Karalee Kindergarten and Schoolie House

At Karalee Kindergarten and Schoolie House our Pre Kindy programs cater for children 2-4 years, where we welcome up to 22 children per day with 2 permanently employed Educators.

The service will be flexible with age groupings to meet the needs of our children, our families and the community.

Remaining flexible with age grouping allows for children of the same family to be together or children who are friends to remain together while settling.

Experiences

Within this age group our educators are planning activities that develop the integrations of two brain hemispheres, fine hand co-ordination, sense of direction, awareness of time and many other really important areas of development.

So often we hear parents say “When will they learn their colours, their numbers and letters” and although this is somewhat important they ARE NOT the markers for a child’s ongoing success and later learning. What we mean is a child may be able to recite the alphabet but unable to sit for a story or problem solve with peers.

Our service looks at children holistically across many areas of development some that cannot be seen nor measured nor sent home on a piece of paper but please note we are always thinking planning and evaluating all that we do.

In our Pre Kindy group we will be

• Running
• Playing ball
• Drawing
• Painting and some days it will be messy.
• Water play
• Listening to story / music
• Playdough and clay

Climbing……. parents look away if you have to….! But small risky play is vital and if we deny children of risk taking in Early Childhood they will take greater risks as adolescents and these risks will have far graver consequences. So please allow us to be at the top of the fort…

Our Kindergarten program at Karalee Kindergarten and Schoolie House is our Approved Kindergarten program led by our Early Childhood Teacher.

The room is licenced for 22 children with 1 Teacher and 1 Educator. This room is designated for children who will be 4 years old by the 30^th of June and then moving to Prep the following year.

Let’s get ready for Prep …….not really at Karalee Kindergarten and Schoolie House!! What??? What is being ready anyway? It will be so different for each child and each family. So often parents rely on markers such as knowing colours and letters as being school ready and that could not be further than the truth.

Prep teachers often tell us that if a child can look after their own belongings at school they will be eternally grateful…. But that doesn’t sound as glamorous at the end of the day does it…. “Oh...by the way your Billy put his pencil in the pencil holder today” said NO Teacher ever…..but at Karalee Kindergarten and Schoolie House those life skills are just as important as learning our colours.

Our Kindergarten program is based on the Queensland Curriculum Guidelines and a copy can be found at

www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/kindergarten/curriculum

Experiences

We look at children holistically and our programs are play centered – (hence our name) Block play, games, puzzles, arts and crafts, dress ups, dancing, stories and singing are just a few things your child will enjoy.

Fun environments ensure that children learn best. When children are pressured to rote learn, recite and spend long periods of being directed and lectured by adults learning actually becomes far more difficult. When it happens naturally driven by children interests it has greater meaning and therefore retained more easily.

Getting ready for Prep is:

• Using language to communicate ideas and feelings.
• Co-operating with peers without hitting /pushing and biting.
• Adjust to separating from their primary caregiver
• Working independently
• Expressing ideas and thoughts though the arts
• Developing language for problem solving i.e. Words like “lets negotiate”
• Mastering fine and gross motor skills – I cannot write if I don’t know where my body is in time and space.

Our Schoolies space has been specifically designed to respect the schoolies children when coming to Karalee Kindergarten and Schoolie House for before or after school care. With their own designated room, with large storage space the children can create their own space within our service and feel like they belong. We have 2 bus drivers and 2 bus supervisors who will run our buses to the local schools to transport the children safely.

In our Schoolies group we will be

• Support the children in the morning to be ready for school
• Assist with homework in the afternoons
• Offer age-appropriate activities that engage the children

Exploring our large outdoor space with a basketball, netball and handball courts, rock wall, monkey bars and swings.