St Kevin’s Kindergarten

Watching chicks grow

Observing and nurturing baby chicks, is a highlight each year for our kindergarten children. After eagerly anticipating their arrival the children keep watch over the eggs in the incubator waiting for them to hatch, before caring for the baby chicks feeding them daily and helping to clean their home. Throughout the experience the children record their observations through drawings and learn about the lifecycle of the hatchlings.

Learning Yugambeh language

At St Kevin’s the children are taught introductory Yugambeh language, our area’s indigenous dialect. A member of the local indigenous community visits and together we read dreamtime stories, learn nursery rhymes, learn animal, insect and bush names, learn how to count in Yugambeh and greet each other with Yugambeh phrases. We look at how we are connected to Kombumerri country and have a great time playing traditional Indigenous games.

We have also embedded the use of Yugambeh language in our daily program. The children begin the day in a yarning circle and greet one another with Baugull Bujera or Jingeri (good morning or welcome). To support the children’s language development, our educators use both English and Yugambeh language in other activities such as counting, reading stories, and singing. The children also take on an educator role, teaching their parents and carers Yugambeh language phrases. For the children this is an opportunity to develop an understanding and appreciation of cultural differences.

Exploring animal life cycles

In kindergarten the children explore early science concepts including learning about the life cycles of animals and insects. The children read the Hungry Little Caterpillar and have broken down the stages of the life cycle according to the book. The children used their creativity to understand each stage in depth creating caterpillars, cocoons and finally butterflies through craft.