HOURS OF OPERATION
Berala Jack & Jill Preschool is open for children between the hours of 8am and 3:30pm Monday, Tuesday AND 9:00am-3.00pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
We are not licensed to have children attend before or after these times. You may be charged a late fee if you are late to collect your child.
FLOW OF THE DAY
MORNING SESSION
Our day begins at 8am Mondays and Tuesdays and 9am on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Educators support children to engage in learning through play indoors, individually or in small groups that:
- Allows for creative expression of personality
- Develops dispositions for learning such as curiosity, persistence and resilience.
- Enables children to make connections between prior experience and new learning.
- Encourages children to develop and sustain relationships with both peers and adults
- Supports communication and a positive sense of wellbeing
Between 9.30am-11.30am, we operate the indoor and outdoor learning environment simultaneously. Educators interact with children and draw on a range of pedagogical approaches that support their learning by:
- Adopting holistic practices
- Listening and responding to children
- Intentional teaching
- Responsive teaching and scaffolding
- Valuing the social contexts of children and their families
- Providing for continuity in experiences
- Assessing and monitoring learning to inform learning outcomes for children
- Children are also encouraged to work together to care for the environment
GROUP TIME
From 11.30am, children and educators come together for group time. Group time is a combination of child initiated or teacher-initiated learning.
It may involve music, story sharing, role-play, movement and discussions that help children to actively construct their own understanding and contribute to learning.
LUNCH
Lunch time provides a sense of community. Children have the opportunity to discuss the diverse cultural foods in their lunch boxes whilst also making social connections with their peers.
It is also a time to develop self-help skills, be aware of healthy eating, hygiene, to compare, classify and compare food items.
AFTERNOON SESSION
The children have opportunities to relax their bodies through mindfulness, storytelling, visualisations, yoga and meditation. Following this, they can continue to engage in a range of learning areas within the indoor and outdoor environments.
Prior to home time, children help tidy up. As you arrive, educators endeavour to share aspects of their child’s day with you.
HOME TIME
- Monday: 3pm - 3:30pm
- Tuesday: 3pm - 3:30pm
- Wednesday: 3pm
- Thursday: 3pm
- Friday: 3pm
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
TERM DATES
THINGS TO BRING
Food:
Our preschool supplies a healthy fruit plate for morning tea. Children bring their own food from home for lunch and a water bottle. We ask families to please label your child’s container and water bottle.
We promote sustainability so please do not send plastic bags in lunch boxes. We do not support ‘sometimes’ food at preschool so please do not send cakes, chips and packets of biscuits.
Allergies:
We often have children at preschool who have food allergies, including those who are at the risk of anaphylaxis. As a consequence, we are a nut-free preschool and so children cannot bring peanut butter, hazelnut spread, nut bars or other such foods to preschool.
Clothing:
Preschool is a place for developing independence so we encourage all families to make this easier for their children by making sure they come to school with sturdy, comfortable and practical clothing that they can manage themselves.
Old clothes are also important because there is a lot of paint, playdough, water or sand play that can get very messy and we don’t like children to be worried about getting their clothes dirty.
REST TIME
FAMILY INVOLVEMENT
PHILOSOPHY
At Berala Jack & Jill Preschool, we are committed to equity and recognise that all children have the right to participate in our inclusive preschool, regardless of their circumstances, cultural backgrounds, gender, strengths, and abilities.
We believe that learning outcomes are most likely to be achieved through genuine partnerships and consistent practices with families, children, and community. Working together helps to achieve common goals, promotes active participation, and builds on the knowledge and strengths of everyone.
We acknowledge and advocate every child’s right to engage in play-based learning that promotes confident and capable individuals and successful lifelong learners. Educators promote holistic approaches to learning and teaching. They draw from their deep knowledge of child development, family feedback and current theoretical views to extend and challenge every child’s learning through both child initiated experiences and intentional teaching. They use the Early Years Learning Framework in partnership with families and children to develop an inclusive and responsive learning environment and to help children achieve in all dimensions of learning, development, and wellbeing.
Educators are attuned to, and respond in ways that best suit, each child’s strengths, capabilities, and curiosity. Knowing, valuing, and building on all children’s strengths, skills and knowledge strengthens their motivation and engagement in learning, builds their confidence, individuality, and self-esteem.
We respect diversity by valuing and reflecting the values, beliefs and practices of families and the local community within our curriculum and by building culturally safe and secure environments for all children and their families.
We put a strong emphasis on children’s social and emotional wellbeing, so they build and maintain relationships with confidence, develop resilience and their appreciation for difference.
We believe embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in our curriculum encourages openness to diverse perspectives, enhances all children’s understanding and assists in reconciliation.
We help children become environmentally responsible by engaging children in developing appreciation for the natural world by caring for nature and immersing children in ongoing conversations about waste and sustainability.
We believe all educators have inherent worth. Our service values and promotes collaborative leadership to empower all members of the team to use their knowledge and skills in ways that assist everyone to do the best they can for children, families, and colleagues.
PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY
We believe that children learn best through play and engaging in hands-on learning. Our program provides a context for learning through play that allows children to construct their own understandings and contribute to others’ learning. We believe in the children’s right to BE and BECOME so we allow plenty of time and opportunity for children to joyfully express their ideas and uniqueness. Children are encouraged to actively think to enhance their problem-solving skills. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning activities is encompassed into many learning activities to enhance dispositions such as exploration, making predictions and wondering how and why things happen.
We put a strong emphasis on children’s social and emotional wellbeing, so they build and maintain relationships with confidence, develop resilience and their appreciation for difference.
Our learning spaces are welcoming, vibrant, intentional and flexible. They are responsive to the interests, knowledge and abilities of each child. They encourage children to work together, contribute their ideas and make adjustments. Children can choose to engage in learning spaces individually, in small and large groups.
Educators are responsive to the individual language and communication needs of all children. We embed a range of strategies such as visuals. These are displayed in the physical environment and educators use them in practice to help children make sense of their world, express their ideas and wants and guide their enquiries during play.
OUR PROGRAM
Our program is based on:
- Our philosophy
- The Early Years Learning Framework
- The National Quality Standards
- The interests, ideas and development of the children
- Input from families and children