The Rainbow Fish Room - Ages One to Two

Philosophy

We believe:

All children are unique individuals and deserve to be treated in this manner.
In upholding the rights of a child at all times and ensure they are treated with respect, understanding and fairness.
‘I.8.: Acknowledge the uniqueness and potential of all children, in recognition that enjoying their childhood without undue pressure is important’. (E.C.A. Code of Ethics)
Children in an environment which is safe, secure, where they feel accepted at all times. This will be achieved and maintained through friendly and positive interactions with all children.

We aim:

To provide a diverse program that reflects both group and individual needs through ongoing observations, evaluations and collaboration with families.
To provide enriching experiences that encourages and promotes learning and development through play.
To provide a program that covers the areas of language, cognitive, social/emotional, fine motor and gross motor development, incorporating the holistic child.
A flexible program that allows for spontaneous play created by both children, carer’s and families.
To seek and encourage parental and family input in program and in their child’s care and development.
To provide a caring, nurturing environment that promotes each child's learning and development, self-esteem and individuality, whilst having a day filled with lots of fun!
To broaden our professional development in order to enrich our knowledge and understanding to the benefit of the centre’s children, families, and fellow colleagues

Yearly Goals

These are some of the goals that the carers of Rainbow Fish would like to achieve with all the children in their care.

Please note that although some children may achieve these goals by the end of the year that development for each child is an individual process. Children are only encouraged to achieve goals but it is our belief that these will be done at the own child’s pace.

CHILDREN HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF IDENTITY

Children feel safe, secure and supported
Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and sense of agency.
Children develop knowledgeable and confident self identities.
Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect.

1. Children develop bonds and attachments with their caregivers.
2. Children build a sense of security and confidence within the care environment.
3. Children begin to develop self help skills such as feeding, washing hands and drinking.
4. Children begin to develop recognition on their actions and demonstrate care towards their peers.

CHILDREN ARE CONNECTED WITH AND CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR WORLD

Children develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active community participation.
Children respond to diversity with respect.
Children become aware of fairness.
Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment.

1. Children begin to develop a sense that they are a part of a wider group that consists of many individuals.
2. Children are empowered to begin to make choices within their environment.
3. Children become confident with initiating play interactions and communications.
4. Children begin to comprehend fair and equitable play situations.
5. Children become aware of their immediate environment.

CHILDREN HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF WELLBEING

Children become strong in their social and emotional wellbeing.
Children take increasing responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing

1. Children develop their own identities; expressing emotions in ways that are socially acceptable but also conveying their needs to others within their environment.
2. Children begin to develop an awareness of their own personal hygiene by washing their own hands before meals and after toileting.
3. Children begin to demonstrate delight in sharing experiences with other children and carers.

CHILDREN ARE CONFIDENT AND INVOLVED LEARNERS

Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity.
Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating.
Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another.
Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies and natural and processed materials.

1. Children begin to access their environment to explore their own interests; investigating both the outdoor and indoor environments to reveal the possibilities they contain.
2. Children develop their inquisitive nature; exploring all aspects of their environment.
3. Children develop the ability to self guide own learning strategies.

CHILDREN ARE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS

Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes.
Children engage in a range of texts and gain meaning from these texts.
Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media.
Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work.
Children use information and communication technologies to access information, investigate ideas and represent their thinking.

1. Children further develop their social skills when communicating with others within their environment, taking joy in their own interactions wether it is verbally or non-verbally.
2. Children develop knowledge through the use of song, written text and dramatic play.
3. Children will be exposed to a wide range of written books, either through own investigation or by use of carer initiated group situations.
4. Children are exposed to different forms of music, learning that all forms of music can be appreciated through dance, song and simply listening.
5. Children are encouraged to extend their imaginative play and imitate real life situations.

General Information

Rainbow Fish Room Carers: Liz and Joy

Ratios: The Rainbow Fish Room ratio is one carer for every five children and has a maximum of ten children with two carers.

Meals

The centre provides the children with a hot lunch, morning and afternoon tea. The drinks available are: milk and water. Orange juice is provided with vegetarian meals and water is available at anytime throughout the day. The menu is displayed in rooms and in your child’s day book and recipes are also available. Your child may bring a drink bottle but it would be preferred if water or juice was supplied and not cordial. Pedder also uses Haal meat if requested by parents.

We are a nut free centre. If your child has any allergies/intolerances please speak to the Director/staff on enrolment.

Bottles

If your child is having bottles they need to be provided from home. All bottles are to be clearly labeled with the child’s name. We also ask that parents pre-mix their child’s formula bottles before arriving at care.

Things Parents need to supply

If you would like your child to have breakfast or dinner, this will have to be provided. Breakfast is able to be given to children who are at the centre before 8:30am, after this time we find it discourages children from participating in morning tea.

Toys from home are discouraged, unless they are for comfort or settling. If there is anything that may help settle your child, please bring it along e.g. dummy, rug or teddy - it all helps.

The centre supplies ALL nappies unless parents stipulate otherwise e.g. cloth. If nappy rash creams are required, these need to be named. Hats are also provided.

Sunscreen is supplied, however, if a special type is preferred or required for allergy reasons then this will need to be supplied and labeled with child’s name from home.

Change of Clothing

Due to some experiences on the room program your child may need an extra set of clothing.

The weather conditions change so quickly, so we need to be able to add or take off clothing as needed. NO SINGLET TOPS or THONGS are permitted - see centre policies. These are strictly for health and safety reasons. Please remember sleeves on tops to protect shoulders from UV rays.

