Glen Education Murrumbeena 

Building Connections with our Families and Community

Michelle Ball, Early Childhood Teacher  

Relationships with families and the wider community provide the foundations for the education and care children receive at Glen Education Murrumbeena Kindergarten, with these relationships being vital to achieving high quality outcomes for children. From the very first tour of the kindergarten, where families are welcomed and children invited to explore the kindergarten environment while their caregivers chat with the teachers and educators, through to orientation sessions and then the first precious days of kindergarten, relationships between families and the education team are established that seek to provide a safe, secure base for which to begin the year.

Families are provided access to the learning environment in ways they may not have experienced in the past due to covid. We are excited to now be able to welcome parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other special friends into the kindergarten to share in, and celebrate, what the children are learning. This year we were able to begin hosting Welcome Mornings for the children’s families and special friends, where loved ones were invited to join in the program for a few hours with their child. The children in Possums Group baked a special cake for their Welcome Morning and were excited to share this with their loved ones on the day. Educators are always available to discuss the program and what the children are learning in a variety of ways to meet the individual needs of each family, whether it is an in-person conversation at drop-off or pick-up, a phone call or email. Children’s learning portfolios are readily available and accessible for viewing, allowing families an insight into what their child does while at kindergarten. These portfolios are supported by group newsletters and reflection pages that are emailed out to families on a regular basis, providing further depth into the learning that is occurring. Families are invited to contribute to the programming, by sharing their child’s interests or activities they believe would be of benefit.

The VPG has worked alongside the education team, organising fundraisers, social events and working bees that are designed to strengthen friendships and community bonds, whilst also providing support for the kindergarten. Alongside the valued efforts of the VPG we had a parent who organised a collection for St Kilda Mums, to which many generous donations were received; and another family collects the soft plastic waste produced at the kindergarten to return to Redcyle, so that it can be recycled.

The kindergarten children enjoy walking in the local community. This provides an opportunity for them to see the seasons change and to identify local landmarks, wave hello to friendly tradespeople, call in to see Emily’s mum (from Possums Group), talk about what direction their house is, where their school will be next year, to check on the local beehive and talk about road safety. At Christmas time last year, the children participated in Starry Night at the local shopping centre, whereby they decorated ficus trees with stars that they made. There are plans for the children to again participate this year.

Glen Education Murrumbeena Kindergarten has a team that is made up of many longstanding teachers and educators. The relationships they have forged with local families is clear in their interactions with the children, their siblings, their parents, and caregivers; not to mention the many families that have sent all of their children through the kindergarten, allowing these relationships to deepen. Combine this with their knowledge, understanding and connections with the local community, and it can be seen that this is a kindergarten that prioritises relationships with families and communities in order to maximise outcomes for the children they educate and care for.