Our P & C is always in a state of flux! We are dynamic and transparent! We like to share so here is our Newsletter for March! Sit back have a read and enjoy! Cheers~
Our P & C is always in a state of flux! We are dynamic and transparent! We like to share so here is our Newsletter for March! Sit back have a read and enjoy! Cheers~
Find out all the news from the P & C! We like to keep our members and parents of our School informed! On our Newsletter page you will find a copy of our latest newsletter as well as past newsletters.But for now here is our first newsletter for 2018!
It is BIG! So sit back and enjoy all the news from your P & C!
Read it here:
We have all heard about our plans for a Sensory Garden and asked what happened to our pavers! Well it’s been a long journey but our Sensory Garden & Outdoor Classroom is well under construction!
During the school holidays, works commenced on our visionary Sensory Garden & Outdoor Classroom. This is our enduring gift for our school from a school community who values our children’s learning experiences both within and outside the classroom.
The Garden came as a result of the School requesting the P & C for their support to celebrate the School’s 20th Anniversary in February 2016. The P & C recommended a Paver Fundraiser to sell pavers to the families of the School both past and present to be included in a Sensory Garden as a living gift to all students past, present and future.
With thanks to our school families and local businesses who have supported our many fundraising efforts, we have been able to provide further financial assistance to enable the hardscaping of the Garden to be undertaken. We are ever grateful to BNJ Landscaping who successfully tendered for the project and is currently undertaking hardscaping works.
So what is a Sensory Garden & Outdoor Classroom?
A Sensory Garden seeks to enliven sensory nerves through specific selection and careful arrangement of various garden elements. Sensory perceptions that range from sight and hearing, smell and touch, to even taste can be evoked by a sensory garden. A sensory garden can serve therapeutic and educational purposes for children.
The common focus of all sensory gardens is the creation of an immersive experience that appeals to one or more of the five senses that is beyond the scope and design of an average garden. To some degree, the experience for observers and participants is often described to be invigorating, relaxing and stimulating.
A sensory garden is a way of communicating with nature and stimulates children to the value of their five senses.
What the garden is not, is a playground! This is a “learnscape” – where children are taken outdoors to experience and learn in a natural environment. There is no playground equipment – only learning equipment that supports a child.
Aim
The TPPS Sensory Garden and Outdoor Classroom Project aims to meet the needs of our school for 21st Century Learning, to be a sustainable resource and to use the physical site and available resources to their fullest. It aims to offer a place that enriches the teaching efforts of our dedicated teachers with powerful hands-on experiences that make learning come alive – connecting students to nature, life-long skills, achievement and behaviours.
Benefits
It is hoped that our garden will benefit our children in various ways including but not limited to:
The Sensory garden is not just a place for plant science and ecology; they are also places for art, music, math, creative writing, sharing and teamwork within the interconnected web of life.
What will it look like?
Our photos show the basics of the design – the garden will include:
The garden encompasses the whole area between the Vegie patch and Kinder classrooms extending to the new COLA an area of approximately 200 m2!
The project is a tangible project that we can shape over time – we look forward to achieving our vision and the result will be a garden and learning resource that keeps giving over time.
The Sensory Garden & Outdoor Classroom Project has generated great support from local businesses recognising the value for outdoor learning opportunities. We greatly appreciate the support of Fast Plast Building Supplies and Tradelink Port Macquarie.
Where can I help?
There are numerous ways in which you can help. At this stage, we need help in the following areas:
If you are not sure what a Stall Coordinator does check out our blog on the Role of a Stall/Activity Coordinator The Role of Stall/Activity Coordinators. It is not as scary as you think!
Contact us and have a chat about how you can help!
Check out this awesome website for some school jargon busters!
Some of the terms you will hear around our school are explained, such as COLA, learning stages, and NAPLAN (one that is not on there is TOM – Tournament of the Minds).