Philosophy.
We would like to recognize the traditional owners of this land, the Dharawal people, upon whose land we build our community today.
Each child, family and educator is a unique and valued individual. We acknowledge, accept and reflect each person's values, culture, beliefs, abilities and language in our program and learning environment and support the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1991).
At Sandon Point Children’s Centre we believe that:
Each child, family and educator member is a unique and valued individual. We acknowledge, accept and reflect each person’s values, culture, beliefs, abilities and language in our program and learning environment.
We consider each child holistically: the thinking child, the healthy and physically active child, the social child, the feeling child, the creative child and the spiritual and moral child and take into account the interrelated nature that each of these areas has on each other in the process of development and learning. By providing an accepting environment that promotes the whole child, we wish to encourage the child’s self-esteem, positive self-image, a sense of belonging, trust, respect and confidence.
Each child is capable and resourceful, with many skills and abilities. Each child is able to make a powerful contribution to their learning. Children’s input into the program is valued, respected and encouraged.
The family is the child’s primary teacher and the early childhood professional shares this responsibility in a mutually respectful relationship. We believe in supporting families and developing a partnership with them in the nurture and care of their children. We welcome and encourage family participation and feedback in all aspects of the service’s program.
Children learn through play and interaction with their environment and other people. Play should be fun, spontaneous, stimulating, challenging and exciting. We need to provide opportunities for the children to explore, cooperate, experiment, create, ask questions, interact, investigate, discover and express themselves – with the support of their peers, families and educators.
We believe that children should learn the importance of respecting and appreciating the environment through the nurturing of plants and animals and participating in recycling. Education on sustainability shall be included in the program to empower children to become socially responsible.
Ongoing professional development ensures that the educators have a sound understanding of child development and current early childhood practices under the National Quality Framework.
It is important for educators and children to develop relationships with organisations and members of the local community by inviting them to our centre. Our centre does not operate in isolation from local resources or other children’s services. We utilize these services to support the needs of our families and children, as well as to provide a sense of belonging and community.
