WELCOME
CPSG would like to welcome your family to the CPSG community and we look forward to getting to know you in this exciting and important stage of your child’s learning journey.
Families play an important role in their child’s kindergarten and we encourage family involvement. Families can become involved by assisting in the daily program, sharing their skills, providing feedback on the program, participating in fundraising or joining the Parent Advisory Group of the kindergarten your child attends.
Preparing for kinder
- A named kindergarten bag large enough for your child to take their work home.
- A named broad brimmed or legionnaires sun hat which is required for outdoor play (please refer to the CPSG Sun Protection Policy).
- A complete set of spare clothes, clearly labelled with your child’s name (to be kept in your child’s bag).
- Your child’s healthy snacks, lunch and a water bottle (see Food at kindergarten below). Children will have plenty of opportunity to refill their water bottle throughout the day.
- A warm coat/hat for outdoor play during Terms 2 and 3.
- Individually named sunscreen if your child has a sensitivity. Please note, this should be handed to an educator, not stored in the child’s bag
At kinder we are aiming for the best-case scenario in terms of food and drink. Kindergarten is an excellent place for children to learn, with their peers about nutrition and reinforce healthy eating habits that will support their wellbeing and ability to learn.
Each kinder will have a different routine regarding meal and snack times, however, here is a general guideline of what to bring:
Fruit time/Morning snack: One or two pieces of fresh fruit or vegetables e.g., carrot/celery sticks etc.
Lunch: Sandwich/wrap/roll/rice cakes with healthy filling, dry biscuits, cheese, yoghurt, more fruit/vegies
Afternoon tea: (If applicable for your kinder): Fruit, dry bikkies, vegies and dip, cheese, yoghurt. dried fruit etc.
Please no chocolates, chips or lollies as we aim to establish good nutritional habits.
If you are worried your child may be hungry, packing an extra sandwich is a simple and filling solution.
Children’s food should be placed in in insulated lunchbox. Please label your child’s snack and lunch boxes with their name and pack a cool pack in the lunchbox if food requires refrigeration.
Foods to avoid:
We prefer that children do not bring “sometimes” food to kindergarten. These are foods and drinks that are high in fat, sugar and salt, and contain minimal vitamins, minerals or fibres. Examples of sometimes foods are:
- Nutella/chocolate spread or hundred and thousand sandwiches
- Sweet biscuits, cakes, slices
- Chocolate or lollies of any kind
- Fruit roll-ups and chews
- Lollies
- Muesli bars with chocolate/ yoghurt that are high is sugar-e.g., LCM’s etc
- Juice or soft drink
- Packets of chips
- Flavoured sweet popcorn
Any other “sometimes” food.
Water:
Children have access to water throughout the session whether it is from a water container with cups provided by the kindergarten, or their own drink bottle.
Water is the only drink to be provided in drink bottles.
Please ensure your child’s drink bottle is filled, clearly named and is one they can open and close independently.
Please send your child to kindergarten in clothes that will allow freedom of movement, are comfortable, are easy for your child to manage on his/her own, and that can stand up to a fair bit of dirt and grime.
Summer: Sun smart clothing must be worn by children and staff when outside. Cool, loose fitting clothing that covers as much skin as possible is recommended. Please choose tops with elbow-length sleeves, higher necklines (or collars) and knee-length or longer style shorts and skirts for your child when possible. If a child is wearing a singlet top or shoestring dress, they will be asked to choose a t-shirt/shirt to wear over this before going outdoors.
Winter: Provide a coat, gumboots and hat to keep the children warm so they can enjoy outside play during the colder months but please also send along a pair of safe shoes for inside.
Children must attend kindergarten in safe footwear at all times – no thongs or open toed shoes please.
Please also provide a labelled change of clothes (in a plastic bag) for those unexpected accidents and messy play.
Some of our kindergartens offer uniforms for purchase. Please see individual services for information on this.
By regulations, parents are required to sign their children in and out of each session which is done electronically via our EnrolNow Sign In/Sign Out (SISO) system.
Only nominated persons may collect children from the kindergarten (see CPSG’s Acceptance and Refusal of Authorisation Policy). If you need to change or update your child’s list of nominated persons for collection, please contact Maddy Saunders, our Enrolment Officer on 5579 5920.
