Alexandra and District Kindergarten Philosophy
Alexandra and District Kindergarten is a partnership between
children, families, staff and community that works to build happiness,
resilience and possibility in the youngest members of this diverse and close
knit population.
As such, our collective aim is
for: Children who feel cared for, important, interested and secure – who approach each kinder day
with a sense of excitement and potential; who return home bursting with stories
to tell.
Families who can entrust their children to a safe, respectful environment – who feel part of
the kinder experience and know that their children’s home life and individual
personalities are recognised and understood.
Staff who feel stimulated, valued and rewarded – who have the resources and the support
they need to give of their utmost every day; who see kinder as an opportunity
to gain, as well as to share, knowledge.
A Community that feels ownership of the kinder – that can contribute to the children’s
experiences and their wider sense of belonging; that understands that quality
early childhood education brings lasting benefits to all.
To achieve this, the focus of the staff at Alexandra and
District Kindergarten is to:
Develop the whole child – recognising the importance of physical, social, emotional,
environmental, spiritual and
cognitive wellbeing;
Balance boundaries with opportunity – ensuring that children know what is expected of
them and of others, in turn enabling them to extend themselves and discover new
things;
Harness each child’s own distinct and varied ways of
learning;
Encourage positive communication and respectful listening – discussing, questioning,
wondering and playing in order to help children find their own solutions to
problems;
Model enthusiasm, courtesy, patience, consistency and positive reinforcement;
Build on children’s specific interests to make each activity more meaningful,
fostering concentration by allowing children to complete activities within a
flexible timeframe;
Expand the
children’s understanding of the world around them through excursions into the
community; and through a special visitor
program;
Highlight the importance of the natural environment through discussion, and through
exploration of our beautiful garden setting;
Communicate with families – providing detailed accounts of activities in a daily journal,
and discussing individual triumphs and concerns with parents as they
arrive.
With this philosophy as our guide, Alexandra and District
Kindergarten lives its fundamental belief in the value of early childhood
education – its belief that, indeed, it takes a village to raise a child; and
that, to contribute to the development of children who feel cherished, supported
and inspired is both a collective responsibility and a continuous privilege.
Alexandra and District Kindergarten is a partnership between
children, families, staff and community that works to build happiness,
resilience and possibility in the youngest members of this diverse and close
knit population.
As such, our collective aim is
for: Children who feel cared for, important, interested and secure – who approach each kinder day
with a sense of excitement and potential; who return home bursting with stories
to tell.
Families who can entrust their children to a safe, respectful environment – who feel part of
the kinder experience and know that their children’s home life and individual
personalities are recognised and understood.
Staff who feel stimulated, valued and rewarded – who have the resources and the support
they need to give of their utmost every day; who see kinder as an opportunity
to gain, as well as to share, knowledge.
A Community that feels ownership of the kinder – that can contribute to the children’s
experiences and their wider sense of belonging; that understands that quality
early childhood education brings lasting benefits to all.
To achieve this, the focus of the staff at Alexandra and
District Kindergarten is to:
Develop the whole child – recognising the importance of physical, social, emotional,
environmental, spiritual and
cognitive wellbeing;
Balance boundaries with opportunity – ensuring that children know what is expected of
them and of others, in turn enabling them to extend themselves and discover new
things;
Harness each child’s own distinct and varied ways of
learning;
Encourage positive communication and respectful listening – discussing, questioning,
wondering and playing in order to help children find their own solutions to
problems;
Model enthusiasm, courtesy, patience, consistency and positive reinforcement;
Build on children’s specific interests to make each activity more meaningful,
fostering concentration by allowing children to complete activities within a
flexible timeframe;
Expand the
children’s understanding of the world around them through excursions into the
community; and through a special visitor
program;
Highlight the importance of the natural environment through discussion, and through
exploration of our beautiful garden setting;
Communicate with families – providing detailed accounts of activities in a daily journal,
and discussing individual triumphs and concerns with parents as they
arrive.
With this philosophy as our guide, Alexandra and District
Kindergarten lives its fundamental belief in the value of early childhood
education – its belief that, indeed, it takes a village to raise a child; and
that, to contribute to the development of children who feel cherished, supported
and inspired is both a collective responsibility and a continuous privilege.