FAQ's
Welcome!
Alchester Village Pre-School is an Approved Provider – We welcome any additional enquiries, questions and concerns you may have and invite you to come along and meet us at any time.
When can my child start kinder?
- Children need to have turned three before April 30 to begin 3 year old kinder at the start of the year
- This means they cannot attend until their 3rd birthday. (impacts on Educator/child ratios)
- We do not accept children who turn three later in that year
- We encourage careful consideration of whether it is appropriate to have a child commence at a younger age. Evidence/experience, parental feedback all support, deferring entry into pre-school
Difference between “sessional” and “long day care”
- With sessional kinder, the children come at set times, a few times per week, with the same staff
- We follow the school term dates
- They bring their own snacks to eat
- Long day care, they attend for longer hours, may have several staff members throughout the day, have meals prepared. They operate during holiday breaks
How many staff are in the groups?
- In the 3 year old groups, there is an Educator and a Co-educator
- The number of children present is 22 maximum
- In the 4 year old group there is an Educator and 2 Co-educators
- The number of children present is 30 children maximum
What if my child only wants to be outdoors or Indoors?
- Through observations, staff plan for and provide experiences for children both in the in/outdoor environments
- Some activities will be provided for all children to do, as we assess their abilities and level of development
- There is the expectation for all to do some activities before they can move to the next area
Do you provide any structures group times
- Both in the 3 and 4 year old programs, the children come together for a group experience
- Action song, rhymes, games, discussions take place, enabling children to listen, take turns, practice sitting together
- Children not able to or are not ready are cared for alongside the group with the expectation they will join in as the year progresses
and be active participants
How does your snack routine work?
- In the 3 year old program children all sit together to have snack following group time, mid way through the session
- Placemats with their photos and name are placed out for them to find
- In the 4 year old program, children can have a snack at a designated snack table during the first 2 hours of the session
- They can decide when they wish to eat
- They have placemats with their names and photos on them, which they place on the table when they are ready to eat
- They get to sit at the table with different children daily
- Once completed, placemats are put under a trolley. This enables staff to see who hasn’t eaten, ensuring they all do
- There is a follow up snack time towards the end of the session in the form of a picnic snack, where they all sit together to eat more food provided
What does play based mean?
- Children need to be able to explore, have choices and learn at their own pace. This is achieved through the provision of PLAY. It is as active participants in their play and environment that children learn to make sense of the world around them
What do I need to bring?
- A bag is necessary for the children to take all manner of creations home. A large handled, durable bag (easy to open by your child) is preferred with your child’s name clearly marked on it. Please make sure it is big enough to fit a spare change of clothing and their lunch/snack box
- Snacks for the children should include fresh fruits or vegetables (this applies to the 3 and 4 year old program)
- Due to the longer session times of the 4 year old program, snacks could also include healthy sandwiches, cheese, wraps, yoghurt, dips and crackers. We strongly discourage chips, chocolates and cakes being eaten at kinder
- Please try to keep packaging and processed food to a minimum or NOT at all
- Children will be encouraged to eat nutritious snacks, emphasising it is only meant to be a snack. Fruits/vegetables may be cut at home, however, we will be able to do this at kinder during their snack time. It is also good practice to learn to bite into fruit and chew and this is a necessary part of developing their muscles used for speech
- As a further extension of our healthy snack policy and promoting the drinking of water when thirsty, the children will be required to bring a drink bottle with their name on it. This will be placed on a trolley as they come in at the beginning of the session. They will have access to this, at all times during the session. They will be taken home daily. Please ensure that ONLY water is put into the drink bottles
- Please make sure lunch boxes/containers are named (bottoms and lids) and are user friendly. Children get very frustrated when they cannot open them. Parents should feel free to speak to kinder staff if they have any questions or concerns about what spare clothing, as children feel more comfortable in their own clothing in cases when they get wet, messy in play, or have a toileting accident
When does kinder commence?
- We follow the school term dates
- However the beginning of each year is slightly modified to allow for interviews with all families
- You come at an allocated time share information with your Educator, complete necessary forms, including any medical forms ie allergy, asthma plans
- Children choose their pictures both in the foyer to hang up bags and in the bathroom to hang up hand towels, as well as get to know staff
- There is a week or two of modified times the children will attend for a shorter times and in smaller groups as they adjust to coming to our pre school
Do I have to do “family kinder duty?”
- We recognize that families are busy with work and /or other commitments
- We welcome our families to attend at any time to see how the sessions runs, how your child participates. as well as talk to staff about any concerns. There is a duty roster put up for you to complete however you are able to attend at any time for as long as you like
- Added help does enable more specific activities to be planned for
- Please note: To ensure Child Safety Standards are maintained within kindergarten we require parent helpers to have a working with children check, (volunteer cards are free) https://wwcv.auspost.com.au/
Does my child need to be toilet trained to attend?
- All children come and we address any needs as they arise
- We work together with the family to put a plan in place if they are being trained at the moment or need to nappy change the children if required
- You will be required to provide any nappies/pants during t his process
How can I find out about my child’s progress?
- We encourage you to approach the staff at any time. If the end of the session is not convenient you can contact them by email, phone
- Staff will always inform you of any concerns they may have, and suggest if any further consults need to be done
- Weekly Reflection books are provided by all groups, recording and documenting the group’s /children’s engagement in the program
- There are Individual reflection books for each of the children in the 4 year old program that gets shared by the families each term
- These are located in the room for the children to access during the session and can be viewed by the families
- We have allocated times during term 2 to formally discuss any matters
Do you have incursions / excursions
- There are two incursions (visitors to the pre-school) for each of the 3 year old groups
- Children may be taken out to the local park as part of the program
- There are 4 incursions for the 4 year old group
- We also have a planned walk to the local shops, visit the adjoining school to use the oval, visit their library as well as the prep classrooms during our school transition program
- We also utilize our families who may have something to contribute ie work based emergency services or sharing of culture
Videos
At Alchester Village Pre-school, we endeavour to create a nurturing, calm and stimulating environment that is welcoming and inclusive to all families. We invite you to view our videos and tours below, presented by Effie (4 year old group educator), who has worked in early childhood for over 35 years.
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Alchester Village Preschool acknowledges that we are on the traditional land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge their stories, traditions and living cultures and pay respect to all Elders, past and present.