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

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	Developing auditory discrimination skills through listening to different sounds being made and repeating these Thinking about the story being told through an illustration
Writing	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
STEM	Focus on one to one correspondence through the engagement in games with dice and the counting of items as they point to each in turn. The children have also focussed on this skill incidentally as they have counted the number of children in attendance and the number of chairs required at the table at mealtimes. Acknowledging World Ocean’s Day through listening to picture story books, including ‘The Mess That We Made’ by Michelle Lord and ‘Jelly Boy’ by Nicole Godwin. The children followed up with these stories by sharing ideas as to what actions they could take to keep the oceans clean and by experiencing what the effects of rubbish and pollution are to the waterways and marine life through small world play.
Inquiry	The children have continued to explore the Unit of Inquiry, Our World, Our Future, focusing on how our actions impact the environment and on sustainable practices They have been actively thinking about the concepts of reuse and recycle as they have engaged in imaginative play and construction using a wide range of recycled items including cardboard boxes, cones and tubes, cotton reels and sheets of card. The children have also been thinking about what they could do with their own old toys and clothes as an alternative to throwing these away
Social & emotional learning	Exploring their emotions as they place photographs of themselves on the Zones of Regulation Charts Relaxation time while listening to music

News and Reminders

National Pyjama Day – Hillsmeade Early Learning Centre and Primary School – Friday 16th June. Gold coin donation

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.

Celebration of Learning

Discovering new ways to use discarded materials.

Developing an understanding of one-to-one correspondence.

Engaging in activities to practice and refine their fine motor skills.

Exploring the effects of pollution on the waterways and marine life.

Using Tommy Turtle to learn how to form letters.