Our Long Day Care Facility opens between the hours of 6:30am and 6:00pm. Four rooms are
available to cater for children from 15 months to 2 ½ years, 2 – 3 years and 3 – 4 years. Our fully
air-conditioned Centre will operate for 50 weeks of the year.

We are requesting that parents supply disposable nappies.

Suitably qualified staff will implement programs for the care and education of children. Programs are age-appropriate modifications of the Queensland Preschool Curriculum Guidelines.

However, we are much more than a Childcare Centre.

Your child’s potential will be maximised through the implementation of the following play-based
analogies.

	The See-Saw: Balance is important if children are going to be happy. Within a balanced approach some things are emphasised more than others at different times for important reasons.
	The Slide: We share in the celebration of the ecstatic way children feel when they experience the success of achieving a personal milestone and we help identify the huge steps they take each day to reach that point.
	The Monkey Bars represent the scaffolding provided by adults that assists young children to move from one level of their development to the next.
	The Sandpit symbolises the supportive protection and security provided for young children that gives them the confidence to take risks and “bounce back” when they are experimenting.
	The Merry-go-Round: Children learn in a continuous and cyclical way. We best support children by reflecting this cycle in our programming – planning, implementing and evaluating.
	Stepping Stones allow children to navigate a path through the world. The stones along this path are emotion, equipment and activities. Knowing towards which stepping stones we should direct children is the key.
	Swings represent the importance of the back and forth flow of human interaction and communication. Individual success will be enhanced by adults who know when to give a little push and when to allow children to independently take flight.
	Rules of use allow children to understand the intention and impact of their interaction with others. These rules empower children to gain greater control over the elements in their environment.

Adapted from the ideas of Dr Nkechy Ezeh.

The foundation of their education, the time of their lives… It all starts here!

  We intend to preserve early childhood as an unhurried and quality time of life through:
• excellence in teaching, learning, care and nurturing;
• productive partnerships with parents; and
• support for the individual needs of the whole child.

• We promote the development of rich and expressive oral language through play as this is the
   best basis for future literary success.
• We use the Creative Arts as the medium through which we connect symbols to children’s play.
• We bring the experiences of children’s imagination to life so learning is dynamic and fun, fun, fun!
• We actively encourage the development of resilience.

  Through play and reflection children will become:
• Self directed learners
• Creative problem solvers
• Effective communicators
• Little people who can work together
• Individuals who possess a realistic and positive view of themselves.

  Our programs help children develop:
• as THINKERS
• as COMMUNICATORS
• a SENSE OF SELF
• how to LIVE and LEARN WITH OTHERS
• how to keep FIT, SAFE AND HEALTHY
• their UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD
• the beginnings of COURTESY, CONSIDERATION, CO-OPERATION and COMMON SENSE.

Our Educational Goals for Children

Individual Growth within the Early Learning Centre

By the time children leave the Early Learning Centre to attend a Kindergarten, a Preparatory year or a Year One class, they should have demonstrated significant personal growth in each of the following developmental domains.

Our goal as educators is to support children in these areas so that they can develop valuable skills, understandings and learning dispositions which include the following:-

Thinkers:

The development of creative and critical thinking processes and strategies

Skills~

• Logical and divergent thinking
• Rational and non-rational thinking
• Random and sequential thinking
• Lateral, imaginative and intuitive thinking

Understandings~

There are alternative approaches to thinking and problem-solving which are equally valuable and used for different purposes

• Thinking is used to explore patterns and relationships in the world
• Thinking is expressed in many ways in and through language, art, drama, music, movement and dance
• Feelings, beliefs and experiences influence thinking

Learning Dispositions ~

• A positive attitude of self as a thinker and a problem-solver
• Persistence in thinking through a problem

Communicators

The development of all forms of communication of a functional and creative type

Skills~

• Using both personal and shared symbol systems, language, art, drama, music, movement and dance
• Exploration of representational and expressive, receptive and interpretive components of communication
• Using a range of communication modes and media in listening to and interpreting the ideas of others

