Our philosophy is the reason of “why we do what we do” supporting out work with children, families and each other as early childhood educators. Its encompasses our beliefs, values and hopes for creating an educational environment for learning.
Our learning environment for children:
- We acknowledge and respect each child as a unique individual – we support and challenge them to grow and learn at their own pace.
- We recognise that along with each family – children in our community are diverse. That is, in their values, skills, culture and strengths. We celebrate this as it contributes to the richness of our preschool.
- All children, regardless of their abilities, gender or language have an equal right to develop to their full potential.
- We believe that all children learn through play, where new skills, knowledge and understandings are built upon.
- We know that play is the primary tool for building a healthy brain and improving child behavior. We believe in offering a ‘hands on’ and ‘open ended’ experiences as a way for them to wonder, create, investigate, experiment and practice.
- We believe in promoting physical and social environments to support children to feel safe and happy. This is where children develop a sense of agency in:
- being responsible for their own learning;
- developing self-regulation and resilience; and
- developing pro-social skills and friendships.
This is monitored and supported by our trusted educators
This the the heart of our preschool.
- We are supported and guided by Government Regulations namely the Victorian Early Years Learning & Development Framework (VEYLDF). This program is based on children achieving the following learning outcomes:
Learning Outcome 1 – IDENTIFY – Children have a strong sense of identity.
Learning Outcome 2 – COMMUNITY – Children are connected with & contribute to their world.
Learning Outcome 3 – WELLBEING – Children have a strong sense of wellbeing.
Learning Outcome 4 – LEARNING – Children are confident & involved learners.
Learning Outcome 5 – COMMUNICATION – Children are effective communicators.
- We value and embedded ‘School Readiness’ into our preschool program for a smooth transition from preschool to school.
Our learning environment for families & community
- We acknowledge our Indigenous culture and traditional owners of the land, waterways on which we live, learn, meet and play.
- We value and embrace the diversity of our families and endeavor to create a welcoming atmosphere for all.
- We believe that families are the child’s first educators, and we encourage them to support and contribute to care and learning of their children.
- We strive and encourage families to share and discuss their child’s interests with staff, and interact with the preschool program as much as possible.
- We support and nurture each child’s learning, growth and development by developing open, trusting and respectful relationships with our families.
- We acknowledge and embrace ‘special occasions’, taking an approach that celebrations are ‘open-ended’ and ‘child-directed’.
- We believe that local and wider community is an important part of our preschool.
- We aim to develop relationships with local schools, children’s services , parks and libraries.
- We include incursions and ‘special days’ in our preschool programs.
Our learning environment for educators
- We work together as early childhood professionals in partnership to support each other in providing a high-quality program for our children and families.
- We strive to be reflective and engage in shared understandings and expectations.
- We respect and appreciate diversity within our team.
- We believe in continuous improvement in our programming as we aim to provide a ‘whole picture of each child’ in their behavior and development.