Preschool

Information Booklet

A caring community, providing quality Christ Centred education.

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A very warm welcome to the Wagga Wagga Christian College Preschool families.

We are delighted that you have chosen our Preschool and hope that you will take the time to get to know our College better. We pride ourselves in being part of a close College community and would encourage you to become involved. Wagga Wagga Christian College Long Day Care has been specifically designed to provide high quality education in a warm, caring, stimulating and creative environment. ‘The Cottage’ has been purposely designed to provide a comfortable homely atmosphere and the play areas are aimed at providing an invigorating and exciting start as your child takes those first steps in their education. The Preschool section of the College comes under the umbrella of the Junior School and the Educators work closely with our Junior School staff, particularly the Kindergarten teachers. Because of our ability to interface and plan programs, which complement our Kindergarten programs, we believe that the children will be extremely well prepared for their entry to formal education. Our highly qualified, friendly Educators are fully committed to the development and well-being of your child. We are committed to parent partnerships and getting to know you and your family. We offer a sincere welcome to your family and look forward to a warm and lasting friendship. Jane Greenlees Junior School Coordinator

Natasha Mannion Educational Leader

CONTACT US The Preschool Office opening hours are as follows: 8.30am to 4pm Monday and Wednesday, and

10am to 6pm Friday. Address: ‘The Cottage’ 401 Kooringal Road, Wagga Wagga 2650 Postal Address: Locked Bag 7, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650

Preschool Phone (02) 6923 8841 OOSH Mobile 0429 303 951

Email preschool@waggachristian.nsw.edu.au

Welcome

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Preschool Philosophy Statement At Wagga Wagga Christian College Preschool, we realise that a child’s early years build the foundation for their lifetime pursuit of a faithful, happy and successful life. It is our goal for a child’s every experience to be an opportunity to learn how to be confident, competent people. We promote the love of learning and the love of truth, laying a strong foundation in the body, mind and spirit. The incorporation of the arts, music, science, mathematics, language, cooking and nurturing provides our children with an empowered relationship with God’s world around them. By creating a curriculum that focuses on exploration, discovery and exciting adventures, children are prepared to learn as they learn best by the joy of experience itself. Our unique curriculum recognises the learning capabilities and requirements of the child and provides a strong transition based program so children can succeed in the social and academic requirements for their future education. As our most precious gifts, our children must be loved, nurtured and challenged in a way that builds a strong self-image and engenders self-esteem through accomplishment, self-recognition, values and faith. When we perform our tasks properly, teachers establish relationships with the children in our care that make ‘our’ children feel safe, secure and confident in our love for them – which is essential to every child’s well-being. Christ-Serviced character qualities are modelled through the love of our staff and the responses given to the children in our care. Bible stories, songs, and prayer give children an awareness of God’s love for them. The curriculum is grounded in Christian worldview that goes hand in hand with highly developed social and leadership skills. At Wagga Wagga Christian College Preschool, our desire is for your child to develop and maintain a strong sense of self, love for family and positive child-teacher relationships. We aim to create a foundation that will ensure that our children are prepared to thrive as confident, intelligent and socially aware members of the community.

Luke 18:16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

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Staff

Natasha Mannion – Educational Leader I began my teaching career at Wagga Christian College in 2016 as a Stage 3 educator after studying at university in Sydney. Early education is a highly valuable part of a person’s development and I look forward to exploring God’s creation with the youngest members of our College community. I believe that God has created each child in His image, meaning each child is precious and unique and therefore, each child learns differently. The teaching approach Preschool will take this year will certainly reflect that. I am excited about my new role as Educational Leader of Preschool and look forward to sharing this journey with the

staff, students and families who make the Preschool so unique.

Gabriella Webb – Educator I love working with children of all ages; seeing them build relationships and watching them as they grow in many areas of their lives. After completing my Certificate III in 2014, I continued studying and attained my Diploma in Early Childhood Education in 2016. This study has provided me with the skills and knowledge needed to plan and implement exciting programs, enabling our team to support the children as they prepare to transition to Kindergarten. One of the best parts of working at our Preschool is teaching the children about Jesus, and watching their understanding of Him, and their love for Him grow each day.

