Philosophy Statement

Kindergarten Philosophy Statement

Box Hill North Kindergarten is an integral part of a K-6 Government school. We provide families with a unique experience in which kindergarten and school are integrated in one location. This promotes a sense of journey and connection as we progress together from 3-year-old kindergarten through to year 6. There are strong links between the kindergarten and the school allowing the kindergarten children and families to feel a part of the wider school community.

At Box Hill North Kindergarten, we see all our children as confident and capable beings who thrive in a nurturing, supportive and fun learning environment.  Our learners are encouraged to be the best versions of themselves through a play-based program full of investigation and interest-led, play-based experiences.  Each child has the opportunity to be involved in decision-making, and be a key stakeholder in building our kindergarten curriculum. We support the children in developing their independence, resilience and a positive self-image. We teach them about friendship, kindness and respect and how to express their emotions in socially acceptable ways.

Box Hill North Kindergarten publicly dedicates our service to the safety of all our children through our policies, practices and procedures; ensure our classrooms, environment and community are supporting each child’s cultural and personal safety.

We champion equity and inclusion through all we do, as we celebrate diversity and recognise the unique set of values and beliefs that every child brings with them into the learning environment.

We celebrate and acknowledge the Wurundjeri People as the traditional owners of the land of many cultures on which our kindergarten resides.  We place high importance of celebrating and demonstrating a deep connection with the heritage of the land and creating an inclusive environment for all.

We value the links between home, kindergarten, school and the wider community and work in partnership with all of these groups to provide the best start for each child. Building relationships and connections with the children, families and community is a key part of what we stand for. We believe that to truly create a strong start to any child’s learning journey, families should be integrally linked in with this process.

Providing an environment that is rich in learning and invites children to investigate and explore is a key part of our program. Staff believe that both the indoor and outdoor learning spaces play an important role in children learning.  As the environment is viewed as the “third teacher”, we ensure our environments are set up to evoke curiosity, enthusiasm and a love of learning. We promote our love for nature, animals and environment through sustainable practices, and encourage our learners to be active advocates for our world.

Our team thrives on ensuring we can be the best teachers for our learners, so we seek our opportunities to develop our own professional knowledge, reflect on our program and practice, as well as seek feedback from our children, families and community.

The voices of our children, families and staff

CHILDREN:

The children at Box Hill North Kindergarten were asked “What makes our kindergarten a happy place?”. The below are their responses:

“We get to see all our friends and play together”

“Being nice to people”

“There are lots of toys to play with”

“There are big trees to climb and protect us from the sun”

“We have fun”

“My teachers make me happy

“We can make friends”

“We learn how to be kind to each other and look after each other”

“We are always playing outside and get to visit the chickens”

“We can learn new things”

“We do Japanese, science, dancing, excursions and games”.

“Riding bikes on the basketball court”

“We can visit school park, the gymnasium, the library and play basketball at the school”

“We can play and read with the big kids at school”

FAMILIES:

The parents were asked the questions “What are your hopes for the children at Box Hill North Kindergarten?”. The below are their responses:

“To develop a love for learning, create meaningful relationships with friends and teachers, and are allowed to be kids and have fun”

“To develop confidence, creativity, friendships and a sense of self but most importantly to have fun!”

“I hope the children will have fun while developing a love of learning”

“I want my child to build social skills and friendships”

“To be confident and resilient”

“I want the children at box hill north to learn about being kind and respectful, learning how to take turns when playing with others.”

“To learn skills of independence and organisation allowing them to be ready to transition to school”.

TEACHERS:

The teachers at Box Hill North Kindergarten were asked “What do you want your kindergarten children to learn or achieve at kindergarten?”. The below are their responses:

For the children to develop their emotional resilience and social skills

For the children to have autonomy in their choices

For the children to be confident and capable learners

For the children to be happy and connected to their classroom

For the children to be independent in their own learning

For the children to have self-regulation skills in and delve deeper into understanding their emotions

For the children to develop play skills to support listening, collaboration and kindness

For the children to tap into their imagination and creativity

For the children to have independence and develop school readiness.

For the children to progress in their fine motor and gross motor

For the children to demonstrate kindness and respect to each other and the learning environments