Indigenous Acknowledgement: Here is the land, here is the sky. Here are my friends and here am I. We thank you Dharug people for the land on which we learn and play. Hand up, hands down. We are on Dharug ground. We see you Dharug people, We hear you Dharug people, And we thank you Dharug people.
ENROLMENTS
We sincerely thank you for your ongoing enrolments at Hunny Pots ELC.
Enrolment confirmations have been sent to existing families.
New enrolment confirmations for 2025 to new families will be sent over September/October.
For existing families: Update of bonds are due by Tuesday 17th September 2024 (via iPay, added to your invoice) to secure your child’s days of attendance for 2025.
Reducing confirmed days for 2025 after Tuesday 17th September 2024 (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 2025 after Tuesday 17th September will forfeit your full bond.
Your child’s current enrolment pattern (from September 2024) must be ongoing throughout 2024 to maintain your confirmed 2025 enrolment. Any notice / withdrawal / reduction will void this 2025 confirmation.
ORIENTATION
Over the coming months, children from Eeyores and Tiggers Place will be participating in orientation if they are moving up a room for 2025. 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. We will be working closely with all families on any strategies to assist with our transitions.
New children starting in 2025, will have orientation in November & December.
SUN PROTECTION/CLOTHING
Heading into Spring, the change of season; 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, MUSCLE TOPS OR THONGS ALLOWED.
This is to encourage lifelong sun protection skills for your child.
TRANSITION TO SCHOOL STATEMENTS
We are continuing to implement Transition to School Statements for the children going to school next year. We are using the Digital format/ portal – consent forms have been completed by families.
These Transition to School Statements are for active Poohs Corner enrolments going to school in 2025.
Our Pooh’s Corner teachers will be working on the statements – with family consent, these statements will be sent to the school through the NSW Department of Education portal.
We are honored to be working again in partnership with families and schools to transition our children to school in 2025.
LUNCHBOX DAYS/CRUNCH AND SIP FOR POOHS CORNER
Coming up we have our Lunchbox and crunch and sip days in term 4. This is part of our school readiness program and vital for children and families. Information about this will be sent in a separate email.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Over the last couple of months, we have provided lots of opportunities for families to come in and participate in our curriculum. We had our wellbeing week, which was fantastic, we had a great turn out throughout the week. Families enjoyed participating in yoga and creative experiences with their children. We also had our Olympics week where we invited families in to participate in our opening ceremony and other fun sport games throughout the week. Families were laughing and enjoying themselves as they participated in different sports with their children. Another opportunity we gave families was in early learning matters week where we invited families to come and engage with their children and to see what learning occurs through different experiences. We love having families involved in our curriculum. We have an open-door policy where you are more than welcome to come at any time to read a story, do some craft or just be with your children. Look out for other ways we will invite families into our curriculum for the rest of the year.
CHILD SAFE STANDARDS
Miss Sophie and Miss Chloe have been working in partnership with Miss Allison to implement and add to our child safe standard practices. We have been focusing on answering questions for standard 5 people working with children are suitable and supported and standard 6 processes to respond to complaints of child abuse are child focused. We created a mind map for educators to discuss as a centre what we do to empower children and young people at Hunny pots early learning centre. We also recently recognised working with children’s week, sharing what we do to have a child safe centre through day books and experiences. Miss Sophie and Miss Chloe will continue to work in partnership with our educators develop our knowledge of the child safe standards.
SELF ASSESSMENT TOOL (SAT)
Last newsletter we provided information on from our final report of our assessment and rating where we received exceeding. We provided the feedback we got from quality area 1. Below we have provided comments from quality area 2.
Quality area 2 Children health and safety
Standard 2.1 – Each child’s health and physical activity is supported and promoted
Appropriate opportunities are available for each child to sleep or rest and have their individual needs met, with accessible, designated spaces across the learning environments to retreat for relaxation. Educators engage in ongoing critical reflection in regard to sleep and rest and draw on professional research and organisations for the most current information and best practice advice. Health and hygiene practices are encouraged and implemented by educators and children and educators engage in meaningful conversations that promote healthy eating during relaxed mealtimes. Children are supported to be physically active with access to a range of resources which they demonstrate enjoyment when actively engaging in experiences with these resources, focusing on our munch and move fundamental movement skills. A balanced and nutritional menu is provided that has been developed by the centre cook, educators, children, and families and approved by Munch and Move.
Standard 2.2 each child is protected
Adequate supervision practices are in place across the service that are flexible to the movements of children and systems are in place to review supervision plans and risk assessments as a result of any changes to the physical environment. Educators critically reflect on supervision and the difference between maintaining ratios and adequate supervision. Plans to effectively manage incidents and emergencies are developed in consultation with relevant local organisations, practiced and implemented. Educators are supported to understand their roles and responsibilities in responding to child protection concerns and are encouraged to critically reflect on their practices in relation to current information and professional research
RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN (RAP)
We are glad to inform our families that our reconciliation Action plan was due to be refreshed this month and the Centre has submitted the fourth version of RAP to be approved by Narragunnawali. We have reflected and worked on our goals and deliverables and now with our fourth version of RAP, looking at ways we can further embed our practices in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.
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.
UPCOMING EVENTS
4/9/24 – Early Childhood Educators Day. A wonderful day to acknowledge and appreciate our special educators.
5/9/24 Child protection show -energetic minds
6/9/24 Brave hearts day
4/9/24- Indigenous Literacy Day
6/9/24 – International Literacy Day
12/9/24 – wear YELLLOW for RUOK day
19/9/24 – Talk like a Pirate day – you can dress up as a Pirate too!
25/9/24 – Wacky Wednesday (child request)
9/10/24 – Crazy Scientist Show
16/10/24 – World Food Day
16-22/10/24 – National Water Week
21/10/24 – On Monday 21st October, to wear a bright shirt for Loud Shirt Day. Raising awareness for Deaf and hearing impaired.
25/10/24 – On Friday 25th October, Wear RED for Day for Daniel.
29/10/24 – ON Tuesday 29th October, we have the Recycle man Show coming to Hunny Pots ELC for a 10am and 10.45am show/s.
SAVE THE DATES:
Lollipops Playland poohs Corner Graduation – Thursday 12th December 2024 6-8pm
End of Year Party Tuesday 10th December 3pm-5pm
CLOSURE DATES FOR 2024/2025 – Last day for 2024 Friday 20th December 2024 – we reopen Monday 6th January 2025.