PARENT INFORMATION EVENING
We are hosting our parent Information Evening Tuesday 11th February. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet the teachers and see what is happening for 2020. Children are welcome to attend. We hope to see you all there!
SETTLING IN OF CHILDREN
All new and existing children are settling in to their rooms beautifully.
Please be aware of how normal it is to have some tears in the first few weeks. Even for the children moving rooms, it is normal to have a few tears throughout this transition time. We are very understanding of this and provide a lot of comfort to children settling in. If you have any concerns, please let us know.
Please know you are welcome to attend more orientation to help the break between attendance days e.g. Come and say hello on a day your child doesn’t attend for 30 minutes – you will need to stay. This does help in developing relationships, particularly with your child’s educators.
CHILD CARE SUBSIDY
We strongly suggest looking at your invoice every fortnight – even if you have no changes etc, please open it to see if it is the normal amount. Let us know immediately if it appears different.
We invoice on a Friday and submit direct debit (iPay) on a Tuesday. This is to assist families transferring money into appropriate accounts if needed and to clarify the amount is correct.
Please be aware that our software is linked with the family assistance office, it estimates what your gap fee is each week.
This can change if you have updated your income or have exceeded your child care rebate.
It is not something we manually enter – it comes from the child care management system.
- Please note iPay direct debit will only take out what is owing. If you have any credit etc it will be adjusted accordingly.
CAR PARK
Just a friendly reminder that our car park is for use only on the days your child attends.
Please use the car park for drop off and pick up times of your child attending Hunny Pots.
Due to the cameras, we have noticed many families are picking up their school age child (parking in the car park) and then returning a few hours later to pick up their child from Hunny Pots (parking in the car park) – whilst we would love to provide this service, it is not practical as it is taking up valuable car spaces for families who are picking up their child from Hunny Pots at this time.
You are welcome to park in our car park and drop off/collect your school age child whilst drop off/collecting your Hunny Pots child.
We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN
The aim of the Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) is to help providers self assess their performance in delivering quality education and care and to plan future improvements. A QIP helps providers to document their strengths and to recognise areas of improvement.
It is important to inform families of what goals we are working on and how we are achieving these goals and getting feedback from families of what you think our strengths are and how we are progressing with achieving the goals we set.
In the foyer we have set up a display area to showcase what goals we are working on and allowing you the opportunity to write any feedback and answer any questions we have displayed relating to the quality area we are focusing on.
As part of our philosophy we are big believers in working in partnership with families and listening to your feedback. We look forward to hearing your responses.
This month we are asking for feedback on Quality area one – Educational practice and Program.
We will reflect on your feedback and provide information to families ongoingly.
STAFF NEWS
Welcome to Miss Katelyn. Miss Katelyn is our new trainee working towards her Certificate three in Children’s Services. Miss Katelyn will work in all rooms.
Welcome to Miss Kim our new Thursday and Friday cook.
We hope you can help us make them feel welcome.
OUR MENU
We have an exciting menu offered to our children daily that has been planned to meet all the dietary requirements of children whilst in care.
We have had our menu approved by NSW Health Munch and Move.
Our meal times for each room are:
Eeyores:
Breakfast 7am-7.30am, Morning tea 9.15am, Lunch and second course 11.15am, afternoon tea 2.30pm, late snack 4.30pm.
Tiggers Place:
Breakfast 7am-7.30am, Progressive Morning tea 9.30am, Lunch and second course 11.30am, afternoon tea 2.15pm, late snack 4.30pm.
Poohs Corner:
Breakfast 7am-7.30am, Progressive Morning tea 9.30am, Lunch and second course 11.45am, afternoon tea 2.30pm, late snack 4.30pm.
Please look at our menu to see the healthy options that are available. We also include the meals offered in our emailed Daily diary.
Our morning tea is always a delicious fruit and vegetable platter with something else with it eg: wholemeal crackers with spreads, wholemeal raisin toast, cheese cubes and crackers.
Our lunch options cover meat options as well as vegetarian meals. Did you know that we offer wholemeal pasta, breads and brown rice? Your children are eating well!
Afternoon tea is fruit and vegetable platters with a cup of milk.
Late snack is Lebonese bread with spreads. This late snack is not to fill your child up, it is a snack to tie them over to dinner – we hope they are hungry to have a lovely dinner.
PROVIDING FRUIT
Children in Tiggers Place and Pooh’s Corner are required to bring in a piece of fruit or vegetable each day.
We are receiving a great variety of fruit and vegetables in our baskets this year. Thank you to our Tigger’s and Pooh’s Corner children for providing fruit and veges to enjoy! Keep it up
WITHDRAWAL OF YOUR CHILD/REDUCING DAYS
Parents must give at least three weeks written notice to the Director before withdrawing their child from Hunny Pots. If the child does not attend the centre during this period, fees are still payable (please see the below section: A child who has not yet received care or who has ceased receiving care) If the child is withdrawn without notice, three weeks full fees must be paid regardless.
