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What's Happening in the Wellington Region 2012!Wellington Newsletter Term 1 2012 Wellington Newsletter Term 2 2012 
Wellington Train Trip 10/5/12
A number of the children we visit, have been showing an interest in transport so we thought it would be a good time to have a Train Ride as our outing. We met at the Johnsonville Railway station, Lisa got our tickets and we waited for the train. We meet “Topsy” the little dog, also waiting for the train. It was a wet day, so we were all pleased when the train arrived. We were lucky to travel in one of the new trains. While it was very smooth; it still rocked gently back and forth. The conductor, Chris clipped our ticket. As we travelled along the line, we passed other stations and suburbs. We saw motor bikes, boats, and all sorts of things through the train window. We were all excited to go through the tunnels, we counted 7 of them. It was great to see the children’s confidence grow during the trip, Ollie moved away from Lisa for part of the trip back. Links to Te Whāriki: Belonging/Mana Whenua, Goal 1: Connecting links with the wider world are affirmed and extended. Robyn 
Brooklands Playgroup 7/5/12Today at playgroup, we had a great time with all the toys inside. The train set was popular, with quite a few children playing in a small group with this, trying to figure out the best way to put it together. Following on from our outing at Oriental Park last week, we made some pirate hats. Patrick was very proud of his! We then had a treasure hunt outside, the children were very excited about finding the gold coins and gummy bears. We climbed over the fort, along the bridge and looked around until.... 'SURPRISE' we found the treasure in the tree!! Thanks, Lisa Playgroup 1/5/12Tuesday – Bubbacino’s. This is a fantastic music session for pre-schoolers. It’s currently being held in the Titahi Bay School Hall (Kura St) until renovations at the Titahi Bay Baptist Church Hall are finished. Half hour session from 9.30 for $2 per family. Later this term it will be back in the Baptist Church Hall – 2 half hour music sessions, with a fantastic morning tea and playgroup for $5 per family. Delivered by a trained primary school teacher. Wednesdays and Fridays 9.30 – 11.30 – Titahi Bay Playgroup at the Titahi Bay Community Church Hall on Mana Avenue. Gold coin donation. Fully-fenced outdoor area with bikes, slides etc plus a large hall with indoor toys. Morning tea provided for both parents/caregivers and kids. Gold coin donation. These playgroups are not HGK playgroups, but you will be welcome there 
Home Grown Kids Newlands Playgroup 11/4/12There was lots to do at playgroup today. Ava loved painting and kept returning to the easel throughout the morning. Zach is new to HGK and playgroup and he was very happy and moved freely to all the activities. A group of children spent time at the dough; always a social place to be. There was lots of interest from everyone when we made Easter Bunny ears and a special container for a couple of Easter treats to take home! Yummy! Educators commented on how much they enjoy having an activity like this. It is also a great opportunity for children to develop new skills such as using felt pens and cutting. There was an opportunity for our Educators to talk with John from IRD about their Tax returns. The children left with us while this took place have developed trust and were confident and able to feel comfortable without their carer in sight. Te Whāriki New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum Strand 3: Contribution/Mana Tangata, Children have opportunities to work with and alongside others. Children develop strategies and skills for initiating, maintaining, and enjoying a relationship with other children. Strand 2: Belonging – Mana Whenua: Children and their families feel a sense of belonging. Children will experience an environment where connecting links with the family and the wider world are affirmed and extended. Thanks Robyn 
Home Grown Kids Brooklyn Playgroup, 22nd March 2012(Posted 27/3/12)Today we began playgroup by making the play dough together. Ben spent a considerable time moulding, rolling, pushing and manipulating the dough. Austin got to take the dough home with him. Once again the painting easel was a success and James's painting of a Fire Engine was very bright and colourful. It was the first time at playgroup for James and Jenna. Now that Jenna is walking; she was able to explore all the different activities and equipment freely. James displayed great confidence, getting stuck in straight away. We had a music session, using our new rakau sticks. Everyone joined in and it was fantastic to see Austin build in confidence, with the support of Alex and encouragement from other adults during the session. At the end he said: " It's cool, next one? We do it at home" Nanny comment: It is great to get together, a chance to network and get to know other Nannies and Educators. Our playgroups are always hands on. Robyn Wellington Playgroup 23/3/12
Wellington Nanny Evening 23/3/12Some of our HGK Nannies enjoying a night out in Wellington recently 
Newlands Playgroup 21/3/12At our last playgroup in Brooklyn, we made Weetbix slice, and today we continued that today making playdough. It was a great experience, and Olivia was very good at measuring. We spoke about how much half a cup was compared to a cup. The black food colouring didn't work very well, and the dough came out looking more green, so Olivia and I decided to add some more colouring, which ended up on our hands more than in the playdough! The younger children came and went from the table, playing alongside each other with the trucks and kitchen equipment. It was great to see these children develop their social skills and now using language in their interactions Lisa 
