Our Philosophy

At Flora Hill Kindergarten we acknowledge we are located on Dja Dja Wurrung Country.

At Flora Hill Kindergarten we work in partnerships with the children and families to ensure all members of our kindergarten community share an equal voice in the learning journey. Our philosophy is a ‘live’ document. We recognise that each year as we meet new children and families, their values and beliefs may differ. We want to ensure our philosophy reflects you and your family, which is why each year we ask you to assist us in moulding our philosophy to reflect the now.

 The educators:

As educators we are always learning and growing. Through the use of critical reflection we will continue to fine-tune our philosophy to reflect best practice.

As educators we are culturally responsive to all our children and families and recognise the deep and rich learning opportunities our families history, skills and knowledge provide the kindergarten community with. We cherish this information which is why we recognise families as the first educators of their children.

Educators are present with the children. We are in the now, taking note of and being part of the special moments within their day. Educators are learning with and from the children as we equally collaborate to make the learning journey unique and special for each child, as we prepare the children for life.

What the educators work towards achieving in the children

The children at Flora Hill Kindergarten are connected with their educators. The children seek out their educators for comfort and assistance due to a relationship built on respect, trust, warmth and kindness. As the children experience the joy of such a beautiful relationship, they begin to reflect this is in their own interactions with one another, promoting inclusive and friendliness among all children.

Each child is equipped with their own set of unique skills and knowledge that they are able to freely explore and develop as they learn through play, discovering who they are.

The children are capable and independent as they take responsibility for themselves, their environment and their belongings. The children are actively participating in pack up times and cleaning their environment to keep the space safe for all children.

The children are active agents in all aspects of their learning as they are brave and take risk to learn and grow. The children work towards becoming advocates for themselves in their social interactions. The children are supported by educators to feel confident and empowered to use their voice and body language to express their feelings in a safe and respectful manner.

The children are free to utilise the resources within the kindergarten to further support them in their learning journey. This includes Dja Dja Wurrung Country and the teachings it provides us with in the past and now.

The children at Flora Hill Kindergarten have expressed what they expect in their kindergarten community below. Educators will work collaboratively with the children to meet these values.

The children’s voice:

We would like our educators to greet us with a happy face.

We all need to try and be kind at kindergarten, including us, our educators and families.

Sharing is very important and we need to take turns.

It’s important to feel happy at kindergarten and we need to help each other to feel happy.

 The Families voice:

At Flora Hill Kindergarten you will feel welcomed in. Your child will thrive and develop so many skills through an inclusive and nurturing environment.

We value the inclusion of the child’s voice in their learning and love how it has been included in the philosophy.

We value diversity and inclusion and believe that we can all learn from each other and grow from sharing experiences together. Kindness and respect are highly valued. Being kind and respecting self, each other and our environment is important and we have seen these values supported and encouraged at Flora Hill Kindergarten.