Four-year-olds Leina, Sukey and Makenzee prepare to take off with teacher Geina Daley. 54905
MOST children dream of having their own spaceship, putting on their space cadet gear and blasting off to planets far, far away.
But then, most children don’t live in Woori Yallock, where Symes Road Children’s Centre Early Learning Educator Geina Daley built her students a space ship, complete with controls, lights and glowing stars.
The children have silver space helmets that are used to travel to far off places, all in the safety and comfort of their classroom.
Matthew, 4, could name all the planets in the solar system and said Mercury was covered with big craters.
Similar to Doctor Who’s Tardis, the spaceship could soon be transformed below sea level.
A recent visit to the Melbourne Aquarium has sparked a new interest in what lives under the sea, and Geina says the transformation could expand these curious minds along new learning paths.
Melissa, a relief worker at the Symes Road centre, was stunned when she came across Geina’s creation, and told the Mail Geina was the most creative and enthusiastic educator she knew.
“Geina gives up her weekends to design and build marvellous adventures for her program,” she said.
Centre director Anne Soding-Gay said the programs are based on the Early Years Framework, in which the children are encouraged and given opportunities to enhance their development and form a foundation for future success in learning.
She said a large proportion of materials are natural-based to encourage creativity. Symes Road Children’s Centre is located at 7-13 Symes Road, Woori Yallock. Enrolments are being taken for 2011.
For more information email wooriyallock@bigpond.com or phone 5961 5955.
