FEBRUARY / MARCH 2020
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2020 576 2891 – 021 191 9933
PO Box 6056 Tauranga info@shalomkindergarten.co.nz
Dear Parents/whānau/caregivers,
Kia ora koutou – Hello to you all, and welcome to 2020. This is a new decade and we pray that it will be filled with many exciting times and opportunities for you all. Welcome to all our new tamariki/children and their whanau/family, and may you feel welcomed by all those you are in contact with within our centre. Life events can be challenging – whether they are personal, local, national or global. Yet it is great to know that we have a God who cares and walks with us on the journey. We look forward to journeying with you all through this term and the year ahead.
IDEAS FOR PARENT EVENTS/EVENINGS
We would love to do an evening or event that is suitable for what our whanau need. We are wondering about doing a panel discussion. If you have not already, you will get an opportunity soon to give us some feedback on this via a survey. Also, we would love to know of any topics that you think would be suitable for you all.
Raising our Tamariki/Children – LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
How can we best support our tamariki with the acquisition of their language? TALK! TALK! TALK! – Talk with our tamariki about what you are doing, and for older tamariki tell them why to help them develop understanding. Acknowledge and talk about their feelings, and yours, as they need to learn about their own emotions, but also need to learn about yours too. This will help them develop understanding and empathy towards others.
USE CLEAR SPEECH – Enunciate your words well, and let them see your face and expressions when you are talking.
SLOW DOWN – Sometimes when we talk too fast, the words become jumbled and those who are listening do not hear all the words and all the sounds clearly. They may even miss hearing the beginning and ending of our words, and then mispronounce them when they say them.
WAIT TIME – give them up to 10 seconds to respond. This will give them time to process what you have said, and think about what they want to say in response.
HAND RULE – 5 COMMENTS TO 1 QUESTION – asking questions is good, but remember not to ask too many, and give them time to answer the first question before asking them another one.
READ BOOKS – this is valuable time to talk with them. Some may want to talk about the pictures, so follow their lead, as they will still be learning. Also, for those that are ready, ask them what they think may happen next, as it is good for them to learn to predict what could occur.
LISTEN – listen to what they are saying, and be responsive to their interests. Also if they say a word wrong, repeat it in a similar sentence to what they said, but do not always expect them to repeat the word after you. If you are modelling it, they should eventually remember the correct way to say it.
USE RICH DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE – tamariki/children love to learn big words, they enjoy it if we are using this type of language, and their language will be so much richer too.
REMEMBER – HAVE FUN – explore sounds and words, making up your own words. Relax and enjoy the hilarity you might have.
A NOTE FROM SHARON
Welcome back to 2020. it has been good to see our new and old families back after a summer break. We hope we can be of service to you and your whanau as we have fun together this year.
CORONAVIRUS
Shalom is keeping updated by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health about best practice.
SUMMER TIME
The heat of the sun is very strong so please send your tamaiti/child:
– with sunblock already applied. (We do reapply sunscreen during lunch time).
– a summer pōtae/hat – named – nga hu/shoes – as the matting gets very hot, and they need them on if the are doing carpentry
– and also with named: kākahu/clothes
SHALOM FAMILY PICNIC
Thanks to those who were able to make it to this evening. You all made it a wonderful and relaxing night, and we look forward to the next one at the end of this year.
MATUA PRIMARY SCHOOL
To keep you updated, Matua School have changed the days of their new entrant visits. If you are intending for your tamaiti/child to attend Matua, their new entrants visit dates will now be every.
Friday morning from 9am until approximately 11am.
DON’T FORGET:
If you recommend a tamaiti/child and their family to Shalom, and the tamaiti has been attending for over a month, then you are eligible to your choice of a voucher, (grocery, or Atrium), or a credit to your account.
Word of mouth is the best form of advertising, and we appreciate that you take your time to tell others about Shalom – thank you.
A PRAYER FOR YOU ALL:
Dear God, may all the tamariki/children and their whanau/family who are in our care know that you are looking after them, that you will protect them and give them peace. Let them know what to do during any time of need, and allow us all to find a way help each other when we can.
We trust God that you will continue to assist us (the kaiako/teachers) to support parents and whanau to do their parenting well. Also help us to be the best kaiako that we can be to support the tamariki through their time of learning at Shalom.
We pray too God, that you will raise the tamariki in our care into great adults who are able to make positive changes in our local community, nation, and the world. But most of all God, we pray that everyone will know that they are loved by You. Amen
