THANK YOU FAMILIES
We sincerely thank you all for your cooperation with our policies and procedures.
Many existing families will know we are very strict with our health and hygiene practices and cooperate effectively.
With COVID restrictions lifting, we have taken the stance to go slow with easing restrictions with the support from our team and families – THANK YOU!
We will continue to update you on any changes.
Our children, team, families and communities’ health and well-being are our highest priority.
ILLNESS
The NSW Health guidelines still state to have a COVID test if you have any COVID symptoms. Please bring in the COVID results upon return.
Please remember, if your child has Panadol or Nurofen in their system, they are not to come to Hunny Pots. You are only masking the symptoms and the illness will spread to other children and our educators.
We are able to administer prescribed antibiotics (after your child has been taking it for 24hours); you will need to complete a medication form (near the sign in/out sheets in foyer).
We are unable to administer any over-the-counter medication at Hunny Pots e.g.: cough mixtures etc.
We are only able to administer Panadol at Hunny Pots if a child has a temperature of 38 degrees or above and with parent consent.
If your child presents any illness symptoms, we will call you to arrange an immediate pick up.
We will also give you a courtesy call if your child is feeling “off” – no immediate pick up is needed.
STAFF TRAINING
Miss Emma completed “Creating a shared vision” webinar
Miss Katelyn completed “Encouraging risk taking” webinar
Miss Sophie completed “Creating engaging environments” webinar
Miss Jess completed “Routines- maximising learning opportunities” webinar
Miss Jo and Miss Allison completed “Assessment and Rating – Evidence gathering” webinar
Miss Jemma completed “Interactions with children” webinar
Our team will be completing their CPR refresher on the 30th March (meant to be 9th March – rescheduled due to floods)
GROUP CARE RATIOS
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 old’s – one teacher for every four children
2–3-year old’s – one teacher for every five children
3–5-year old’s – 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.
To cover the day, we have our educators starting and finishing at different times. We have staggered starting times and then again staggered finishing times.
During the late afternoon, as our educators are leaving for the day, we have less teachers (still maintaining effective supervision and ratios) It can be difficult to get into lengthy conversations as our supervision is our first priority. If you would like more information and time to speak to an educator, please send through an email and we can organize a suitable time.
If you have any questions about group care – please speak to Monique.
Our staffing includes Certificate three educators, working towards their Diploma, Diploma trained and Early Childhood Teachers. We have not only more educators than required but also more qualifications than required.
Every day we require 8 educators at the Centre to fulfil ratios within the Centre.
For example, we have 14/16 educators at the Centre and 9/10 of those educators are working towards their Diploma or above! Having extra staffing allows us to provide consistency to our children and families, have our teams working better with regular staffing, allow for effective time off the floor to program and mentor.
Consistency of staffing is important to us to develop relationships, a high quality of care and a high level of learning for your children.
We are a service that is extremely proud of what we offer – a high standard of education, care, love and a resource to families. Providing individualised care for interest based learning and holistic based developmental curriculums that are linked closely to our Early Years Learning Framework.
FRUIT FOR TIGGER’S AND POOH’S CORNER
Please remember to bring in a piece of fruit each day your child attends and place in the baskets in the foyer (otherwise bring in a bigger piece of fruit e.g.: watermelon, pineapple, rockmelon for the week)
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.
IMMUNISATION = ENROLMENT
Please ensure that throughout the year if your child receives an immunisation e.g.: 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 enroll unimmunised children – failure to provide immunisation records = no enrolment.
You are required to keep your child at home for 24hours to monitor any side effects after immunisation/flu shot etc (please see policy).
We appreciate your cooperation.
QUALITY AREA SEVEN
Governance and leadership:
Quality area 7 focuses on effective leadership and Governance of the service to establish and maintain quality environments for the children’s learning and developments. Effective leaders establish shared values for the service that reflect the service context and professionalism and set clear direction for services continuous improvement. Governance refers to systems in place to support effective management, and operation of the service.
Quality area 7 elements and concepts:
Quality area 7 has two standards that focus on governance and leadership at the service. These standards are crucial to delivering quality outcomes for children under the National Quality Frame work because.
- Effective governance requires a statement of philosophy, adequate management systems and clearly delineated roles and responsibilities to support the effective operation of a quality service.
- Effective leadership establishes a culture of reflective practice to encourage continuous improvement across all aspects of the service, resulting in a higher quality service for children and their families.
At Hunny Pots Early Learning centre our staffing arrangements and conditions and the interpersonal interactions within the service comply with professional standards such as ECA code of Ethics and the UN convention on the rights of the child.
Our effective leadership and management make a difference to the way everyone comes together as a collaborative team to deliver quality outcomes for children and families.
The strengths of management and administration system are high as they provide and contribute quality care, respect and availability. Management and administration ensure all ratios are met with high supervision and safety of the children with an increasing number of educators.
The high number of staffing ensures, ratios, programming, trainee release, Professional development, room leader release, officer release (Munch n Move, Sustainability, Cultural and Risk Assessment), Quality Improvement Plan/ Self Assessment Tool, National Quality Framework and working on our Reconciliation Action Plan journey.
We have a statement of philosophy which guides all aspects of service operation. Our philosophy reflects purpose as we have focus on children, families’ educators and the community which shows a family feeling. Our purpose is to deliver a stimulating and positive environment which respects all development levels and cultures. It guides our practice by stating what we believe and how we endeavor to provide children with skills in an inclusive environment, focus on individuals, staff training/ development while keeping families as part of the program.
We have two educational leaders Miss Jo and Miss Allison who are supported by management to lead the development and implementation of the educational program and assessment and planning cycle.
Our service leaders (management and educational leaders) leaders take pride in being active in our mentoring roles, in collaboration with educators, to develop individual professional development plans that develop educator’s professional knowledge, skills and practices.
UPCOMING EVENTS
CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY – SUNDAY 6TH MARCH – What will you do to clean up our community? Let us know what you will do in our weekend books.
HARMONY DAY – Wednesday 16th March. To show their support for cultural diversity and an inclusive Australia, we ask that children/educators wear orange clothing and/or accessory (e.g., orange ribbon, socks, hair clips etc.) as orange is the colour chosen to represent Harmony Week 15th-21st March.
ST PATRICKS DAY – THURSDAY 17th March. Wear GREEN!
HOLI CELEBRATION – Friday 18th March. Wear colour! Fun water and colour day.
Healthy Harold Incursion- Tuesday 5th April. For Poohs Corner 10am.
Easter Hat Parade – To be decided- pending on COVID.
Nature Play week 6th-16th April
Ramadan begins 2nd April – 1st May
World Health day 7th April
Anzac Day – 25th April (Public Holiday)
RUOK Day 28th April