Our Philosophy

Here is the land and here is the sky. Here are my friends and here am I. We acknowledge the Wamba Wamba / Wemba Wemba people on whose land we learn and play. We promise to look after it every day.”

Our program and philosophy are continuing to evolve. Our program is influenced by our community, our families, our educators and a variety of pedagogical influences. The National Quality Framework (NQF) and the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) are a basis for our program. We advocate and embed within our program the five outcomes from the VEYLDF;-

1. Children have a strong sense of identity
2. Children are connected with and contribute to their world
3. Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
4. Children are confident and involved learners
5. Children are effective communicators

Our program, philosophy and practice is linked to the EYLF’s understanding of;-
“Belonging, Being, Becoming”

Our program is active play based, intertwined with child initiated and intentional teaching experiences. We base our program on the children’s interests and include intentional teaching focusing on the process, the experience and discoveries, allowing opportunities for all learning styles and recognising special and additional needs. We focus on and celebrate what the child can do and contribute. Children learn in different ways and at different times. They are encouraged to make decisions and choices that influence their learning.

At Shamrock Park Kindergarten our intention is that every child and family feel a sense of belonging. We recognise the families as the child’s first teacher. Families are invited and encouraged to contribute to the program, bringing diverse skills into our learning community. We celebrate diversity in beliefs, culture and tradition; the encouragement and recognition of contributions to the well-being of other individuals, the group and beyond the group, that is, acts of kindness and compassion that go beyond recognising difference to actively understanding and embracing it.

We work towards building connections between the Kinder and families, educators and families, families with one another, and the Kinder and the wider community, including our relationship with St Mary’s Primary School which is a part of our immediate environment.

We are committed to implementing sustainability into learning and practice. This is done through the use of natural, pre-loved and recycled materials, collecting food scraps for the chickens, composting, worm farm and vegetable planter boxes.

We build relationships with community organisations to promote knowledge and wellbeing in a diverse range of areas, including;

• Be You – a whole organisation approach to supporting positive mental health and wellbeing.
• ELLA (Early Learning Languages Australia) – we are introducing the Italian language to the children.
• Smiles 4 Miles – drink well, eat well and clean well – promoting everyday choices of drink, food and dental care.
• Allied Health – speech/occupational therapy/psychology/social work.

We strive to foster a joy of learning and equip children with necessary life skills. We believe that the Kindergarten experience should be a fun, happy time for both children and their family

(Our philosophy is seen as a living document, continually evolving. In Term 1 each year it will be reviewed by each family and the educators.)