Wellington Lagoon Outing 20/3/12Another brisk day for our ‘Wheels Day’ at Aotea Lagoon! Thanks to all who braved it and came out for the day with us, it was wonderful to hear you all talking about catching up outside our Home Grown Kids arrangements as well, and networking together! We had a great play on the equipment, but the most exciting part of the outing was a visit from Andy Alexander, a local policeman who brought along the car and showed us around, letting us sit in it and giving out stickers and cut outs. Interestingly, as soon as the children hopped in, their first instinct was to put on seat belts, well done! The siren was a little loud for some, but others didn’t want to get out! We found out that legally, you must wear a helmet on the road when riding any form of bicycle. We then had a circuit of the duck pond on our way back to the car park, and all received a certificate for participating. Links to Te Whāriki: Belonging/Mana Whenua, Goal 1:- Connecting links between the family and the wider world are affirmed and extended. Exploration/Mana Aotūroa, Goal 2:- Children experience an environment where they gain confidence in and control of their bodies; Lisa 
Fishing 13/2/12It was a stunning day in Wellington; Clare, Sam and Luke went fishing. There were other Fishermen also trying their luck on the Petone wharf. Sam and Luke showed great patience and enjoyed just sitting, chatting and watching what was happening around them. I wonder if they caught "the big one?" Cheers Robyn 
Wellington Dancing Coordinators 8/2/12This song was a big hit at playgroup today. Mrs Bunny Mrs Bunny looks funny when she twitches her nose. Mrs Bunny looks funny when she wiggles her toes. Two floppy ears and two big feet, I love Mrs Bunny cause she's cause so neat. Mrs Bunny stretches... Mrs Bunny flops. Mrs Bunny hops and hops and hops and Mrs Bunny hops and stops! Anyone that knows the tune, will know that it is very catchy! Robyn Mana Parent Centre 31/1/12Happy new year! We hope you had a fantastic Christmas and enjoyed a bit of a break with your families. We have a great parent education schedule arranged for 2012 with a few new classes and something for every age group. We are also very pleased to continue our Mums and Bubs workout classes, which were so popular last term we had to go from running one class to two. Run by a qualified personal trainer has a particular interest in working with new mums, we are hoping they will be even more popular this year. All of our parent ed and workout classes are held at Pember House, Hagley Street, Porirua and need to be booked and paid for in advance. Mums and Bubs Starts Friday 10 February 2012 - first term is for eight weeks, until 30 March. Two classes, beginning at 10.15 and 11am. Members $32, non members $52 for the term. CPR Thursday 23 February, 7.30-9.30pm - Members $20, non members $35 Whether you have children or are expecting, in just two hours you can learn vital lifelong skills that could save your child’s life! Learn the two different techniques needed for babies and toddlers. This course also covers choking and basic first aid. This course is run by the New Zealand Red Cross, and you will receive a certificate for completion. Water Babies Thursday 1 March, 10.00-11.30am - Members $5, non members $10 Learn how to help your baby be confident in the water before they are ready to begin swimming lessons. This class will cover practical ideas and games for lots of water-based fun. A voucher for FREE swimming lessons is also included. Sleep Solutions Wednesday 14 March, 7.30-9.30pm Members $10, non members $20 From newborns to toddlers, whatever your sleep problem, this course will look at positive management strategies to promote healthy sleep patterns. Baby Sign Thursday 29 March, 7.00-9.30pm - Members $40 single, $50 couple; non members $50 single, $65 couple This workshop introduces parents to sign language for hearing babies, a wonderful, easy to use, early communication tool. Parents are taught when to start signing, how signing is implemented and how to recognise when their baby has grasped the concept. Course fee includes a guide book of basic signs and other resources. Please reply to this email address to book for any classes, or for any questions about the parent education courses. Kind regards, Jo Sanders Parent Education Co-ordinator Mana Parents Centre PO Box 50 367, Porirua 5240 Phone: 04 237 6262 Email: parentedbookings@gmail.com Web: www.manapc.org.nz 2012Term 4 Newsletter ***NEW*** Term 3 Newsletter Term 2 Newsletter 2011 Here Term 1 2011 Newsletter School of Music Trip PDF ***NEW*** 25/10/11 Brooklyn's Playgroup Photo's Download Wellington Zoo Trip Te Papa Outing 1/7/11 The Newlands Playgroup in action on June the 7th, 2011. 
Nanny Evening 13/12/11Above are some photos of the recent Nanny Dinner Night in Wellington. 
12/12/11 Brooklyn and NewlandsThe Christmas music was playing, and the children and adults were all starting to get in to the Christmas spirit! We even had a visit from the big fat fellow, and although a few of us were a bit scared, most of the children were happy to go and see him, especially when they saw he had balloons and Eskimos!We made Santa decorations today, and enjoyed lots of different activities Even the adults enjoyed the Xmas spirit. 