Children should not arrive before the designated time, as this is important preparation time for staff. The same applies to collection at the end of the session. We ask that you please be prompt and ring if you are held up. Continued late pick up may incur a fee.
When your child first starts kindergarten, separation anxiety can sometimes be an issue. Here are some tips which may help smooth the transition:
- Our Educators are experts at helping children to settle into the new environment and committed to supporting this transition, please ask for help if you need it.
- The more positive you are about the process, the more positive your child will be.
- It is important to develop a plan and be consistent if your child is having trouble separating.
- Your child needs to learn that you will go, but then you will come back, so saying goodbye when you leave is really important (even if it is hard). Please don’t be tempted to sneak off if they are busy as this often makes separation harder next time.
- It helps to develop a routine, e.g. “I will come in and read one book with you then we will wave goodbye at the door”, etc.
- Please talk to your child’s teacher if you would like support to establish a positive goodbye routine.
Health, Safety & wellbeing
The Victorian Government introduced No Jab, No Play legislation into Parliament, which came into effect from 1 January 2016.
All parents must supply at the time of enrolment:
- A current Immunisation History Statement showing their child’s vaccinations are up-to-date for their age according to the immunisation schedule (or lists which vaccines they have a medical contraindication to), OR
- A completed Medicare Immunisation History Form IMMU13as evidence their child is on a vaccination catch-up schedule.
Medication (including prescription, non-prescription, over-the-counter and homeopathic medications) must not be administered to a child at a service without the prior authorisation of a parent/guardian.
Medications must be in date, labelled with the child’s full name and have a prescription label if it is a prescription medication. Medication must not be left in children’s bags and should be handed to staff on arrival. Staff are unable to administer a medication that your child is having for the first time, e.g., the first dose of an antibiotic they have never had before, in case of allergic reaction.
The administration of medication at our services will be guided by CPSG’s Administration of Medication policy. Staff will be able to guide you on the procedures required for the administration of medication if it is required by your child while in attendance.
Asthma & Anaphylaxis
All kindergartens are Asthma accredited and our staff all hold current Asthma First Aid and Anaphylaxis First Aid training. If you have a child with asthma or who is at risk of anaphylaxis, the appropriate plans and procedures, according to the relevant CPSG policies, must be put in place before they can start kindergarten. Please talk to your child’s teacher on enrolment. If your child develops Asthma or Anaphylaxis throughout the year, you must inform service staff immediately so that appropriate procedures can be put in place.
EpiPen
After conducting a thorough risk assessment CPSG has determined that our service will maintain a supply of an auto adrenaline injector in the form of EpiPen Jr®.
Staff have been trained to recognise and respond to signs of Anaphylaxis, a potentially life threatening severe allergic reaction that should always be treated as an emergency. By law there must always be one staff member with up to date Anaphylaxis training on site when children are in attendance.
Strict protocols are followed regarding storage, maintenance, disposal and use of the device as outlined by the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy ASCIA and the CPSG Anaphylaxis policy.
Specific circumstances under which the auto adrenaline injector device (jnr EpiPen/epipen) supplied by the service will be used:
- An individual who is known to be at risk of anaphylaxis does not have their own device immediately accessible or the device is out of date.
- A second dose of adrenaline is required before an ambulance has arrived.
- An individual’s device has misfired or accidentally been discharged.
- A previously diagnosed individual with mild allergy who was not prescribed an adrenaline autoinjector has their first episode of anaphylaxis.
- An undiagnosed individual is having their first episode of anaphylaxis , and was not previously known to be at risk (e.g. a child having their first reaction at the service. This is dependent on (a) local policies that allow administration under those circumstances, and (b) education of caregivers about the recognition of anaphylaxis and training in adrenaline autoinjector administration.)
- If under instruction from 000
The safety of children and their families when arriving and departing at services is extremely important, therefore CPSG has implemented the Delivery and Collection of Children policy. This policy guides staff in procedures around these times at kindergarten. Please assist with this by not letting any other child than your own in or out of gates. Your service will notify you around more specific measures around parking, etc.
