Choklits Kindergarten Program 2020, open letter.

Dear Parents,

It’s only July and we’ve already had many of you ask about your options for kindergarten education for 2020. As enrolments are now open it’s time to begin considering your choices.

To simplify, you have two basic options, enrol in an outside sessional kindergarten program or stay within the familiar surrounds of Choklits community and be part of our very own kindergarten program which is now partly funded by the government.

You will obviously need to do your own investigative research if you are considering an alternative to Choklits. That should include visiting different kindergartens, speaking with teachers and ensuring the facilities are suitable. Most importantly, you should look for an environment your child feels safe and comfortable.

The program at Choklits has been enhanced significantly in the last 12 months and although you probably already know our kindergarten educators and understand the benefit of the additional sports activities, music lessons, second language programs and the library excursions, all you need to know about the transition into the Kindergarten program and further education is in the attached documents.

One of the most exciting things we get to do at Choklits is to help our early learners as they begin to prepare for school.

We are looking forward to 2020,

Jade and the Choklits Team.

The purpose of this document is to further explain the Choklits funded kindergarten program.

The Basics

At Choklits we are fortunate to have Kindergarten Teachers who hold a Bachelor of Education and are approved with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.

Choklits kindergarten program operates 5 days a week from 8:30am to 4:30pm. The hours before and after the program will be dedicated to additional education and play in line with the Early Learning Centre environment.

Our kindergarten program is developed from the National Early Years Learning Framework and The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework.

The Choklits Kindergarten Program for 2020

Promotes children’s development across the Early Years Learning and Development Framework
Is planned for and run by qualified kindergarten teachers.
Provides families with progress reports about their child and opportunities for formal family/teacher interviews twice a year.
Provides a yearly calendar of events including special days and educational visits.
Supports a kindergarten to primary school transition program including the preparation of a transition statement for each child in collaboration with the parents. We also facilitate visits to their school of choice during the year.
Prepares each child to be a confident learner for the next phase of their life – Primary School.

Benefits

Attending Kindergarten at Choklits offers many benefits for both children and parents.

Children who are already attending the centre stay in familiar surroundings and with friends they have known for some time
Children have the benefit of being part of a small group
Parents can take advantage of the extra hours that long day care offers, enabling them to work or attend to other responsibilities, confident their child is receiving the kindergarten curriculum and being cared for
Running a full program five days a week offers even greater flexibility and support for families
Although not a requirement at Choklits, we love and encourage as much family participation as our families need

Please feel free to come in and talk to the educators in the Kindergarten room at any time. We are happy to talk to you and discuss the program and answer any questions.

The Choklits Kindergarten Program Includes

Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) second language program, we are currently learning Chinese
Two iPads to allow the children to complete the ELLA program online
Extension of our music program which runs throughout the term including school holidays
The Ready Steady Go Sports program where the session is tailored to be age appropriate and run separately from the younger Choklits children
Weekly excursions to the library at the Salvation Army for additional literacy education
A monthly excursion to Estia Health Aged Care Home
A weekly yoga session, plus
Many other events and visits throughout the year including drama and wild animal incursions, Road Safety Awareness, Water Safety Education, free dentist and hearing check-up, pet awareness activities, indigenous education incursions and spontaneous excursions.

Meet the Choklits Kindergarten Team

We are very proud of our all our Educators and the fantastic work they do for all our early learners here at Choklits. To meet our entire team click here. Some of our staff even have video messages waiting for you!

The Choklits Kindergarten Program in review

We love documenting and reflecting on our Kindergarten program, the lessons we learn and the education and experiences we provide. We have produced many videos and written many blogs on our program activity. To review what a day in the life of our kindergarten program may look like for your child, please click here for videos and here for blogs.

If you are considering sending your child to our excellent four-year-old kindergarten program in 2020 please complete form below before the 1st of September 2019, we will do our best to accommodate your preferences. We will confirm all places in October and provide you with the Victorian government funding letter and information for you to complete.