What growing minds need
Canterbury and District Pre-School has a long-standing place of over 50 years in the Community.
We cater to our families and the community by offering both 3 and 4 year old programs.
We are a family centred practice that embraces input and participation from families. We create a warm, safe and stimulating environment catering to individual children and their family’s needs, interests, beliefs and cultural practises.
At Canterbury and District Pre-School we pride ourselves on:
- Reflective Practice: evaluating the effectiveness of the program
- Documenting children’s learning and making this available to families
- Collaboration with children, their families and the wider community
- Positive relationships with children: we recognise equality and respect each child’s uniqueness and individual difference
- We encourage each children’s Autonomy and independence
- Encouraging and challenging the children’s thinking and individual skills
- Providing ongoing Professional Development for all staff
.
A BIT ABOUT OUR FACILITIES
The Classroom
A collaborative and interactive learning space.
The pre-shool has one main teaching room with a kitchen and staffroom attached. Divided from the main room by a glass partition are the children’s locker room and bathrooms.
Environmental Sustainability
At Canterbury & District Pre-School, we are committed to creating positive environmental impact through our Sustainability Program.
The Sustainability Program offers practical & hands on opportunities to learn about the environment, the importance of sustainability and individual responsibility that our children will take with them for life.
We are proud to incorporate multiple initiatives to support this learning opportunity:
- Growing, tending and harvesting our own vegetables & herbs in a purpose-built veggie garden
- Monitoring the on-site rainwater tank
- Conscious recycling
- Feeding & monitoring our resident worms in the worm farm, & using our compost bin
- Engaging in nature play – utilising the wonder of our trees & gardens to promote learning & discovery
Playground and Outdoor Space
What growing minds need.
Outside, the kindergarten has several outdoor play spaces, including a “soft fall” area with climbing frames plus a large sandpit. In 2020 we welcomed our newest space, our mud kitchen! The newly completed mud kitchen provides all children with a wonderful sensory outlet that
encourages active engagement, where they can freely express themselves as they joyfully utilise a natural resource.
Canterbury and District Pre-shool is situated adjoining the Canterbury Sports Ground, a recently renovated playground, in a green and leafy street in Surrey Hills.
Our Commitments
To provide a safe, supportive and nurturing environment where children develop physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively.
We are committed to encouraging children to develop a strong sense of identity, to be connected with and contribute to their world, to have a strong sense of wellbeing, to be confident and involved learners and to be effective communicators.
Key goals include:
- Provide a sense of belonging
- Create fun, nurturing, inviting and safe learning environments
- To respect all children, their individuality, families, cultures and beliefs
- To provide open-ended experiences to promote self directed learning as individuals, and also in small and large groups
- To promote awareness of the environment, both natural and man made
Our Beliefs
Canterbury and District Preschool supports the Victorian Early Years Learning and development Framework. (VEYLDF)
We provide a play based educational program that incorporates both developmentally and age appropriate practises and intentional teaching. It is child initiated and aims to meet every child’s needs, strengths and interests.
We value the needs of “the whole” child, incorporating their learning through the following areas: Identity, Wellbeing, Learning, Communication and Community. Children belong first to a family, a cultural group, a neighbourhood and a wider Community. We recognise families as the child’s first educators, and work collaboratively with families to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with open communication and trust.
We create a welcoming and culturally inclusive environment where all families are encouraged to participate in and contribute to children’s learning and development experiences. **
FUNDING
Canterbury & District Pre-School Is A Non-Profit Organisation, and relies on volunteer parental involvement to keep the kinder running smoothly! Since we opened over 50 years ago, we are still run and operated by the families who attend our kinder each year.
Our kindergarten has opted into Free Kinder and relies on funding from the Victorian Government, alongside the voluntary contributions from families attending our programs, to ensure we offer the best quality kinder experience for your child.
ADDRESS
Canterbury & District Pre-School
26 Guildford Road
Surrey Hills | VIC | 3127
Melway Reference: 46 F10
GET IN TOUCH
P: +61 3 8840 7949
E:committee@canterburykinder.org.au
W: https://canterburykinder.org.au
REGISTRATION
Reg.No. A00059025