The CPSG Road Safety Education and Safe Road Transport policy aims to promote safe travel for children as pedestrians, cyclists or passengers in a vehicle and providing them with the opportunity to participate in road safety education to assist them in being and becoming safe and responsible road users.
Children under seven years of age must be restrained in an approved child restraint or approved booster seat appropriately when travelling in a motor vehicle.
No child should be left alone in a car even for a short period of time such as drop off or pick up at kindergarten.
If you are unable to leave your car to drop off or collect your child, please call your service and they will be able to assist you at the time.
If your child is unwell or injured at kindergarten, the staff will administer the appropriate first aid/care and contact parents/guardians if required. Children must be collected from the service as soon as possible if they are unwell or require medical care.
Please do not send sick or unwell children to kindergarten (colds, conjunctivitis and skin infections included).
If your child has an infectious disease, please phone the kindergarten so that the teacher can notify other parents. Please see CPSG’s Dealing with Infectious Diseases policy, for further information.
If you are unsure if your child may be infectious, please speak to your kindergarten teacher before your child returns to the service.
The Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2019 contains several statutory obligations relating to primary schools and children’s services exclusions for infectious diseases. Please refer to the exclusion table to see when children recovering from particular illnesses are able to return to kinder.
Headlice
Head lice is a common problem and is easily treated. If your child has had head lice, please let the staff know as soon as possible and speak to your Pharmacist regarding recommended treatment methods.
Children with head lice cannot return to the service until they have been treated with a recommended product. It is important that this treatment is then repeated six days later.
Staff will check children’s hair, when possible, if they are itching or if head lice has been present in the group.
Families will also be notified should a case of head lice be known.
All CPSG kindergartens are SunSmart members and adhere to a Sun Protection Policy.
This Sun Protection policy applies whenever the sun’s UV levels reach three or higher, the daily sun protection times. Local sun protection times and weather details are checked by staff on the SunSmart website daily and recorded on our Daily Inspection Safety Checklist. Whenever this occurs a combination of sun protection measures are implemented for all outdoor activities.
- Hats: Children, staff and visitors must wear a wide-brimmed, legionnaire or bucket hat. Peak caps and visors do not offer enough UV protection. Hats that can be adjusted at the crown or can be tied at the front to help secure it on a child’s head are best. If the hat is secured with a long strap and toggle, ensure it has a safety snap, place the strap at the back of their head or trim the length so it doesn’t become a choking hazard. Please help your child remember to bring and wear their approved sun hat.
- Sunscreen: SPF 30 (or higher) broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen will be applied, ideally 20 minutes before going outside. Sunscreen will be reapplied every two hours, even when labelled 4 hours water resistance. If your child is sensitive to the sunscreen provided by the kindergarten, please provide an alternative labelled sunscreen to keep at kinder. We also ask that you apply sunscreen to your child before arriving at the service in the morning. Children will be encouraged to apply their own sunscreen throughout the session with the assistance and supervision of an educator, so children can start to learn independent skills.
- Sun smart clothing must be worn by children and staff when outside. Cool, loose-fitting clothing that covers as much skin as possible is recommended (e.g., elbow length tops with a higher neckline or collar and longer style shorts or skirts). If a child is wearing a singlet top or shoestring dress, they will be asked to choose a t-shirt/shirt to wear over this before going outdoors.
- Shade: Children will be encouraged to choose and use available areas of shade when outside.
Please note, NO HAT NO PLAY.
Excursions and service events, including incursions (special visitors to the service) are sometimes planned to extend the educational program, further develop the current interests of children, and build connections within the local and wider community. Participating in their local communities strengthens children’s sense of identity and wellbeing.
Written permission will be sought from parents/guardians for children to attend each excursion
All excursions will comply with the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011.
The CPSG Excursion Policy details the key regulations and permission required from parent/guardians.
Excursions often need parent/guardian volunteers to assist staff with the high level of safety and supervision required. We would greatly appreciate your help on these days. Please note, younger siblings should not attend these events as they are designed specifically for the kindergarten group.
Routine Excursions
These are outings that occur to the same experience several times throughout the year. They may include regular visits to the local school, walks in the local area or Bush Kinder at Dunkeld Kindergarten. Families give permission for these outings at enrolment time prior to your child commencing.
