Our Centre
ABOUT US
We believe our educators and staff help shape the gem of our preschool….
Our professional team of innovative, enthusiastic, creative, kind and passionate educators/staff work together to create an environment where children are nurtured and inspired for a lifelong love of learning. We acknowledge the importance of working as a team to provide high-quality care and education and understand our role as advocates for children and their rights.
atmosphere of trust and respect
We build an atmosphere of trust and respect through open communication, and respecting different points of view. We recognise and respect that every staff member is an individual with diverse needs, interests, strengths, knowledge and experience.
Confident, engaged, supported and critically reflective educators
We believe that confident, engaged, supported and critically reflective educators can challenge children’s thinking about their world. There is an established professional culture of reflective practice, where ongoing training and professional development for educators is encouraged and supported.
Our pedagogy approach
Our pedagogy approach will provide children with the opportunities to maximise their potential and develop a foundation for future success in learning. As a team, we will advocate for their rights under the “United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child” and the Early Childhood sector, as a whole. Providing a high quality of education and care requires a commitment to shared professional standards. We commit to the Early Childhood Code of Ethics, The National Regulations and Laws, Standards set by the National Quality Framework, the Early Years Learning Framework and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
Our Preschool Rooms
We offer three classrooms designed to meet the developmental needs of different age groups: We use the local Biripi language, Gathang, for our room names.
Guula (Koala)
Our Guula classroom is a warm and welcoming space for our youngest learners, ages two and three, in the current year.
Wambuyn (Kangaroo)
The Wambuyn classroom provides a stimulating and engaging environment for children ages three to four.
Wathu (Possum)
Our Wathu classroom provides our oldest children with a strong foundation for their educational journey before the commencement of school the following year. (Children who legally must commence school the following year are given priority).
Our Philosophy
Our Vision Statement
At Taree and District Preschool, we provide a learning environment where children are given the opportunity to become successful learners. An environment where they develop their confidence and creativity, where they are free to take risks and explore the natural world. The children become active environmental citizens, who are provided opportunities to develop an awareness of our environment and the wider community for future generations. Where they learn to develop a sense of respect for all Community members. We endeavour to create partnerships with First Nations people and actively engage in being guided by their knowledge.
We respectfully acknowledge our First Nations People….
We believe in an inclusive preschool community that values our rich diversity of culture, language, abilities and experiences. We acknowledge the original Custodians of this land, the Biripi People, as well as the Torres Strait Islander people in our community. We extend this acknowledgement to all First Nations people as we aim to grow culturally as a community of learners. We believe that with an honest recognition of our past, we can provide opportunities for children to grow in and share a sense of pride in their culture, language, community and country; and as such we can provide opportunities for the next generation. We continue to aim to create opportunities and events for people from our First Nations community to be directly involved in embedding cultural learning for children, staff and our community.
We believe our children will become all they can be……
Early Childhood is a time of rapid development, growth and learning. We support our children in the development of autonomy, independence and understand that each child develops differently. It is a time for children to explore, discover, imagine and create in the environment around them. We empower children to have a voice, embrace their uniqueness, develop their independence, resilience, and self-esteem and become active participants in their learning. We believe through play, children have the opportunities to communicate, work cooperatively with others, and develop confidence and positive self-identity, where they become resourceful learners who will be supported to realise their full potential.
We believe our children will become all they can be……
Every child has the right to receive an education in a welcoming and inclusive environment where they are given the opportunity to grow emotionally, physically, socially and intellectually regardless of their differences. Education is the foundation a child needs to grow and learn, and inclusion is a key ingredient in the makeup of the learning environment. The implementation of inclusion allows opportunities to learn acceptance, respect and growth from their interaction with a variety of people with differing skills and perspectives.
We believe in the importance of the environment as the third educator….
We believe that life is an exploration of our environment and its inhabitants. The more exploration we make, the more knowledge we gain. Our environment both indoors and outdoors is created so children can build connections with beautiful, natural open-ended materials and be challenged by these materials.
