We are excited to kick off the start of summer. Welcome newly enrolled families. Welcome new and returning summer school age children and families. We have another fun-filled summer packed with exciting outdoor adventures and lots of learning. We can’t wait to see where the children take their learning this summer! Be sure to check out our summer calendar.

The completion of the playground has been moved back due to rain delays. The new expected completion date is mid-July. We will have an outdoor celebration when our new playground opens. In preparation for our new playground, check out this month’s parenting article on why outdoor play is essential for healthy development (Kinsner, 2019). We were hopeful to be on our new playground for International Mud Day; however, we will still celebrate International Mud Day on June 29. Look for more information about International Mud Day from your teacher.

History of Mud Day

Retrieved from Mud Day – World Forum Foundation

In 2009 at the World Forum for Early Childhood Care and Education in Belfast the idea of International Mud Day had its beginnings. Two members of the Nature Action Collaborative for Children, Gillian McAuliffe from Western Australia and Bishnu Bhatta from Nepal, discussed the challenges children faced when playing in mud in each other’s context.

Gillian reflected on the lack of mud as Perth is situated on a sandy plain and also the reluctance of the culture to ‘get dirty.’ Bishnu on the other hand had lots of mud but many children did not have enough clothes to be able to get them dirty or soap to wash them. On her return to Australia, Gillian who is the Director of Teaching and Learning at Bold Park Community School, told this story to a group of seven and eight year olds. The Bold Park children decided they could send clothes to the children in Nepal so that they could play in the mud. They raised $1000 in three weeks and sent it to Bishnu to buy some clothes for some children there. So in September 2009 Bishnu did this and arranged a special day for the children of the Panchkhal orphanage which included their first meat meal in five months.

Since then the two groups have celebrated a very special bond and played in the mud together, although in different countries. Four years later,in 2013, a group of six families from Bold Park are traveling to Nepal to take part in Mud Day celebrations with the children of Nepal. They have also raised money to complete a renovation project at the orphanage. At last, they will play in mud together in the same country. And perhaps, at some point, some of the children from the Panckhal orphanage in Nepal will visit Australia to celebrate Mud Day with Bold Park Community School.

The World Forum community offers the opportunity for us all to connect in such wonderful and surprising ways, building global understanding and relationships. What began as an exchange between the children of Nepal and Australia, is now an idea shared throughout the world.

Click here to view reflections from Bishnu and Gillian in a 2010 issue of Wonder.

Reference

World Forum Foundation. (2019). Mud Day. Retrieved from Mud Day – World Forum Foundation.

Special Events & Celebrations

June 1: International Children’s Day

June 14: Flag Day

June 19: Juneteenth

June 20: Father’s Day

June 29: International Mud Day