Understandings~

• People can express and represent their ideas in a variety of ways
• Different types of communication are used for different purposes
• Society shares some common forms of communication including numeracy and literacy

Learning Dispositions ~

• An appreciation of different forms of expression through language, art, drama, music, movement and dance
• A positive attitude towards communication in spoken, written, visual, non-verbal and auditory forms

A Sense of Self

Developing a child’s self-concept, self-esteem and the inter-relationships between the individual and others

Skills~

• Building and experiencing successful relationships with others
• Strengthening self-confidence and developing relationships with others

Understandings~

• Individuals grow and change
• Individuals have strengths, weaknesses, needs and feelings
• Individuals are members of families and other social or cultural groups

Learning Dispositions ~

• Respect of and appreciation for diversity in gender, culture, ability and age
• Self-discipline and a sense of right and wrong
• Care and concern for others and trust in and enjoyment of friendships
• Initiative, perseverance and independence
• Eagerness to learn  and confidence to take risks and learn from mistakes
• A positive sense of self

Living with Others

Developing the child as a social being in the context of the family, the Early Learning Centre and the wider community

Skills~

• Co-operation, negotiation and interaction with a wide range of children and adults
• Learning from and about the needs of the group and the community and how this affects us personally
• Developing social skills for now and for the future

Understandings~

• Individuals are members of various social and cultural groups in society
• Behaviour is influenced by people’s beliefs and expectations and can vary according to situations
• People have various roles to play in the community
• Shared symbol systems provide ways of exploring and conveying meaning in everyday life
• People have rights and responsibilities to each other

Learning Dispositions ~

• Being aware of and being able to challenge inequitable social structures, practices and relationships
• Respect for self, others and property
• Positive relationships with peers and adults
• A sense of fairness to self and others

A Physical Person

The development of gross-motor and fine-motor skills, co-ordination, sensory-motor, perceptual motor and cognitive motor functions as well as the promotion and maintenance of personal health and safety

Skills~

• Learning through, in and about physical activity through exploration of and experimentation with materials and equipment
• Creating, expressing and challenging self through physical activity
• Assuming an increasing independence for personal health and safety

Understandings~

• Individuals have differing physical and perceptual abilities
• People look after themselves  through safe and healthy practices

Learning Dispositions ~

• A positive body image
• Awareness of and confidence in physical abilities
• Willingness to accept physical challenges
• Enthusiasm for and enjoyment of physical activity

Understanding Culture

Developing a growing awareness and appreciation of one’s own cultural identity and that of others

Skills~

• Active exploration of the many interacting influences on cultural identities
• Awareness of diverse perspectives and using these to move beyond the limits of one’s own immediate experience
• Discussion of the diverse aspects of family and social life
• Appreciating the similarities within and between groups while appreciating the uniqueness of cultural identities
• Defining one’s own cultural identity

Understandings~

• Cultures can influence lifestyle, food preferences, language, kinships, beliefs, dress, values and practices
• Many factors such as media, gender, race and interests influence our lives
• Groups and individuals should be treated fairly
• There are similarities across cultural groups

Learning Dispositions ~

• Acknowledging and appreciating the valued contribution of various cultural groups in Australian society
• Respect for and appreciation of others

Environmental Understanding

Developing an understanding of both natural and built environments and the influence of technology in meeting everyday needs

Skills~

• Using  an inherent curiosity and desire to discover and investigate the world around us
• Observing and discussing what can be heard, seen, smelled,  tasted and touched
• Displaying interest in the world around us with the goal of seeking to make sense of it
• Capably use technology such as tools, materials and resources

Understandings~

• A variety of natural and built environments surround us
• Environments are made up of living and non-living things
• People and environments interact in positive and negative ways
• The immediate environment is part of a much wider world
• Environments change with the passing of time
• Technology is a tool for living

Learning Dispositions ~

• Respect for and responsibility towards the built and natural environment
• Curiosity about own environment and those of others
• An appreciation of beauty