Friends' Early Learning Handbook

Information for Families

A-Z

Access and Inclusion

Children with additional needs and/or diagnosed developmental conditions are supported to access the program and are included as valuable members of our learning community. Open communication and strong partnership between Friends Early Learning and families are critical factors in the successful inclusion of all children at Friends’ Early Learning. Where appropriate, additional funding can be sought for children with identified needs and additional requirements for participation in the program. The Lead Educator in each group will work with our Educational Leader and children’s families to collaborate and develop individually appropriate plans for children’s learning and participation. Additionally, the School’s Access and Inclusion Support team can assist with observations, strategies and resources for children’s participation, and as required, additional advice, resources and support can be arranged by Friends’ Early Learning staff through Lady Gowrie Inclusion Support Services. Families with any concerns about their child’s learning and development are encouraged to speak with their child’s Lead Educator and our Educational Leadership Team.

 

Allergy Aware

As there are a number of foods that children may be allergic to, Friends’ Early Learning promotes an allergy aware environment in which we implement practical, age appropriate strategies to minimise exposure to known allergens.

 

Due to the frequency and severity of nut allergies amongst children, Friends’ Early Learning seeks to exclude the presence of nuts within our Centre and therefore asks parents to avoid packing nut-based products in their child’s lunch box. Food items, which state that they “may contain traces of nut,” are acceptable unless otherwise indicated by the Centre for your child’s group.

 

Arrival & Departure

To ensure the safety of children at our Service, our Arrival and Departure procedure is strictly adhered to, allowing only nominated authorised persons to collect children at any time throughout the day. The daily sign in and out register is a legally required document that records children’s attendance and is also used as a record of the children present on the premises, should an emergency evacuation be called.  It is our policy that we do not allow anyone under the age of 16 years of age to collect children from our Service.

 

Children are to be sighted and greeted by an educator before the parent or person responsible for the child leaves. This ensures that the educator is aware that the child has arrived and is in the building. 

 

 A child’s medication needs, or any other important or relevant information should be passed on to one of the child’s educators by the person delivering the child. 

 

Parents are to advise administration staff if someone different is picking up their child, both verbally and in an email to the Service.  This person is to be named on the enrolment form or added in Xap portal as an authorised contact for the child. 

 

Photo identification must be sighted by educators before the child is released. If educators cannot verify the person’s identity, they may be unable to release the child into that person’s care, even if the person is named on the enrolment form. 

 

 Educators and Staff will only release children to an authorised person as named by the parent/guardian on the individual child’s enrolment form. 

 

Attendance Register

Parents (and other authorised nominees) are required to sign their children in and out of Friends’ Early Learning (including The Friends’ School Vacation Care Program) by entering their XAP pin number into the digital attendance register on the i-Pad at the FEL Reception Desk.

 

If your child is attending Before Kinder Care and Before School Care, they only need to be signed in and if they are attending After Kinder Care and After School Care, they only need to be signed out.

 

Be Contactable

Friends’ Early Learning requires parents to remain contactable via telephone while their child is at the centre.

 

Booking Alterations

If you need to alter your booking at any stage during the year, please contact the Administrator Team by email on feladmin@friends.tas.edu.au. If and when booking changes are made we require 2 weeks written notice, they will need to be confirmed via your myGov account.

 

Centre Events

Friends’ Early Learning conducts a variety of special events throughout the year, including visits from children’s entertainers, parent evenings and a family holiday event.

 

Child Health Details

It is important that we are aware of any health conditions affecting your child. For example: Allergic reactions, anaphylaxis, asthma, autism, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, dietary restrictions and epilepsy. 

 

We also need to know of any requirements  your child may have for additional assistance in  relation to areas such as anxiety, communication, learning, mobility or self-care.

 

This information is initially collected through our Enrolment Form but we are reliant on families to ensure that the details remain current and correct. Consequently, we ask that you advise Friends’ Early Learning immediately of any changes to you or your child’s health details by emailing feladmin@friends.tas.edu.au

 

Communication

Communication is a key part of a successful relationship between Friends’ Early Learning and your family. We encourage all families to speak with our educational team when arriving and departing each day. Regular newsletters are emailed to Early Learning Families and Morris Primary School Families twice a Term and individual room program updates are shared via Storypark Community Posts. Families are encouraged to email their child’s Lead Educator if they have any questions or concerns by contacting feladmin@friends.tas.edu.au. Meeting times can also be arranged for families to meet with Lead Educators should parents wish to talk with educators away from the children.

