Philosophy
Our philosophy is all about Love, Respect and Acceptance of everyone, and affirming the worth of every individual in the eyes of God.
How is this embedded in our service?
As a Christian organization, we are committed to building community connections and forming solid relationships that allow participants opportunities to hear about Jesus, and discover God’s unique plan and purpose for their lives. Through creating solid relationships, we enable children, families, and the wider community to experience true belonging and the love of Jesus.
We firmly agree and believe that children’s lives are characterised by belonging, being, and becoming, as outlined in the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). We utilise the EYLF document alongside the National Quality Framework to exceed the 7 Quality Standards and provide outstanding quality programs. We ensure our quality improvement plan is a living document that guides our everyday practices where reflection is embedded in everything we do.
Our Program is based on the following key beliefs:
Every person is created and loved by God.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16
A warm and friendly atmosphere has been created throughout the service where children, families, educators, and visitors have a sense of belonging. All learning spaces are created to inspire a sense of belonging and warmth, and generate a feeling of being like ‘home’. The differing social and cultural background of each child is considered, respected and reflected in our indoor and outdoor environments. Educators use their interactions with children to support the use of home languages where possible, as well as embed the child’s cultural values within everyday practice.
Respect, caring, warmth, responsiveness, and affection for young children is modelled by educators throughout the day. Children learn care and respect for others by being cared for and respected themselves. Daily routines and experiences provide many opportunities for warm, responsive interactions with children and lead them to develop positive feelings about themselves being effective and valued.
Specific gifts, talents and skills are given to us by God.
”A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other” Corinthians 12:7
We recognise the stunning intellectual achievements of children from birth through early childhood and acknowledge the first five years of life as having special significance in forming the foundation for all learning. Children are given a variety of opportunities to stimulate their learning and develop their abilities and self-worth. Our environment is utilised as a ‘third educator’ where rich open-ended resources are provided and educators value each child as strong, capable, and resilient; rich with wonder and knowledge.
Educators provide small learning environments that have a strong focus on social collaboration, allowing child-initiated group work where each child is an equal participant, and their thoughts and questions are valued.
Educators follow the child-led project approach, allowing projects to emerge from children’s interests rather than planning them in advance. Learning Experiences provide opportunities for open-ended play and continuity of learning, enriching the growth of each child. Environments are aesthetically pleasing, fostered by attention to colour, texture, sound, and the presence of beautiful objects such as baskets, shells, fabrics and paintings. Our outdoor environment is enriched with spaces for enjoying natural beauty and connecting to nature to build respect for the environment and its future health.
God asks us to care for the needs of others.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” Ephesians 4:32
Children with additional needs, and their families, are supported through every aspect of our service from enrolment to transition to school. Our environments are inclusive and provide all children opportunities and support to extend skills, knowledge, and development. We liaise with external agencies to enrich children’s lives and provide their families with comfort, kindness and care.
Educators demonstrate respect for all children, educators and parents equally and without bias. Children are encouraged to respect the needs, feelings and property of others.
A nutritionally balanced, healthy, fresh menu is provided daily, and is inclusive of children with special dietary requirements. Safe food handling and hygiene practices are of high priority and implemented daily. Munch and Move principles are embedded within the daily routine, and include informing the children about healthy eating habits, healthy exercise, and healthy drinking habits.
God affords all people dignity and respect.
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12
Children have a right to be respected and feel acceptance in an environment which is secure, safe, clean, pleasant and stimulating. At all times educators put the rights of the child first, and respect these rights which are important regardless of our age, culture, religion, background, or any other status. Educators abide by the UN convention of the rights of a child. Upon commencement at our service, educators are provided with a copy of the UN convention of the rights of the child and copies are located in each room as well.
God demands our accountability in providing responsive and effective services.
“So then each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” Romans 14:12
Educators role model a positive approach to interpersonal relationships, guidance and discipline. Children are encouraged to build healthy relationships with adults and their peers, and to develop self-control as they learn to self-regulate their own emotions.
Educators actively engage in professional development on a regular basis to increase their knowledge and skills throughout their professional lives. Management values and supports educators in their work with children and families, and provides training packages for educators to encourage them to engage in ongoing learning and reflective practice.
Educators not only engage in professional development but advocacy for our profession as well. Our educators regularly share aspirations amongst online communities in order to enhance children’s health and wellbeing, and advocate for the development and implementation of laws and policies that promote child-friendly communities. They also utilise knowledge and research to advocate for universal access to a range of high-quality early childhood programs for all children.
God asks us to care for His perfect creation
“God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” Genesis 2:15
Our service aims to engage in sustainable practices in everything we do, including minimising our impact on the environment. Some of the ways in which we embed sustainable practices everyday include using cloth nappies, recycling materials, solar panels, washing cycles that use less water, hanging clothing on the line, feeding scraps to the chickens, placing food scraps in the compost bin, recycling cans. We are always looking for more ways we can minimise our impact on the environment and embed sustainable practices within the service.
Our service provides safe physical environments, made using recycled and sustainably sourced materials. We encourage children to explore our environments and engage in risky play, learning to manage their own risks. Educators make it their priority to interact with children during play and provide adequate supervision particularly when children are engaging in risky play elements within the environment. Children are seen as capable learners who can assess their own ability and learn to manage their own risks by being exposed to risky elements in play. Educators support children in doing this by ensuring all risks are assessed in a risk assessment matrix and that measures are in place to protect children from reasonable harm or undue hazards.