Every child is a different kind of flower and all together makes this world a beautiful garden. Author unknown.
Kindergarten Handbook
2022 Fish Creek Family Handbook
A Year at Our Kindergarten
httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbAlDXm8si4
Fish Creek operates a 3 & 4 Year Old Kindergarten Program. Fish Creek promotes an emerging curriculum, this means:
- That subject areas emerge from children’s interests and are taught through hands on experiences.
- That each child is an individual therefore each child needs a program that is stimulating and challenging to them.
- Programs are planned after careful observation of children’s skills and interests
- These observations are transferred to written documentation – descriptions of what the child is doing, these actions are analysed in relation to Early Year’s Frameworks and then a further plan to support learning and development is written.
- The educators at Fish Creek Kindergarten contribute to children’s learning by watching, listening and talking. We help children become aware of their actions, offer suggestions and think about where to next.
We hope you think of Kindergarten as an extension of home. We welcome family input and look forward to all families being part of our program.
Philosophy
The Kindergarten is surrounded by an amazing natural environment it is this that guides our philosophy.
We believe educating children is like growing a garden; the objective is to provide each child with their needs to coax out the potential that they have. Just like a garden, children require:
Earth – A connectedness with the natural environment.
We believe play in nature allows children to develop advanced motor fitness including coordination balance and agility.
Children who are able to play in nature are sick less often; their play is more diverse with use of imagination and creative play that fosters language and collaborative skills.
Nature play improves children’s cognitive development by improving their awareness, reasoning and observational skills.
We believe nature play reduces stress in children and helps them deal with adversity. Our affinity to and love of nature, along with our positive environmental ethic promote a sense of wonder and wonder is an important motivator for lifelong learning.
Water (Belonging): like a mirror water gives us a picture of self.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) affirms that every child has the right to an identity.
We recognise children continue to develop a sense of self through their relationships with others. We promote belonging which encourages children to feel secure and comfortable within our program. This builds confidence and self-esteem and forges relationships.
We believe relationships underpin children’s learning and development. Positive, warm interactions among educators and children promote best outcomes for children.
Sun (Being): The sun is the warmth of unconditional joy.
We recognise the importance of being, this is a child’s right to be a child and experience the joy of childhood.
Play is this joy – the opportunity to relish the moment, to imagine, interact, and engage with the world. We believe play experiences are the foundation for future success; they enhance children’s development enabling them to become competent and confident. We believe it is our responsibility as educators to be actively involved in children’s play, to be deliberate, purposeful and reflective to extend children’s knowledge and development.
Air (Becoming): Is the space and time to grow.
We believe in the development of the whole child and cater for the needs, interests and differences of children, educators, families and our community. we acknowledge the growth and development that happens in childhood and the importance of nurturing each child’s wellbeing and learning.