Our Promise
To nurture, educate and empower children of our community through positive relationships and play based experiences.
Philosophy
Child-Centred Program
Children are powerful and curious learners. We foster this by providing an inquiry rich play-based environment. Together we will nurture and respect all children, build on their unique strengths and abilities and valuing each family’s diversity. This fosters children’s motivation to learn and reinforces their sense of themselves as competent learners.
Relationships
We foster relationships that are build on mutual respect. This gives children the opportunity to interact with other children and adults to build trusting relationships and support children to interact and communicate with others and develop social skills.
Supporting parent’s role as the child’s first and most influential educator and encourage their involvement in our centre. We value their input into the development of our programs and philosophy. Children thrive when we work together to build trusting partnerships.
Relationship which children make with other children and with adults are of vital importance to their development. As educators we will provide opportunities for the children to interact and communicate in a supportive manner that allows them to develop and build on their emerging social skills.
The committee of management and staff work in collaboration towards shared objectives.
Diversity
Provide an environment that allows children to feel safe and secure this will encourage them to take risks in their learning and help them develop resilience for life’s challenges. Opportunities for children to make sense of their world through meaningful play-based experiences.
We acknowledge children’s contributions by involving them in decisions we make, by listening, and valuing and to scaffold and build on their learning.
Community
We are a community-based kindergarten, run by the community for the benefit of the community. Developing a strong sense of community by establishing links and accessing support services within our local area. We seek to strengthen partnerships and build relationships.
We recognise and acknowledge the Wurundjeri people; the traditional owners of this land and we are committed to providing learning experiences that reflect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Non-Indigenous cultures are prompted the same way. Everyone is encouraged to be proud of who they are and to share and celebrate their culture and family values.
Our service is a valuable community resource and as such we are committed to providing a service that is high quality, accessible, flexible and responsive to community needs. Feedback and involvement are actively encouraged.
Exemplary Educators
Our staff are professional, experiences and passionate educators with their own teaching styles. They work collaboratively to design and deliver children’s programs, share knowledge and build skills.
Supporting our educators to value their own learning and improve their practices and education through a sound orientation process, encouraging critical reflection and providing training and mentoring.
Culture of Excellence
We value quality and aim for continuous improvement towards best practice. Using the guiding principles of the National Quality Framework, Belonging, Being and Becoming, The Victorian Early Tears Years Learning and Development Framework are embedded within our program. Our teaching is intentional. We focus on the process, we give children the opportunity to explore, investigate, experience, interact and discover. To learn about new things, people, cultures, sustainability, the environment, safety and technology.
Thomastown West Kindergarten 