Our educators and staff recognise the importance of providing an environment that is safe, secure, homelike and consistent environment that supports trust and familiarity as well as active exploration of learning. That is enriched with happiness, kindness, respect and love. We believe that Taree and District Preschool is an extension of our children’s home environment by establishing a calm, friendly and positive atmosphere where children take ownership and are active participants in respecting themselves, each other and our resources. Our learning environment provides the children the opportunities to revisit experiences, refining, reinforcing and challenging their abilities.
We believe in the importance of the environment as the third educator….
Our environment is one that engages and challenges, promoting competence, decision-making and building a love of learning. An interesting and dynamic outdoor environment which includes natural elements, invites open-ended spontaneity, risk-taking, exploration and connection with nature and animals. It is in the early years that foundations are laid for the development of environmentally responsive adults; to ensure our world's sustainable future. To promote this action for sustainability it is necessary for children to retain their sense of awe and wonder in our land, nature and animals.
The preschool community will encourage children to become aware of their global responsibility. They will have opportunities to be productive and contribute positively to human equality and the sustainability of our planet. Daily connections are fostered through caring for preschool animals, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, bush tucker, and the worm farm. Children are mindful of waste and compost. They learn to appreciate the rhythms of the seasons while addressing our responsibilities for sustainability at preschool.
We believe in our pedagogy ….
Our program is underpinned by a commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and respect that each child has a right to play. Our program promotes the importance of play, especially child-initiated play. Children will be provided large blocks of time for uninterrupted work and play in the indoor and outdoor environments. The program has an open approach incorporating spontaneous and intentional teaching moments, where the children’s interests, provocations and questions set the scene.
Our preschool curriculum style has been developed by reflecting upon the National Early Years Learning Framework; Belonging, Being and Becoming; the National Quality Standards, pedagogy and community contexts. We use a play-based, emergent style curriculum that involves collaborative partnerships between educators, children and families, providing a balance between child-led, child-initiated and intentional teaching. Educators guide children’s learning and invite them to think, problem-solve and make choices.
We believe the children’s voices are the most important part of our program. For this reason children are given the opportunity to have input into the program with ideas and suggestions. Through observation, conversation and reflection of daily events, children’s learning and development will be documented by means of a daily journal, photography, children’s portfolios, work samples, displays of children’s projects and learning stories.
The best way to prepare children for tomorrow is to respect who they are now. As they transition to school and beyond, we aim to provide a program that equips them with core learning skills, which will not only contribute to a positive transition to school but also set them up with valuable and lasting life skills.
We believe in a strong diverse partnership with families and our community……
At Taree and District Preschool, we aim to provide an inclusive preschool community. We recognise that diversity contributes to the rich tapestry of our preschool community and acknowledge the uniqueness and diversity that each family brings to the preschool. All children and their families will be treated equally without bias or prejudice and will be respected in support of their background, race, religion, socio-economic status and diverse family network.
The child’s educational journey at Taree and District Preschool is one that we collaboratively share hand-in-hand with our children and families. We believe that families are the children’s first educators, they have valuable information to share about their child, we will provide a welcoming, positive, safe and caring environment where all families are valued and are confident to work in partnership with educators.
Educators are respectful of parenting skills, parenting structure, culture and beliefs. Therefore, we will endeavour to create sound and reciprocal relationships with our parents, families and the wider community to help in the creation of a sense of belonging. Families are welcomed and encouraged to become involved in the service in whatever way they feel comfortable.
We believe in collaborative connections within the community and regularly provide the children opportunities to engage in our wider community. We feel through these community connections the children are provided with the opportunities to form their self-identity and develop their view of the world.
Taree and District Preschool
ESTD 1949 / Moved to current location 1986.
Location Address
Biripi Country: 31 Barton Street, Taree, NSW, 2430
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Phone & Email
Contact Us For Further Information
For inquiries regarding enrolment, programs, or general questions, please feel free to reach out to us by using the contact details provided above. We look forward to hearing from you!