Philosophy Statement
As a Uniting Care Preschool our aim is to nurture resilient and confident children through inclusive education in sustainable services, in partnership with families and community. At Treetops Preschool we believe that positive and quality early childhood relationships and experiences strongly influence children as they grow and lay a solid foundation for later life.
Children
At Treetops Preschool we believe that children are capable and resourceful. They are collaborative learners in the Treetops environment and are active adventurers, explorers, creators and inventers and individuals within a broader community (socio-cultural). We empower children to be resilient and successful, with emerging abilities and values that foster the development of a positive concept of self. We believe that children are trustworthy and are able to make choices which are reflective of their developing self-regulation skills. Children are always listened to and their ideas and opinions are valued.
Families
Families are respected as the child’s primary care and support network. Families are encouraged to contribute from their wealth of knowledge of their own child. Individual programming is done in collaboration with families through the use of family surveys, portfolio feedback sheets, news and spontaneous discussion. Families are welcomed and encouraged into the program at all times. Family feedback is valued when centre programs and policies are being reviewed. We provide a place for families to find a sense of community and a network for mutual support, enhancing respectful relationships with each family member.
Staff and Professional Development
Educators at Treetops are facilitators of learning and exploration, working collaboratively with children, families, the community and staff team. Our educators support children to develop positive attitudes towards learning, intrinsic motivation and the development of self-esteem. Educators provide provisions that extend on interests and encourage investigation and exploration using a range of resources and support to provide a stimulating and challenging environment for each child’s individual needs and ability. We acknowledge value and respect the individuality and contributions of all staff and our staff team work collaboratively together regardless of their level of qualification in order to provide an inclusive curriculum.
Educational/Curriculum
We believe that the Early Childhood curriculum should be driven by the interests and experiences of the children within the centre. Treetops preschool explores an emergent curriculum using the children’s interests and skills to extend their learning opportunities and develop a sense of intrinsic motivation for learning. Environments are open ended, evolving and encourage emerging interests. We offer consistent play spaces to foster and encourage involvement and self- extension. We use the Early Years Learning Framework to guide our practice within the centre which includes the importance of play based learning whilst also recognising the importance of communication and language (including early literacy and numeracy) and social, physical and emotional development. Through our daily program we aim to promote, skills and values about the environment which promote sustainable practices. We recognise we all have a responsibility to respect the world around us and play an active role in looking after our environment for future generations.
Diversity
We provide an environment that is culturally diverse and focuses on the interests of the children, staff and families within the centre. We encourage families from alternate cultures to provide us with information to enable us to incorporate their beliefs into our curriculum. Children with additional needs are welcomed into the program and are consistently being encouraged and supported to join in daily activities as part of the group through extra educator support and individual ISP/ISFP plans.