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““How do you spell LOVE?” asked Piglet.
”You don’t spell it ... you feel it.” replied Pooh.”
— A.A. Milne

OPEN DAY Come & Play Wednesday May 15 2024

What are magical beginnings made of? Lots of wonderful things go into your child’s year at Chiselhurst Kindergarten! We warmly invite all parents and carers to attend our annual Open Day where you will have the opportunity to discover first-hand the ingredients we treasure in the delicate work of developing young hearts and minds, and the magic Chiselhurst has to offer.

We understand time is limited and life with children is busy! So why spend a morning with us? Many parents attest to being caught up in what some have called the ‘Chiselhurst spirit’ - an extraordinary sense of love, community and purpose.  As Deborah E. Grahan writes in her history of our kindergarten “Debutants to the Ball”, Chiselhurst “has an atmosphere and tradition which is palpable. Parents have felt it when first coming to enrol their children.  Children have often realised it in hindsight.  Many families miss it when their association with Chiselhurst ends.”  At Chiselhurst we aim to create a very special place for the hearts and minds of children. But as Winnie the Pooh says, it has to be felt.

If you are considering your child's education options, we'd love to have you join us for a morning of adventure and learning at our OPEN DAY COME & PLAY. If you know someone that may be interested, please share the news!

If you’d like to know more about our story, please click here.

Chiselhurst Kindergarten’s Beautiful Grounds from the air.

WHEN: 15 MAY 2024, 9:30am - 11:30am

WHERE: 12 Stonehaven Street, East Toowoomba

WHAT TO BRING: You, your child/children, snack/morning tea, a hat and a full water bottle . Play clothes are recommended!

“As soon as I saw you I knew an adventure was about to happen.”
— Winnie the Pooh, A. A. Milne
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THE CHISELHURST RECIPE FOR A MAGICAL BEGINNING TO CHERISH

A pound of love and motherly nurturing

3 cups of genuine care, kindness and respect

4 tablespoons of trust and security in full measure

One beautiful ‘home’ full of character and charm

A handful of inspiring nature to explore – dirt and all!

A full measure of play, fun and laughter – packed firmly

A smidgen of purpose

A pint of problem solving

A bunch of curiosity

A good dose of variety and creativity

Heaped spoonful of imagination and sense of freedom

2 packed cups of self-belief

1 cup of resilience

A good blend of cooperation, sharing and negotiation

A bunch of empathy and forgiveness

ADD…

Plenty of family, friends and community

A pinch of Toowoomba’s history

A touch of calm and rest

A squeeze of discipline

Stir in a hand to hold and plenty of time. Works with the uniqueness of each child and allows them to blossom in their own time.

 
 
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AfterHours Care is Now Available

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From January 2022 Chiselhurst will offer After Hours Care for families. This care will be at Chiselhurst by qualified educators and will be offered until 5.30pm five days a week.
For more information, please Contact Us.

 

Love. Learning.

Cherish. Inspire. Flourish.

A most wonderful, magical place to play and learn.

An environment that lovingly celebrates your child -

all they are and all they can be.

 
 
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Magical beginnings since 1940

 
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“I believe that to teach them effectively you must touch their hearts long before you begin to teach their minds.”
— Vicki Savini, Ignite the Light
 

Welcome to our kindergarten! A home as much as a kindergarten, Chiselhurst, set in one of Toowoomba's oldest and most beautiful suburbs, offers an early learning environment with heart. Through strong, loving and dependable relationships and an environment informed by the lives of children, we inspire and encourage beautiful, kind hearts and confident, independent thinkers. Here we are passionate about delivering a magical, extraordinary beginning that honours childhood and the promise of young lives with an approach that provides a gentle bridge between home and formal schooling.  

Chiselhurst Kindergarten is a place where children are allowed to be children, and we inspire growth and learning by nurturing your child’s sense of wonder and innocence, their ideas, imagination and initiative, and their adventurous spirit. Here we believe in the power of human connection and the joy of play in the development of the whole child and awakening their inborn potential. 

This is a place of creativity and inspiration...and of heart.  A place where the rooms and environments magically cherish and celebrate children - all that they are, and all that they can be. A place that gives your child, every child, a bespoke, magical beginning to their unique and wonderful future.

