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  • Star of the Sea Long Day Care + Kindergarten, Cleveland

Star of the Sea Long Day Care + Kindergarten, Cleveland

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    Long Day Care

    7:00am - 6:00pm

  • icon-kindergarten

    Kindergarten

    7:00am - 6:00pm

At Star of the Sea children have the opportunity to grow and learn as part of a supportive and extended community. Our experienced educators have developed close relationships with local families over many years. Each child is unique and learns differently, so our educators will spend time getting to know your child and family so we can create programs that reflect the way they will socialise, learn and grow.

Conveniently located at Star of the Sea Primary School, your child will benefit from our close relationship with the school. In kindergarten the children enjoy regular visits with their grade five buddies, a weekly trip to the school library and once a term, engaging in music and STEM lessons with the school teachers. Throughout the year they also love attending school events including school assemblies, special Masses and celebrations such as Book Week. During each visit your child will become more familiar with the school grounds and learn new skills such as how to use the water bubblers. Our educators will watch your child’s confidence grow as they become part of our broader school and parish community and prepare for prep.

We care for children from six weeks and offer a Queensland Government approved kindergarten program for children in the year before prep. We supply all meals, wipes, sunscreen, hats and cot linen. All you need to bring is nappies, a hat and a spare change of clothes. We offer nutritious, age-specific meals for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. All meals are prepared on site daily by our cook and approved by nutrition Australia. We are supportive of special dietary requirements and encourage families to discuss their child’s needs with us.

Meet Our Staff

Linda

Director

I’ve been an early ed director:
Since 2020, and have worked with Catholic Early EdCare for over 12 and a half years, I have worked in the early childhood industry for 19 years.
My favourite thing about being an early ed care director is:
Making a positive difference in the lives of the children entrusted to our care and ensuring they have the best possible start to their early education journey. Building relationships with families through open and transparent communication and supporting, mentoring and empowering educators to flourish in the industry. Creating a home away from home, a calm atmosphere, engaging play spaces and a culture of inclusiveness where children, families and staff feel they belong, have a voice and can reach their full potential.
Something I like to tell all mums and dads is:
We have an open door policy and encourage you to spend as much time enjoying orientation visits and getting to know the centre and team before your start date, this will help your child to develop a sense of belonging before being left in our care. Once you come on board with us, we welcome your calls to check on your child and alleviate any concerns you may have. We also value your input into our program and practices, which we incorporate into our planning for your child’s day.
My favourite way to relax is:
Quality family time, dining out with friends, going camping and exploring our beautiful country in my caravan.

Nicki

Kindergarten Teacher

I’ve been an early ed teacher for:
Over 20 years and working with Catholic Early EdCare since 2017.
My favourite thing about being an early ed teacher is:
Watching the children grow and develop throughout the year as I build relationships with them and their families. I also enjoy introducing them to the broader school community which eases the transition from kindergarten to prep.
Something I like to tell all mums and dads is:
The unique strengths and learning styles of each child are reflected in our program. Getting to know your child helps us to understand how to best support their growth and development.
My favourite way to relax is:
Going to the coast for a weekend and spending time with family and friends.

Sharing a meal

Gathering together in our specially designed dining room for meal times is an important opportunity for children to grow socially. The children sit in small mixed groups and after beginning with grace they take turns serving themselves and enjoy animated discussions about their discoveries so far that day. At the end of meal time they also take turns cleaning up after themselves and helping to prepare the dining room for the next group of children.

Sense of belonging

Helping children develop a sense of belonging and strong relationships with their educators is a priority at our service from the nursery to the kindergarten. Our educators consistently work with the same group of children and focus on understanding their likes and dislikes, what they are interested in, what is important to them and their family and any special needs they have. We also encourage all children to bring in a photo of their family and when they are displayed together they can be both a source of comfort to children and also an opportunity to help children understand the varied people who make up our community at Star of the Sea.

Celebrating Ash Wednesday

Our parish is an important part of our community and throughout the year the children enjoy receiving visits from Fr Ashley, visiting the church and participating in liturgies with our school friends. On Ash Wednesday Fr Ashley came to visit the kindergarten children explaining to them what Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent was beginning were all about. All of the children were then invited, if they wished to, to get a blessing from Fr Ashley and received the ashes on their forehead.