For our final newsletter of 2023, we are taking a look at the wonderful work that has been happening at our Early Childhood Services this year...
Good Shepherd Early Childhood Services
Good Shepherd Early Childhood Services enjoyed a wide range of exciting activities this year. Some highlights include:
Book Week
During book week one of our kinder children dressed as the Bookshop Cat. This led to discussions about bookshops are resulted in an excursion to our local bookshop. Children thoughout all the programs dressed up for book week including our babies.
Excursion to Sunflower Farm
Sunflowers inspired our creative art experiences early in the year. To extend on this interest the children visited a sunflower farm to learn more about them.
Biggest Morning Tea
We held a Biggest Morning Tea this year in support of the many families in ort service effected by cancer. Staff cooked and manned a stall for families to purchase their morning tea to take to work. We raised $1464.
Science Week
For Science Week the children experimented with lemons and held created their own Lemonade Stand. Children investigated and watched the life cycle of butterflies brought in by one of our children.
Little Saints Preschool
Little Saints Preschool offers early childhood education for up to 30 children per day in an open-plan environment that encourages indoor/outdoor play. Children enjoy a wide range of play-based activities and are supported by our small team of educators. Families choose Little Saints because of our small, consistent team, high educator to child ratios and calm, Christian learning environment. Families also value the close relationship our service has with St John’s Lutheran Primary School and the benefits of many children transitioning from our preschool programs, directly into the co-located school site.
St Paul's Lutheran Kindergarten
St Paul’s Lutheran Kindergarten, Grovedale, has been serving the Greater Geelong community for over 45 years. An integral part of the service is our wonderful staff who provide the caring, Christian atmosphere which attracts so many families, year after year.
In 2023, we farewell two long-standing staff, Debbie Jennings and Margot Shaw. The kinder community was keen to celebrate Debbie and Margot, and held an afternoon tea on Sunday 3 December which saw families from the past 30 years return to say goodbye. We also welcomed LEA Executive Director, Prof. Lisa Schmidt, who awarded Debbie and Margot with LEA Service Awards for their commitment to the service.
We thank God for the commitment of Debbie and Margot to our kindergarten and wish them every blessing as they embark on a new stage of life with their families.
St John's Lutheran Kindergarten
St John's Lutheran Kindergarten was one of 123 schools and youth organisations to receive a 2023 Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grant. Delivered through Landcare Australia’s Junior Landcare program, and funded by the Victorian Government, the grants provide young people the opportunity to engage in outdoor, hands-on biodiversity focused projects or learning activities that provide both environmental and educational outcomes.
The grant of $1,996.20 was used to enhance the children’s interest in learning about bees and the environment through the creation of a new natural habitat in the kindergarten. Grevillea Winter Delight (Lanigera Lavandulacae) has been planted as a border of the accessible garden and will be maintained by St John’s Lutheran Kindergarten children. Grevillea Winter Delight is a native flowering bush that appeals to bees and other nectar-feeding animals.
To expand the educational benefits of the new natural habitat, the children have taken part in two incursions with Coastal Nectar and Urban Upcycle, where the children created their own bee hotels for the kindergarten and to take home with them.
At LEVNT, we are also looking forward to the opening of Farmhouse Kinder in Tarneit, VIC, next year! This new service will open from Term 1, offering both fully funded 3 and 4 year old kinder programs. Enrolments are still open, you can find more information here. We encourage any interested families to apply using the following link: LEVNT Early Childhood - Application Form (enrolnow.com.au)
We wish all families at our Early Childhood Services a safe and happy Christmas, and can't wait to see what you get up to when you return in 2024.
- The LEVNT Early Childhood Team
