In relation to Children:

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We provide a warm, loving and secure environment which encourages each child to explore and discover the world around them with confidence and extend their understandings through feelings of self-worth. 

We have a strong focus on promoting children’s positive mental health and well being, embedding feelings of ‘belonging’ and an appreciation in ‘being’ proud of who they are.  We are supported in this by the ‘Be You’ early learning initiative.  

 

By offering children choices, encouraging exploration, time to problem solve and opportunities to share their own experiences, knowledge and skills, we aim to build a stronger sense of agency and self-identity.   We support each child to become confident, happy, considerate, independent, resilient, environmentally conscious, responsible and curious learners.  We encourage children to connect to the world, develop a strong sense of well being, become active learners and confident communicators.  We acknowledge that all children are unique individuals with their own strengths, interests, ideas and abilities. 

 

All children are given equal opportunities regardless of their social, cultural and linguistic diversity (including learning style, abilities, gender, socio-economic background); supporting every child’s inclusion.  We believe that children learn best through play as they discover, create, imagine, problem solve and engage with their peers.  We scaffold this learning through setting up rich interest-based environments which best support children’s play.  Our curriculum is play, strengths and interest-based, reflecting the Early Years Learning Framework of Australia.  Children lead our curriculum planning through sharing their ideas and interests with us, and by educators observing and engaging in their play.  Our cycle of planning is actively implemented to show how we document, analyse, and plan for future learning in order to promote children’s development. 

 

Through intentional teaching, active listening and role-modelling, educators support children to learn in deliberate, purposeful and thoughtful ways.   We believe that learning occurs in social contexts and that interactions and conversations are vitally important for learning.    Continuity of children’s learning is shown through the use of pedagogical documentation on Storypark, room displays, Summary of Learning documents (Transition Statements) and through photographic evidence.

 

We place a strong focus on the physical, social and emotional growth of every child as it has been identified in the 2018 AEDI Census that the children in our community are more vulnerable in this area.   We listen to children’s voices and, in collaboration with them, plan a curriculum designed around what they value in their play and learning.   Children are given opportunities to socialise, be creative, engage and challenge themselves in outdoor play experiences and our natural environment, role play, become immersed in literacy experiences, care for animals and make choices. 

 

In relation to Community:

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We understand that children, families, educators and the preschool are all part of our community and have an important connection.  We also recognise that we are part of the world community as well as our local community.  It is our role to support children to become environmentally responsible and contribute to a sustainable future.  We work at developing strong connections with the education facilities in our community, including local schools, colleges, universities and other early childhood services.   

 

We engage with our local community through connections with the neighbourhood centre, Uniting Care, local businesses, staff and families past and present in our preschool community.  We endeavour to build stronger relationships with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community through welcoming our indigenous connections into our preschool and through our attendance at community meetings/events.  We foster and educate students in becoming high quality early childhood professionals by working in partnership with a range of schools and tertiary institutions.  We work in collaboration with our volunteer Management Committee in ensuring high quality outcomes for our preschool community. 

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We acknowledge and pay respects to the traditional custodians of this land both past and present.   We are proud to be educating on Aboriginal land and sharing their culture and heritage with the children through stories, art, music and in caring for our natural environments.  We also acknowledge the diverse cultures and abilities of all people represented in our community.

 

In relation to Families:

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We welcome all families and truly embrace the diverse backgrounds, cultures, religions and family structures within our preschool community; and promote a true sense of belonging.  We truly value and respect the strengths, interests, knowledge and experience that each family brings to our preschool, and acknowledge that families are their child’s first teacher and most important influence in their lives.  We work together in partnership to support each family’s goals, hopes and dreams for their child.  We believe that by building strong, nurturing and trusting relationships with families, based on genuine care and mutual respect, we can work together to promote each child’s learning and wellbeing.

 

We find opportunities to engage in rich and meaningful conversations with families, encouraging the sharing of information, listening, appreciating and acknowledging each other’s points of view.  We aim to provide opportunities for families to connect to each other in order to build strong and supportive social networks within our community. 

 

We use a variety of different mediums to inform families of their child’s learning such as face-to-face conversations; indoor/outdoor visual programs; newsletters; and through Storypark’s daily programme, child profiles and ‘All about Me’ plan and community notices.  We encourage family feedback, suggestions and opinions regarding our preschool to assist in continuous reflection and quality improvement.   We believe that all families have the right to confidentiality and ensure we respect their privacy. We support families through providing resources and links to other services within our community.

 

In relation to Staff and Educators:

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We recognise and respect every staff member and what they bring to our preschool.  We see each person as an individual with diverse strengths, needs, interests, skills, knowledge, experience, values and beliefs.  We feel privileged to work at Gorokan preschool helping to shape the future of the children in our community. 

 

We are dedicated and committed to achieving positive outcomes for children and families through supporting, guiding and encouraging their growth in a safe and nurturing environment.  We listen, support, respect, collaborate and encourage all our educators and staff to work together as a team.  We believe that by valuing each educator and staff member’s opinions through reflective and professional discussions we can promote positive change and growth. 

 

Our educators feel part of a team and part of a family!  We treat each other with fairness, respect and openness supporting each other’s personal and professional growth and well being.  We are great communicators who are happy to share ideas, skills and knowledge in order to support everyone to reach their full potential.  We as educators, appreciate the voices of children and families and the process of collaborative decision-making to enrich our curriculum and practices. 

 

Through these respectful and reciprocal relationships, we aim to promote strong partnerships in learning.  We extend upon our own knowledge and skills with professional development opportunities which includes conferences, workshops, on-line learning, professional reading, reflective discussions, etc. 

 

Educators continually engage in critical reflection which guides our professional practices.  They each have their own personal/professional philosophy with which to draw upon.  Educators are life-long learners and are strong advocates for children, families and the importance of early childhood education.