At Edelweiss Child Care Centre we believe that a child’s early years determine much of his/her future development.

 

Extensive educational research has confirmed that the first five years in the life of a child are the most formative years. The experiences during this period have lasting and far reaching effects (EYLF).

 

We believe that childhood is a unique time of life, to be valued and enjoyed in it’s own right. This is the time that foundations are laid for future health, learning and well being.

 

We value children growing up with the understandings, skills and dispositions to be caring people and effective learners, able to contribute to their world and to enjoy rich and successful relationships with others.

 

Children:

 

We believe that children need a safe and nurturing environment that respects, values and is inclusive of the individual’s cultural background and needs. Children need to develop trusting secure relationship’s that lead to the development of a strong sense of identity and the successful achievement of learning outcomes.

 

We believe that every child has the right/need to develop as an individual at his/her own pace, through a range of learning experiences and styles, within the context of a diverse range of life experiences.

 

We believe that children learn to develop a sense of ‘Belonging, Being and Becoming’ as they actively participate in quality teaching and learning that is play based and recognises the importance of meaningful interactions, communication and language, social and emotional development working in partnership with families, children’s first and most influential educators.

 

In our interactions with children we:

 

• Acknowledge that children are active and competent learners

• Encourage children’s learning through play by providing for their interests and expanding their knowledge and skills.

• Promote resilience, a sense of belonging, self worth, secure attachments and warm and trusting relationships and interactions

• Seek to strengthen critical thinking, intellectual curiosity and risk taking

• Promote communication and problem solving skills, together with social and cultural learning and awareness, and the capacity to express and acknowledge feelings.

 

Family / Community:

 

We believe that children thrive when families and educators work together in partnership. In regard to this we believe that families / communities are unique and bring with them a wealth of knowledge, experience and diversity in relation to their children, therefore educators and families should work together in partnership to enhance the overall growth and development of their children.

 

Family/community involvement in the setting is valued as it provides a positive and consistent link between home life and the Centre. It is important to promote a feeling of inclusiveness to our families/ communities and display that they are valued members/contributors of our service by reflecting their cultures, diversity and input in a positive way therefore enhancing the feeling of ‘belonging’ to the individual and their family.

 

Edelweiss welcomes family and community input, to extend upon the children’s strengths, interests and experiences, as a foundation for learning.

 

In our partnerships with families we:

 

• Recognise parents as their child’s first and most influential teachers

• Share knowledge and promote confident parenting

• Seek to develop and maintain positive relationships based on honesty, trust and respect, two way communication and participation in service decision making

• Respect and value the individual backgrounds and unique culture and customs of families.

• Build genuine reciprocal relationships with families that are strengthened and sustained over time.

 

In our relationship with the community we:

 

• Connect children and families with each other and local child and family support services.

• Share knowledge and expertise with others.

• Promote and value the contribution of our services within the broader community.

 

Educators:

 

We believe that all educators contribute a uniqueness to our early childhood service.

The special qualities that each educator brings to the setting must be supported and developed through appropriate staff management and training programs.

 

We believe that effective communication and a unified approach is vital for educators to mature as a co-operative team capable of setting and working towards common goals that will enhance the quality of the Centre curriculum.

 

The Centre encourages educators to increase their awareness of the potential that families and community can bring to the Centre, through verbal and non-verbal interaction, formal and informal discussion, email correspondence, portfolios, and visits from community workers eg. Doctor, Vet and local fire brigade. Educators will work towards developing appropriate teaching strategies to incorporate these resources and input into the learning environment.

 

We believe that critical reflection is an important form of examining our practices and ongoing learning and development within the Centre.

 

In our role as Educator’s we:

 

• Create positive environments that foster reciprocal learning between children, families and staff

• Advocate for children and families, and promote sharing of information and expertise.

• Reflect on our practice, commit to continuous quality improvement, and support each other’s ongoing professional and personal development.

 

Curriculum:

 

We believe that children learn primarily through a play based curriculum providing opportunities for children to learn as they interact, discover, investigate, explore, create, improvise, imagine, ask questions, solve problems and engage in critical thinking.

 

Educators provide experiences that are child centered and child directed, building upon children’s strengths, interests and knowledge and working in partnership with families through parent input and contributions.

 

Educators deliver a quality curriculum that provides for individual learning capacities and styles, taking into consideration individual abilities, special needs and social and cultural beliefs and values. This may include visits from outside agencies, (with parent permission) to meet these objectives.

 

Spontaneous activities are integrated into the curriculum, these are based upon children’s interests and knowledge as well as family input, enabling staff to extend upon these interests and demonstrate a link between home and the Centre.

 

In relation to the curriculum we:

 

• Create a safe, welcoming and stimulating learning environment to encourage early literacy, numeracy, science and art development.

• Seek to strengthen critical thinking, intellectual curiosity and risk taking

• Promote communication and problem solving skills, together with social and cultural learning and awareness, and the capacity to express and acknowledge feelings.

 

 

Revised January 2020