Park Orchards Kindergarten’s Early Learning Philosophy
Being, Belonging, Becoming
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and learn. We recognise, value and include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in our learning curriculum.
Each child is unique in identity and needs and, therefore, their learning requires an individual approach. Each child has a right to an education, in a child-safe environment, that ensures equity, gives them a voice in their learning and supports their ongoing wellbeing.
We believe families are children’s first educators and value a collaborative approach to each child’s learning at our Kindergarten. We value the cultures, languages and traditions of our families. The Park Orchards Kindergarten community promotes a strong sense of belonging, ensuring positive, respectful and engaging learning relationships.
Our Kindergarten is located in a beautiful, natural environment and is valued by staff and community alike. Sustainable practice is embedded in our curriculum through recycling, use of recycled materials, vegetable plots, feeding food scraps to our hens and promoting “rubbish-free” lunch boxes.
We believe play-based curriculum that provides a quality educational program supports each child’s learning and development. Opportunities for unhurried and open-ended exploration of materials and environment support children’s development and life skills, while promoting relationships and collaborative learning. Our curriculum is underpinned by this philosophy and Early Years Learning Frameworks. We engage in a rigorous planning cycle that includes observing children, listening to their ideas for learning, engaging with families and critical reflection.
Equal importance is given to learning indoors and outdoors, supporting children’s individual learning styles, engagement in natural environments and opportunities for exploring our community. Special visitors, incursions and excursions are carefully planned to support and enhance learning opportunities.
Our Kindergarten is a lively environment that promotes ongoing learning for all community members including staff. We are all life-long learners.
