It is wonderful to observe the learning taking place in classrooms, and the discussion, debate and laughter that can be heard as you move through Campbell House. The children are provided with such rich opportunities each and every day to explore, investigate and inquire, and they do so with such enthusiasm and vigour.

Our youngest learners in Waratah Room have recently been investigating the clouds and rain. This has encouraged the children to discuss and research ‘How do raindrops fall?’ This inquiry has led to a range of STEM and art-based experiences being offered to facilitate the children’s learning. They have also been conducting an inquiry into nature which has involved the children discovering various plants and lifecycles.

The children in Blue Gum Room have been busily engaged in an inquiry in relation to Australian Animals. The children participated in a virtual excursion with Healesville Sanctuary which prompted the children to investigate ‘How many hours do koalas sleep?’ and ‘Why do echidnas have spikes?’ The children have also been exploring the concepts of feelings and emotions as they begin to identify, explore and represent a range of emotions.

Our older learners in Banksia Room, have been engaged in learning about how to create a story – the setting, characters, the beginning, middle and end. This literacy rich experience provides the children with the opportunity to develop their creative ideas, verbal language skills, writing, illustration and thinking skills. The children have also been designing and constructing marble runs. They have been drawing plans and designs and exploring concepts such as height, speed and angle. This experience offers the children wonderful opportunities to develop their mathematics, engineering and problem solving skills.

The Wattle Room children have been inspired to create a friendship quilt. This idea came from the children’s desire to reconnect after a significant time apart during lockdown. The children have been drawing their designs of how they can represent their ideas of ‘friendship’ on a collaborative quilt. The children engaged in an online program with the National Gallery of Victoria about friendship. They looked at ways the artists had used friendship to inspire their artworks. This in turn has given the children inspiration for how they can represent friendship on the quilt.

It is exciting to see these inquiries and experiences unfolding in the ELC classrooms and to observe the children’s level of engagement and contribution to collaborative learning.

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After The Bell Newsletter