Walert
Marram
Warinj
Gurrng Gurrng
Bunjil
Boorai
In the Walert Room we have created inviting spaces for children to feel safe, supported and inspired to learn and grow.
The Walert Educators pride themselves on supporting all families with the transition into Early Childhood Education. We understand all the challenges that arise in the first year of care, whilst appreciating that all families will have their own journey as they settle into this next chapter. We understand the significance of this milestone and we encourage each family to communicate with us as much as possible to assist with a seamless transition.
Our indoor and outdoor learning environments have been created in such a way to spark curious minds, scaffold interests, mirror a home-like feel, and foster strong relationships. Our primary goal for the Walert Room is to create a place where children feel safe and inspired to play in their foundational years.
In the Marram Room, we believe each child is unique and special and it is important that they feel valued, cared-for and have a sense of security from those around them. Through our observations and interactions with the children, we act as a guide or facilitator to enhance their learning and development through play.
We value the children’s abilities and believe in fostering their sense of achievement through supporting all challenges they may face. Through observation and conversation we are able to provide a program where the environment is valued and used as the third teacher. We firmly believe in cultivating a strong connection with nature, spending as much time as possible in our amazing outdoor space, Bush Kinder area and our local community. Through developing each child’s sense of self, we are able to support their continuing journey on the road to understanding who they are, what they can accomplish and who they might become. We believe in creating a learning community that encompasses all opportunities and input from Robyn Jane, home and the wider environment.
Welcome to the Warinj Room, where children aged between 2 and 3 years of age can begin their journey before heading into a 3-year-old Kindergarten program. “Warinji” means Wombat in the native Wurundjeri language, as we acknowledge and recognise the indigenous culture which is embedded into our practice.
Our room has very experienced Educators that are dedicated to the children, their needs and truly value the children’s agency and believe in empowering the children in the best way possible. Our curriculum is forever changing according to the interests and choices the children are making, as they start to feel a sense of belonging and grow in their behaviours. We provide a safe and secure, indoor/ outdoor play-based learning experiences, which are warm, inviting, and meaningful, based on children’s choices and actions throughout the day. As a team we aim to challenge the children to help achieve your goals, and continually engage in conversation with parents to do this.
The room has a minimalistic style in which children can engage in meaningful play, sparking their imagination. We provide an all-day indoor/outdoor program where the door is open, so children have a choice of where they would like to play, explore, discover, and learn. We allow the children to freely express their needs and provide positive reinforcement for them to achieve this.
The 3 year old kindergarten program is government approved and set within a long day care setting so that all families have access to flexible, extended hours of quality early learning program. The 3 year old kindergarten program is offered for five full days per week.
Our room name, “Gurrng Gurrng” is derived from a Wurundjeri term for an Australian bird, the Kookaburra. We recognise the indigenous culture and have embedded its importance by recognising our traditional owners of this land through our daily acknowledgement to country, social stories and learning experiences that will be led by children’s interest.
Using a play-based learning approach, we aim to create a sense of belonging in the room for your child, as we learn about their strengths and interests as well as help you to achieve your goals. We place a great deal of focus on building children’s self-confidence, social-confidence and self-regulation in our program whilst embedding learning in early literacy, numeracy, sustainability, arts and craft and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Our four year old kindergarten program provides the added bonus of accessing a government approved kindergarten program within a long day care setting so working families have access to flexible, extended hours care. This means a greater convenience for you, plus access to a quality early learning program.
Our four year old kindergarten program is offered five full days per week.
A play-based learning approach has been adopted to ensure we create curious and confident learners.
We use a wide variety of play-based learning activities to provide your child with the opportunity to explore, question, experiment and evaluate.
Children are learning from birth. Our kindergarten program provides a play-based context for continued learning through which children make sense of the world as they engage actively with people, objects and spaces.
Our Kindergarten program is developed and led by a bachelor degree qualified and registered early childhood teacher, our program supports children to develop skills and character that enable them to experience success as a learner in the kindergarten years and beyond. Our purposeful and engaging kindergarten program builds on children’s interests, embedding learning in literacy, numeracy, sustainability, the arts, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
What will your child learn?
