Campbell House News
Nut Aware (Reminder)
St Catherine’s is a Nut Aware School. Please remember that students are not to bring nuts or nut products such as Nutella or peanut butter to School. We have a number of students who have an anaphylactic reaction to nuts of all varieties and we ask all families to observe this important School policy.
Music and the links to learning
Our weekly music sessions in Campbell House are always eagerly anticipated by our young learners. While this specialist program is integral to our curriculum, musical experiences are also embedded within the children’s daily classroom programs. As educators, we highly value the role of music within our learning environment.
There are many learning benefits for children engaging with music with children developing their listening skills, concentration, perseverance, creativity, imagination and memory. Through immersive music and movement experiences, the children begin to gain an understanding of musical concepts such as rhythm, pitch, beat, tempo and tone. Working in a group also requires skills such as cooperation, communication and self-regulation.
When the children are totally immersed in music and movement experiences, their mind and body are working simultaneously. Music strengthens the connection between the body and the brain.
Incorporating music into a child’s life at a young age plays a vital role in language and personal development. It helps children associate sounds of letters with words and enhances listening skills that will later be useful for interpreting information. In addition, music exercises the left side of the brain, which processes language.
The link between music and effective learning has been well researched and the research indicates that through music, children construct strong thinking skills when they are predicting, organising, imagining, anticipating, repeating, extending and inventing. A 2016 study at the University of Southern California’s Brain and Creativity Institute found that musical experiences in childhood can actually accelerate brain development, particularly in the areas of language acquisition and reading skills.
For these reasons, along with the pure delight and enjoyment that music brings, music is highly valued within our early learning programs.
Ms Sarah Bethune
ELC Coordinator
Our Veterinary Clinic and Animal Hospital
The Waratah learners showed a very keen interest in learning about animals this term. In order to support and extend this interest, we introduced a new play area, The Waratah Veterinary Clinic and Animal Hospital.
Open ended pretend or dramatic play provides the children with an array of vital skills in our early childhood setting. Representational and conceptual thought, language, communication and social skills are all being refined by playing in this space.
Educators supported children’s interests and curiosity with a visit to the reference section of the Junior School library to develop their general knowledge of the care of animals. Once medical costumes, equipment and animals were selected, the clinic was open for business. Registration and consultations were conducted and a plan of action was implemented. Children examined the unwell dogs, rabbits, platypus, penguin and birds. Recovery time was brief and most patients were successfully discharged on the same day!
