Our Mission
In collaboration with our family community, we create magical, enriching early learning environments of the highest quality - full of love, encouragement, security and nature - that inspire and celebrate every child’s ideas, initiative, imagination, gifts and personalities, and honour the way they learn best.
We aim to help children grow in curiosity, confidence, independence, creativity and character, reach toward their intellectual, social and emotional potential and develop a love of learning, while giving them a magical beginning to cherish.
AT CHISELHURST WE SPECIFICALLY AIM TO:
Deliver a strong sense of belonging and possibility for every child
Respect the spirit of childhood and the magic of this glorious time – their natural inquisitiveness and desire to learn
Maintain a play-based, child-centred program
Educate both the hearts and minds of young children
Prepare children for a successful transition to the next chapter in their education
Celebrate every child’s personality, strengths, ideas, initiative and imagination
Instil a love of learning and help children maintain their sense of wonder
Help children grow in independence and confidence and develop a strong sense of identity
Nurture relationships between children, families, educators and community; to develop strong social and emotional intelligence
Embrace the natural world and outdoor experiences
In collaboration with our family community, prepare children for the world of tomorrow.
With commitment, love and collaboration, we embrace our responsibility to help create a world where every child can flourish. A world where the magic of an authentic childhood is cherished and family is honored, and every child receives the love and education they need to realise their full potential.
Our Philosophy
THE CHILD AT HEART
A genuine love for and understanding of each child is at the core of our kindergarten. Educators and families alike have the children’s best interests at heart. We facilitate a collaborative curriculum, allowing children to guide their own learning with their interests, ideas and imagination. Play is an important part of the curriculum we teach - for a child, play is their work and we value play as a key tool to teach the skills children need for life. We, the educators, cherish the role of childhood and believe children are innately powerful. Our rooms and environments reflect the lives of the wonderful children we are privileged to teach.
A FAMILY SPIRIT
Family, togetherness, community and a strong sense of belonging is pivotal. We believe children grow and thrive in a context of close dependable relationships that provide love, nurture, security, responsive interactions and encouragement. We believe it is critical to form genuine and trusting connections within our team, with each child and their family, between the children & the wider community. All staff endeavour to create a homely welcome feeling, strengthened by the character and charm of our buildings and playground and the active participation of families, the children’s first educators. We all believe traditions and rituals help children feel secure and at home.
CELEBRATE YOU
We, as educators, value each child as an individual who comes to us abounding with ideas, cultures and traditions, unique gifts, talents and personalities. We embrace and nurture this originality, fostering it to allow it to enrich our community. We encourage self-expression, independent thinking and creativity and seek to inspire courage, resilience and confidence. We want each child, family and team member to celebrate their individuality and we embrace, celebrate and share traditions and cultures throughout our program. Chiselhurst and the educational program we deliver is inclusive to all, respecting the diversity of all families regardless of ability, gender, race language and culture.
BEGIN WITH THE HEART
We believe we must start first nurture and shape the heart if we want to develop strong, ready minds and independent thinkers. At the fundamental level we seek to ensure every child feels a strong sense of security. As educators, we believe in the power of play in learning and seek to create hands on experiences and environments that touch the heart and are created for a child’s endless delight. We want children to become immersed in the world of play through questioning, exploring, creating, extending, imagining and forging a strong heart connection between educator and child also gives the ability to encourage and inspire them to think a bit deeper and push themselves a little further.
INSPIRE POSSIBILITIES & THINKING
Extraordinary learning is developed through the creation of environments that offer an abundance of safe, enriching, meaningful yet challenging experiences, especially hands-on activities. We nurture and inspire a child’s natural sense of wonder, imagination, creativity and desire for adventure and discovery. Our focus is on facilitating a child’s intrinsic motivation and responding to their interests and questions in the moment through astute and deliberate intention and heart. Strong connections with the local community offer children a world of opportunities for learning.
EDUCATE THE HEART & THE MIND
We focus on the full development of each child. Strong foundations in literacy and numeracy are embedded in everyday play opportunities that are meaningful to children. Our team places a special emphasis on educating the heart and seeks to instill kindness, respect, generosity and compassion in the children. A truly meaningful and fulfilling life is built on the foundations of truth, honesty, love and respect. Social relationships are critical for this development. Our similar-aged groups and consistent hours allow the children to develop strong friendships, relationship skills and to see and experience themselves connected to others.
MAKE THE ORDINARY EXTRAORDINARY
The educators at Chiselhurst place a great deal of importance on making the experience at Chiselhurst magical. We nurture and deliberately amplify the sense of wonder, mystery and magic in childhood. We love what we do and teach and care with passion and strive for excellence every day. We continuously look for ways to ‘wow’, innovate and improve. We are committed to ongoing professional development and keep abreast of the latest educational research.
HONOUR THE NATURAL WORLD
We believe in an authentic, holistic childhood and respect the importance of the outdoor environment for exploration, learning and development. We grow as we watch the seasons change. Here grass and dirt are good! We are a sustainable community whose practices foster understanding and respect for the environment. We recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been nurturing and teaching children on this land for thousands of years. We acknowledge and pay respect to the Jarowair and Giabal peoples, the traditional custodians of the land on which we live, work and play. We pledge to care for this special place, for the children of today and for the children of the future.
“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity”
Kay Redfield Jamison
Our Values
LOVE – Connection, family & kindness
RESPECT - Care & understanding
COURAGE – Individuality and self-belief
QUALITY – Professionalism and excellence
PASSION – Energy and commitment
CREATIVITY – Imagination & originality
CURIOSITY – Sense of wonder & discovery
PLAY – Enjoyable & rewarding