Glen Education St Patrick's
Creating a New Learning Community
Glen St Patrick's Kindergarten Educators
The newsletter focus for this term tells the stories of exceeding practise in several different quality areas of the National Quality Standards. Each Educator has shared their ideas about how we as a community are putting our strengths into action for the benefits of all children who attend our service.
Quality Area 5: Relationships with children.
We understand that every child is unique, and while physical activities like our Playball program offer immense benefits, some children may feel hesitant or reluctant to participate. In reflection of the National Quality Framework, our goal is to nurture and enhance gross motor skills, cognitive abilities and teamwork in every child, no matter their level of confidence.
To support this objective, we focus on three exceeding themes- practice, environment and engagement. We aim to create a supportive atmosphere for all children, including those who may initially be hesitant to participate. We adopt a personalised approach to assist reluctant children by building trust and a connection with your child. We show empathy and patience guiding them to try activities which the Playball instructor has tailored to your child’s needs and interests.
One of the main strategies in helping hesitant children is to create a safe environment where they can develop at their own pace. Gradually, as confidence builds, they are introduced to team activities promoting positive social interactions.
We also seek the support of families in encouraging their child to attend, asking them to reassure their child of the fun and excitement that they will experience. Regular communication and cooperation with families plays a crucial role in improving children’s confidence and overall attitude towards physical activities.
- Helen Haslem, Early Childhood Educator
Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
We have been working on a strategy to help our children to settle in our service, especially those who have separation anxiety and we have noticed some improvements. The approach we have taken is to gradually ease the child into their session. We have develop personalised orientation plans with parents, where strategies may include, starting the year with shorter days, gradually working to increase the stay depending on the child’s progress.
We understand that separation anxiety will cause distress and crying to some of the children. Educators calm unsettled children by giving them comfort and supporting them to engage in play. We found presenting interesting experiences will also help the child to shift the focus away from the anxiety they feel.
We have observed our children feel more reassured once they are aware of the daily routines. Educators regularly let the children know after lunch we will be having a quiet time, play time, afternoon tea, and then home afterwards. Some children respond positively by holding an object that would help them feel secure, such as their family photo or soft toys they like from home.
We regularly inform the parents, usually via a phone call or at pick up on how their child has settled during the session as we believe it’s important for the parents to have visibility of their child’s progress.
Our Educators have been provided with support from an Occupational Therapist to provide some feedback as part of our continuous improvement of our strategy dealing with separation anxiety.
- Yuliati Susilo, Early Childhood Educator
Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
It has been noted that some children are having difficulties with separating from their parents as well as settling into kindergarten. This in turn also may affect the feelings of parents. Regular discussions with the parents and respecting the values for their children has been paramount during this transition also forming the basis of care and confidence between educator to parent.
I believe ‘exceeding’ is demonstrated when as educators we follow up and call the parents or encourage the parents to call the kindergarten to check on their children. Speaking to parents about their child’s day and the strategies (in relation to their values for their child) used to settle their child so they have that extra reassurance, and they feel supported assisting in the transition process.
Making parents/family members feel welcome to kindergarten at any time, to also remain to settle their child has also assisted and shown respect to the families.
- Carol Vassiliou, Early Childhood Teacher
Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities.
We have been so appreciative of the support our families have shown since the opening of our new service at the beginning of this year.
In February we welcomed many of our families at a picnic on the premises. This was a wonderful opportunity to build a connection as a community, introduce families to the new environment and Educators. This welcoming event was followed by a call to parents to join the volunteer parent group (VPG). This group planned and organised their first working bee onsite in March. Families focused on tasks such as sorting the new storeroom and outdoor storage buddies, as well as putting together new furniture. As Educators we appreciated this parent assistance to help create an inviting and organised learning environment for the children.
In the lead up to Easter, our VPG organised an Easter egg raffle asking for donations from families to make Easter themed raffle hampers. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with the event raising funds that will be put towards supporting the service in the future with the purchase of resources.
The VPG have continued their collaborative work by organising a crazy hair day for the children, asking families to donate a gold coin that will also be spent on resourcing. This is a fun and exciting way for children to feel a sense of belonging to our community. In the short time that the kindergarten has been operating the community is exceeding in their commitment to developing a collaborative partnership between the Educators and the families.
- Paula Sanders, Early Childhood Teacher
Quality Area 2: Children's Health and Safety.
Through the development of skills and knowledge among staff and educators, Glen Education St Patrick's Kindergarten strives to provide high quality programs and environments for children. As educators, we discussed a routine for monitoring the children's toileting needs. When we worked together as a team, we were able to predict and establish routines for children. Glen St. Patrick's promotes and supports the wellbeing of all children, including rest and relaxation opportunities that meet their individual needs. As part of the program, effective illness, injury, and hygiene management practices have been promoted and implemented.
The children have been taught about and educated about good health through a song called "1,2,3,4,5 once I caught a fish alive". Around the kindergarten, there are posters with good illustrations and visual images. We have talked about good hygiene by covering our mouth inside our elbow. We have a Snuffle station to wipe our nose, wash our hands, washing hands prior to eating and after going to the toilet. Parents and caregivers have been responsive showing a good understanding in keeping their children home when unwell. It is important to keep children home when they are sick to prevent the spread of illness to others. Overall, as a service Glen St. Patrick's Kindergarten exceeds in Children's health and safety, by delivering quality outcomes for children under the National Quality Framework.
- Liz Polymeropoulos, Early Childhood Educator
Quality Area 7: Governance and Leadership.
At Glen St Patrick’s Kindergarten we are in the special position of setting up a new service this year. That has led to opportunities for shared leadership decisions amongst the educational team here as well as a sense of collective ownership. Being in a new setting means that there is a lot that has needed to be done. Meeting this challenge means that decision-making is spread out amongst all of us. Simple things like ensuring that everyone knows where everything is, and who is responsible for it.
We’re very grateful as well to the VPG as they’ve put in a lot of work to help us establish the Kindergarten environment here and by sharing these responsibilities our space and our children benefit. As we have become more familiar with our new environment, as a team we constantly review and support one another to ensure the safety of children and ourselves. The Educational team work together to contribute to discussions, as well as the supportive involvement from Glen Education Management demonstrates the quality of distributed leadership here.
On the pedagogical side, we are working very well to create a shared sense of pedagogical leadership between both groups at the kindergarten. We are always talking to one another (which is probably the best thing we can do), coming to shared decisions about the needs of the children and our learning programs, documentation, and the learning environment. In her article,Distributed pedagogical leadership and teacher leadership in early childhood education contexts, Johanna Heikka talks about how sharing pedagogical decisions is a best practice, because it means that there is common understanding which then means that efforts are better coordinated, leading to a more effective educational program.
- Stephen Zeitlhofer, Early Childhood Educator