Our program is designed to encourage curiosity and creativity. Your child will learn to question, discover and problem-solve in a fun, safe and secure learning environment.
Research shows children are more likely to learn when they are engaged in an activity. A play based program encourages active engagement in learning and supports a range of positive developmental outcomes including resilience and independence, curiosity and creativity.
Oral language is the basis for all literacy learning. A child’s oral language ability is the best predictor for later success in learning to read and write. Hearing the sounds within a language is the first critical step for all literacy learning.
We support children’s oral language development by engaging children in rich discussions, supporting children to communicate with each other, introducing new vocabulary as part of everyday conversations, modelling correct grammar and sentence structures, singing, playing games, and reading to children daily.
Throughout the kindergarten year and at school entry children use language to share ideas, ask questions, express themselves, and connect with peers and adults in social settings.
Social – emotional skills including the ability to self – regulate ones emotions support children to experience success in group learning environments. We support children’s social and emotional development by labelling and talking about emotions and modelling appropriate responses as children engage in new and challenging situations.
A bit about our Kinder teacher, Jo Davenport
Hi, I’m Jo Davenport and I am the four year old kindergarten teacher. I have a Bachelor of early childhood education, and have 19 years experience in the early childhood profession, and 14 years experience as an early childhood teacher. I joined the Robyn Jane Children’s Centre Team last year.
Boorai Program
Our Boorai Early Years Program is an occasional childcare service for children up to five years old and their families/carers from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background. Boorai Early Years provides flexible care and welcomes parents and caregivers to stay and join other parents for a chat or leave their children with our qualified staff, to play and learn. Boorai Early Years operates under the license of Robyn Jane Children’s Centre Inc. and is registered with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development under the National Childhood Regulations. Children between the ages of 12 months and 5 years, families and caregivers with a Certificate of Aboriginality (ATSI) can access this program.
Our Boorai Early Years Program runs on Mondays from 10.00am – 3.00pm during term times. The program has recently moved to country, we use our Bush Kinder Space located directly behind the centre. Learning on country supports the children to develop their knowledge of land and culture.
Children participate in a stimulating play-based setting with a range of experiences suited to their age and developmental needs. The program offers experiences that stimulate your child’s learning and develop cultural pride. We welcome your ideas for cultural experiences that reflect your family heritage.
Outdoor play spaces
Our outdoor spaces are designed for children to learn through play, to socialise with friends and develop a keen understanding of their world, particularly the natural world. There are three distinct areas, one for babies and toddlers, a larger area for our 3-6 year olds and an open bush kinder area which is shared.
The garden has been designed with our natural environment and traditional Wurundjeri heritage front and centre, we have a yarning circle, a fire pit (for special occasions), a dry creek bed and water pump, vegetable gardens, and amazing bottle trees as well as gorgeous modern activity structures like forts and sandpits for the children to explore.
Children are encouraged to engage in free-play and to take risks (with the support of our well-trained staff) to encourage confidence, imagination and resilience.
The space to the back of the centre is used as bush kinder area where children can use their imagination, engage with nature and continue the learning program in a beautiful outside space.
We provide long day care options for children aged 6 months to 6 years, including 3 year-old and 4 year-old educational Kinder programs.
The Centre is open from 6:45am- 6:15pm Monday to Friday in each week of its operation.
The Centre is open for 50 weeks per year -closing between the Christmas and New Year period.
Parents/guardians will be advised by the committee of management of the actual shutdown dates on a yearly basis. Fees are not charged for the Annual Shutdown period.
Robyn Jane Children’s Centre Inc. is closed for Victorian Public Holidays: – Fees are not charged for public holidays or for the Annual Shutdown period during Christmas/New Year.
We have an in-house chef who prepares and cooks nutritious food for the children all year round based around a healthy eating plan. We can cater to children with allergies and intolerances and encourage children to eat a range of delicious food. We grow some of the delicious veggies that the children eat, in our own garden and we compost our leftovers to help the cycle of growth.
6-16 Haig Ave, Healesville VIC 3777
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