Vacation Care April 2016

VACATION CARE :D

Because vacation care is busy it only seems right to do an extra blog to fit it all in!

Firstly we would like to welcome a couple of new additions to OSHC and the school. Zara and William have moved all the way from Deniliquin, NSW. Happy you could join us here at Eden Hills!

To start the week we enjoyed a sunny and peaceful day at the South Australian Museum. Time was spent wondering through all the different rooms. Through histories, cultures and different worlds. The children learnt many interesting things about their world. We ate lunch and recess on the lawn outside. The children had to learn fast not to throw their crumbs and scraps to the pigeons as a flock of about 10 turned into a couple of hundred after a sandwich crust drew in the masses!

The children enjoyed the Mawson exhibit, with an ice wall where they could sink their hands into the ice if they waited long enough. The animal displays are always of interest. Particularly the penguins and birds got their attention after they watched a video of a man wrestling an albatross to inspect it. But finally, the absolute classic and beloved favourite of OSHC was the giant squid in the stairwell.

We spent Tuesday with Dwayne Nelson and ex-36er who came and taught some basketball skills including dribbling and shooting. Every child joined in and spent a wonderful hour getting their heart pumping!

Mid-week we all relaxed a bit with a clown day! We made clown hats and juggling balls together that were filled with rice. Sarah spent some time in the afternoon painting faces, although most students didn’t end up with a red nose. At the end of the day lots of people dressed up in silly outfits and put on a show, with juggling, dancing and acrobats.

On Thursday we put on our walking shoes yet again and went for an adventure to the Adelaide Festival Theatre. There we saw a gorgeous piece by the Patch Theatre group. There was no dialogue in the show but it was visually stunning and was accompanied by acoustic guitar. Later we had a discussion with the group and asked what they thought the story was about. Some thought it was about friendship, others thought there was a love story. But there were other creative ideas that they were planting seeds and growing forests.

After the show we had some lunch and a play next to the Torrens River. It was all fun and games until Damian was threatened by a pelican that wanted his sandwich. But alas! Brandon came to the rescue with his cappuccino.

As the week came to an end we sort some free range time at school. During the morning everyone made some yummy face biscuits and decorated them with lollies. Some spent their time in the SAC lying on the big blue mat and just chatting, others built forts and defended them and some stayed inside and played board games. Wonderfully not all the entertainment at OSHC is directed by the OSHC educators. Quite frequently we have the pleasure to watch new games develop. Damian enjoyed watching almost all of the boys role playing a zombie apocalypse game. There were bases and survivors running from the horde.

Recently Brandon has introduced a large number of children to D&D. Dungeons and Dragons is a wonderful game that allows children to think creatively and imaginatively and role play their characters. This type of game can teach students literature skills, by developing a character, responding to events and building their tenor (writing voice). It also helps develop their mathematics skills when rolling dice and considering distances and steps.

Next week we are looking forward to an excursion to the Planetarium, Hahndorf Farm Barn and Roller blading at the Rec Centre in Blackwood. We also can’t wait to see Helen on our art day!