Director of Mary Bailey House

Out of School Hours Care (OOSH)

Our recent vacation care program had the children involved in a variety of fun and interesting incursions that had them moving, thinking and connecting with friends.

Incursion highlights included Brick Works. This workshop involved both individual and team tasks that engaged the children creating LEGO creatures, playing Brickionary, building cities and Quick Build challenges. The children joyfully worked and celebrated together throughout this engaging event.

Another was Exergames. Exergames through its games and activities is designed to strengthen Fundamental Movement Skills and promote social interactions. Our Exergame coach Sam had the children excited and energised as they played games that required them to move their bodies, throw and catch and run with purpose.

We also went on our favourite excursion to Strathfield Park. The playground equipment at Strathfield Park offers children the opportunity to scale, swing, slide and scramble up, over, through and down an array of obstacles. While the park’s surroundings provide children with the opportunity to connect with and simply be in nature. We find that the level of joy and peace that children express while at the park cannot be stimulated in other activities.

When school resumed, we asked the children what experiences they enjoyed in vacation care, and they stated the above and suggested a few more. As in the past, we will design our next vacation care program based upon the children’s thoughts and ideas.

Jackie Baxter
Director of Mary Bailey House

Music at Mary Bailey House (Curricular)

MBH is a hive of different cultures and languages. In conjunction with the Treefrog students learning Italian with the ELLA Program, students that speak another language at home have been invited to help teach the class how to count to 5 in, most cases, their mother tongue. We are adding this to our rhythm and counting song, Pease Porridge Hot. So far we are learning Italian, Spanish and Slovakian. We look forward to learning Korean, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Amy Richardson
Director of Music P-12