Here at Woodland Junior Academy (WJA), we are embarking on a learning journey to understand the importance and contributions from people in “Our Community”. Our Rollers, Wrigglers, Playgroup and Stepping Stones are learning to appreciate the valuable services provided by nurses, firefighters, farmers, construction workers and scientists, to name a few.

Playgroup teachers have been focusing on fine motor skills development using natural materials in our classrooms. Through this, we have observed their natural curiosity towards nature. For example, our children used leaves for painting and stamping. Areas of the classroom which are set up for invitations for the children have been very well used, and the loose parts are continually evolving. We have been able to observe the children engaging with open-ended play with these natural materials. Some children, in particular, have been using loose parts for construction and we have observed a lot of learning, such as; creativity, spatial awareness, measurements, hand-eye coordination, connection and comparison.

This month, we also introduced a mark-making corner. This is very popular as children use the resources set out for them to express themselves through scribbling and drawing, and we, the teachers and caregivers, encourage them to find meaning in these marks.