Rebekah Kroiter – Educator I am one of the many alumni of Wagga Wagga Christian College. I began my journey as an employee for the College when I accepted a position as an Educator with OOSH in 2015. I was later blessed with the opportunity to undertake a traineeship with the Preschool team and completed my Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care in 2017. Teaching the children, watching them learn new things and sharing my faith are aspects of my role which I really enjoy and hope to continue for many years to come.

Jenny Nechvatel – Educator I started as a Preschool Teacher with Wagga Wagga Christian College in May 2017. I have three children Kate, Ryan and Zac. I am passionate about the positive impact that early childhood education has on a child’s development and the long-term effects this has on a child’s future. I enjoy building relationships with children, sharing conversations with them and their insights into life. Another enjoyable part of my role is building relationships with families and supporting them on their parenting journey. I believe God gives each of us special skills and abilities. My role as a teacher is to encourage the development of these skills and abilities in

each child to their fullest potential. Providing a variety of open-ended learning experiences that allow children to work independently and in small and large groups while exploring their learning environment supports their development and school readiness.

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Hannah Anderson – Preschool / OOSH Administration My journey with Preschool began in October 2017. While my employment history is very diverse (from governess to farmhand and many other things in between), I have a passion for working with young people, supporting and encouraging them as they mature into adulthood and live out God’s plan for their lives. My role is to assist our wonderful teachers with paperwork and administration tasks; as well as to provide support to our parents as they interact with Preschool and the College Community.

Curriculum Wagga Wagga Christian College Long Day Care Preschool program operates in accordance with the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority’s National Quality Framework. This means the Preschool will undergo rating and assessment visits from the Department of Education and Communities as part of our compliance with these laws and regulations. The Wagga Wagga Christian College Preschool room has qualified staff who deliver a program that allows children to explore, observe, experiment and learn about the wonderful world that God has made. The Preschool program offers a caring, quality Christian education for children generally the year before they will transition to school. It is a play-based, interest-focused program where children experience hands-on activities to enhance their physical, social, emotional, spiritual, language, cognitive and creative areas of development. The program is adapted each week, based on staff observations of the children, information gained from children and their family and the knowledge of our educators as to ‘what comes next’. Not only does the Preschool room adapt its program to reflect the needs of the group, it also takes into account the interests, needs and capabilities of each individual child.

The daily routine will typically look like this, however may vary slightly depending on weather and other activities which may occur on the day.

Children arrive

Indoor/Outdoor activities

Transition

Devotion-Bible story and songs

Morning tea

Indoor activities

Dance/ Movement

Lunch

Quiet activities

Group time

Home

This routine is varied at times, but is generally maintained to ensure children are comfortable and can anticipate what will happen next.

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While outdoors, children have great opportunities to develop gross-motor skills through running, jumping or negotiating the obstacle course. The service offers a wide range of sporting and play equipment such as stompers, balancing beams, wobble boards and bikes. These ensure that children have a wide variety of activities to enjoy and face fresh challenges each week. Children also enjoy time playing in the sand pit, painting, exploring science and nature, playing group or ball games.

Indoor play allows children to explore their creative side with activities such as art, drawing, puzzles, craft, play-dough, dress up, role play and reading. Fine-motor skills are developed through threading, cutting, writing and construction. The children also experience problem solving through board games and team activities.

The service provides children with a broad range of special activities that accelerate their learning and make coming to Preschool fun! The children’s learning and participation is recorded and documented throughout the year. This is shared with parents through electronic communications, informal conversations and at the parent/teacher chats held throughout the year. At the end of the year, parents are provided with a portfolio showing their child’s journey through the year, including photos, stories and artwork. The portfolio provides a wonderful, tangible memory of each child’s experiences. The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is the official early childhood curriculum framework adopted in Australia. The framework guides the settings program which promotes play-based learning. The Preschool places great importance on language, literacy, numeracy and communication as well as social and emotional development. Within this program, there are times when children come together as a group, listen to their peers, follow the rules and take responsibility for their actions and environment. The children are offered choices that reflect where they are developmentally, but the choices are made within a safe and secure setting. This encourages children to express their ideas and to co-operate with others. The program allows for free discovery situations, child initiated activities as well as teacher assisted activities.

