Community Kids Waterford Early Education Centre

Some of the programs on offer at Community Kids include: 

• Excursions: the children are taken on trips to the local supermarket and to local parks. For the older children, even more trips are offered, to extend on their learning and build connections in the local community.
• Music & movement program: the centre offers an interactive, educational and fun music program that helps the children develop a love of music and movement.  
• Centre events: the centre welcomes special guests throughout the year to extend on the children’s learning, such as cultural programs, animal experiences and performances.
• Sustainability program: the educators teach the children about recycling, conserving water, growing food and looking after the planet.
• Cooking classes: the educators enjoy teaching the children how to prepare age appropriate meals and snacks, which encourages little ones to try new things and develop a love of healthy food.
• Sports program: this program is designed to encourage activity and movement, while also building the children’s motor skills.
• Language program: the centre uses the ELLA digital platform to teach the children about the foundations of foreign languages and different cultures.

The highly qualified educators at Community Kids Waterford believe that children are unique learners and develop at their own pace through play. Children learn best when they are able to experience things in a variety of ways and feel supported and safe to take risks. 

The educators ensure that children feel safe, supported and challenged to learn new things and participate in new experiences.  They seek to make sure that the environment is inviting, natural, stimulating and engaging, involving both the children’s and the educator’s personalities and interests. 

A focus on sustainability means that natural and recycled materials are part of the curriculum, which will stimulate children’s curiosity to nurture creativity and self-esteem. Parents are encouraged to bring in recyclables for the children to use in their arts and craft.

Technology plays a role in the children’s learning, with interactive whiteboards and iPads for the ELLA language program. Parents can access photos and updates about their child’s day through the centre’s free app.

All of the seasonal meals and snacks are provided for the children by the centre’s in-house chef, with vegetarian or halal options available. The centre’s focus is on providing children with simple, nutrient-rich, unprocessed and seasonal whole foods. The menus meet nutritional guidelines from Nutrition Australia and are high-quality, allowing young bodies to thrive both mentally and physically.

The children enjoy items such as cereal and toast for breakfast; meals such as pasta, curry and noodles for lunch; along with fruit, raisin toast, rice cakes, custard, veggie sticks and crackers for snacks. Children who attend a full day at the centre will be offered at least 50 per cent of their recommended daily dietary intake.  Children are taught about the benefits of growing food by helping out with the centre’s own vegetable garden.

The centre’s philosophy includes learning about healthy lifestyles and cooking, and they see this as integral to children’s wellbeing and self-confidence, which in turn contributes to their ability to concentrate and learn.