THE CHILD
We view children as strong, capable, wonder-filled and dynamic individuals. We believe children deserve opportunities to make choices, have a say, contribute to decisions that affect them, take risks, learn from mistakes, and participate in community life. We honour childhood as a time to be, to seek and make meaning of the world.
RESPECT
We promote respect for ourselves, each other, the land, and all living things. Our nurturing setting celebrates individual care and attention, and warm responsive relationships. We are committed to ongoing professional learning to build our capacity to teach children about the diverse histories, knowledge and cultural perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
RESPECT
COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS
We recognise that all children influence and are affected by the environments that surround them. Local context is shaped by family, culture and experience. We recognise and value parents as their child’s first and most influential teachers, and believe that optimal care and education outcomes are achieved when educators work in partnership with each child’s family and external support providers.
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING
We take a holistic approach to teaching and learning by paying attention to children’s social, emotional, physical, cognitive, cultural and spiritual wellbeing. We are committed to supporting and fostering wellbeing across the whole learning community, and understand that positive mental health and wellbeing is most likely to occur in an inclusive environment where people have supportive relationships with each other.
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING
DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND EQUITY
We are committed to providing an environment where all children, families, Educators and visitors feel welcome, safe and respected at our service. As advocates for young children, we uphold the right of every child to feel and be safe, and to have a safe space in which to express themselves. We acknowledge that cultural identity is multi-faceted and includes ethnicity, age, colour, gender identity, language, ability, sexuality, family composition, and belief systems. We value the unique perspectives of each member of our community, and view diversity as a wonderful resource for learning. We believe that by building cultural competence and promoting compassion, respect and empathy, we strengthen children’s capacity to contribute to a fairer and more equitable future.
CURRICULUM
We see the potential in every child and endeavour to cultivate a lifelong love of learning. We believe that children learn best through play, and recognise that children’s learning occurs in social and physical contexts. If you walk through our learning spaces you will see and hear many moments of joy, laughter, wonder and lively conversation! We value opportunities for children to engage their senses, get messy, and follow their interests through exploration, adventure and creativity. Our curriculum includes relationships, routines, physical environments, transitions, programs, and integrated teaching approaches.
CURRICULUM
A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS
We are continuing to learn, grow and evolve as a community. We provide quality, diverse professional development opportunities that support Educators’ continuing passion, commitment and motivation as education professionals. We view critical reflection as an important part of everyday practice and quality improvement. We enjoy opportunities for children, families, Educators and the wider community to learn from and with each other. We maintain a culture of learning where everyone feels welcome to ask questions, share knowledge, and explore possibilities.
Our children would like you to know that what they love most about our centre is being in our beautiful natural outdoor environment where they can be adventurous! They love to dig in the dirt patch, play Hide and Seek, climb the monkey bars, take a ride on the aeroplane, build with blocks, play with friends, and explore through their senses. They also love books, puzzles, art, ball games, things with wheels, and nature walks in our neighbourhood.
Our families would like you to know that KRCCC is a very special community, unique for its safe, inclusive and supportive education and care environments, capable and caring staff, and genuine celebration of children’s individuality.
The Early Childhood Educators, children and families of the centre have worked together to develop a philosophy that underpins all decisions made with regards to the care of the children.
As a resource for information within this philosophy, we have used ECA Code of Ethics, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Victorian Early Years Learning & Development Framework (VEYLDF), Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) for Australia, and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model.
