WINTER IS COMING
We do go outside in the Winter months – we ask for children to be dressed appropriately for outside play. We encourage active play outside to stay fit and healthy!
Miss Jo attended a webinar on “Preparing for Winter’ through the Department of Education – they focused on being outside still during colder months, dressing appropriately for cooler weather.
We also teach the children to take off clothing layers when inside.
STAFF TRAINING/NEWS
Miss Chloe has completed her Certificate Three traineeship in Children’s Education and Care. Miss Chloe will continue her studies with her Diploma in Children’s Services. Congratulations Chloe!
Miss Brianna will join our team as a Certificate three trainee from the 27th June 2022. You will see Miss Brianna in all rooms. Welcome Brianna 😊.
Miss Emma will be going on her long-awaited overseas holiday from July to mid-August. We wish Miss Emma safe travels for her trip!
Miss Rhiannon attended the Narragunnawali Reconciliation Action Plan Learning Circle webinar, focusing on “Opportunity”
Miss Chloe, Miss Shubhi and Miss Katelyn attended a webinar on “Leading by example – Leadership series”
Miss Rhiannon attended a webinar on “Self-assessment within the service”
Miss Jemma attended a webinar on “Understanding the learning framework outcomes”
Miss Chloe attended the webinar “Exploring the planning cycle”
Our educators receive regular mentoring with our Educational leaders Miss Jo and Miss Allison to work on their professional development goals.
OUR EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES
At Hunny Pots Early Learning Centre, we have an amazing team who provides a fun, interactive and stimulating program based on the interests, strengths and goals of each individual child. As part of the regulations, centres must develop a program that contributes to each child’s learning and development outcomes outlined by the learning framework. The framework which we follow is the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). We also have to follow the National Quality Standards which is broken into 7 quality areas. Quality area 1 is based on our educational program and practice. Our educational leaders Miss Jo and Miss Allison look over our program and provide feedback and mentoring to always improve on our practices.
At Hunny Pots we are very proud of the program we provide your children. Our educators gain information about your child from the all about me forms we ask you to complete, we use this information to learn more about your child. The educators build secure and reciprocal relationships with your children. This allows the educators to observe your children, find out their strengths, interests and goals we are going to set for your children. We are always looking at the individual child.
As part of our philosophy, we believe children learn through play. Through their play they are learning how to socialise, solve conflicts, learn maths and science concepts, gain knowledge of different literacy and numeracy concepts, learn how to count using 1:1 correspondence, recognise numbers, learn persistence just to name a few things. While the children are playing the educators’ use intentional teaching to incorporate these skills into their play.
It’s amazing to see the children’s minds thinking as they engage in play. As educators we are big believers in listening to children’s voices this allows them to have input into their learning. We have our open shelves which allows the children to use their sense of agency to add materials/ resources to their play. Educators document the children’s learning daily through observations which are placed in your child’s portfolio, our curriculum planners, daily diaries and project books. All families have access to these documents to see all the learning that has occurred during the day. Come and see an educator to view these documents.
Every day the staff reflect on the children’s learning, environment, our own practices. Reflection is a great tool to always improve on our practices to create more learning opportunities. We are always striving to be the best educators continuing improving.
If you have any questions on our educational program please don’t hesitate to come and ask one of our amazing educators’.
RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN
We have been Approved with our Reconciliation action plan by Narragunnawali team in July 2021. At Hunny Pots Early Learning Centre our vision is for our Reconciliation Action plan to be respectfully embedded into our program and everyday practice so that we have a better understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ histories and cultures. Therefore, the educators are working on our Reconciliation Action Plan journey by working on goals that are collectively set by our team of educators and the actions on how we have worked towards to achieve these goals. The centre is working closely with an Aboriginal Elder Aunty Mary and her daughters Maryanne and Vickylee who have visited us on numerous occasions giving us feedback and support on our inclusive program and Indigenous community events. Our RAP Action Plan is in the foyer, please take a moment to read our goals and deliverables. We would like to work in partnership with you on this journey and would like your input.
Bush Tucker Garden:
Did you know that we have a Bush Tucker Garden at Hunny Pots ELC? The children have shown great interest in watering and looking after through intentional teaching. The children have shown great respect for the natural environment by also planting vegetables and herbs in our vegetable patch and caring for them by weeding, watering and composting.
Cultural locations in our community:
Sydney Zoo: Located at Darug lands in Bungarribee. Sydney Zoo has engaging cultural experience delivered by Aboriginal guides where they interact with guest and students. They will share their knowledge and understanding of all aspects of Aboriginal culture heritage and language. They run their cultural talks throughout the day at allocated times 10:00am, 10:45am, 11.30 am, 1:00pm and 1:45 pm
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.
ILLNESS
A timely reminder to ensure all children with an illness stay at home to rest and recover.
A very big thank you to our families, for your proactive efforts in keeping your unwell children at home. We have certainly noticed many children absent due to colds and flu in the past two weeks. By keeping your children home to rest and recover, you are helping your families and other children in our care by not infecting others.
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/ once and arrange for pick up.
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.
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.
These practices are in place to protect all children, families and our educators from the spread of illness.
We thank you in advance for your cooperation.
ENROLMENTS EACH YEAR
We ask our existing families what their requirements are at the end of each year (approx August/September). We don’t assume each family wants the same care or what their needs are each year. After submitting your form by the requested time, the director will confirm places in a formal letter for the following year.
Updated bonds are required to secure these positions. Bond will be non-refundable upon non commencement of new attendance patterns.
Once a confirmation letter has been received and bonds are updated you are committed to this position for the following year. No reducing days or withdrawing your child after this date, then normal notice period (as above) occurs. Please see confirmation letters for more detailed information.
TRANSITIONING FROM ONE ROOM TO THE NEXT
If your child turns 3 years old before the 31st July, we will endeavor to move them from Eeyore’s room to Tigger’s room. This is based on there being a position available – we will do our best to hold positions; however, we can only keep a position open for a short period of time.
When children move to the next room they participate in orientation, this is to assist with a smooth transition to their new room. They have the opportunity to become familiar with their new teachers and children in the room. The previous teacher will pass on information and observation records of the child to the next teacher to ensure consistency and continuity. Please have a conversation with the new room teachers to discuss future goals, any concerns and confirm any allergies.
Children are encouraged to be toilet trained before they go into Tigger’s Place, as there are no nappy changing facilities in this room. – (please refer to toilet training).
Transitioning from Eeyore’s to Tigger’s is the only room we transition from mid-year. Tigger’s placements are for the year.
EVENTS
Sunday 5th June World environment day
Wednesday 8th June – Winter’s Day! Come dressed in your warm winter clothes for outdoor play – learning about the season of Winter, play, how to keep warm and how to stay healthy.
Tuesday 21st June – International Day of Yoga /make music day
3rd – 9th July – Naidoc week