Parents may reduce their child’s days of attendance by giving three weeks’ notice to the Director.
No notice period accepted in December and January for withdrawing or reducing days.
A child who has not yet received care or who has ceased receiving care
Below is from the Child Care Handbook Australian Government Department of Education and Training:
Child Care Subsidy will not be paid for absences where a provider charges a family to reserve a place for a child who has not yet physically started care.
If a child is booked in to start at a service on a particular date, and does not start on that day, no Child Care Subsidy will be paid until the child physically attends a session of care.
Similarly, a child care service is taken to have permanently ceased providing care for a child on the day the child last physically attends a session of care. This means that Child Care Subsidy will not be paid for absences submitted after a child last physically attends a session of care.
If a family has confirmed their child’s last day at a service, but that child does not attend their last booked sessions of care, no Child Care Subsidy will be paid for any days after the child’s last physical attendance at the service.
If a provider continues to charge fees for sessions on days after a child has left the service because the family did not give the agreed period of notice, Child Care Subsidy will not be payable for these sessions of care. If absences are reported in the above circumstances and Child Care Subsidy is incorrectly paid, these amounts will be recovered from the service.
FRONT GATE
Please don’t allow your child to stand on our front gate.
When standing on it, it puts the gate out of balance to close properly.
We hope you can work with us to stop this from happening.
We are able to view through our security cameras children ‘riding’ on the gate.
OFFICE HOURS
Office hours are:
Monday 9.30-4pm
Tuesday 8-4pm
Wednesday 9.30-4pm
Thursday 8-4pm
Friday 8-4pm
Miss Monique is at the centre Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Miss Jo and Miss Allison are Assistant Directors who are able to help in the office with any queries.
IMMUNISATION = ENROLMENT
Please ensure that throughout the year if your child receives an immunisation eg: 12 months, 18months or 4years, you will need to provide your child’s immunisation status record to us.
Due to Government regulations we are unable to enrol unimmunised children – failure to provide immunisation records = no enrolment.
We appreciate your cooperation.
LOCKERS FOR YOUR CHILDREN’S BELONGINGS
Please ensure you check the room locker chart on a regular basis. We are constantly updating the locker charts to accommodate extra days, new children etc. Your child may have a different locker for different days. Please put your child’s bag in the correct allocated locker.
We apologise for any inconvenience.
COMMUNICATION WITH FAMILIES
We believe in communicating with our families and passing on as much information as possible to you – without overwhelming you! Throughout the day we write in our curriculum planner(on display in the foyer), complete eat/sleep charts, write a daily diary for each room (on display in the foyer), complete observations and try our best to inform you about your child’s day. We always endeavor to speak to you about your child’s day upon departure. Some parts of the afternoon are peak times, so please be aware that our teachers may not have great lengths of time to speak with you (due to supervision), but we do our best to inform you of any developmental changes, incidents and achievements.
You are always welcome to view your child’s portfolio anytime.
ORIENTATION REVIEW
For families who have participated in our orientation program, we would love your feedback on how this may have assisted your child/family. What did you like? How did this help? What can we improve? Please send us an email with your feedback! Thank you.
GROUP CARE
Our Early Learning Centre is a Long day Care Centre. This means we are open for a longer day and follow the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011.
Long Day Care Services are a group care environment. This means we follow ratios of:
0-2 year olds – one teacher for every four children
2-3 year olds – one teacher for every five children
3-5 year olds – one teacher for every ten children
These ratios are for the teachers who are actively supervising the children.
Group care means that whilst we plan individually and have small group interactions, our care isn’t one to one.
If you have any questions about group care – please speak to Monique.
CLOTHING/HATS/BELONGINGS
Please remember, our sun protection policy states for all children to wear a broad brimmed, legionaries style hat or bucket style hat – NO BASEBALL HATS ALLOWED!
Also, children should wear clothing that covers their shoulders – NO SINGLETS, STRAP DRESSES OR MUSCLE TOPS. NO THONGS ALLOWED.
This is to encourage lifelong sun protection skills for your child.
Please also dress your child appropriately for going to the toilet – no belts, buttons and not having lots of layers that need to be removed.
Please label EVERYTHING; we have many similar items eg: drink bottles, bags etc.
UPCOMING EVENTS-
Parent information evening – Tuesday 11th February 6pm-7pm
Puddle ducks Swimming – water safety talk. Wednesday 12th February 10.30am
Valentine’s Day – Wear RED! Friday 14th February
Dress up day – WEAR LOTS OF COLOUR! Monday 24th February
Thank you