 
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“Seeing each child come alive, their curiosity ignited, their minds full with wonder and their belief in themselves and others grow, that’s the magic! Nurturing experiences are like fairy dust - sprinkle it on them and they will discover their wings.”
— Rosemarie Dawes, Chiselhurst Director
 
 

Celebrate childhood

 
 
 
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A Sense of Place & Possibility

Children are innately full of wonder, imagination and creativity.  At their heart they are filled with possibility. 

A CHILD'S WONDERLAND

There is a place, like no place on earth. A land of wonder...(Alice in Wonderland). Nestled between two large trees that twist and reach for the skies, Chiselhurst Kindergarten, with it's large, natural gardens and beautiful old home in East Toowoomba, offers your child an unrivalled sense of place and possibility.  This is a world designed for every child's endless delight, exploration and learning. 

OUR APPROACH

This is a kindergarten that puts your child at the very heart.  We believe in an authentic childhood and play-based learning. We also believe that every child that comes to us is wonderful and innately powerful. Here possibilities are endless. Our purpose is to support parents in nurturing their child’s curiosity and awakening their child’s confidence and potential. 

A CLOSE COMMUNITY

Chiselhurst is a small but strong community kindergarten where we all combine with love and respect- teachers, families and the wider community -  to assist in the delicate work of developing young hearts and minds.  We are focused on fostering strong relationships with children and their families, between children, and with the wider community.  

An Experience of the Highest Quality

Chiselhurst Kindergarten is proud to hold an Exceeding rating for our early childhood education and care, demonstrating our commitment to the outcomes for children and their families. 

Since 2012, all centres throughout Australia are rated against a National Quality Framework (NQF)  and must obtain a NQF Approval to operate. The National Quality Standard sits within this framework and comprises guiding principles, quality areas, standards and elements.  There are seven quality areas which capture aspects critical to the provision of quality early childhood education and care and for which we are evaluated.  These are:

  1. Educational program and practice

  2. Children’s health and safety

  3. Physical environment

  4. Staffing arrangements, including staff-to-child ratios and qualifications

  5. Relationships with children

  6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities

  7. Leadership and service management.

 

A home

 

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What makes Chiselhurst unique?

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  • The almost 100-year old home draws both children and adults alike, with its charming character and welcoming, homely atmosphere. The pressed metal ceilings, original fireplace and the nooks & crannies inspire exploration and imagination.
  • Our spacious and beautiful natural grounds, with large trees and extensive play areas (sandpits, bike tracks, fairy gardens and wooden forts), fascinate and excite, inviting children to immerse themselves in a world of play – to run, climb, dig, create, imagine, wonder, laugh, enjoy, dance and explore. 
  • Our team are both committed and experienced educators with the child at heart. They are dedicated, innovative, willing to try new things and directions and constantly updating their skills and knowledge. They are highly regarded in the community.
  • As one of the very first community kindergarten's in Toowoomba, Chiselhurst gives a voice to people of several generations. We have a strong, proud history.
  • Beautiful, classic wooden chairs, easels and puzzles purchased many decades ago are still in use.  This commitment to quality remains today.
  • Our small groups and consistent hours encourage strong friendships and support the ‘culture of children’ and prepare children for life’s journey.  Our small, inclusive community also inspires strong relationships with staff and lifelong friendships between families!

A few kind words...

“As a contributor to the social capital of the Toowoomba community, this kindergarten should be acclaimed. It offers a wonderful place to play and learn and a physical and psychological environment that celebrates children’s ideas, initiative and imagination.”
— Professor Collette Tayler, Head of the School of Early Childhood, QUT (2002)
“Both our children had the privilege of spending a wonderful year at Chiselhurst and there cannot be a better place on Earth for a child’s first tentative steps into the big world of education. It is a place of magic, wonder and enchantment where all children can flourish and grow through a play-based learning environment.”
— Fortune Family
“Our children have been to Kindergartens in Edinburgh, Auckland and Melbourne and they were all good. However, we had to move to Toowoomba to find the best! It is a truly magical place with a wonderful community. If you are new to the area, it’s a ready made family!”
— Girdler Family
 
 

Play & Discovery

 
 
 
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Reserve Your Child's Magical Adventure

We would love to welcome you and your family to Chiselhurst Kindergarten.  Please don't hesitate to contact us or visit our beautiful kindergarten. We suggest between the hours of 9:30 am and 12 pm when you can see the children engaged in the days program.  Or express your interest today by completing our Waiting List form.