Firestation Visit 5/12/11We had a visit to Kilbirnie Fire Station today. Lucky we were early, as they were very busy and had another visit to do soon! The lights and sirens were pretty loud, and some of us got a fright, but we all enjoyed looking at the engine and using the hose. Link to Te Whaariki: Belonging/Mana Whenua, Goal 2, connecting links with the family and the wider world are affirmed and extended. Children develop awareness of connections between events and experiences within and beyond the early childhood education setting, connecting links between the early childhood education setting and other settings that relate to the child, and knowledge about the role of the wider world of work, such as the hospital, the supermarket, or the fire service. 
Newlands Playgroup 1/12/11Today at playgroup, we learned about keeping sun safe. With summer coming soon it is important we know what we need to stop getting sunburned. We had pictures with things that keep us safe which we coloured and cut and stuck onto paper. Not only were we learning about sun safe practice, but also developing our fine motor skills. Adults helped us scaffold our skills, as using scissors can be tricky! But fun!! Links to Te Whariki: Strand 1, Wellbeing/Mana Atua, Goal 1, their health is promoted. Strand 3, Contribution/Mana Tangata, Goal 3, There are opportunities to work with and alongside others. Lisa 
1/11/11Lisa, one of our 3 Wellington Coordinators at the recent Wellington MBA Monster Garage Sale, helping out with face painting.
Wellington Playgroup 10/10/11We were lucky enough to have a (replica) Webb Ellis Trophy, and the children enjoyed having their photo taken with it! We made flags and hats with Rugby Balls on them. Links to Te Whariki: Family and Community/Whanau Tangata - The wider world of family and community is an integral part of the early childhood curriculum. Belonging/Mana Whenua, Goal 1 - connecting links with the family and the wider world are affirmed and extended. 
Home Grown Kids trip to the Newlands Fire Station 16th September 2011(Posted 26/9/11) WOW! We learnt so much at our visit to the Fire Station. Tony, who has been a volunteer fireman for 45 years, is the Officer In Charge at the Newlands Station. He talked to us about the Fire Service and all the wonderful things they do, such as installing smoke alarms, talking to groups such as ours and of course attending fires! Over 200 calls were attended last year. The uniform was really heavy, as was the hose. We were able to sit in the Fire Engine , and hold the hose as the water whooshed out. When the siren went, it was really loud! All the adults enjoyed hearing from Tony about the Volunteer Brigades. There are 23 members at the Newlands Fire Station and they even have a waiting list for people who want to be a volunteer Fireman. They do lots of courses and training. What a fantastic job they do. Te Whāriki New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum Strand 2 Belonging – Mana Whenua: Children and their families feel a sense of belonging. Children and their families will experience an environment where connecting links with the family and the wider world are affirmed and extended Children will develop knowledge about the role of the wider world of work such as the fire service. 
Wellington Playgroup 21 /9/11Today we had a spring theme at playgroup, and we made some flowers. The children concentrated very hard on colouring in the petals and centre, using glitter pens and pencils. Most of the children wanted to cut out the petals by themselves, and ALL of them at least tried. There were a variety of blades, some were curvy, zig-zag and several straight ones. Then there was fun using the cellotape to put them all together. There were opportunities for children to develop hand-eye co-ordination, concentration and small muscle skills, as well as work in small groups, together and independently.
Home Grown Kids Annual Wellington Zoo Trip 31/8/11From the trip 10 August 2011Photos above: Got the map – let’s go! Checking out the tiny monkeys. We had a wonderful sunny day for our annual zoo trip. After signing in at the front desk everyone headed off to see the animals before meeting again at the Wildlife Theatre for the animal training show where we got to see Jack the otter and pat some rats. We explored some more, visiting the animals in their different habitats - the chimps, giraffes, lions, red pandas were all popular - before meeting again for a shared lunch at the picnic area. A fun filled day exploring the zoo and meeting with Home Grown Kids friends. 
Playgroup 5/8/11There was a lot of fun with the scarves, buckets and tongs today at playgroup, with a dance show on stage, and finishing off with the parachute and bean bags before we went home. Small groups of children working alongside each other at a variety of activities gave opportunities to develop skills for maintaining and enjoying relationships. There were also toys available for children to enjoy by themselves, puzzles, blocks, etc. Links to Te Whariki: Strand 3, Contribution/Mana Tangata, Goal 3: Children have opportunities to work with and alongside others. Children develop strategies and skills for initiating, maintaining, and enjoying a relationship with other children.
