ENROLMENTS FOR EARLY LEARNING CENTRE – 2023
Thank you to those families that returned a Re-enrolment Form for 2023.
You will receive confirmation early September 2022.
Update of bonds are due by Tuesday 27th September 2022 (via iPay, added to your invoice) to secure your child’s days of attendance for 2023.
Reducing confirmed days for 2023 after Tuesday 27th September (eg: reducing days from 5 days to 2 days) will mean you to forfeit your bond for the days reduced.
Withdrawing your child’s enrolment for 2023 after Tuesday 27th September will forfeit your full bond. Your child’s current enrolment pattern (from September 2022) must be ongoing throughout 2022 to maintain your confirmed 2023 enrolment. Any notice / withdrawal / reduction will void this 2023 confirmation.
Poohs Corner enrolments cease at the end of the calendar year eg: last day at Hunny Pots 23rd December 2022.
If you do require care for January 2023 please send an email with your requirements. We will confirm if we can do this in November.
GETTING THROUGH WINTER…..
As we approach Spring, we sincerely thank you all for your cooperation in supporting us throughout a difficult Winter. For the past two years, our little ones have been very protected being in lockdown; it’s only normal to be hit this Winter.
It wasn’t just COVID, we had the flu and many nasty bugs in the community.
Let’s stay on top of this as we leave Winter and approach Spring. Keeping on top of illnesses.
If your child suffers from hayfever etc, please get a doctors clearance/letter so we can work with you.
Thank you again!
WEEKEND BOOK
We appreciate receiving weekend book entries via email.
These entries assist us in the curriculum planning for the room and children. By extending on interests and incorporating our principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework, we are able to meet learning outcomes based from these experiences.
For example, hearing about a family picnic, we can extend this into our play and build upon this experience.
You can also let us know about goals you are working on at home also we can work in partnership to achieve these.
ASTHMA/ ANAPHYLAXIS/ ALLERGIES
We must have an action plan for all asthmatics, anaphylactic children and allergies. For example if you request “Please remove cheese from their diet due to allergies” we must have an action plan from a doctor in the event that they come into contact with it.
All allergies, asthma and anaphylaxis children must have a current action plan, risk minimization plan (in consultation with educators and family) current prescribed medication to support the action plan.
STAFF TRAINING
Our team will be attending various webinars for the Department of Education Consultation and training.
These webinars will be covering Safe sleeping, risky play, The early Years commitment, Asthma management, critical reflection.
August events
Each month we celebrate different events that are happening in our community. This is a great learning opportunity for the children and the educators. The educators research the meaning behind the different events and different experiences we can then implement. We also always ask for the children’s ideas as this is part of our philosophy and part of our National Quality Standards we follow.
Events we have celebrated at Hunny Pots in the last month –
- International friendship day –this is to promote our friendships amongst our peers. Listening to children’s voices we asked the children what we could do for friendships day. From their suggestions activities we read friendship stories, we had conversations about be a good friend, making friendship cards, playing nicely with our friends and dancing. These activities help guide the children through their emotions, self-regulation and solving conflicts.
- Plant a tree day – Every day we promote sustainability in our centre. On plant a tree day we continued with our practices of teaching how important it is to look after our environment. The children had the opportunity to plant different seeds and watch them grow. Poohs corner planted some succulents brought in by Miss Rupinder from her home and the children learnt the process of planting and were able to take it home to care for. We had discussions about looking after our tress because we need them to breath, the animals need the tress, Poohs corner children mentioned “our earth will be sad if we took all the tress away’.
- Dental health week – We provided lots of fun experiences to promote the importance of keeping our teeth healthy. We practised brushing our teeth using our big teeth and brush, the children practised their threading skills developing their hand eye coordination as they threaded different fruit and vegetables. The children listened to lots of stories about dental health. Some of our friends even brought a picture in of their dentist visit and spoke about it with their friends developing their confidence and speaking with purpose and confidence. We provide these experiences regularly in our program, having spontaneous conversations with the children during play time and at meal times.
- Jeans for Genes Day – All children were invited to wear jeans. The children participated in a craft experience where they decorated a pair of old jeans. Through this experience the children were learning to engage in shared play, using their imaginations and they were showing a great sense of pride. We also touched on how we were being sustainable by reusing old pair of jeans.
- National science week – this was a fun and exciting week with lots of different experiments happening. Every day the children are exposed to different science experiences which allows them to use their investigation, problem solving skills, exploration, prediction skills and hypothesise. The children were mixing colours using coloured water, making volcanoes in the sandpit, learnt about floating and sinking, explored ice and how it melts, made rainbow using milk and food colouring, Ali the magician (Miss Allison) came to perform some science magic tricks which all the children were amazed about. So much learning occurring through play.
We as educators at Hunny pots believe if we incorporate in a sensitive and respectful manner, celebrations can provide an opportunity for the children to develop respect for diverse values and beliefs as they learn about practices which are different to their own at home.
BIRTH CERTIFICATES AND CURRENT IMMUNISATION STATEMENTS.
If you have immunised your child recently e.g.: 1yr immunisation, 18mth chicken pox immunisation, 4yr old immunisation, please provide us with the updated record of this immunisation.
We must have a copy of your child’s up to date immunisation status on the premises.
No immunisation = no enrolment. This is a government regulation.
Also, please provide us with a copy of your child’s birth certificate.
Please check with the office if you are unsure if we have these documents.
SUN PROTECTION/CLOTHING
Spring is here! As the weather warms up……. 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!
No hat – No play.
Also, for children to 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.
SCHOOL READINESS TALK
We will have School readiness information on our Parent Facebook Page. Miss Allison and Miss Monique will have a video posted in September on School Readiness and what we do at Hunny Pots ELC to support the transition.
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.
You must attend the last day of care to receive child care subsidy on your last day.
SUPPORTING OUR EDUCATORS BACKS
To assist with lifting and holding children, can we remind families to support our educators.
We ask our educators to sit down when holding a child eg: sitting on a chair to comfort or greet upon arrival.
Please know if they do this, this is to support themselves looking after their bodies.
UPCOMING EVENTS-
Indigenous Literacy Day – Thursday 1st Sept
Jersey Day – Friday 2nd September. Wear your favourite jersey. Awareness for Organ donation. No gold coin needed – please visit www.jerseyday.com.au for more information.
Police Visit – Tuesday 6th September 10am.
EDUCATORS DAY! – Wednesday 7th September. Say a big THANK YOU to our amazing team.
International Literacy day – Thursday 8th September
White Balloon Day – Friday 9th September. Wear white! Gold coin donation to Bravehearts to raise awareness for Child Protection.
Thursday 15th September – Dental Talk for Tiggers and Poohs Corner
SAVE THE DATE
Poohs Corner Graduation – Friday 16th December 6pm-8pm
Lollipops Playland Castle Hill
More details closer to the date.
Centre Closure over the Christmas break – We will be operating up to and including Friday 23rd December 2022 and reopening on Monday 9th January 2023. No fees are charged for this period.
Helpful websites:
a fantastic website CREATED BY THE AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN’S EDUCATION & CARE QUALITY AUTHORITY (ACECQA)
www.health.nsw.gov.au/mentalhealth/services/Pages/support-contact-list.aspx
A wonderful website to support Mental health for families.