A Privacy and Confidentially policy has been developed for all our kindergartens and as a result, permission must be given by either the parent or guardian before cameras or videos are used. If you have any concerns in this regard, please discuss this with your kindergarten teacher.
Photographs and videos are classified as ‘personal information’ under the Information Privacy Act 2000. Photos and videos of children are only to be taken by authorised staff during education and care sessions. No images are to be taken by families, friends or visitors to the service during the program.
Photographs and videos of your child are taken with your permission if you provide authority on your child’s enrolment record to record your child’s learning and development.
A special time can be set-aside during the kindergarten session to celebrate a birthday. Please talk to the teacher regarding specific service procedures if you would like your child to celebrate his/her birthday at kindergarten.
If you would like to share a special family or cultural celebration with the kinder, please also talk to your child’s teacher.
Rural kindergarten children, who have turned four years of age, may be able to travel to and/or from kindergarten on the local school bus, but only if space permits, they are able to travel independently and the service is able to safely support this.
Please consult with your kindergarten teacher if you are wanting your child to access the School Bus Program. Bus travel for kindergarten children must be approved by the Principal in charge at the school and there are a number of procedures which must be followed as part of this program.
With written authorisation from parents/guardians, Kindergarten Staff are able to collect children from the bus stop and sign them into the service or sign them out of the service and deliver them to the bus. CPSG has a School Bus Travel Policy which outlines the responsibilities of parent/guardians and service staff.
School Transition
Transitioning your child into Primary School is a big milestone. Below is some information to ensure that you can start preparing and know what to expect.
Being ready for school is very much an individual thing. It does not occur at the same age and time for all children. As we cannot force children to learn, we must be sure they are ready and motivated to tackle it themselves. Your child’s teacher will have an excellent understanding of how they manage in a group educational setting and of their overall development and will discuss any issues around school readiness with you in the first ½ of the year.
If you have any doubts or concerns yourself about your child being ready for school please discuss this with your teacher as early in the year as possible. We would like your child’s transition to school start in the education process to be a happy and confident one.
In Term 4, teachers will prepare a transition statement for those children transitioning to school. You will be asked to complete the family section.
The Transition Learning and Development Statement (‘the Statement’) supports the consistent transfer of information, irrespective of the school a child is going to. It provides an opportunity for children, their families, and the professionals working with them to contribute and have their views reflected in it.
The information in the Statement summarises the strengths of a child’s learning and development as they enter school, identifies their individual approaches to learning and interests, and indicates how the child can be supported to continue learning.
The statement provides information to families about children’s learning and development in an early childhood setting.
The information in the Statement helps Foundation teachers to get to know the children entering their classes before they start; and to plan for each child’s learning and development when they start school.
Important Information
All Kindergartens are rated against the National Quality Framework.
The National Quality Standard was informed by research about best practice and the way in which high quality education and care contributes to positive outcomes for children. It comprises quality areas, standards and elements.
The seven quality areas in the National Quality Standard are:
- Educational program and practice
- Children’s health and safety
- Physical environment
- Staffing arrangements
- Relationships with children
- Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
- Leadership and service management.
The National Quality Standard contains 18 standards with two or three standards in each quality area. Under these standards sit 58 elements that describe the outcomes that contribute to the standards being achieved.
Each kindergarten will have an ongoing Quality Improvement Plan written in consultation with the parents and staff and this will be used as part of the Assessment by the Department.
The Department of Education and Training (DET) carry out assessment and ratings of kindergartens against the Standards. These outcomes are displayed at the kindergarten and published at www.mychild.gov.au or www.acecqa.gov.au.
The Education and Care Services National Regulations (National Regulations) support the National Law by providing detail on a range of operational requirements for an education and care service such as CPSG.
The National Law and National Regulations outline the legal obligations of approved providers, nominated supervisors, and educators and outline the powers and functions of the state and territory regulatory authorities and ACECQA.
