PHILOSOPHY
Our Centre Philosophy:
Kidz connect Early Learning Centre has a strong commitment to providing consistently high-quality care and education. We strive to promote a mutually beneficial partnership with all families and encourage family involvement. As dedicated Early Childhood Professionals, we believe that children are unique individuals who learn and develop skills through exploration, creativity and investigation.
We provide a developmentally appropriate program that caters for individual needs and is implemented within an environment that is encouraging, warm and safe. Above all we recognise that you are entrusting to our care your most precious gift, your child.
At Kidz Connect Early Learning Centre the educators of our early childhood service show a commitment to “Belonging, Being and Becoming; The Early Years Learning Framework”, The National Quality Framework and The National Quality Standards. These guide the policies and decisions made at the early childhood service daily as we aim to provide a service that meets and exceeds the National Quality Standard.
Educators at Kidz Connect early Learning Centre view children as capable and competent, recognising and responding to every child’s individual strengths and supporting children’s learning by engaging them in experiences that reflect their interests, holistic development and their lives. We believe that every child has a right to childhood, that children should have long periods of uninterrupted time to investigate, experiment and explore. We value authentic school readiness, where children are provided with quality tools and resources and are supported to develop a passion for learning. We believe that children learn best when their interests and ideas are respected and their curiosity, imagination and enthusiasm is supported.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge” – Albert Einstein.
We place a strong emphasis on ensuring exceptional standards of health and safety. Our centre is safe, clean and well maintained to ensure the highest level of safety to all who utilise our service. Healthy eating and physical activity are promoted daily and there is a strong emphasis on children’s wellbeing.
National Quality Standards - Quality area 2
We believe working in collaborations with educator, families and children by using learning outcomes to guide then planning for children’s learning. We use the framework to guide the educators in their curriculum decision making as a part of an ongoing cycle to assist in planning, implementation and evaluating children’s learning. Educators intentionally scaffold children’s understanding and learning by making use of spontaneous and intentional teachable moments to extend on children’s learning. Educators also use reflective practice as a form of ongoing learning which involves engaging with questions of philosophy, ethic and practices.
“Scaffolding is one tool that teachers use to ensure that students are able to operate in their zone of proximal development.” (ZPD) – Lev Vygotsky
Parents and Guardians are not only welcomed and invited to be involved in the service but are collaborators with the professionals and the child in provisions made for the children. The family is the most powerful influence on their child’s/children’s learning and development. The family’s perspective of the child is encouraged to be shared and professionals will operate in partnership with parents in planning and programming for the child.
We believe the environment plays an integral part in how a child learns and aim to provide a physical space that nurtures concentration, creativity and the motivation to independently learn and explore. Choices about equipment, resources, and the physical environment are made with the needs of the children, aesthetics, and the effect on the natural environment, in mind. Kidz Connect Early Learning Centre aims to provide a safe, caring, well-balanced, stimulating and educational home-like environment. It is acknowledged that children learn in a variety of ways and at different paces. Educators will sometimes lead the children, sometimes follow and sometimes be a participant in the child’s/children’s experience, showing wisdom as to which role is appropriate.
We believe that being culturally competent is about building respectful relationships to support, promote and embrace cultural difference. It occurs overtime, by our connection with others and through our daily experiences with children and families in local communities, we can equip all children to live well with diversity and become active citizens now and into the future. It is through our commitment and our daily action to truly value difference that we become a community in which all can be long and flourish.