The Preschool’s program aims to facilitate a child’s learning by following the five Learning Outcomes.

Children have a strong sense of identity Children are connected with and contribute to their world Children have a strong sense of wellbeing Children are confident and involved in their learning Children are effective communicators

By following this framework, we are supporting the children in: Belonging – knowing where and how they fit in Being – who they want to be right now and enjoying life and relationships Becoming – the person they will be, as they learn and grow

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Devotion Wagga Wagga Christian College Long Day Care aims for children to develop the understanding that they are each created unique and special by God. Every morning students will be part of Devotion, where simple Bible stories are read and songs sung that continue to introduce students to God and His world and each individual’s place and role in it. As a Christian community students are taught of God’s love and will have the opportunity to pray each morning. Families at our school also pray for others. Staff and students will thank God for their meals with a simple prayer or song. We hope these moments of care and consideration become a valued part of your child’s experience. Our hope is that each child will leave our preschool room knowing they are loved and special.

Programs incorporated into the Preschool Curriculum - Hello God!

Hello God! Is a Christian Religious Education curriculum specifically designed for use in a child’s final year in an early childhood setting. The intention of Hello God! is to introduce children to God and His saving purposes for the world through Jesus Christ, His son. The curriculum is child related. Hello God! recognises the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia which has at its core the understanding that ‘children’s lives (are) characterised by belonging, being and becoming’. Hello God! Also recognises that children are part of a family unit and parents are important and influential teachers in their child’s life. Children thrive when families and educators work together in

partnership to support young children’s learning.

EXTRA Curricular activities LIBRARY DAYS We will be having visits to the College Library in Terms 3 and 4. This will also be a time for us to have a special story at the Library and the children can grow their love for literature. Within the preschool week children will be able to borrow books from the preschool library selection in our class room.

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Partnership with Families We believe the best way to work with you and your child is by building a partnership of care. To do this we want you to feel that as a College we seek to share in each other’s lives. Our children’s education is not confined to the classroom – it is the community they are involved with that reinforces what is taught in the classroom and the home environment which impacts so greatly on the education and growth of a child. The Christian College seeks to establish a partnership with parents, carers and friends where all these groups support one another day to day and encourage each other as we seek to follow Christ and guide and educate our youth. Why? • Enhance effective parent partnerships within the College • Highlight the importance of community • Increase understanding of our College structure • Discover “why we exist” and “where we are heading” • Gain insight into what is Christian Education • Discover who CEN is • Enjoy meeting new people! PARENT HELPERS There are many ways to get involved in the College Community. Please ask the Educational Leader for ways you can assist us.

PARENT NEWSLETTER The College issues the ‘Chronicle’ each Tuesday via email. The newsletter is one of our primary methods of communicating with families. This Chronicle can also be accessed via the College website and our Facebook page. Please ensure that you maintain a current email address and supply relevant details of any change of address to the Educational Leader.

COMMUNICATING WITH EDUCATORS

If you wish to meet or speak with the Preschool staff, feel free to send a note along to the College or alternatively, you can email the Educational Leader or Preschool Administration via preschool@waggachristian.nsw.edu.au marking attention to the teacher’s name in the subject line.

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Inclusion support

Our aim is to provide each child, regardless of their needs and abilities, with a supportive and inclusive environment that allows each child to fully participate in the program. Educators will remain positive, open minded and honest at all times when working with families and external support professionals to most positively meet the additional needs of each child being educated and cared for at the centre. Educators value the expertise of families in knowing their child and what their needs will be when they are at the Preschool room. Please ensure that you let us know of any changes that may be happening with your child so that we can best support their needs whilst they are at the service.

