Mary Campbell Preschool

Cultural

Mary Campbell Preschool respectfully acknowledges the Bidjigal and Gadigal people, the Traditional Owners of the land in which our service operates. We further extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families, staff, volunteers and community members that visit our preschool. We aim to incorporate their languages, stories, and all that their culture embodies, into our programs and daily routines in order to create a more inclusive and welcoming community. Our preschool believes in recognising and celebrating the diversity of our wider community and we enjoy incorporating different cultural celebrations, traditions and languages into our curriculum to reflect Australia's multicultural landscape. We achieve this through open communication with and assistance from families and community members which enables us to build the children's, their families and staff members sense of belonging.

Children

Our centre's philosophy is driven by the motto that 'Children Should Be Cherished'; we believe that their learning and development needs to be nurtured in a safe and warm environment to allow them to flourish and thrive. We recognise that each child is their own individual with differing needs, interests and skills. The diversity of the children is recognised throughout our program and practices to ensure that every child is continuously reaching new milestones whilst developing a strong sense of identity and confidence within themselves and a sense of connection to their community.

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Community/Family

Mary Campbell Preschool is a family run business that has been a part of our community for 50 years. We believe that our longevity can be attributed to the 'homely' feel that has been created and nourished by 3 generations of the Campbell Family who have directed our service. We know that a child's first sense of belonging starts at home and families are core to a child's being and sense of identity. Without building strong partnerships and reciprocal relationships between family and preschool, a child cannot grow - that is why we put communication with primary caregivers at the core of everything we do. We value all of our families' input into our services' programs and daily routines as well as that of the wider community. We use local community services to further inform and enhance our programs. All of this enables us to provide quality care for all of our children.

Educators

Embedded into our daily practices all staff encourage each other’s talents and strengths in an supportive environment working together. The Educators take time to talk and plan as they work with the same team every day. Their vocation is based on trust and respect and how they connect with the children their families and the community. The dedication and professionalism of staff members is enduring with the longevity and commitment with staff members staying at Mary Campbell Pre School for many years (Code of Ethics 2016 Early Childhood Australia).

Staff

Our experienced staff come with many different lived experiences that helps to mould the way in which we care for and educate the children. Through their diverse knowledge from teaching in various educational settings around the world, to their own personal beliefs, philosophies and cultural backgrounds, strong relationships are built between the educators and children, their families and the wider community. Educators acknowledge that our profession is constantly changing and growing, with new ideas and practices emerging and we are passionate about ensuring that we participate in courses and other professional development workshops to further enhance our skills and knowledge and implement best quality education.

Environment

All indoor and outdoor environments are set up with the interests and developmental skills of the children in mind. Educators plan and implement learning environments in collaboration with the children, families and the community. Staff reflect on what works best and what may need adjusting from the configuration of physical spaces to resources and materials being used. Our garden upstairs is a popular space where the children have been working alongside educators to care for and nurture our various plants, flowers and fruits. We utilise the natural resources by bringing them into our craft and learning spaces as well as cooking experiences believing that this helps children to learn the role that they can play in protecting and caring for the natural world around them.

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Curriculum and Program

Our program is developed in conjunction with children, families and the wider community using the Early Years Learning Framework as a guide to ensure that all children are provided with the best opportunities to reach their potential and achieve their individual developmental goals. Again, the program is inspired by the children's interests, home experiences, participation in community and cultural events and family input, whilst also using observations of the children in the classroom

setting. We aim to conduct meaningful and engaging experiences that are beneficial to all aspects of a child's development which are implemented through craft, music, group times, physical activities, gardening, cooking and much more. External parties such as family members, theatrical performers and representatives from community/council run programs are invited into the preschool to lead activities with the children. Our educational program is reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure that the children's needs continue to be met and their developing interests and abilities are being taken into consideration. It is also a time for educators to reflect on their practice, providing an opportunity to review program successes and discuss, as a team, what might need changing moving forward in order to assist the children in developing a positive disposition towards learning.

Developed in consultation with staff, families and children, with direct reference to the Early Years Learning Framework and Code of Ethics Early Childhood Australia.