Welcome to our first centre Newsletter for 2014! We are already into the thick of things and getting to know so many new families and children. Over January and February we have welcomed 18 new families and will see a couple more join our small community.

I enjoy and look forward to this part of the year very much, as we successfully embrace families into our fold, forming nurturing and lasting relationships! 2014, brings the introduction of a new concept into my "Centre vocabulary", I am entering into a relationship with each new family and I must invest time and energy into building trust and getting to know each and every one of you. There will be many spoken and many more unspoken rules established along our journey and in the centre of this, is your child, your family's most precious and prized member, entrusted to our community, may we uphold every aspect of responsibility with professional integrity and love! This is the journey of building a partnership.

This year, we have identified several goals for the Centre, and one that is of particular interest to all of you is to organise some shared learning opportunities for families and staff, starting with a training session with renowned Educator and trainer, Jo Lange. Jo will deliver a session to parents titled "Why won't they do as they're told?" (April 3rd.) Please look out for advertising regarding this session.

In addition, I would like to take the opportunity to invite everyone to our annual welcome event on February the 27th, here at the Centre.

Each new family will also have the opportunity to review and reflect on their orientation into the Centre around March, you will be able to do so via survey or face to face contact with myself or your child's room leaders.

Signing in and out

Parents must sign their child in and out of the Centre each day. This is a legal document used for government auditing and role-call purposes in the event of an emergency evacuation. If there is any variation to the normal pick-up and delivery arrangements please write them in the book. Change of daily contact numbers must also be noted.

If you will be delayed more than half an hour past your scheduled pick-up time please call the Centre as your child may become worried if you fail to arrive at your usual time.

Incident, Injury, trauma and illness

The staff will maintain a record of any accidents that occur at the Centre and will inform you if your child has hurt him/herself.

Medication/Illness book

If your child has been ill during their time at the Centre or is taking medication, this needs to be documented in the medication book. Parents must complete and sign the

medication administration book each day on arrival and departure or medication will not be administered.

CENTRE CLOSURE PERIODS:

Monash Caulfield Child Care follow Monash Holidays with regards to public holidays and some other closures:

Open:

Labour Day

Queen’s Birthday

Melbourne Cup

Closed:

Easter Tuesday

Professional development day (TBA at the start of each year via the Centre newsletter and notice boards).

All other public holidays as per Victorian closures.

The Centre closes for approximately 2 weeks during the Summer/Christmas period. Dates will be announced at the start of the year, Fees do not apply during this period.

Fees apply to all Victorian public holidays if it’s your child’s regular day. CCB and CCR is applicable to these days.

Doors are to be operated by adults only!

Kinder room children have made these signs for the front doors. They have been learning a little bit about safety. The children have been told that only adults are to press the buttons for the door but they can help by pushing or pulling the door open.

Please see the link below for more information from KidSafe Victoria

Child Care Benefit (CCB) and Child Care Rebate (CCR) are Commonwealth Government subsidies to help cover the cost of child care. A child must attend a child care service approved for CCb in order to be eligible for CCB or CCR.

To learn more about the types of Government payments available to assist with the cost of childcare and your responsibilities for receiving these payments, visit: http://mychild.gov.au/pages/ccbenefit.aspx

Babies Room Email: babies.room@monash.edu Ph: 9903 2305

Toddler Room Email: toddlers.room@monash.edu Ph: 9903 2307

Kinder Room Email: kinder.room@monash.edu Ph: 9903 2308

Email: caulfield.childcare@monash.edu
Website: http://monashcaulfieldchildcare.vpweb.com.au/
Location: 22-24 Derby Rd, Caulfield East, Victoria, Australia
Phone: (03)99032366

We are funded by the State Government to provide a kindergarten program within our Service. As a part of this, we have entered an Agreement with the Government to meet certain criteria:

• The education and care service or Victorian

Children’s Service from which the kindergarten

program is offered must be located in Victoria.

• If a service has been assessed by the Regulatory

Authority (the Department) against the National

Quality Standard, the service must have a rating

of ‘Working Towards National Quality Standard’

or higher.

• Service providers must have a business plan and

budgets showing ongoing financially viability.

• Service providers must demonstrate that the

service aligns with the Municipal Early Years Plan

where applicable.

• Service providers must offer a kindergarten

program delivered by a qualified early childhood

teacher, holding a qualification that appears on

the list of early childhood teaching qualifications

approved by ACECQA and published in accordance

with the National Regulations.

• Service providers must offer a kindergarten

program offering a minimum of 15 hours of

kindergarten per week for 40 weeks per year, or a

minimum of 600 hours per year, delivered by an

early childhood teacher.

• Services must have a minimum of 20 enrolments

unless they:

• are operated by an approved kindergarten

cluster manager or a school

• are operated as part of a long day care service

• are eligible for funding at the rural per capita rate

• Service providers must sign and comply with

a DEECD service agreement and operate in

accordance with the standards and guidelines

detailed in the agreement.

This year, Josephine, Guzel and Wadia will be initiating a new specialist role, Partnerships with families. The following is a contribution from them sharing how they feel they will develop this role:

Position Description/ Desired outcomes:

• Be viewed by families as valued extensions of the family support network
• Exchange information because you feel we need to know or we care; not just to keep us informed
• Raise the families' perceptions and views of us which will in turn enhance our value.
• Declare these outcomes to families regularly
• Increase opportunities for participation/ involvement in daily program

Ways to achieve/ Key strategies:

• Increased spontaneous communication in a variety of ways, phone, email, sms
• Build relationships with families across the Centre, not only in their own rooms, but also spending time in other rooms/ family grouping time
• Share desired outcomes via newsletters and verbal communication
• Plan and organize systems to invite and plan activities for families, e.g. booking sheet linked with program activities and interests for families to participate in.