 

Educator Qualifications, Student Placements and Training Opportunities

The educational team in Friends’ Early Learning are all appropriately qualified according to the Early Childhood Regulatory Requirements. All educators in Early Learning are qualified (or working towards) either a Certificate 3 in Early Childhood Education and Care, a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care or a Bachelor of Early Childhood. We are fortunate to have well-qualified staff including a number of educators qualified with a Bachelor of Early Childhood.

 

We are committed to growing new professionals and will always seek to have a portion of our staff team who are at the beginning stages of their qualification journey. We also regularly accept Vocational Education and Training (VET) Students, as well as Certificate 3, Diploma and/or Bachelor of Education Student Placements. Every volunteer or student that comes to undertake placement and training at Friends’ Early Learning must meet the requirements of all staff and be: aware of our Policies and Procedures, trained in Child Safeguarding, First Aid and Mandatory Reporting and have a current Working with Vulnerable People Registration. All Student Placements at Friends’ Early Learning are guided and overseen by Lead Educators and our Educational Leadership Team.

 

Family Engage

Where appropriate, abiding by current covid protocols, Friends’ Early Learning welcomes parent involvement  in a variety of ways. In past years parents have worked in our  vegetable gardens, played musical instruments, come  in with their pets, come to talk about their work as they provide service to the community (e.g. Police, Ambulance, Fireman etc)  attended excursions and shared their artistic or creative skills.. If  you have a skill or special interest that may extend our children’s program, we encourage you  to share it with us. Alternatively, if you have an idea or feedback that you feel might enhance our centre or inform our Quality Improvement Plan, please let us know by  emailing us directly at feladmin@friends.tas.edu.au

 

Fees, Accounts and Subsidies

A copy of our Fees, Accounts and Subsidies document can be found online at www.friends.tas.edu.au This document provides information on our Fee Schedule, absences procedures, late collection of child fee, payment of accounts and Child Care Subsidy.

 

Food

Friends’ Early Learning encourages the consumption  of nutritionally balanced food and seeks families support in this endeavour. Families are responsible for  providing their child’s own meals and are encouraged to pack healthy food in their child’s lunch box each day. For example, sandwiches with assorted fillings, fresh and  dried fruit, raw vegetables, cheese and yoghurt, etc. Friends’ Early Learning educators comply with the requirements of safe feed handling practices and the Centre has a comprehensive food safety program that is externally audited on an annual basis.

 

Meal Times

We aim to create a happy and social mealtime  atmosphere that encourages the development  of healthy eating practices and self-help skills.  Each of our groups undertakes meal times in a  developmentally responsive manner, guiding the  children towards greater autonomy and ownership of  the process as they progress through the year. The  aim is to have children take responsibility for setting the meal tables, selecting their lunch box from the fridge,  deciding where on the table they would like to sit,  deciding what to eat first and assisting to clean up at  the table at the conclusion of the meal. All mealtimes  are undertaken under the guidance of an Educator,  who sits down with the children, engages with them  and encourages healthy eating patterns and positive  attitudes towards food.

 

Move Well Eat Well Centre

Friends’ Early Learning is accredited as a Move Well Eat Well Centre. Move Well Eat Well is a Tasmanian Government funded initiative for Early Childhood Centres and Schools; managed within Health Improvement Public Health Services, as part of the Department of Health. This Primary School and Early Childhood Program has a range of internal and external reference groups that provide guidance to the respective programs and is designed to raise awareness and opportunity for healthy lifestyles and experiences for all Tasmanian children, Move Well Eat Well promotes a healthier Tasmania in which children can enjoy healthy eating and physical activity every day contributing to a healthy lifestyle and to the prevention of a range of chronic conditions.

 

Nappy Changing (as applicable)

Your child’s nappy is checked regularly throughout the day. If your child requires special nappy cream or any other special treatments please complete a medication authorisation form and discuss this with your child’s Lead Educator or Primary Caregiver. Please ensure  you pack enough nappies for the duration of your  child’s day. We are happy to support your families choice to use cloth nappies should this be your preference. All children who wear cloth nappies are required to have a disposable nappy liner and ask that you provide adequate supplies and waterproof bags to the Educational team.

 

National Quality Framework

The Australian Government introduced a new National Quality Framework in 2012 to improve education and care across long day care, family day care, preschool/kindergarten, and outside school hours care services.

 

The NQF includes:

There are many benefits for children and families through the introduction of the National Quality Framework. Research shows quality education and care early in life leads to better health, education and employment outcomes later in life. The early years are critical for establishing self-esteem, resilience, healthy growth and capacity to learn. Quality education and care shapes every child’s future and lays the foundation for development and learning.

