Our Program

At Mowbray Place Early Learning Centre we aim to provide a stimulating and nurturing environment. The program is based on the emergent curriculum. The emergent curriculum focuses on interest-based learning or the interests of a child or a group of children.

Our staff will observe children’s play and listen carefully to children’s questions so they may support emergent projects and creations that come directly from the children instead of the staff. When teachers observe an “emerging” interest, they use this information to begin planning relevant experiences to assist the children to explore their ideas.
Children themselves are encouraged to follow their interests, speculate, experiment and express their own opinions and form their own theories and ideas about the world around them.

The Emergent curriculum philosophy is based on the principles that children must be able to learn through experiences of touching, moving, listening, seeing, and hearing and must have endless ways and opportunities to express themselves.

The program incorporates:

• Outdoor program
• Indoor program
• Self-confidence and self-esteem
• Music and movement
• Dramatic play, role playing and creative arts
• Problem solving and turn taking skills
• Learning centres
• Computers and technology

Each child has their own portfolio that is maintained by their focus teacher. The portfolio contains documentation, photographs and works samples and is able to be viewed by families at any time. At the end of the year each child will receive their portfolio as a memento of their time with us.

School Readiness Program

Preparing children for primary school is an ongoing process. Mowbray Place Early Learning Centre provides children with many opportunities to enhance their skills in all areas of development and promote their school readiness skills.

As part of our Preschool Program children learn and develop pre-reading, pre-writing, pre-math and science skills as well as develop positive self-esteem, self-reliance and social skills. Our extensive program is structured around different focus activities each week which are explored through a variety of educational experiences. Our staff begin to speak positively to children about going school and help children develop optimistic attitudes towards the transition.

Meals

Mowbray Place Early Learning Centre has a strong commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of children in our care.

All meals, including morning & afternoon teas and a hot lunch are provided daily. All of our meals are prepared and cooked on the premises by a trained cook. Our menu provides a wide range of suitable foods including recommended amounts from the five food groups. All Food Safety regulations are strictly followed. We pay particular attention to the dietary needs of individual children and age groups.

Meal times are treated as social occasions to support positive, healthy attitudes and enjoyment of food and to reflect the cultural backgrounds of children & their families, the staff and the community.