At Mountain Preschool, we believe that early childhood is a significant time of life and is the foundation for all future learning and development. We believe in the child’s right to a fun, safe, secure and responsive environment. We place great value on building respectful, reciprocal and caring relationships with the children and between the children. We work to support children in our education and care Service towards our vison of belonging, being and becoming, the values underpinning The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF).
We uphold and apply the EYLF Learning Outcomes, Practices and Principles to children’s learning. We believe each child has the right: to a childhood; to belong to family, culture, community and have a strong sense of identity and relationships; to understand their own strengths and potential; to be happy and in the moment of everyday life; to connect with and contribute to their world; to have a strong sense of wellbeing; to be confident and involved learners, to be critical and creative thinkers and effective communicators; to become active within their society through growth, change and lifelong learning. We believe that this will most likely happen in an inclusive, diverse and equitable, indoor and outdoor play-based environment where bias is challenged, children feel safe and are healthy, they know their families are welcomed and valued and they know that their rights, ideas and interests are respected and implemented, the basis of an emergent curriculum program.
We believe children are capable and competent and are productive members of their community. We trust in their capacity to give and learn, make choices and decisions. We believe that both natural and manmade, flexible, holistic and engaging environments, resources and approaches will support learning, development and transitions. We see the value in embedding environmental responsibility and sustainable living practices; cultural, community and Local Indigenous connections; Code of Ethics; language; literacy; numeracy; art; science; physical; spiritual; emotional; social; diverse; and real-world learning activities into the children’s daily routines to enhance learning and development.
We recognise the family as their child’s first teacher. We believe in the family’s critical role and powerful influence on children’s learning and development. We are committed to valuing, supporting, informing and advocating for families and in operating in partnership with them, gaining their valuable input to the children’s program.
We aim to maintain continuity of core educators who are appropriately qualified and experienced, to assess children’s learning and fulfil and uphold the goals, aims, law and legislation surrounding the Preschool Community. Fundamental to educators’ work is being responsive to children; upholding high expectations and equity; being flexible; supporting spontaneity; ensuring ongoing learning and reflective practice; working as a team; and applying Intentional Teaching Strategies (ITS) during their interactions amongst children’s play. This will assist and challenge children’s learning and development, scaffold their new understandings and enable the planning of stimulating, educational, adventurous, risk taking and also relaxing environments, collaboratively. Furthermore, in upholding ecological systems and sociocultural perspectives, children will learn through reciprocal interactions within their environments and interactions with people.
Through distributed leadership and shared responsibilities, Mountain Preschool’s Children, Families, Community, Staff and Management Committee work together to know the way, go the way and lead a high-quality learning community.
Reviewed December 2024
Vision
Our Vision is that Mountain Preschoolers
; form a strong sense of belonging and identity
; are being happy, connected, well, inspired, collaborative explorers and communicators within their world
; are becoming connected to the land, active citizens and learners for life.
Objects
Purpose
Our Purpose is to turn our vision and objects into reality.
This is achieved by embedding our Philosophy into practice and embracing children’s culture, recognising their prior knowledge and extending on their individual interests, enabling learning and development in a safe, supportive and stimulating environment. It requires all Mountain Preschool Stakeholders knowing the way, going the way and leading a High Quality Community Managed Preschool.
