Pre-schools’ News – Week 8
Dear Families,
As we approach the end of this term, we take this opportunity to reflect on the wonderful progress and experiences your children have had in our Pre-school. Alongside sharing their Developmental Summaries and Portfolios over the coming week, we would like to provide some curriculum updates and reminders about what our Pre-school programme entails.
Our dedicated teachers have worked diligently to create a thorough and well-thought-out programme that engages, supports and develops each child, both as an individual and as a member of the class. We are excited to share that from February 2024, we commenced implementing the Early Years Learning Framework Version 2.0 (EYLF V2.0). This updated framework builds upon the strong foundations of the original EYLF and introduces several new focus areas designed to further enrich your child’s early learning experience. We strongly believe that these updates fit brilliantly within our units of inquiry, as an International Baccalaureate (IB), Primary Years Programme (PYP) Pre-school.
New Focus Areas in EYLF V2.0
- Sustainability and Environmental Awareness:
- Objective: To encourage children to explore and understand their relationship with the natural world.
- Activities: Nature walks, recycling projects, and discussions about sustainable practices.
- Digital Literacy:
- Objective: To integrate age-appropriate technology use to support learning and creativity.
- Activities: Digital storytelling, interactive educational games, and basic coding exercises.
- Cultural Competence:
- Objective: To emphasise respect and appreciation for diversity.
- Activities: Learning about different cultures, languages, and traditions through stories, music, and art.
- Wellbeing and Mindfulness:
- Objective: To promote physical, emotional, and mental health.
- Activities: Incorporating yoga, mindfulness exercises, and discussions about feelings and healthy habits into the daily routine.
- STEM Education:
- Objective: To foster curiosity and critical thinking through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
- Activities: Hands-on experiments, building projects, and exploratory play.
Recognising our children as competent and capable learners who have rights and agency, the EYLF Framework lays a solid foundation for the holistic development of our students, in conjunction with the PYP Framework. Play-based, inquiry learning in our Pre-schools provides learners with stimulating and appropriate curriculum, acknowledging that young learners are intelligent, resourceful and creative individuals who grow, develop and learn at different rates.
Kind regards,
Abigail McFarlane
Pre-schools’ Coordinator