Welcome
St Catherine’s School
Early Learning Centre
2024
We look forward to sharing the journey with you and your children.
Acknowledgement of Country
The Transition to Four-Year-Old ELC…
New beginnings
Change is an important part of life; children develop resilience.
Different learning environments with new challenges and learning opportunities are important.
Relationships
New relationships with peers and educators.
Educators develop close relationship with children and families – important that families continue to share information with educators.
Malaguzzi (1993) asserts that “our image of the child is rich in potential, strong, powerful, competent and most of all, connected to adults and other children”.
Educational Program
• Projects
• Inquiry and Research
• Independent Learners
• Extending upon foundation skills, learning new skills and exploring materials
• Literacy and Numeracy
• STEM
Emergent Literacy Concepts
• Oral – listening and speaking.
• Visual – viewing and presenting.
• Written – reading and writing.
Emergent Mathematical Concepts
• Space and shape
• Pattern and function
• Data handling
• Measurement
• Number
STEM –
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
• Work cooperatively
• Think creatively
• Solve problems
• Explore and take risks
• Hypothesise, experiment, test
• Discovery
• Coding
Specialist Classes
French
Library
Perceptual Motor Program and Physical Education
Music
French
• Incorporating play based as well as formal intentional teaching time.
• Singing songs and reading stories.
• Concepts such as body parts, colours, numbers and social greetings.
Four Clover Leaf Program
• Fostering relationships between Year 4 students and ELC children.
• Supporting the children to develop stronger connection with the wider community of St Catherine’s School.
• Extending upon skills such as language skills, problem solving and creativity.
Opportunities for collaboration
• Opportunities for collaboration relevant to the children’s interests, learning, areas of inquiry or projects occur between classes in the ELC.
• The Banksia Room and Wattle Room children spend time together both indoors and outdoors.
Excursions and Incursions
• Relevant to the children’s interests, learning, areas of inquiry, or projects.
• Specific to your child’s classroom program.
• Opportunities for incursions and excursions.
Relaxation / Siesta
• Important for children’s wellbeing
• Various opportunities for children to rest and relax
• Flexible according to the children’s needs
• Incorporates – quiet reading, shared reading, guided meditation, yoga, visualisation
• Mindfulness
• Children having agency and right to express their own need for rest and relaxation
• Building the children's stamina and transition towards Prep at the end of the year
Things To Organise …
• School bag
• Library bag
• Art Smock
• Morning Tea box – lightweight with handle
• Lunch box – lightweight with handle
• Drink Bottle – clear
• Small blanket and pillow, soft toy.
• Spare clothes
• Please name everything!
• Sun hats are provided by the ELC
• Medication for Anaphylaxis/Allergy/Asthma and Management Plan
St Catherine’s ELC Uniform
• Detailed information in regard to the ELC uniform will be emailed to you.
• Uniform items can be purchased from Bob Stewart store in Waverley Road Malvern East.
• Children need to wear appropriate footwear such as runners with elastic or Velcro.
• Sun hats are provided by the ELC.
Orientation Morning
Half-Group orientation sessions will be held on Wednesday 13 November Commencing at 1.30pm and 2.30pm (45-minute sessions)
Please refer to your e-mail regarding class placement for the specific orientation time
Orientation Program
Small Group Orientation and Information Sessions –
Friday 31 January
Small groups sessions where children play in the classroom and get to know one another, while the educators and parents meet for an information session. There is an opportunity to ask questions and have one-on-one discussions.
Monday 3 February to Friday 7 February
8.45am to 12.00noon
Children bring morning tea
Monday 10 February onwards
8.45am to 3.00pm
Children to bring both morning tea and lunch
Tips for a Positive Transition
• Prepare your child for the transition however avoid over-talking things.
• Answer your child’s questions positively and honestly.
• Role model positivity and be reassuring in your communication.
• Talk to your child ahead of time about what is coming up, such as the orientation session, where will they go, how long they will stay for, what they will do.
• Practice practical things over school holidays and encourage independence –packing and unpacking bags, putting shoes and socks on and off, getting dressed.
• Get children involved in organising and preparing for each day at the ELC, such as getting their uniform organised, packing bags, preparing lunch box. Having a visual schedule of specialist classes so they know what is happening that day.
• Ensure that they get plenty of rest / sleep.
• Minimise extra curricula and social activities at the beginning of the year when they are going through a period of change.
“Nothing without joy.”
Loris Malaguzzi
