Starting At Little Gems
Welcome to Little Gems
We look forward to a happy and rewarding association with your family. You may visit at any time and are invited to enjoy the programme with your child. Our staff members are primarily experienced Early Childhood personnel. We welcome your ideas, time, resources and family experiences so that we can all work together as an effective team for the benefit of your child.
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You are invited to spend some time at the Centre to settle your child and to get to know the staff and other children. Families are entitled to 2 pre-enrolment visits to familiarise themselves and their child with the routines and daily timetable of the Centre. Parents are required to stay with their child during these visits.
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Parent & Partnership
Establishing a partnership with parents and families allows us to maintain a high quality of child care. At all times we aim to incorporate families’ contributions into our programme. Communication with parents and families is fostered in many ways, including daily verbal conversations, messages on the whiteboard, notice boards, daily diary and suggestion book. Parents are expected to contribute to the programme through their programme sheet and weekend sheet. Regular newsletters and Parent/Staff meetings also ensure a high level of communication. Where possible important information is translated into home languages. A Parent Committee is set up as a means for parents to have a voice within the Centre.
The Centre holds regular social events where parents are invited. This is a perfect opportunity to get to know staff, other children, parents and families. Parents are always welcomed to spend time at the Centre and join in the activities or discuss their child’s progress.
If you have any questions as to any aspects of our programme or procedures, please do not hesitate to speak with educators. We are here to answer all of your queries. We understand that placing your child in care for the first time can be a difficult and agonising decision, but one which is made easier at Little Gems. We hope you choose to become a part of our family at Little Gems and enrol your child with us. We look forward to getting to know you better.
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Contracted Days of Care
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If your child is going to be arriving late or absent from care please phone and advise the educator.
If you are increasing/decreasing days you will need to fill in a form and provide two weeks notice.
If you require an extra day you will need to fill in an Extra Day form and pay on the day.
Days that your child is booked in for cannot be changed or swapped without two weeks’ notice.
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Excursions
At Little Gems we believe that excursions are an essential part of any child care programme. We organize 2 major excursions during the year, as well as a variety of local outings, walks, and instances where we bring various resources into the centre. Excursions are planned to maximize both the children’s developmental experiences and their safety; reflect the age, capability and interests of the children; and have fully informed parental permission. We encourage family participation on all excursions and outings. The costs of excursions are additional fees subject to the event.
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What To Bring
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At Little Gems it is essential that all your child’s belongings are clearly labeled to prevent items from being lost and misplaced.
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Hat
Little Gems provides a hat at the commencement of your time at the centre for the cost of $10.
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Change of Clothes
At least two changes of clothes for your child, being aware of summer and winter clothes. Please also include socks, and shoes. Please dress your child in closed toe shoes.
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Lunch
Little Gems Condell Park only provides morning tea, afternoon tea, and late snack. Therefore, you will need to provide lunch for your child. Parents are encouraged to bring in a healthy food for the children. Some suggestions may include sandwiches and hot foods such as spaghetti, rice, cultural foods, etc.
All food is provided at our Kingsgrove centre.
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Sheets
Rest time requires a fitted sheet, a top sheet (or blanket for the colder weather), and a pillow if you wish. All items need to be labeled individually placed into a pillow case or sheet bag.
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Water Bottle
Children need a water bottle so they can have full access to water whenever they need a drink.
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Routine
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The routine at Little Gems is flexible and fun-filled to ensure that every part of the day is educational benefiting children in a supportive learning environment. Within the curriculum the children embrace exercises (music and movement), language and literature, and numeracy meeting to all the diverse interest and learners. It is vital to provide a range of educational choices to the children to enable them to reach their full potential.
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Meal Times
Morning tea is served at 9.00 am and consists of a wide selection of seasonal fresh fruits and juices, toast, crackers, dried fruits, etc. Lunch is served at 11.30 am and parents are required to provide a healthy lunch and drink. Information on dietary requirements for children is available from staff. Afternoon tea is at 2.45 pm and can consist of yoghurt, fruit, cheese and other nutritional snacks, followed by water. Late tea is served at 5.15 pm and consists of toasted bread with spread, crackers, cheese, fruit juice, ice melts and fruits, followed by milk. All uneaten food is sent home in lunch boxes so that parents are aware of what their child has eaten.
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Sleep & Rest Time
Play and learning are exhausting processes for children. Sleep and rest time therefore, needs to be an opportunity for them to recharge so that they may begin new adventures. We believe that children who do not sleep still need to have a rest to recuperate from the mornings’ activities. After that time, quiet activities are arranged
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Group Times
Group time is an important component of the daily programme, incorporating structured educational lessons. At Little Gems we believe that each child learns through connection with family and home. We aim to encourage and support this through learning by indentifying their interests.
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Family Grouping
This means that the children are not separated according to age during free play. The children interact all together and share meals and rest times. This encourages responsibility and care for others in the older children, and enables the younger children to learn from playing with and imitating the older children. It also assists with separation anxiety when we have siblings, friends and cousins all playing with each other. At Little Gemse, we promote a healthy lifestyle by emphasising the importance of good nutrition and health. We believe that positive early learning is dependent on stimulating a positive environment of health, as children learn confidently in a nourishing environment.
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Groups
There are 3 groups: 18 months-3 year old group, a 3-4 year old group and a 4-5 year old preschool group which incorporates school readiness skills and abilities. Music and Movement allows the children to have a physical experience while also developing skills such as balance, co-ordination, strength and the enjoyment of music. Language and Literature allows the children to further explore interests within a group and learn simple concepts such as increasing their attention span, vocabulary, listening and responding to questions, participating in a group environment and building their confidence.
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The Preschool Group incorporates school readiness concepts such as recognizing, naming and sounding out each letter of the alphabet, recognizing numbers, simple mathematical skills, self help skills, developing confidence, simple writing and getting ready for school. Each week the children will be receiving home work to be completed for the following week.
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