Catholic Early EdCare
 
 
 
 
 

Children have a lot in common, but it’s the sparks of individuality that often shine a light on how they learn and how we can best help them grow. Our educators commit to understanding each child, celebrating their differences and supporting them to develop in ways that suit them best.

With our focus on discovery we give children the freedom to use resources in a way that satisfies their curiosity. Our educators build experiences and co-create environments with children to reflect their current interests. Your child and their new friends will be encouraged to share their individuality so that our educators can help them understand and celebrate differences, challenge stereotypes and explore their interests.

By getting to know children as individuals our educators can ensure they reach their potential and continue to grow in the ways that suit them best.

Hear how you can watch your child grow individually at Catholic Early EdCare.

Our centres are designed as flexible, child-centred spaces. This means resources are always kept at your child's level, allowing them to choose how to use them and to add to play environments as their ideas develop. By observing your child at play our educators can build on their interests to create unique learning opportunities.

This means our dramatic play area or 'home corner' can be a doctors surgery, school classroom, baby's nursery and market stall all in the one week, as children share their personal experiences with the group. When one boy came to kindergarten with a broken arm the children turned the space into a doctors surgery so they could care for him. The next day the same space became a nursery because his friend's baby brother came to visit.

Our art corners give children the freedom to mix their own paints and decide what implements to use. Children will often choose to paint with natural resources from the garden and delight in discovering the many textures and patterns that natural objects can make.

We also ensure children have the freedom to take time out on their own when they need to. Educators will set up quiet reflection spaces and reading corners where children can engage in individual learning experiences.

"I have been very impressed with the personal attention my child receives at St Kevin’s Kindergarten. Both Mrs Nelson and Mrs Winkleman have gotten to know my child and are supporting her to become more confident and independent."

Kirstie, St Kevin's Kindergarten

Understanding differences

One day, one of our children came in with a patch on her eye, which the doctor said she would need to wear for a while. The other children were naturally curious about it, which made her feel self-conscious. We talked to the child about what might help the situation and, when it came to show and tell, she bravely stood in front of the whole group and explained in her own words what it was like wearing the patch every day.

After that we all made patches and tried them on to see how it felt and how it changed the way we did things. Once the children tried the patch and understood that you couldn’t see with it on, they could empathise with her.

After that she never worried about the patch. She felt stronger and for the other children, it was a practical lesson in understanding and respecting other people.

Exploring interests in play

Play comes naturally to children and we believe it is their most important work. So our educators provide a welcoming and safe play environment for babies and toddlers to explore and experiment. They set out different resources including books, musical instruments, building blocks and plush toys, at children’s height, for them to gravitate towards what interests them. Babies will show their level of interest through smiling, imitating and making sounds. Our educators are attuned to their individual personalities and will continue to provide the resources that offer challenges, intrigue and surprise them to support their investigation and share their enjoyment.

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Watch them Grow...

  • Creatively

    Children use creativity and curiosity as tools to explore their world. We encourage your child to share their interests with us so our programs and play spaces ignite their curiosity and help them grow creatively.

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  • Respectfully

    Respect for our children and teaching them respect, is essential to helping them grow. We encourage children to take responsibility for their actions so they begin to understand how their actions impact others.

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  • Spiritually

    Children are innately spiritual and spirituality plays an important role in self-discovery and learning. As a faith-based organisation we will respect and nurture the spirituality and faith of your family.

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  • Confidently

    Confidence comes when the things that are important to us are respected. What’s important to your child is important to us, which is why we adapt our learning environment to suit the needs and interests of each child.

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  • Individually

    Children have a lot in common, but it’s the sparks of individuality that often shine a light on how they learn. We look for those sparks so we can help each child express their individuality and learn through it.

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  • Socially

    How children form relationships outside their family is important. Our educators will pay careful attention to how your child socialises and will help them develop important social skills.

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