wanting to pour the paint and the glue when doing art activities. Art and crafts allow children to express their feelings and individuality. Partic...ipating in arts and crafts allows children to refine their fine motor skills such as writing, drawing, cutting and pasting. Art and crafts develop confidence in children creating feelings of accomplishment and pride in what they have created. The children can experiment with colours, textures and different materials. We decided to use this technique to create masterpieces for the Mother’s/Nana’s for Mother’s Day. The Process This process involved the babies selecting 4 colours from the range of special pouring paint that we sourced from Kmart. Once they had selected their colours the older ones helped to pour some of each colour into a cup. The babies where then given the opportunity to pour the paint onto the canvas. The younger ones did have some assistance with this. The canvas was then moved around to allow the paint to move across the surface. Some of the babies used their hands to spread the colours across the canvas. It was very interesting watching the paint move across the canvas. No painting is the same and each painting is a choice that the babies have made when planning and implementing their painting. In fact, each canvas is a masterpiece. Maybe one of these pictures will be well sort after when the budding artist becomes famous See more

04.01.2022 The past couple of weeks have been challenging for us all and while we certainly understand your decisions to keep your children at home we do ask that you please speak to us in regards to cancelling your child's enrolment. We have further options available that are able to support you in regards to the financial implications of keeping your enrolment even when your child is not attendance. Thank you to all those families that have kept their enrolments and continued to support us so that when things to return to normal our wonderful staff and centres will still be here providing the education and care for your child that they enjoy.

03.01.2022 Tomorrow we celebrate all the hard work that early childhood educators do. Please join me in sending a big thank you for their dedication.

03.01.2022 The preschool children have been really interested in insects and bugs lately as they have found several different insects hiding in our yard. To extend on this, educators have set up learning experiences to expand children’s knowledge of insects. When we find an insect, we use the internet to gather information to learn more about its important role in the environment. We used our toy insects and bug finding cards to go on a bug hunt. Hannah set up the projector to explore and investigate the different features of real insects. We also used loose parts and chalk, to create different insects. These experiences encourage creativity, language skills, scientific thinking, numeracy and social skills. The children are developing knowledge and respect for the natural environments and learning about the interdependence of living things.