This CPSG Code of Conduct policy provides guidelines to enable CPSG to:
- Establish the expected standards of behaviour for the Approved Provider, Nominated Supervisor, staff, contractors, volunteers, students on placement, parents/guardians and visitors
- Create and maintain a child safe environment that reflects the philosophy, beliefs, objectives and values of Combined Preschools of Southern Grampians
- Promote desirable and appropriate behaviour; and
- Promote interactions at the service which are respectful, honest, courteous, sensitive, tactful and considerate.
All parties accessing our services are expected to comply with this Code in relation to their interactions with one another at all times.
Combined Preschools of Southern Grampians is committed to:
- Responsible and secure collection and handling of personal information
- Protecting the privacy of each individual’s personal information
- Ensuring individuals are fully informed regarding the collection, storage, use, disclosure and disposal of their personal information, and their access to that information.
The CPSG Privacy and Confidentiality Policy outlines the requirements for ensuring privacy and confidentiality are maintained around governance matters and information of educators, children and families.
Early childhood is a vital time for learning, and kindergarten is the first step in your child’s formal education journey.
Our educational programs are guided by the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF), the National Quality Standards and current best practice in Early Childhood Education.
We recognise that play is essential for children’s learning and aim to provide a rich and stimulating learning environment and a mix of child-led experiences and intentional teaching. Through play and other opportunities children learn to make sense of and construct ideas about the social and natural world – the people, places, objects and experiences they encounter every day.
This VEYLDF has 5 learning outcomes, which are listed below;
- Children have a strong sense of identity
- Children are connected with and contribute to their world
- Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
- Children are confident and involved learners
- Children are effective communicators
Children’s strengths, culture, experiences, and interests are used as the basis for further learning.
Educators continually observe and assess children’s knowledge, understandings, skills and capabilities, to plan experiences and teaching strategies to promote new learning and development.
The program is constantly evolving. Current group goals and planned experiences are on display at your kindergarten, however, are extended and adapted each session. Our programs and environments are flexible to make the most of spontaneous learning opportunities and build on children’s interests, interactions and play.
Your child’s current learning goals and progress in relation to the five Learning Outcomes can be discussed with your Early Childhood Teacher at any time. Please make an appointment.
Children have a very busy day at kindergarten and are engaged and involved in a wide range of learning experiences. Because we focus on the process and experience rather than a product, your child may not have something physical (like a painting) to bring home. Asking the right questions e.g., ” what did you do outside today?” or “what books did you read, songs did you sing?” or even “what did you play with?”, etc., may prompt your child to share some of their important learning.
It is also important to remember that often children are playing alongside others, rather than with them, particularly younger children, and depending on their individual stage of development.
Educators will work to make children’s learning visible to families, however, if you have any questions about how children learn through play please ask.
Play is children’s work.
All children are supported to fully engage in our programs. Our learning environments, staff and interactions are carefully planned and adapted to be accessible, relevant, and inclusive for all.
We actively teach children to develop inclusive practices and enjoy rich and successful relationships with others.
Government funding may be sought to support children with additional needs through the employment of extra staff. This increases the staff to child ratio to support and enhance the participation of all children.
Inclusive environment for all
Kindergartens that have Koorie children enrolled will be supported by a Koorie Preschool Assistant (KPSA). Our KPSA, Tash Nepean, works out of Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation and will work with services to enhance the access and participation of Koorie children in kindergarten programs; promote and assist in the delivery of kindergarten programs that are inclusive of Koorie children; support the attendance of Koorie children who are enrolled in kindergarten programs; and encourage the involvement and participation of Koorie parents, families and carers in the development of kindergarten programs.
Family involvement
We value the special relationship between you and your child – your home is your child’s first learning environment. Research has shown that children are happiest, participate more, and learn most effectively, when parents take an active interest in their child’s learning.
Your contribution to the program is gratefully accepted, appreciated, and encouraged. By assisting, you have the opportunity to observe your child in a group setting and to gain greater insight into the kindergarten program. Your child will enjoy your company and sharing their special kinder experience with you. Additional assistance enables the staff to work more closely with individual children and small groups to offer a richer variety of experiences to all.
A policy manual is available at each service for parents to view or you can request a policy be emailed from the CPSG website www.cpsg.org.au. Policies are updated in line with the Education and Care Services Regulations and National Law.
