Staff Update

After 4 years at KIDSPACE, Monica is leaving us for new challenges at the Parent and Child centre just around the corner from her home.  So, while Monica won't miss the winter bus journey to work each day, we will certainly miss her at KIDSPACE.  You are all welcome to join us for a farewell afternoon tea on Monica's last day, Friday 25 May at 4:45 pm.

I am currently conducting a review of our present staffing and looking at different options for replacing Monica.  If you would like to share your thoughts with me about staffing (or anything else about KIDSPACE), I would be very willing to listen.  I can be contacted in person, by phone or email at any time of the day or evening. Alternatively, the contact details for our two parent reps are on the noticeboard above the sign in sheet. Also, our missing suggestion box has been replaced and is now attached to the end of the parent library shelf.

Recently, we have been very pleased to welcome back two well-loved teachers.  Jude is now doing some regular hours each week plus some day-to-day relieving.  Lepa is filling in for student teachers while they are on their practicum placements in other centres.  We also welcome Melody, a primary trained relieving teacher.
Irene

Welcome back Jude

We have had a familiar face back relieving at KIDSPACE this week. Jude first joined the KIDSPACE teaching team in March 2004, taking leave to have her daughter Mollie, returning to KIDSPACE, then leaving to have Aimee. The children have quickly warmed to Jude and have been enjoying the music, songs and dramatic play that Jude has been doing with them (yesterday they we going on a bear hunt along the stone path at the back of the hill).

Happy Paddy's Day from the KIDSPACE Team

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the KIDSPACE Team

Click on the links below:

part of the team

http://www.jibjab.com/view/gIXAuo0oHR9g2w7I

more of the team

http://www.jibjab.com/view/RLdllvRybFAR0wsGRfaC

St. Patrick's Day

This Saturday 17/3 is St. Patrick's Day.

In anticipation of this day, we will be doing some 'green themed' activities at KIDSPACE this Friday 16/3.

The teachers will be dressed in their wackiest green so children, don your green gear and join in the fun!

EIT presentation

Congratulations to Tamara and Rochelle who did a brillant job presenting to the year one EIT Bachelor of Teaching students this morning. Tamara put in a huge amount of work preparing for this session on assessment and documentation of children's learning. The feedback from the students attending the session was very positive.

At KIDSPACE we see this as effective professional learning for our teachers as well as an opportunity to promote good practice with future teachers.

Irene

Rochelle and Guy's Big Day

click on picture to enlarge

Happy Birthday Monica

Ainslee

AWAY FOR FOUR WEEKS.

Kia ora everyone,

I will be away for a four weeks' field practicum at EDUKIDS. The diverse experience of learning can be a fun as well as development of dispositions. The teachers, parents and children at KIDSPACE really taught me a lot of lessons different from what I learned earlier. Meet you all after 4 weeks.

I like this journey after realizing the TRUTH.

Love,

Mohanan

15 July

Happy wedding day to you

Yesterday afternoon, we had a special afternoon tea for Rochelle. It was in celebration of her Wedding this weekend. Rochelle wore a special veil (which are new to our dress up area at KIDSPACE), and blew out a candle on a yummy chocolate mud cake, as we sang 'Happy Wedding Day To You'. We had a shared morning tea of yummy fresh fruits and chocolate cupcake with sprinkles. Congratulations for your special day this weekend, and all to you and Guy for the future ahead.

Ainslee and the team

Meghan joins our team

It's official! Meghan finishes her practicum this week and next week will switch her home centre practicum to KIDSPACE. She will do 3-5 on Thursdays and 9-5 on Fridays. Tamara will be Meghan's peer support teacher.

Welcome Meghan, I hope you find your time at KIDSPACE enjoyable and rewarding.

Irene

Congratulations Meghan

Meghan is in her second year of the Bachelor of Teaching (ECE) at EIT and is on teaching practice at KIDSPACE for five weeks. Today she had her tutor visit and passed with flying colours!!

ECE Funding Cuts and YOU

How are you getting on with filling your sheet for the petition about the early childhood education funding cuts? Each sheet only has 10 lines, so yourself and 9 others! There are more sheets pinned to the noticeboard for you to take if you can get more than 10 signatures. You have until the 18 May (so that they can be in Wellington by 20 May). The goal is to get 70,000 signatures nationwide - prior to the rally in Hastings I heard that there were only 22,000 signatures so still quite a way to go!

There is a huge amount of research that clearly shows that quality early childhood education makes an enormous difference for children's success later in life. It has been estimated that $1 of government funding spent on quality early childhood education saves between $11 and $20 spent on health, welfare and justice. One of the indicators of quality early childhood education is qualified teachers, however the government has said that 80% of registered teachers is all that is now required and has pegged the funding back to this level. Would you accept 80% registered teachers in schools? Yet by the time your child gets to school 90% of their brain is already formed.

We are doing all we can to absorb these funding cuts without raising fees. We are trimmed to the bone and any further cuts would be critical. If the government gets the idea (or already has the idea) that we, teachers and parents, have accepted the cuts, then we can be sure there will be more to come - or other more insidious moves such as the changes due to take effect from 1 July to increase the maximum permitted license size from 50 to 150 children and from 25 to 75 under 2s (with no requirement that these children be split into smaller groups). Also for under 2s there only has to be one 'person responsible' (registered teacher) for 50 children - the rest could be school leavers on the minimum wage. Does this sound like putting the best interests of the child first - I don't think so!

New Zealand has led the world with early childhood research and our curriculum, Te Whariki. Please don't let us lead the world with these backward fiscal measures.

Irene

Mohanan on Practicum

Hi Everyone,

I will be in Marewa Kindergarten from May 2 to May 27 as part of my second field practice placement. The 3 weeks placement in our centre would be completed on April 26. What I experienced at KIDSPACE during my first placement is unforgettable in my professional life. I was glad to see our tamariki acquiring more social, emotional, cognitive and physical skills in the mixed age group through interactions, explorations and imaginations. Teachers were also trying to develop children's inner self by promoting love and empathy (spirituality). We had a lot of fun with science and numbers too!

Regards, Mohanan

Happy Birthday Ainslee

Invitation KIDSPACE 10th anniversary celebration

You are invited to join past and present KIDSPACE staff and parents to celebrate our 10th anniversary on Friday 11th March 5 - 7 pm
(see notice in pocket)

Mission Tickets

Irene has two tickets to sell to the Sting concert this weekend if you know of anyone looking to buy tickets to this sell out concert.

Happy Birthday Irene

Ainslee

Congratulations

Congratulations to Monica's son Matt and Noah's uncle, who along with his band Horusset won the Inaugural City Showcase. They will be heading to London in May.

First Aid

Last Sunday, Irene, Monica, Jess and Tamara all did a one day revalidation of their first aid certificates to keep them up to date. Pity we didn't take a camera to get some photos of our poor 'victims' all bandaged up! Ainslee and Jessie did their revalidation a few months ago and Rie and Ann are doing their full (2 day) first aid course in December.

Irene at MOE

Just letting you know that from next week for four weeks I will only be in at KIDSPACE on Mondays and for staff meetings. Tuesday - Friday I will be working for the Ministry of Education at their Ahuriri offices. Jessie will be in charge in my absence. I am still nearby and, as usual, can be reached at home in the evening.

Irene