 

The major benefits for parents and children include:

StartingBlocks.gov.au provides parents with information about early childhood education and care to help them make the best choice for their child and family.

 

Ratios (Educator to Child)

At all times our Service meets the minimum child ratios requirements as stated below.

 • For children aged from birth to 24 months: 1 educator to 4 children.

 • For children aged over 24 months but less than 36 months: 1 educator to 5 children.

 • For children aged 36 months and over (not including children over preschool age): 1 educator to 10 children.

 

Rhythm of the Day

Each room at Friends’ Early Learning follows a similar  ‘structure’ that is adjusted to suit the age and developmental range of  the children in the group. This rhythm provides an important level of consistency for your child that will help them to develop their self-confidence and  independence. The Lead Educator in each room can  provide further information concerning the room’s  daily routines.

 

Sleep Time / Rest Time

The children in The Nest room sleep in cots or on  a mattress, as developmentally appropriate. The  children in our Rose and Waratah rooms sleep on mattresses. Each child is provided with their own cot or mattress and bedding. Cot rooms in The Nest are monitored  and our educators check all children every 10 minutes.  When your child wakes, their educator will check their  nappy (if applicable) and help them get dressed. Your child  will be offered quiet experiences until they are fully  awake and ready to join their friends.

 

Older children who do not wish to sleep (or whose  parents do not wish them to sleep) rest on mattresses  in a quiet area of the room for a shorter period of time.

 

SunSmart Centre

Friends’ Early Learning is an accredited SunSmart Centre.  When the UV level is 3 and above, children require the following provisions for outside play:

  • Sun protective clothing.
  • SPF50+ broad-spectrum water resistant sunscreen.
  • During terms 1 and 4, families are asked to apply  sunscreen to their children prior to arrival, we will continue to re-apply sunscreen throughout the day.
  • Our educators also apply sunscreen 20 minutes  before outside play.
  • If your child has a sunscreen allergy we ask that you please provide your own and communicate this with your child’s educators.
  • A hat that protects the face, head, neck and ears. Please note that caps are not deemed suitable for Sunsmart practices.

Things to Bring

Please bring the following clearly named items each day:

  • A bag for your child’s belongings.
  • A drink bottle filled with water.
  • A lunch box with healthy morning tea, lunch and  afternoon tea.
  • Clothing appropriate to each day’s expected  weather and our Sunsmart guidelines.
  • A piece of fruit or a vegetable to share at snack time (not required for babies in The Nest group).
  • Shoes with ‘good grip’ soles.
  • Named spare clothing, including shoes.
  • Waterproof bag for soiled or wet clothing items.
  • A hat that protects their face, head, neck and ears.

Toilet Training

When your child is developmentally ready for toilet training, we encourage you to communicate with your child’s team of educators. We are happy to support your family with this process and will discuss ways we can help your child whilst at the centre.

 

Toys

Friends’ Early Learning asks families not to bring  toys from home into the Centre, unless the toy is a  ‘comforter’ for your child or the item brought in supports a current aspect of our program. Toys brought from home can cause conflict between children and it can be  upsetting if a precious toy from home becomes lost or broken. The Friends’ School is a Quaker School and promotes the development of and right to peace for all community members. Therefore, Friends’ Early Learning does not use, or permit the use of, war toys or toys that promote aggressive or violent  play.

 

Transfer of School Age Children between Outside School Hours Care and Kindergarten and Primary Years Classrooms

Outside Kinder Hours Care:

Kindergarten students are escorted to and from the Frank Wells Hall and Kindergarten buildings.

 

Outside School Hours Care:

Primary school students must make their own way directly to and from the Frank Wells Hall and their classroom.

 

Transportation of Soiled or Wet Clothing and Cloth Nappies

To store and transport wet and soiled clothing and  cloth nappies, Friends’ Early Learning requires  families to purchase a reusable, machine washable,  eco-friendly, waterproof bag such as a ‘Smelly Bag’.  These bags (which are purposely designed for carrying cloth nappies and soiled or wet clothing  items) come with a carry strap, zip and name tag. They  also greatly reduce odour. These can be purchased from www.smellybag.com.au

 

Up To Date Details

We ask that families carefully monitor their information in Xap and update details when they have changed. You can also inform our Administration Team of any required changes via feladmin@friends.tas.edu.au. This is particularly important with regard to your child’s emergency contacts, immunisations and changing health details or medical action plans.