Early Learning Centre

Enrolments are open for free 3 and 4 year old sessional kindergarten.

Enrol through Casey Council for Hillsmeade Kindergarten.

Long Day Care enrolments with kindergarten is through the ELC office.

You can contact the ELC or pop in for a visit for enrolment inquires.

Phone: 9704 6313 - Option ELC

Email: elc@hillsmeade.vic.edu.au

Apply now to enrol your child in Foundation (Prep) for 2024

The Department of Education has released a new statewide timeline for enrolling in Foundation (Prep) for the 2024 school year.

If you have a child starting primary school in 2024, it’s time to enrol. Make sure to submit your enrolment application by Friday 28 July 2023.

If you are enrolling the sibling of a student at our school for Foundation in 2024, and both children will be attending our school at the same time, your child is prioritised for a place at our school as per the department’s Placement Policy.

What is happening in the ELC

Our Learning

During this fortnight in the 3 and 4 year old kindergarten, the children have been undertaking learning in the following areas:

Reading	Introduction of Stimulability Character Cards – using a song and focusing on specific sounds such as “Shy sheepy, Shy sheepy, sh, sh, sh” and “Dirty dog, Dirty dog, Dirty dog, D, D D” Expressing how ideas can be told through storytelling (small worlds – Three Little Pigs, Where is the Green Sheep?, The Rainbow Fish)
Writing	Continuing writing letters of the alphabet using the visual aid ‘Tommy Turtle’, which supports the children in developing an understanding of where to start each of the letters and the direction to follow in forming these Provocations at the drawing table; letters, Indigenous symbols, name cards
STEM	Exploring cause and effect by creating structures using blocks. Differentiating and sorting numbers through a sensory bin experience Exploring symbols; connecting lines on bottle top lids, drawing Indigenous symbols and lines in shaving foam etc.
Inquiry	We have introduced our Unit of Inquiry, One World, Many Stories, focusing on through stories, we can explore our imagination and experience different cultures. Responding to own and others’ music – Introduction to a cultural Attan Dance (North West Pakistan and Afghanistan)
Social & emotional learning	Resettling into the Term 3, reminder of expectations and boundaries Revisiting strategies and tools for the Zones of Regulation Exploring their emotions as they place photographs of themselves on the Zones of Regulation Charts Relaxation time while listening to music or reading a book

Celebration of Learning

Engaging in a traditional cultural dance- Attan.

Differentiating and sorting numbers from 1-5

Engaging in activities to practice and refine their fine motor skills

Artwork using oil pastels Inspired by the story ‘Our Island’

STEM table - Exploring symbols and building visual tracking.