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  • Kurilpa Community Childcare Centre Inc
  • 07 3844 4672 // mail@kurilpaccc.org.au

    Kurilpa offers a Qld Gov Kindergarten approved program
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Junior Kindergarten

Welcome to Kurilpa Junior Kindy!

In the Junior Kindy room, we work in conjunction with Kurilpa’s philosophy which includes working with families to communicate relevant information concerning the children’s needs and development. From our knowledge of each child and through the feedback we receive from you, our observations and interactions with your children; we act as a guide to enhance your child’s development through play, exploration, discovery and risks.

We believe each child is unique and special and it is important they feel safe, secure and support from all of those around them here at Kurilpa. Independence is encouraged and relating positively to others to enhance their self-esteem. We enable a play based program for the children which draws from the children’s natural desire to engage in experiences. When children play, they motivate themselves to learn and develop in positive ways.

Further information about the care and education of our Nursery children can be found in  Education and Wellbeing.

OVERVIEW
Age: 3-4 years
Max: 16 children
Staff: Lead Educator
Educator
Bring: Wide brimmed hat
Drink bottle
2 complete changes of clothes
Sheets
Small blanket (winter)
Shoes
DAILY ROUTINE
7.30am Our parents sign us in using the Kiosk at the foyer, we put our bags and belongings away in our lockers in the Junior Kindy room and our water bottles in the green trolley out on the Kindy deck. We make our way to the Toddler room to start our day.
8.00am It’s time to head with a teacher to the Big Yard! We go through the Junior Kindy room to collect our hats and put sunscreen on before it’s off through the Junior Kindy outdoor play space, under the passionfruit alley and out into the Big Yard to challenge ourselves on climbing, dig the biggest hole in the sandpit, check on the plants in the vege pod, create at the art stations or even build monstrosities with blocks and branches! We can wave goodbye to our families at the fence and have a cuddle or a story under the tree until we are ready to explore.
9.30am We gather on the concrete steps and say good morning to everyone before heading in to wash our hands and discuss our plans for the day inside. This is also when we offer a rolling morning tea. This means we have a table setup out on our deck that the children are able to self serve their morning tea choices and eat as much or as little as they want. Our teachers remind all our not so hungry friends about when morning tea will be over, and encourage them to check in with their bodies if they need refueling.
10.45am It is free play time in the Junior Kindy Space! We can choose from a variety of self select options to fill our morning with learning through play. Our Junior Kindy Space has many areas of play on offer: Dramatic play, blocks and building, reflection and rest, two creative tables, a manipulative mat, clay/playdough table, solitary pod relaxation zones, dirt pit, mud kitchen and that’s just a few that we can rely on or add to as our interests change and vary. 
11.15am We tidy our play areas, hats on, sunscreen and ready to have a run in the big yard. We use this time to play games in a group like duck, duck goose, parachute games, hide and seek and generally expand as much energy as we can running around the yard!
12.15pm At lunch, we gather to have a story/song as some friends clean tables, setup chairs, set tables for lunch and even visit Lizzie in the kitchen to collect it! We serve ourselves from a central table, eating whatever parts of the nutritious meal Lizzie has created as we want. Learning to listen to our bodies to decide when we are full. 
12.45pm We can choose to continue our free play or head indoors to make our beds and relax and rest as needed. Our indoor lights are dimmed, soft music played and a relaxing essential oil blend is used in the diffuser to signal to our bodies that it’s time to slow down and get ready to rest. 
1.30pm It’s time to listen to our bodies again, deciding if a story, cuddle, nap or rest bag filled with interesting bibs and bobs is what we need. The most important thing is, we let our minds wander as we slow down, reflecting on our morning and what we might plan on creating in the afternoon session. We can access our outdoor play space, creative tables and role play areas to play and learn whilst we respect our friends that may be napping with quiet voices. 
2.00pm It’s also time to pack our sheets away, fold up our beds and put those away, too! Sunscreen is applied and hats are put on for outside if we head out there. A quick song/story and reflection on our day as a group, maybe planning for tomorrow occurs before hands are washed and we delight in Lizzie’s afternoon tea creation!
3.30pm We head out to the big yard to join our Kindy friends once more and explore while we wait for our families to return. 
4.45pm We tidy our Big Yard ready for the next Kurilpa day and gather as a group for a story as we snack on the infamous Kurilpa Crackers.
5.00pm Our Little End Kurilpa friends join us in the Kindy room before the end of our Kurilpa day.
5.40pm Centre closes.

 

Toileting for all our Junior Kindy friends is at hourly intervals and regular reminders throughout the day.

Our routine is flexible to needs and weather occurrences as well as specialty items such as Music Class and any excursions or incursions as needed. We have created this routine to allow for large blocks of uninterrupted play as possible, allowing our children to enter a “flow state” – deeply absorbed in their work, problem solving, creating and building those amazing links of learning in their minds.

ORIENTATION

We acknowledge that entrusting someone else with their child’s care is a big step for parents. We also acknowledge that no-one knows a child better than their parent, and this is why we place a strong emphasis on building positive and trusting relationships with families.

During the orientation stage we ask that parents visit with their child at least 6 times, this gives us time to get to know you and your children and gives us a greater understanding of you and your children’s expectations and requirements. You as parents provide us with invaluable information regarding such key details as your child’s nature, strengths, needs, routines, interests and so on.

THE PROGRAM

In the Junior Kindy room, we program for the child as both individual and in group settings. We do this by observing the children whilst taking into account their interests, interactions, strengths and abilities to challenge them and further extend their knowledge. The experiences we plan are developmentally appropriate and achievable goals are set.

We display our weekly program and the children’s suggestions for the day on top of the lockers along with the ‘Daily Journal’ where we share images and expressions of their day at Kurilpa. Each child also has an individual journal where we compile work samples of their learning journey in the room. We invite families to take these journals home with them regularly so that they are able to reflect on these events with their children. The observations recorded in the children individual journals are written and compiled in accordance with the Early Years Framework.

We also welcome any ideas you would like to contribute for the program.

ACTIVITIES & EXPERIENCES

Activities outdoors on the larger outdoor equipment are planned to stimulate gross motor development. An array of outdoor experiences as set up outside and are both spontaneous and teacher initiated. Outside you will find play experiences set up and designed to cater for the needs of all children, the children will explore many learning areas outside such as; risky play, co-operative play, quiet play, adventurous play, messy play and role play experiences, etc.

Indoors, you will experience a similar approach to outdoor. The room is set up to foster the children’s interests and needs. We offer the children; making areas, early literacy and numerous experiences, dramatic play, social and cognitive play, quiet reflection areas, fine motor and gross motor experiences, just to name a few. By the age of two, children begin to develop an interest in role playing and imaginative play, home corner is a busy part of the room which stimulates creative and cognitive development.

These are just some of the many experiences your child will experience both inside and outside of the Junior Kindy room.

What's been happening in our room