WHERE HAS THE YEAR GONE??
Yet again, this year has been a very quick one. I’m sure they are getting faster!
We are already thinking of fun experiences for next year, room allocations for our dedicated educators, preparing new enrolments for 2018 (only a few vacancies left!) printing reports and finalising our children’s portfolio’s.
ORIENTATION
Children from Eeyores and Tiggers Place will be participating in orientation if they are moving up a room for 2018. We will do this in small groups to ensure ratios are being met. If your child has participated in orientation, we will let you know.
Children participating in orientation for BIG school are to be taken by their parents/family and returned to Hunny Pots by their family. Due to regulations, we cannot take or pick up the children from school orientation.
IPAY DIRECT DEBIT
From January 2018, Hunny Pots ELC will have Ipay direct debit.
All consent forms are to be returned by Friday 18th November 2017.
Some families have chosen to start this method of payment now – let us know if you would like to also.
We have had great response from families – thank you.
REGULATION CHANGES
There are some changes to our Children Service regulations and law from 1st October 2017. There will be further changes again in 2018. We will keep you updated.
One significant change was backfilling our educators breaks. We were able to previously follow the guide to the Regulations and law and allow educators 30 min breaks without backfilling. We did this as a smooth process that worked really well for many years.
For some reason, the Government has now taken away this guide and we have to backfill educator breaks. This mainly affects our Tiggers and Pooh’s Corner educators.
The operational cost to backfill breaks is a 4 hour shift – costing a significant amount of money that wasn’t budgeted for as we were only given a few weeks’ notice of this change!
We are speaking up and hoping other services who were following this guide correctly speak up to – hoping it may change back……
In the meantime, if by the beginning of 2018 this is still the case, we will need to increase Tiggers and Pooh’s Corner fees by an extra $2 day.
We will let you know this outcome at our earliest convenience.
RESEARCHING NEW ONLINE PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENTAL RECORDS FOR 2018.
Miss Monique is currently researching and networking with other services on suitable online programming apps that can replace our children’s portfolios, daily dairies etc.
We will keep you informed – we look forward to this happening for early 2018.
Hunny Pots ELC will absorb this cost – it won’t be passed onto families as it will replace the current portfolio/daily dairies.
POOH’S CORNER CHILDREN
All Pooh’s Corner enrolments finish on Friday 22nd December 2017. We can apply your bond back to your account if the balance owing is less than the bond being held. Any credit, after the last CCB/CCR payments have cleared, will be refunded to you early/mid January 2018. Please provide your bank details to ensure this smooth process.
We will be putting a list of the names of Pooh’s Corner children on the laundry door – please write in the name of the school your child is attending for 2018. For those children returning to Hunny Pots in 2018, please proudly write HUNNY POTS!
STAFF TRAINING
Miss Monique will attend the ACA conference in Sydney on Friday 10th November to Sunday 12th November 2017. This will cover Approved Provider workshops that will have all the up to date information on changes etc.
Miss Kim is attending an Aboriginal art workshop on the 2nd December 2017.
SUN PROTECTION/CLOTHING
As the weather starts to warm up, we would like families to know that we do go outside in the warmer weather. We have plenty of water breaks and play in the shade. If we find the weather too hot, we will come inside to the air conditioning. Please trust that these decisions will be made in the best interest of each child.
Please remember, our Sun Protection Policy states for all children to wear a broad brimmed, legionnaire’s style hat, or bucket style hat – NO BASEBALL HATS ALOWED.
Also, children must wear clothing that covers their shoulders – NO SINGLETS, STRAP DRESSES, and MUSCLE TOPS OR THONGS ALLOWED.
This is to encourage lifelong sun protection skills for your child.
UPCOMING EVENTS
– Pooh’s Corner Lollipops Graduation Party – Thursday 30th November 2016 5.30pm- 7.30pm at Castle Hill Lollipops Playland. More details on your invitation.
– End of Year Party – Friday 1st DECEMBER from 4.30pm-6pm at Hunny Pots ELC.
Centre Closure over the Christmas break – We will be operating up to and including Friday 22nd December 2017 and reopening on Monday 8th January 2018.
All existing and new enrolments commence from the 8th January 2017.