Outing: New Zealand Police Museum20th July 2011(Posted 25/7/11) We are lucky to have the New Zealand Police Museum right on our doorstep and today we visited. We had a fantastic turn out and it was great to see some older siblings who are on holiday from school. The museum is a family-friendly facility with displays that will interest kids of all ages Te Whāriki Curriculum Belonging Goal 1: Children develop knowledge about the role of the wider world of work, such as Police We are lucky to have the New Zealand Police Museum right on our doorstep and today we visited. We had a fantastic turn out and it was great to see some older siblings who are on holiday from school. The children were able to test their skills on a changing programme of mysteries and activities including forensic investigation techniques. Junior Detectives were able to dress up in uniforms There were missions for us to work on: Operation K-9…can you find all 6 paw prints around the Museum? Case: Panther: find the evidence at the 5 different stations and then come to your conclusion. Child’s voice: Angus (4) “I am going to be a Policeman when I grow up” Sophie (4) “Are you going to be a Policeman when you grow up Robyn?” 
Wellington Te Papa Trip 1/7/11We celebrated : Matariki: twinkling dawn sky Matariki whetū rikoriko i te atatū We sang: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star We heard: Legends about Matariki and how the stars came to be in the sky We explored: The exciting envirnoment... trees, sheds, rivers, beaches, gardens, farms, art, pretend cooking, dressing up..... 
Wellington Playgroup 23/6/11Robyn's puzzle was really popular, and the children also enjoyed the heuristic equipment, and the fishing game gave us opportunities to talk about taking turns. Some children wanted help with matching the magnets. Lots of family play, then we used the ceramic dough outside Te Whariki Links: Belonging/Mana Whenua, Goal 2, They know that they have a place, Contribution/Mana Tangata, Goal 3, they have opportunities to work with and alongside others Wellington Outing to Avalon Park 2/6/11We were so lucky to have a glorious day for our trip to the Avalon Park and the fantastic Bike track. Children brought their bikes and ride-ons and explored the purpose built child “roadway”. Download the flyer and full article and photo's Here
Wellington Playgroup 23/5/11Two photo's of the recent Wellington Playgroup.   
Wellington Playgroup 10/5/11We met for the first playgroup of term 2 at the Newlands Community Centre hall. The large space gave us great opportunity to explore tactile play - play dough and collage we set up first alongside toys such as blocks, road and mountain and the baby area. The children eagerly engaged in the collage with leaves, sticks and ribbons available alongside boxes and paper and card. The playdough was popular with the children and the younger ones experimented by touching, patting and sometimes licking! After a morning tea we set up the wet clay and that was a real adventure in exploring for the children - swirling, splashing, drawing, patting and splattering! At the collage table there was the opportunity to make and Mother’s Day card or a card for someone special. 
Train Trip Outing 19/4/11We all met at Johnsonville station, excited and ready to go! There has been lots of talk at playgroup about our upcoming outing on the train, so everyone, adults as well, were very excited. We saw the train pull up to the station, and all got on. It was quite a big step, and some of us needed help, especially with the prams. But we all boarded and were off! We went through lots of tunnels, sang some songs, and it was exciting when the guard came and clicked our ticket! We arrived at Wellington Station, and there were lots of people and trains. Morning tea at the cafe, and some of the children went to the ticket booth to buy the return ticket. Then it was back on the train, and home again! We all had a great time, looking forward to it again soon! Strand 1, Belonging/Mana Whenua, Goal 1, connecting links with the family and wider world are affirmed and extended.
Heuristic Play 8/4/11Home Grown Kid Rosa, aged 3, enjoys Heuristic Play with one of the Treasure baskets from the Wellington Coordinator Toy Library. Heuristic play is the exploration of objects from the real world and the treasure basket can contain all sorts of objects for children to talk about and explore. The treasure basket Rosa is exploring contains all natural resources – Rosa talked about colours, textures, weight, size, sounds and even taste when she licked the pine cone. Treasure baskets are easy to assemble and can be put together to suit children of all ages. Have a look at the Educators Homepage for more information or ask your Coordinator for ideas on putting a basket together. Rachelle Dempsey, Coordinator HGK
Wellington Playgroup - 21/9/10
Wellington HG Kids Zoo Trip - August 2010
Wellington Playgroup 19-7-10 Here are some photos of our playgroup today. We made tails, and had dressups!
Home Grown Kids Annual Easter Egg HuntMarch 2010Would the real Easter Bunny please stand up! Hopping on the hunt Searching among the trees everyone found an egg or two to take home and share with their whanau at Easter. Aston had a Thomas painted on his face and Matthew had a spider done – thanks Lisa! Te Whaariki New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum Strand 2 Belonging – Mana Whenua: Children and their families feel a sense of belonging. Children and their families experience an environment where connecting links with the family and the wider world are affirmed and extended As his final trick the amazing Zappo pulled Bubbles – the Easter Bunny – from his hat! The children pat Bubbles who was a very friendly Easter Bunny |
