Our Philosophy
Children
At Arndu we believe that all children are important members of our world and are a precious gift from God. We recognise that each child is unique and that the early years of life are vital for each child’s growth and development. As a preschool we seek to support each child on their learning journey taking the time to provide a supportive and caring environment for them to grow in.
Families
We recognise as a preschool that God has provided the gift of families to each child and understand that you play an extremely important role in your child’s development as their first teachers. As a team we endeavour to work closely with families throughout their time at our service to ensure the best start for each child. Arndu recognises that each family is unique and respects the cultural diversity of our families and community.
Relationships
Relationships play an important role in supporting each child in their learning journey. At Arndu we seek to support children as they develop strong, positive, respectful and reciprocal relationships with children, families, teachers, our community, the world and most importantly God, through his son Jesus. We encourage all our children to learn how to interact collaboratively as they learn empathy, respect and compassion for others.
The Program
The program at Arndu is designed to support your child on their learning journey, taking into account their individual development. As a preschool we promote the inclusion of all children in our curriculum, taking a holistic approach to learning as we work alongside families and other community organisations. We believe that learning should be fun and facilitate a sense of wonder to encourage life-long learning.
Christian Values:
Arndu is a Christian early education and care service. The Christian message of God’s love and forgiveness found only in Jesus is integral in all our programming and is shared on a daily basis. We believe that children are precious to God and the good news of Jesus is vital for all people including children to hear. These Christian values are expressed in the way that staff members interact with children, families and other staff members, and the community at large.
Community
Our community has an integral role in the lives of children. As a preschool we aim to make ourselves known in the community by participating in visits and events. Arndu has the privilege of working closely alongside Oatley Anglican Church as we partner in supporting children and families.
Professionalism - Staff
At Arndu we value our staff by providing professional development throughout the year. This time away from the service allows us to reflect on our practices and continue to improve them, promoting better outcomes for children, families and team members. Our team adheres to the Early Childhood Code of Ethics and has developed a Code of Conduct which influences the way we teach and engage with others. As a preschool Arndu believes in the importance of above award ratios in each classroom to ensure all children and teachers are supported as they grow.
Development Focus
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Our planning reflects our assessment of the children’s social competence; whether they separate easily from parent(s), and are able to form relationships with peers and adults at the preschool
Aims
They are specifically designed to reflect this focus by encouraging children to relax and begin to relate to us and to each other. As we esteem the children as important, worthwhile and precious, they learn to esteem each other in the same way.
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To provide a loving, caring, supportive and relaxed environment indoors and outdoors that encourages development of their potential.
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To provide an environment where children can be children; they are encouraged to play freely with natural materials such as sand, water and mud.
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To extend children at their own pace; we encourage but do not force intellectual achievement.
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We allow children freedom of choice in the use of materials and equipment.
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We provide a multitude of creative media to help children express feelings, thoughts, tensions and imagination. We emphasis creativity before accuracy and conformity, believing this is a real key to social growth. In this way the process is valued over the product.
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We teach responsibility for the care of equipment by encouraging children to participate in tidy-up and packing away sessions.
PHYSICAL
DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNICATION
DEVELOPMENT
Aims
This involves the development of both receptive and expressive communication skills. Opportunities exist throughout the day for children to practise and extend their communication abilities. The program is designed to foster many skills including conversational skills, vocabulary acquisition, turn-taking, adapting to the audience and retelling information.
Aims
To provide a range of activities to strengthen and foster development of gross motor and fine motor muscles. Gross motor and fine motor skill and competence is foundational to the fostering of feelings of self-confidence, the development of self esteem and steady intellectual growth.
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Our planning reflects our assessment of the children’s social competence; whether they separate easily from parent(s), are able to form relationships with the adults at the preschool
Aims
To observe the children’s level and depth of understanding and plan to extend it. The Arndu staff make observations and use check lists to note children’s achievements and progress. Focusing on the children in this organised way ensures that learning is specific and child oriented. We use a portfolio system to monitor and document children’s development. This system allows for information to be shared between the child’s home and family environments.
Parents can make appointments with their child’s teachers for the exchange of information, or to discuss progress, or concerns and anxieties.
SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT
Aims
We seek to support children's spiritual development as we share our understanding of God with the children each day. Time is taken to read the Big Picture Bible each week throughout the year and answer the children's questions about God.
During the daily programme we thank God for our food by praying. We teach children that they can talk to God in prayer at any time in the day and pray about how they are feeling. We regularly pray for children, family members and staff who are away or unwell.
We teach the children about Easter and Christmas from a Biblical perspective. We do not teach against the ‘Easter bunny’ or ‘Santa Claus’ but we do not actively use them in our celebration.
The Arndu Management Committee currently employs two Arndu Chaplain to help staff foster the spiritual development of children.