Welcome back to Term 3 for 2021. We hope you all enjoyed the school holidays and the amazing weather we have had.
Term 3 kicks off with the opening of enrolments for the 2022 kindergarten year. To register, please go to ENROLMENTS.
Some kindergartens will be holding information sessions for new families and times/day will be advertised shortly.
To receive an offer in the first round, your child’s registration must be submitted by Sunday, 15 August. Please note, a registration does not guarantee your child a place in your kindergarten of choice, as Priority of Access guidelines apply.
If you have any questions about submitting an application, please contact the office on 5579 5920.
covid update
The Victorian Government has announced further easing of restrictions effective from 11.59pm Thursday 8 July 2021.
Below outlines relevant changes in relation to the latest announcements and reiterates the current settings for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services.
Drop off/pick up
Other Sites – For ECEC services in regional Victoria, density limits are now one person per two square metres in areas accessible to visitors. While inside the service, parents/carers must physically distance, with 1.5m between adults and we ask that you do not gather in groups.
Parents/carers must wear a mask at all times and use the QR code for checking in at both drop off and pick up times.
NHK – Parents/carers are asked to drop their child off at the door. Families will continue to be met at the entrance by a staff member and staff will sign children in and out of the service. Parents/carers must physically distance, with 1.5m between adults and we ask that you don’t gather outside a service.
Face masks
Face masks must still be worn indoors when at a service, including during child pick up and drop off. People aged 12 and over must wear a fitted face mask when in public indoor and outdoor spaces, unless there is a lawful reason not to. All visitors to ECEC services must wear face masks at all times.
ECEC staff are not required to wear face masks while educating or caring for children, but those who wish to do so, can. Staff must wear face masks in indoor areas of the service when not educating or caring for children.
QR code
The use of the Victorian Government’s Services Victoria QR Codes for electronic record keeping is mandatory at services. This is in order to enable the effective contact tracing of any COVID-19 cases. Any visitors to the service must ensure they sign in using the QR code on display.
Visitors to services, including service tours and events with families
Visitors are permitted on-site. Services must apply square metre rules (density limits) in areas accessible to visitors (such as reception and foyer areas, and children’s rooms if these are open to visitors) and ensure visitors comply with face mask and electronic record keeping requirements by checking-in using Service Victoria QR codes.
Service tours, orientation programs, open days and on-site events that involve families can continue, with adherence to density limits.
Exclusion of unwell children
Please keep your child home if they are displaying any of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills or sweats
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Shortness of breath
- Runny nose
- Loss of sense of smell or taste
If your child is displaying any of the symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), however mild, they should get tested. Seek advice from a healthcare professional who can advise on next steps. You can phone the coronavirus (COVID-19) hotline on 1800 675 398 for help and advice.
If a child has been tested for COVID-19 and returns a negative test, they are still to be excluded while symptoms are present.
IMPORTANT DATES
| 12 July | Beginning of Term 3 |
| 17 September | End of Term 3 |
Please note, most of our services will be having a child free Organisational Day at the beginning of the term. Your kindergarten will have advised the day the children will return to session.
2022 key enrolment dates
| Monday, 3 July 2023 | Enrolments open |
| Monday, 31 July 2023 | Enrolments close |
| Commencing 21 August | First round offers sent to families |
| By Friday 8 September | First round offers to be completed |
| 16 October onwards | Second round and subsequent 2024 kindergarten offers |
| 30 October 2023 | All 2024 kindergarten programs to be finalised |
NEW POLICES
The following policies have recently been updated.
- Acceptance and refusal of authorisations
- Tobacco, alcohol and other drugs
- Curriculum development
- Relaxation and sleep
A copy of these policies are available at your kindergarten or can be emailed on request by emailing [email protected].
The Kinder Tick helps Victorian families find a funded kindergarten program for their children.
When you see the Kinder Tick, you can be confident:
- the program will be led by a qualified teacher
- children will benefit from play-based learning
- the kindergarten program is funded and approved by the Victorian Government
- the program complies with government guidelines and the National Quality Framework.
This is the same in both long day care and sessional or “standalone” kindergarten services.
No matter where your child attends a kindergarten program, they’ll be learning through play with an early childhood teacher. Research shows that play-based learning is the best way to help young children learn, develop well and prepare to thrive at school.
how to model good screen practices for children
As a parent, how you use devices and what you do online shapes how your children relate to the online world.
As you pick up your phones, use social media or open your laptops to check your email, the children are watching and learning from you. What you do online and how you use devices provides a model that can help to lay the foundations for their online safety. So it’s important for you, as parents and carers, to be aware of setting a good example.
To read the full article, click here.