General information FEES

Enrolment Fee $55.00

Before School Care -7am-9am $10.50

Preschool – 9am to 3pm $52.30

Afterschool Care Short Stay- 3pm-4:30pm $10.50

Afterschool Care Long Stay- 3pm-6pm $18.50

Preschool Extended Hours – 7am to 6pm $73.50

Vacation Care – as per standard booking $52.30

FEE PAYMENT An Enrolment Fee of $55.00 is due with your application. This is a one off fee. Fees must be kept two weeks in advance via an automatic Direct Debit. Fees are paid for the days the child is booked into the service. Direct debit forms can be found in the Application for Enrolment form. FEE ASSISTANCE The Preschool service is approved to offer Government Childcare Rebates* to eligible families. This benefit is paid directly from Centrelink and parents are invoiced the ‘gap’ fee. Centrelink CRNs (Customer Reference Numbers) are required to claim the rebate. Should these not be provided at enrolment parents will be invoiced the full fee amount. Eligible parents may claim their rebates at the end of the financial year. Rebates are paid for sick days, up to 30 days’ allowable absences per session per year, and for Public Holidays. *Please note: changes to Government Childcare Rebates come into effect 02/07/2018. Further information on the new Child Care Subsidy (replacing the current Child Care Rebate and Child Care Benefit) can be found here: https://www.education.gov.au/ChildCarePackage

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BOOKING CHANGES Changes to bookings require 48 hours’ notification to the Educational Leader or Preschool Administration via preschool@waggachristian.nsw.edu.au. Without prior notification, absent days will be charged. Wherever possible parents should advise the service when they will be late to collect their child. If a parent collects their child late, the next period of care will be charged. Where parents are often late the Educational Leader will discuss other options with them, such as changing the booking to an extended stay. Late collection of your child will incur an additional fee of $17.50 where pick up is more than 10 minutes after 6pm. In the mornings, Preschool students are to be dropped at the Service and signed in. Parents will need to park in the appropriate area. Cars are not permitted to drive beyond the Canteen area to the Long Day Care premises; this is a staff only access. The College actively supports and encourages safe driving and parking at all times within the College grounds. A maximum speed limit of 10km per hour applies. In the afternoons, please park in the College car park. Parents will need to collect and sign children out from the Service.

Arrival & departure of children It is extremely important that you approach one of our early learning professionals to let us know your child has arrived or is about to depart for the day. Only parents/guardians and authorised nominees are permitted to collect your child from our early learning program. If you’re unable to collect your child, please contact us to provide the name of the person who will be collecting your child. To ensure we release your child into the care of the correct person, this person must be an authorised nominee on your child’s enrolment form. Photo identification will be requested from any authorised nominee unknown to our early learning professionals so we can ensure the safety of your child at all times.

ELECTRONIC SIGN IN/OUT The service has a digital sign in/out process, this is completed on tablets which are available in the ‘Cottage’ foyer. Each person that is authorised to pick up a child will have their own PIN which is linked to a mobile number and this combination of numbers will allow the signing in and out of children. People will not be able to collect children without the correct PIN - this ensures the safety of all children.

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ABSENCES If students are absent from the Preschool room for any reason, they will need to bring a signed note of explanation from a parent/guardian to the Director. The Service requires 48 hours notification of any change of enrolment. If a student is late for any reason, it is imperative that parents sign them in at the Service. If a student has to leave the College for an appointment parents need to sign their child out at the Service before collecting them.

Preschool Uniform Navy tracksuit Navy shorts Maroon short or long sleeved Preschool polo shirt Appropriate sporting footwear Parents need to send their child with at least one spare pair of clothes for any ‘accidents’ or ‘messy activities’ that may happen. We only have a very limited supply of spare clothing. Please mark your child’s clothing and replace name tags if they fade in the wash. Named items will be placed in your child’s bag. Ensure clothing is weather appropriate. Shoes play a vital role in a child’s balance when walking and being active outside. Student’s safety is paramount. Students are required to wear covered in shoes at Preschool.

