OUR PROGRAM Here at St Thomas's Riverview Preschool and Kindergarten, our qualified Director and Assistants are committed to providing quality educational and developmentally-based programs, with genuine consideration for children's needs. Daily Routine At St Thomas’s Riverview Kindergarten we try to organise the daily routine around: •    Outdoor Time (play and activities) •    Language (group) •    Indoor Time (play and activities) •    Music (group) •    Rest Activities are teacher-directed and/or child-initiated.  The teacher’s awareness of children’s needs, development and interests means that the planning of programs can be catered for each individual. Themes Many activities are based around themes. Sometimes they are planned in advance and other times they are chosen through the influence of young inquisitive minds.  Past themes have included Marine/Beach, Anzac Day, Autumn, Royal Brisbane Show (Ekka) and Easter. Special Events During the course of the year we celebrate a variety of special events.  The children approach these events with gusto and enjoy sharing their kindergarten environment and achievements with their families.  Some special events include: •        Wheel-a-thon (children push, pull and ride anything with wheels             over a small course followed by a BBQ) •        Father’s Play Day (Fathers and Grandfathers get to spend a special morning             at the kindergarten with their children, having fun) •        Christmas Concert (children perform a fantastic end-of-year concert for parents             and the rest of the family).   Dress Up Every child loves to 'make believe' or 'pretend'. Dressing-up is an important part of everyday life for children, especially adult role-play.  'Dress-up' sparks imagination and encourages children to socialise and interact with each other.  St Thomas’s has a great collection of hats, clothes, shoes, handbags jewellery and other accessories. Music Music is an integral part of our program. We believe singing, dancing and the playing of instruments is a great way for children to express themselves. Whether it’s singing a nursery rhyme, jumping up and down, clapping hands or pounding on some drums, most children love some form of music – it makes them smile! Arts & Crafts The children experiment with a variety of painting techniques from brushes, fingers, tennis balls and sponges to spray bottles. They draw using crayons, pencils, pens, chalk and charcoal.  They love to build anything they choose by cutting, pasting, stapling, taping, threading, sewing or gluing just about anything and everything.  They enjoy making things from clay and 'play dough'.  Not only is arts-and-crafts fun, but it also hones their fine motor skills, requires patience, and enhances problem-solving skills. Language Children are taught to use language to communicate with other children, and adults, through listening to stories, using simple rhymes and poems and using puppets and songs. Courtesy & Manners At St Thomas’s we believe it is of the utmost importance to reinforce those values that parents continually work towards instilling in their children at home. We believe good manners facilitate social relations. We strive to teach children to have respect for themselves, their belongings, other people, other people’s belongings and their surroundings. This builds improved self esteem and confidence and improves social skills.   Excursions Four times a year children are offered the opportunity to go on excursions.  Some have included: •    Zoological Museum •    Ipswich Railway Museum •    Trevena Glen Farm •    Bunyaville Environmental Education Centre. At St Thomas’s, chilodren's safety is paramount, so we have a policy that there must be one (1) adult to every two (2) children ratio for excursions. Grandparents also escort the children. During the course of the year the children also host many visitors including: •    Evergreen Puppet Theatre •    Foundation Players •    Storytellers •    Musicians •    Henny Penny (baby chicks hatching). Lending Library St Thomas’s has a comprehensive lending library. Not only can the children select and borrow books on a regular basis, but we also offer a wide range of reading material for parents.

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