Kindergarten

Our Program is based on the premise that children learn by doing. Play is a childs natural way of expressing themselves and through play all developmental areas grow.
Children learn more effectively in a program that aims to provide a stimulating, responsive and nurturing environment and that acknowledges children are individuals who approach life and learning in different ways.

Early education creates a bridge between home learning and school based learning – we strive to provide the opportunity to develop creativity, independence and positive self esteem in a warm, supportive environment.

Kindergarten is a beautiful time in a childs life.
A quote that exemplifies this is –

Tell me and I forget
Show me and I may remember
Involve me and I will understand.

Our kindergarten philosophy is eclectic and borrows from many researchers and early childhood specialists. A common thread running through our philosophy is that it is play based.
Hands on learning through imaginative areas set up within the kindergarten. For example - Monash Medical Centre visit & hospital area.

It also has to be fun! Staff and children enjoy together learning and growing as individuals and as a group. We document our journey together in many ways, one of them a visual diary.

The curriculum is also an emerging one. The interests of the children and staff are observed, nurtured and planning stems from this.
For example when the children were interested in the mosaics we saw in the City last year we created our own for the garden.

Observations are kept on each child and can take different forms from art samples to photos to written/typed reflections. Parents are very welcome to make a time to see the teachers about their child and we gladly exchange information with you about home life.
This reciprocal information exchange creates a transition process from 3 year old kindergarten to 4 year old kindergarten and onto Prep.

Parents are actively involved and valued in our kindergarten.
Our social/fundraising committee organises great events during the term and special functions in the school holidays. Our maintenance person helps keep the inside and outside shipshape.
There are always things to help with, fruit duties to be involved with.

The program involves families in many events throughout the year. Last year we held Mothers Night, Fathers breakfast, dress up days, disco night. We walked to our local shops, travelled on the train to see the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Southbank and Birramung Marr and visited Monash Medical Centre to name a few.
We held an Art night for parents and a Saturday morning viewing of the children artwork for the children. We held a Family Olympic day in the Stadium on the freezing 9 degree day and it was wonderful……
We invited Boori Pryor our Aboriginal friend to tell stories of Aboriginal culture to our children. It was wonderful to see how much this storytelling was taken on by the children and they were enraptured with stories about the sun, earth, people and animals.

Please make an appointment to come and see us!

Quote –
While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.