We believe that every child is unique and deserves the right to high-quality education and care. It is imperative that all children can grow and develop to their full potential. We believe that every child in our care has the right to feel safe and secure in a well-supervised environment. We recognise that children have the right to warm and nurturing relationships with family, peers, and educators. Dashing Ducks views all children as individuals with rights and responsibilities who have voices that are respected and valued. We encourage a sense of belonging to children and give all the opportunity to establish open, respectful and trusting relationships with other peers. Children learn best throughout play which is be supported by providing experiences that are meaningful, challenging and ignite curiosity through investigation.
We believe that children are competent learners. We will provide opportunities for children to be independent, make decisions, collaborate, and build confidence and self-esteem. We believe play is the best vehicle for children’s learning as it engages the whole child.
We will provide a variety of enjoyable, age-appropriate, challenging, and culturally diverse play experiences.
Our curriculum is based on children’s strengths, needs, development, and interests – both as individuals and in groups. We will use a variety of observation styles and interactions with children and families to plan experiences and our curriculum.
We believe that children need to be a part of a happy and safe environment with reasonable, realistic limits, consistency, and a good understanding of acceptable behaviour.
Dashing Ducks foundations are building and maintaining strong relationships between home and pre-school, support transitions throughout the day between rooms. We will provide information and support to families and children transitioning from Pre-school to primary school.
Educators are critical to the quality of care provided for children. We will employ qualified, experienced, caring educators from diverse backgrounds to work with our children. We encourage educators to work as a team and build strong relationships with children and families. Reflective practice is essential for growing their skills and knowledge of teaching. We will encourage educators to reflect on their teaching practices individually, as a team, and in the light of current research and theories about Early Childhood Education and Care. The educator has many roles in guiding children’s learning. These roles may include but are not limited to: observing and documenting, provisioning the environment, intentional teaching, modeling, directing, questioning, encouraging, and scaffolding.
Children belong to both families and communities. We endeavour to support connections with the local community, including local schools, emergency services, community services, and family support networks. We often invite community members to visit our Pre-School and share with our children about different roles, cultures, and perspectives in our community. We provide information about community services available to family members who may be interested or need support. Through strengthening our connections and participation within the community, we continue to build upon the children’s knowledge of the world around them. Through incursions and events we hope for children to build the life skills in which support independence and growth.
Dashing Ducks understands that families play a significant role in their children’s lives. We pride ourselves on our ability to work together as a team and one family. Our educators love to incorporate family experiences, child-rearing practices, and goals for their children into our program. We also support families to feel confident and relaxed in the quality of care provided to their child or children. We do this by providing a nurturing environment and various avenues of communication between home and pre-school. We believe in an association of trust and support for families. We are sensitive and respectful of all people, including people with disabilities, multicultural/cross-cultural, religious, and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
