PR E PA R ATORY S C HO OL
Jayne builds an igloo
Last term the Pre-Primary students were very busy looking at
different types of materials and what houses are made from. As
part of this integrated unit of work we went on a walk around the
local area to look at the different types of homes we could see and
discussed their similarities and differences.
After this we had fun drawing our ‘dream home’ which included
some great modifications such as water slides, ball pits, race car
tracks, art rooms and giant trampolines to name a few.
We then thought about building a home out of boxes. This involved
thinking about the type of home we could build. Would it be onestorey, two-storey, have a garage, a flat roof or a pointy roof? The
children were very engaged and enthusiastic in the whole process.
By the end we had enough homes to put together to make a box
city. Add a few cars and little people to this corner of the classroom
and our box homes continued to provide us with many more hours
of playful fun and learning.
During this time we were busy building in so many different ways
and with all different types of materials. The highlight of this time
was the help that was offered to us by one of our very special
parents. Jayne Haynes did not smirk at our idea to build an igloo
out of milk cartons, but enthusiastically and generously offered her
time and expertise to get the job started. So as our parents dutifully
drank their milk, our collection of milk cartons began to grow.
Jayne started by laying the foundations (or a refrigerator box on
the ground) and started her engineering work. One by one she
glued together milk cartons, with each layer coming in a little bit
to eventually form an igloo shaped shelter. Patiently Jayne would
come and take a few children at a time and help them to contribute
to the building process. For the most part, the teachers stood back
and watched in admiration as the igloo continued to take shape and
look a bit more impressive each day.
But it was not without its pitfalls. One afternoon as the igloo was
almost completed, about two thirds of it collapsed. Faulty glue was
the culprit and poor Jayne had to walk away with tears in her eyes.
The next morning, feeling sorry for Jayne, the teachers tidied up
the collapsed mess and hoped that Jayne had not given up. And
thankfully there she was the very next morning with more gusto and
a smile on her face, ready to finish the igloo once and for all.
Eventually the igloo was finished, a pure feat of engineering
excellence from our Pre-Primary children, teachers and most
importantly Jayne. It now takes pride of place in our foyer with the
children enjoying the igloo as a space for small group learning. In
the height of summer we turned our foyer into a frozen haven,
inclusive of one stunning igloo, realistic paper doily icicles hanging
from the roof and some chilly air conditioning air blasting our way.
Thank you Jayne for all your help, you really are a treasure and…
are you available to help us build a tree house next term?
Ms Sally Judges
Pre-Primary Teacher
On the beam with Summa
Year 2 student Summa is making a name for herself in the gymnastics
arena and was recently invited to participate in the WAIS Gymnastics
Program.
Summa first became interested in gymnastics when she was five, when
she heard that her mu