Medication

If your child requires medication whilst in care, you will be required to fill in the Medical Authorization Form (located in room). Please ensure that this form is filled in correctly, as we are unable to give medication if there is an error. Medication MUST NOT be left in the child’s bag; please leave them with the carer who will place them in the appropriate area. Medications are to be signed in upon arrival and sign out upon departure.

Allergies and Intolerances

If your child has an allergy/intolerance to anything please inform the room carers. You will need to fill out an allergy/intolerance/special diet forms.

Incident Forms

If your child should be injured or involved in an incident/accident, a form will be filled out by a carer, outlining what has taken place. These forms are to be sighted and signed at the end of the day. The forms are then kept in your child’s personal file in the office.

Birthdays

Parents who wish their child to celebrate their birthday at the centre are welcome to bring a cake. Due to many allergies and dislikes that other children may have, we ask that it be a plain cake; free of cream and nuts or any heavy food coloring (Pedder Patter is a nut free environment!).

Sleeping

The centre has sleep rooms set up for your child’s nap/rest, if needed (everything is provided). Parents please remember that if your child sleeps up to 2 or 3 hours at home, that this may not be the case in care. Many elements can play a part e.g. noise level, other children in the sleep room and general noise from the rest of the centre. If your child has any special sleep requirements or a comforter please inform room carers.

Toilet Training

As children approach two years old, parents may begin toilet training. The carers are more than happy to assist you. In the Rainbow Fish Room we have a toilet and potty to assist with this process. Please remember to supply plenty of clothes in case. There may be differences experienced between home and the centre. Your child may become absorbed in play and just forget to ask carers to use the toilet/potty on occasions. Feel free to discuss any strategies you wish carers to adhere to in this area.

Programme Planning

The centre follows the Belonging, Being and Becoming Framework, which supports a model of curriculum decision-making as an ongoing cycle. This involves educators drawing on their professional knowledge, including their in-depth knowledge of each child. Working in partnerships with families, educators use the Learning Outcomes to guide their planning for children’s learning.

The room carers will be out of the room for two hours a week to plan for each child and the group as a whole. Program planning involves both carer and parent input to determine children’s individual interests, skills and emerging abilities. Informal chats about your child’s development and care provide an important role in planning.

Carers use parental input and observations of the children to plan a program of experiences which will best assist the enjoyment and development of each child in care. The program is displayed in the room for parents to view and make comments. Each child has an individual file (electronic), which contains all observations and planning. Parents are welcome to read their child’s file – please feel free to ask a Rainbow Fish Room carer.

Transition to Next Age Group

As your child gets older, carers will start to introduce him/her to the next room (Seahorse). This is done through visits with a carer or a visit by themselves for a few hours at a time. This provides your child time to get used to the new surroundings and carers. Your room carer will discuss this with you before any visits happen and you will be given a form that indicates when visits may start. If you have any concerns/queries please see room carer or the director.

PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING THAT YOUR CHILD BRINGS INTO THE CENTRE.

Activities We Enjoy

DRAWING - helps develop fine motor skills, hand eye co-ordination and colour awareness. This is an early writing skill.
PAINTING - develops creativity, experimentation with shapes, size, texture and colour.
FINGER PAINTING - develops gross and fine motor skills and is a great tactile experience.
PASTING - develops creativity, imagination, hand-eye co-ordination and problem solving skills.
PLAYDOUGH - a tactile experience that develops gross and fine motor skills and social skills.
HOME CORNER - promotes role playing and pretend play.
CONSTRUCTION - encourages sharing, problem solving and fine motor skills.
WATER/FLOUR/WHEAT PLAY - develops tactile awareness and initial measuring skills.
MANIPULATIVE TOYS - (puzzles, shape sorters and hammering boards) develops sharing and waiting turns, sequencing, persisting and completing tasks.
BOOKS - develops language and literacy skills.
SINGING, MUSIC, MOVEMENT & MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS - develops language, concepts of loud and soft, fast and slow.
STORIES - develops language, anticipation, concentration and imagination.

BEST OF ALL, THESE EXPERIENCES ARE FUN!!

Words We Use

GROSS MOTOR - the use of large muscles, i.e. climbing, running, balance beams, ball games, etc.
FINE MOTOR - the use of the small muscles of the hands and eyes, i.e. puzzles, threading, cutting, drawing, etc.
COGNITIVE - thinking and problem solving skills.
TACTILE/SENSORY - something that you can do with your hands i.e. flour/wheat/water play, play doh, etc.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM - the maintenance of our high standard of care to meet the requirements necessary of the National Childcare Accreditation Council.
DRAMATIC PLAY - includes role playing and pretending, i.e. home corner, dressing up.
CREATIVE PLAY - includes painting, finger painting, drawing, pasting, etc.
CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY - involves blocks, collage, etc.
MANIPULATIVE PLAY - includes jigsaws, threading and shape sorters.
INTEGRATION - is the process of welcoming and settling new children and families into the centre.
TRANSITION - is the movement of children between home and care, from one area to another and from room to room.
MULTICULTURAL - presenting a wide range of materials from around the world and other cultures.
GENDER EQUITY - to ensure that each child, regardless of gender, has equal opportunity to participate in the wide range of experiences offered.

CONTACT US

You can contact us on 03 6344 9993 during business hours, or email us at childcare@pedderpatter.org.au.