09 June 2022
The Early Years welcomed 60 grandparents on Wednesday. It was a lovely chance for the boys to enjoy a special morning tea with a special member of their family. We shared delicious scones and hot drinks, rich conversation, books, and explored the learning environments together. The morning tea also gave us a chance to reflect on the notion of identity and knowledge.
Some of the boys have been drawing family pictures as a way of exploring the concept of ‘I see you and I am here.’ These relationships help the boys navigate who they are as they start to explore their identity as a member of the SPSC community.
The Early Years Curriculum is entitled Belonging, Being and Becoming. Welcoming grandparents into our day is a perfect opportunity to explore and embrace this concept.
Experiencing belonging – knowing where and with whom you belong – is integral to human existence. Children belong first to a family, a cultural group, a neighbourhood and a wider community. Belonging acknowledges children’s interdependence with others and the basis of relationships in defining identities. In early childhood, and throughout life, relationships are crucial to a sense of belonging. Belonging is central to being and becoming in that it shapes who children are and who they can become. (The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, P7)
Uncle John visited us on Tuesday and extended this concept by speaking of the role that the grandfathers play in supporting the education of children. Uncle John was referring to respected males in the community not just the biological grandparent.
The circularity of knowledge as a loop that connects the elders in a community with the children and the children with the elders. This relationship creates a shared sense of identity and gives perpetual momentum to the learning process.
We are so grateful to the ELC families for celebrating their families with us – it was such a joyful event for us all!
Holly Baulderstone
Head of Early Years