Each Kindergarten is encouraged to have a Parent Advisory Group (PAG) that works in close partnership with the educators of each service, and the CPSG Executive team, to optimise the kindergarten program. We believe that the establishment of a PAG is an essential component of a high-quality early childhood service. The PAG represents the families and users of the kindergarten. They are not legal entities and as such, all activities of the PAG must be reported to CPSG and comply with CPSG policies and procedures.
Educa is a secure web-based communication tool specifically designed for early childhood education services and families. This will become the main form of communication between your child’s kindergarten and you.
Through Educa, your child’s educators can share photos, videos, stories and reflections. You will be able to read and respond to posts, upload your own photos, and stay updated on kindergarten specific announcements.
You will receive an activation link to the email provided in your child’s enrolment form when permission for Educa to be used for your child was granted. Please note this link won’t be sent until a few weeks into term 1. If you have any issues with activation or your link, please email [email protected]
For further information about Educa, visit www.geteduca.com. For technical inquiries, you can contact Educa support team at [email protected]
Educa guidelines
To ensure the use of Educa is a positive experience for both families and educators, please read the below guidelines so you are aware of appropriate use and expectations:
- Educators will not be posting an item on your child’s Educa portfolio every day. Sometimes they will post more often than others. However, posts will be flexible and at staff’s availability. An educator’s main focus is engaging and interacting with the children, not posting items for families.
- Educa will not be monitored before or during session times. If you need to communicate that your child will be absent or a more urgent matter, please text or call your service.
- Offensive language or behaviour WILL NOT be tolerated. Members may be removed and banned from the platform if this behaviour does occur.
- We would appreciate family’s comments and feedback. Afterall, Educa’s purpose is to engage and connect with families. However, please ensure these comments are positive and of a kind nature. If you have any concerns about any items on Educa, or matters relating to your child’s time at kindergarten, please contact the staff directly at the service.
- Only parents will be able to use Educa, not extended family members. We remind you to please respect the privacy of children on the app and ensure you are not sharing photos placed on Educa, especially on social media platforms.
Regular, clear and consistent communication is essential for building a strong partnership between parents and educators to support your child on their kindergarten journey.
Please do not hesitate to speak to the kindergarten teacher if anything is worrying you or your child, no matter how big or small. If you feel something has happened at home that may affect your child’s behaviour (e.g., death or absence), please let your educators know at the start of the day. Kindergartens will communicate with you in a variety of ways:
- Social media apps (such as private Facebook or Messenger groups, WhatsApp)
- Newsletters
- Discussions
- Kindergarten noticeboards
- Parent information evenings
As you can appreciate, the beginning and end of the sessions are busy times for children, parents and staff, but staff do like to make themselves available for a chat if they can. If you would like more of a chat with the teacher before or after the session, please ask.
We recognise family as the most influential factor in a child’s life and aim to work in partnership with you for the best interests of your child. If you would like to know more about the kindergarten program or discuss any aspect of your child’s development or participation, please speak to your teacher so they can arrange a time to get together.
Complaints & Feedback
If you have a concern or complaint about any aspect of the care, the program or facilities at your kindergarten, please make a time to speak to the early childhood teacher.
If you are still concerned after speaking to the teacher, or you do not feel comfortable discussing the concern with the teacher, please contact the Executive Officer at CPSG on (03) 5579 5920. The Executive Officer’s role is to resolve any issues that may arise. If the issue is serious, where it may affect the health and safety of the children at a kindergarten, CPSG is required to inform the Department of Education and Training. This includes where this is a contravention of the Education and Care Services National Regulations.
Formal complaints are also shared with the CPSG Board of Management to ensure they have been addressed and dealt with in a prompt confidential manner.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
South Western Victorian Region
75 High Street
GEELONG VIC 3220
Tel: (03) 5215 5136
Email: [email protected]
As part of our licensing agreement, CPSG will send out a user survey each year. We request that all parents complete these. We use an online survey tool, with hard copies also available.
The surveys are an important method of identifying quality aspects of our services, acknowledge individual and group contributions, improve communication, strengthen involvement, and identifying areas for improvement.
You will also receive an annual survey from DET (generally during Term 3), with results compared with services across the State.