Kids on Gallaghers Child Care Centre - Programs

Our Educational Program

Our curriculum at Kids on Gallaghers Child Care Centre is based on everything that happens within our day including all the planned and unplanned interactions, experiences, routines and events that occur in an environment designed to foster children’s learning and development. Kids on Gallaghers focus on 3 elements embedded in our curriculum - Intentional Teaching, Interest-Based Learning and Family Input.

Intentional Teaching

Intentional teaching reflects the understanding that children’s learning is greatly enhanced through interactions with more informed, experienced learners. From this knowledge, our learning environments are rich in materials and interactions which increases the opportunities for children to practice choosing, thinking, negotiating, problem solving and taking risks in partnership with educators.

Interest-Based Learning

Educators use children’s interests as a starting point and convert this interest into an effective learning experience. Children’s ideas and interests are an important basis for the curriculum decision-making.

Family Input 

Children thrive when families and educators work together in partnership to support their learning. Kids on Gallaghers Child Care Centre holds a strong belief that families are seen as the children’s most influential educators, so working together we can build a strong educational program and learning environment. Family input provides us with information on the children’s capabilities, culture, interests and developmental needs. We continually reflect and evaluate the effectiveness of our curriculum and are always looking at changes to better enhance the children’s program.

Inclusive Practice  

We pride ourselves on providing an inclusive environment for all. We thrive on learning about different backgrounds and traditions, and love to have families involved, teaching and sharing their family cultural practices. We involve families in all of our events, and the children love to present their learnings to family members.

Educa

We use Educa at Kids on Gallaghers Child Care Centre, which is an online program that allows us to document children’s learning and share this with the families. Through Educa, we are able to upload photos and videos of the children engaging in our environment and use these experiences to document and assess each child’s learning and development. Educa is also a platform where we can communicate with families through private conversations and whole community posts.

Through Educa, our educators write learning stories on each child as they engage in independent learning experiences and group learning experiences. Each day, families are sent an update of what the children have been up to throughout the day, allowing families to connect with their child whilst attending the centre. Families are also able to comment on stories published by educators.

Families can access Educa through the website or it is available to download as an app. Educa is an invaluable tool at our service, allowing us to connect with all families daily. An added bonus of Educa is that families have lifetime access to their child’s online portfolio, allowing them to look back on their child’s early years education.

Incursions

Throughout the year, a calendar of events is prepared with a range of incursions, dress up days, charity events and cultural celebrations. This is how we encourage the wider community and our families to get involved around the centre. View our Events here

Happy Feet Fitness Program

Kids on Gallaghers Child Care Centre hosts the Happy Feet Fitness program two days per week. This program is an interactive, themed, adventure class packed full of original music, costumes, props, magic, singing, dancing, games and learning. Classes provide the children with opportunities to connect with the community, improve their wellbeing, confidence, communication, health and fitness. These classes come at an extra cost to the families, paid directly to the company and participation is optional.

Please Note: Funded kindergarten children are entitled to one free Happy Feet class per week. 

Kelly Sports Program

The kinder children at Kids on Gallaghers Child Care Centre are also visited by the Kelly Sports program on a fortnightly basis.

Kelly Sports is a popular multi-sports incursion that teaches children valuable gross motor skills. Kelly Sports’ goal is to help children get active, develop skills and confidence, and gain a lifelong love of sports. They encourage children to have fun while teaching them fundamental movement skills through play that form an important part of a child's development and enable them to learn the skills required for sports and prepare them for a healthy, active life.

Healthy Early Childhood Services Achievement Program

Kids on Gallaghers Child Care Centre have successfully achieved Victorian Government recognition for all six health priority areas of the Victorian Healthy Early Childhood Services Achievement Program.

This program is a government framework that creates a healthy learning environment and supports the health and wellbeing of everyone at an early childhood service. It is centred around six key health areas, which include:

• Healthy Eating and Oral Health
• Physical Activity and Movement
• Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Sun Protection
• Safe Environments
• Smoking, Vaping, Alcohol and Other Drugs

Each health area has a set of targets to achieve, resulting in healthy changes to a service's physical environment, policies and practices, and health promoting activities. When you meet all targets in a health area, you receive recognition with certificates and a sticker to attach to a special sign which we proudly display out the front of our service. 

The Achievement Program has recently introduced a new key health area supporting members to adapt to climate change and also take climate actions that co-benefit health and wellbeing. This priority area is titled Climate and Health, because if we want to be healthy, we need to keep the planet healthy, too! 

SunSmart Early Childhood Service Program

Kids on Gallaghers Child Care Centre have been recognised as a SunSmart service by SunSmart Victoria for the past 16 years, continually meeting all of the guidelines and recommendations to reduce skin cancer risk.

The SunSmart Early Childhood Program was introduced by Cancer Council Victoria in 1996. By teaching sensible sun protection habits from an early age and implementing sun protection measures, schools and early childhood services can play a significant role in reducing skin cancer risk.

Our current certificate will be valid until April 2024. 

Body Blocks by Embrace Kids Program

Kids on Gallaghers Child Care Centre are enrolled in the Body Blocks by Embrace Kids program.

This program aims to prevent body image issues in young people by getting in early with messages of body appreciation.

It’s the world’s first publicly available, broadly disseminated body image program for early childhood educators, and empowers young children to develop positive relationships with food, movement and their bodies from the very beginning of their lives.

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