StudentS’ Belongings ITEMS TO BRING

Hat

Water bottle

One (1) box of tissues per student

Pkt wet wipes

Back pack

Complete change of clothes

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TOYS AND JEWELLERY We strongly discourage the bringing of toys or the wearing of jewellery to the service in case they should be lost or broken. Staff will not take responsibility for toys or jewellery from home and in many cases find it can place a child at risk when on equipment. If your child is experiencing difficulty settling and has a comfort toy then it may be brought to Preschool and used as required to calm/settle your child and then be placed back in their bag.

Food ALLERGY AWARE We have students in our College who have a life-threatening allergy to nuts. As a whole school we support these families and ask that students do not bring foods containing nuts to the service, this includes Nutella. ONLINE LUNCH ORDERING The service uses Flexischools for online lunch orders. Parents can register online, set up an account and order online. Lunches will be delivered to the Preschool room daily. HEALTHY EATING PROGRAM Please provide healthy options for your child. No chocolate, 2 minute noodles, nuts and lollies. These foods will be sent home at the end of the day.

These are the types of lunch boxes we look forward to seeing.

Children continue to learn new skills and ideas about food when eating outside the home. They can be involved in preparing their lunch box and helping their carers make healthy lunches. Preparing meals together is a great opportunity to give children positive messages about nutrition, such as ‘milk makes your bones strong’ or ‘bread gives you energy to play’. Suggestions for lunches include:

Mixed sandwich, fresh fruit and a tub of yoghurt Lean meat and salad in pita bread, with dried fruit and a carton of plain milk Don't forget the WATER! Dairy foods and drinks can be frozen in hot weather and taken to Preschool

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Medical conditions, Medication and Excluded Infections To ensure appropriate identification and management of children with medical conditions, we will implement best practice and risk minimisation strategies. This includes the provision of suitable first aid training for all staff to ensure a rapid response in the event of a medical emergency. If your child has a medical condition, you will be asked to complete a medical management plan to be followed in the event of an incident relating to the specific health care need, allergy or relevant medical condition. If medication is to be given to a child whilst they are at Preschool, then the following protocols must be adhered to as per the Medication Policy. Medication is to be handed to an educator and a medication form must be completed. Medication must be prescribed by the child’s doctor and the original packaging be clearly labelled with the child’s name, dosage to be administered and time to be administered. Medication must be in date and the parent /carer must advise what the medication is for. In the event that the service has an outbreak of an excluded infection or disease the families will be notified by newsletter and a copy of the infectious disease information sheet as per the ‘Staying Healthy - Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services Fifth edition’ will be provided.

UNWELL CHILDREN

Students need to tell a teacher if they are not feeling well. An initial assessment

will be made by staff and parents called if necessary.

Evacuation procedures The service aims to conduct regular emergency drills. In the event that the service needs to be evacuated, this will be conducted in a timely, calm and safe manner to secure the safety of each person. The safety and wellbeing of each child, educator and person using the service is paramount above any other consideration in the time of an emergency or evacuation. Any other procedures will be carried out only if it is safe to do so. An evacuation may be necessary in the event of a fire, chemical spill, bomb scare, earthquake, siege, flood etc.

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OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS AND VACATION CARE

The Wagga Christian College runs a very successful and comprehensive Out of School Hours

(OOSH) and Vacation Care Program. Care can be arranged for your child before and/or after school

and during normal school holidays. Enrolment can be completed with the Preschool Enrolment Form

or separate information packs are available at the College Office or contact OOSH Educators directly

on 0429 303 951.

Other The National Regulations, The Early Years Learning Framework and the Preschool’s Policies are available for you to read through. Please see one of our friendly staff for assistance The Regulations and Early Years Framework can also be accessed online. http://www.acecqa.gov.au/families https://www.mychild.gov.au/agenda/early-years-framework OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES

www.raisingchildren.net.au http://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/parents-carers.aspx https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/families