Roderick Street Community Kindergarten Philosophy
At Roderick Street Kindergarten we nurture our builders, creators, detectives, nature lovers, risk takers, artists, storytellers, and explorers through play!
An Environment to Inspire Learning ~ Roderick Street Community Kindergarten is a place of learning where children, teachers and parents come together in a supportive, nurturing environment. We provide welcoming, natural, beautiful, and inspiring environments in order to cultivate the children’s curiosity and wonder. These environments promote conversation, interaction, and exploration. We feel it is important to encourage the children to respect and care for the environment and we aim to raise awareness of sustainable practices with them.
Everyone is Welcomed and Included ~ We celebrate and embrace the diversity and the uniqueness of every child and family and commit to building our cultural competence within the kindergarten community and beyond. We encourage an awareness of the importance of recognising and respecting one another’s shared and unique rights. Our indoor / outdoor program supports inclusion and wellbeing by offering flexibility that caters to diverse needs. It encourages social connection and promotes a sense of belonging, safety, and emotional security for every child.
Indigenous Perspectives are Embedded ~ We respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the land where our kindergarten stands. This land has been occupied and cared for by their ancestors for countless generations. Connections to Australia and our Indigenous past and present are valued and their cultural richness is embedded into the teaching and learning at our site. We strive to build our knowledge and collaborate with First Nations Peoples to foster mutually positive and respectful relations.
Relationships and Partnerships are Key ~ Meaningful relationships and partnerships are essential to children’s well-being and thus help to foster children’s learning. Central to our philosophy are the values of respect, trust, honesty, integrity, compassion, courage, and resilience. We want the children to feel secure, nurtured, respected, and believed in. Thoughtful and sustained conversations between children and their teachers are conducive to a relaxed and vibrant place of learning. We listen deeply to children, respecting their ideas, choices, and perspectives as active contributors to their own learning. The role of parents and families is both respected and supported and at our kindergarten, we view their input as an integral part of our programs.
Play is at the Heart of Children’s Learning, Wellbeing, and Development ~ At Roderick Street Kindergarten, we recognise the value and richness of play. Children need long, uninterrupted blocks of play with the opportunity to return to unfinished work until they are satisfied. Our commitment to nature play and adventurous play stems from the belief that it nurtures children’s physical, emotional, creative, and cognitive development while fostering curiosity, resilience, empathy, and a deep connection to the natural world. Our indoor / outdoor program promotes autonomy, exploration, and a balance of physical, creative, and social learning experiences.
Child Safety is our Highest Priority ~ We actively promote children’s rights, wellbeing, and participation. We view children as competent and capable with rights and responsibilities. We are committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of all children through robust policies, procedures, and risk management practices. Through responsive relationships, inclusive practices, and a culture of vigilance, we work in partnership with families and the community to ensure all children are safe and supported to reach their full potential.
We Recognise and Value Children as Active Agents in their Own Learning ~ Learning is planned collaboratively with the children and connects with prior and present experiences and their future life and learning. Parents and teachers share the responsibility for the education of children. We believe that everyone in our learning community is beautifully unique and has a wealth of knowledge, which we love to honour. The children’s ideas and explorations are highly valued and teachers use meaningful and respectful conversations and questioning to encourage deeper thinking and problem solving. We offer a wide variety of inclusive and open-ended materials and resources, books, and technology to involve the children in inquiry based learning and creative endeavours.
Our team of early childhood professionals is passionate about honouring and celebrating the early years. They act in partnership with children and their families to lead and promote positive changes for everyone involved.