Important Dates

Friday April 4th - Wattle and Waratah Rainbow Day

- Last day of Term 1

Tuesday April 23rd - First Day of Term 2

Friday April 25th - ANZAC Day - Kinder Closed

Wednesday May 14th - KidsROAR Parent Information Session

Wednesday May 21st - National Simultaneous Story Time

Tuesday May 27th - Banksia & Lasiandra Photo Day

Thursday May 29th - Wattle & Waratah Photo Day

2026 Enrolment Applications and Tours

If you or someone you know wishes to enrol for 2026, applications close on April 30th. Please make sure all applications are in by this date for your best chance at being offered a position. All current 3YO children will be sent an email at the end of Term 2 to confirm if you wish to take up a position in in the 4YO kinder program for 2026, so NO NEED TO DO ANYTHING until then.

Tours are being held on allocated dates. You can book a tour via the button below. Feel free to pass this on to family and friends wanting a tour.

Waratah Group Staffing

The lovely Shannon, from Waratah group is currently studying her Bachelor in Education. As part of her studies she needs to complete placement in a primary school. So for the last 2 weeks of Term 1 and the first 2 weeks of Term 2 Shannon will be on placement over in the Primary School. Relieving Shannon we have been very lucky to organise the equally lovely Petra. Most of the children know Petra, as she helped out at the beginning of the year supporting the 3YO's settling in.

We wish Shannon all the very best on her Placement and look forward to her return in Term 2, Week 3!

Colour Run

We had the absolute best day last week, running in the Colour Run at the school! A huge thank you to all the volunteers who assisted on design, set up, marshalling children and packing up. These events cannot take place without you all.

The pictures of the event really do speak for themselves. We were so impressed with all the kinder children who participated. They all loved getting splashed with colour and attempting all the obstacles, well done to you all!!!

Welcome Picnic

What a lovely evening we had at Halliday Park!! Thank you to all the families who joined us. It was a fantastic turnout, with at least half of each of the kinder groups attending. It was the perfect evening for a picnic (and some cricket, thanks Ivaan!).

It was lovely to see families have an opportunity to chat to other families that their child plays with at kinder, or catch up with a family from another group. As teachers we enjoyed chatting with parents and children from our current groups, but also seeing siblings!

We hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did!

Digital Sign In Sign Out

A reminder that all authorised nominees need to have their own PIN to sign the children in and out of the service. Please DO NOT share your PIN with others for using on the iPad. The PIN and phone number you enter is unique to you and records in our system who it was that picked up and dropped off your child that day. It is a legal requirement that we maintain these records. This is why each person needs to have their own PIN to access the system, so it registers who did drop off or who collected your child.

Ideally the person who is dropping off or picking up physically signs in or out on the iPad for this reason, however on occasion it is fine for staff to complete this on your behalf. They will record who it was by entering the information manually.

School Readiness Funding (SRF)

Since 2019, school readiness funding (SRF) has provided needs-based funding to funded Victorian kindergarten programs with the aim of supporting the learning and development of all children. All funded kindergarten programs in Victoria have received funding to support children’s development in the priority areas of:

communication (language development)
wellbeing (social and emotional)
access and inclusion.

Why are allied health professionals attending my child’s kindergarten?

Allied health services engaged by the Department of Education work collaboratively with educators, staff and families from eligible kindergartens as part of school readiness funding. Speech pathology, occupational therapy and psychology professionals work with educators, staff and families to share specialist skills and knowledge that better support the educational needs of all children. Evidence shows that when educators and families incorporate these strategies into everyday learning experiences it results in improved learning and developmental outcomes for children, especially their language development and social and emotional wellbeing.

Starting Thursday 27th of March we will have some Allied Health Professionals from Health Abilities working alongside our educators. During their visits they will observe the children and have conversations with the teachers about how the group can be supported in areas of need. The teachers will implement the strategies suggested and at a later date meet back with the Allied Health Professionals to discuss how things are going and what they can do next.

Later in the year these Allied Health Professionals will be running some parent information sessions for you. We will send out more information closer to the time. These sessions will be a fantastic opportunity, please make sure you take them up.

If you have any questions please reach out to your child's teacher.

Concerned about what you saw on Four Corners?

Last Monday night’s Four Corners report painted a troubling picture of the early education and care sector, describing it as one where profits are often prioritised over children’s safety. It was difficult to watch, and with nearly 1.5 million children attending these services across more than 1 million families, many parents are likely feeling more uncertain today than they were prior to Monday.

We are very lucky here to be a service that operates as a Not-for-Profit, and operates with the school as our Approved Provider, although I know many of you as parents access other Early Childhood services on days your children don't attend here. As someone who works in the education and care sector, here’s my advice for parents who want to ensure their child is as safe as possible:

What parents can do

1. Check who owns the centre

Look into the centre’s ownership and financial structure. Not-for-profit centres and those owned by their operators tend to be lower risk than those run by corporations, which prioritise shareholders, or private equity firms, which focus on generating profits for investors.

2. Examine staff-to-child ratios

The more educators per child, the safer the environment. While minimum ratios vary by state (e.g. 1:11 for preschoolers here in Victoria), quality services often exceed these minimums. More educators mean better supervision and care.

3. Ask about staff turnover

Consistency is key. Your child should be cared for by familiar educators. High staff turnover can be a red flag, indicating poor working conditions. Good centres retain their staff.

4. Look into staff qualifications

Higher qualifications generally mean higher-quality care. Centres with more university-educated or diploma-qualified educators tend to provide better early education.

5. Trust your instincts

If something feels off about a centre or an educator, trust your gut. You know what’s best for your child.

6. Don’t be fooled by appearances

A beautifully designed centre doesn’t always mean quality care. Some corporations invest more in aesthetics than in staff and resources. Great education and care can be messy!

7. Build relationships with educators

Get to know the people caring for your child. While strong relationships build trust, remember that paedophiles often groom adults as well as children—stay observant.

8. Advocate for change

Ask your federal and state MPs what they are doing to improve educator wages—better pay attracts and retains skilled professionals.
Demand action to prevent dodgy corporate and private equity providers from exploiting the sector.
Push for more education and care services so families have real choices.
Insist on stronger child protection measures.

9. Teach your child the correct names for body parts

Using accurate terminology, including for genitals, empowers children to report inappropriate touching or abuse clearly. This helps adults respond appropriately.

10. Believe your child

Don’t ask leading questions like ‘Do you feel safe?’ But if your child says they don’t feel safe or reports something concerning, believe them and take action.

What NOT to do

1. Demand constant updates or photos

While it’s understandable to want reassurance, excessive updates take time away from educators’ primary role—caring for and teaching children.

2. Panic

While Four Corners exposed serious concerns, if you and your child feel happy and secure at your centre, trust that feeling. Many exceptional early childhood educators and high-quality services exist.

The bigger picture

Every child deserves to be safe in an environment that includes ‘care’ in its very name. Governments must stop allowing big corporations and investors to profit at the expense of children’s safety and wellbeing. Our children deserve better.

OSHC News