Kindergarten Learning from Home welcomes Storytime

An innovative resource produced to assist Learning from Home delivery in Catholic kindergartens operated by Catholic Education in the Diocese of Rockhampton has proven very popular this term.

‘Storytime’ is a series of 24 professionally produced videos featuring staff from the Rockhampton Catholic Education Office reading books, acting out stories with puppets and animals, and performing sing-along songs with accompanying actions.

The videos have been added to teacher resources to help provide meaningful learning experiences for children in Catholic Education’s 10 kindergartens in Rockhampton, Mackay, Bundaberg, Emerald, Springsure, Blackall and Biloela during Learning from Home delivery.

CEDR’s Early Learning and Care Consultant Tracey Novak said the resource, which has been well received by teachers, complements the Learning from Home program that has occurred over past weeks.

“Kindy teachers have been very positive about Storytime. It’s been well used during live group time Zoom sessions and with children attending kindergarten on site,” Mrs Novak said.

“In particular, the story ANZAC Biscuits was a great lead in ahead of ANZAC Day and Going on a Bear Hunt has linked well with the community teddy bear hunts happening during social distancing restrictions where kindergartens, businesses and homes have set up teddy bear displays for children to spot while out and about,” Mrs Novak said.

Diocesan Director Leesa Jeffcoat contributed to the ‘Storytime’ suite providing two stories for the collection and said the project was extremely rewarding.

‘It was certainly a fun project to be involved in, but more importantly the videos have proved a valuable Learning from Home resource for our Kindergarten teachers,” Miss Jeffcoat said.

“Storytime is a clear example of the creativity and collaboration that has characterised Catholic Education’s response to the pandemic restrictions,” Miss Jeffcoat said.

Miss Jeffcoat said Storytime was just one element of the dedicated advice and resources collated to enable teachers to access great ideas that correlate with Catholic Education’s principles and vision for deep, purposeful, curriculum-aligned learning.

“The transition to Learning from Home went very smoothly which is a tribute to the planning and hard work of staff in our kindergartens, schools and the Catholic Education Office,” Miss Jeffcoat said. 

“To achieve the delivery of meaningful learning for our students in such a limited time frame and in such extraordinary and challenging circumstances says a great deal about the talent, professionalism, dedication, skill and the sense of Mission that is clearly evident within the ranks of our Catholic Education family,” she said.

Miss Jeffcoat said school communities were very much looking forward to the planned return to face-to-face learning as students in Kindergarten, Prep and Years 1, 11 and 12 head back to the classroom on 11 May with the remainder of students returning on 25 May.

Pictured above: Children on site at St Brendan's Catholic Kindergarten in Mackay enjoy Storytime Sing-aong with classmates on Zoom as part of Learning from Home delivery recently.