The Early Learning Centre offers young children and their families a rich early learning environment 12 months prior to attending school.

Our experienced and knowledgeable educators are committed to providing a play based curriculum that entices all children to become engaged and involved in the learning experiences with their peers.

Trinity Gardens Early Learning Centre welcomes the involvement of families and encourages them to work with educators in creating a program that reflects the needs and interests of their child. You can find out more information on how to become involved by contacting the Centre. The Director and educators are always available to have a conversation if needed, just ring to book a time between 8:30am and 3:00pm each day.

Information will continue to be sent out to you throughout the year through various communication channels. Our aim is that you and your child quickly feel a sense of belonging to our preschool community and that this sense of belonging grows and remains throughout the transition to school.

Early Learning Centre Website: www.preschools.sa.gov.au/trinity-gardens-childrens-centre

Our Philosophy Statement

We believe every child is unique in terms of life experience, developmental readiness and cultural heritage. We will foster a culture built on collaborative relationships based on trust, respect and honesty and ensure that empathy and compassion are evident in everything that we do. We will honour children’s right to play for powerful and effective learning. We aim to generate new possibilities by promoting self-expression, curiosity, wonder, amazement and fun. We will create a beautiful, spacious place where children experience a sense of belonging and can grow and learn in safety with each other, connected and contributing to their world. We welcome diversity and embrace the unique contribution of every child, family and professional. We endeavour to provide an environment that is inclusive and culturally safe. We acknowledge the importance of children and families connection to community and value their voice and participation. We will work together in partnership to build better communities for children and their families to live, work and play. We will collaborate as colleagues to generate a culture of continual reflection and renewal of high-quality practices in early childhood.

When your child can start preschool

Your child is entitled to access 4 terms (1 year) of government preschool in the year before they start school.

We are introducing a mid-year intake into preschool. This means from 2023 children who turn 4:

  • before 1 May are eligible to start preschool at the beginning of the year.
  • on 1 May to 31 October can start preschool through the mid-year intake at the beginning of term 3 of that year.

Regardless of whether your child starts at the beginning of the year, or through a mid-year intake they will undertake 4 terms of preschool.

If your child turns 4 after 31 October they can start preschool at the beginning of the following year.

If you are uncertain about the best time for your child to start preschool or feel your child may benefit from starting preschool later, please talk to us about your options.

If your child is Aboriginal or under guardianship (in care) they are eligible for 12 hours of preschool after they turn 3. They will then be eligible for 15 hours per week of preschool in the year before they start school.

Early entry

If you have a child with disability or additional needs, they might be able to start preschool earlier if there are places available. Talk to us if this applies to you. Being given early entry to preschool does not guarantee early entry to school.

Enrolling your child

You can register your interest to enrol your child with us by using the preschool registration of interest form. This form is also available from us.

Try to register your interest by 30 June, but you can do this any time during the year.

Priority will be given to children living in our catchment area. If you don’t live in our catchment area you should indicate at least 2 other preschool options on your form.

If we can give your child a place with us we’ll send you an offer letter in term 3. You can accept the offer by filling in and sending back the acceptance slip by the due date.

Before your child starts

We will contact you in term 4 about a parent information evening. This will be a 1-hour session where you can ask questions.

Before they start preschool your child can come to pre-entry transition visits. These will be in term 4 and will be a chance for your child to meet the staff and other children.

Fees

We ask you to contribute towards the cost of your child attending preschool.

The parent contribution is $760 per year. You can choose to pay the total amount at the beginning of the year or pay $190 each term.

When to pay

We will invoice you in term 1 via your communication pocket. Payments are due by the end of term 1.
Please contact us if you are having difficulty paying.

How to pay

Cash or cheque

You can pay cash, cheque or EFTPOS at the School Office. If paying by cash or cheque, please put the payment in a sealed envelope with your child’s name on the front. Please hand the envelope to us at our office.

EFT information

You can pay by direct deposit using BPOINT or Qkr. Please put your child’s name in the notes as the reference.

Preschool session times

Your child can attend preschool for up to 15 hours per week.

The Early Learning Centre Building offers a main play area with carpeted and wet areas, a quiet multi-purpose room, bathroom and kitchen. The building is ventilated with windows allowing for fresh air and it is also has an air conditioner for the warmer and cooler days. Outside, the Early Learning Centre has its own playground equipment, sandpit and shed for storing the portable equipment. There is a wide verandah, large trees for shade in the yard and a pergola covering the sandpit.

The Early Learning Centre is open during school terms and caters for children for the year before they start school. It aims to develop children’s strengths and abilities through play-centred activities and to prepare them for entry into the main school once they have attended four terms at the Early Learning Centre.

Our school community is committed to creating an environment conducive to learning. We recognise the uniqueness of every child and support them as a learner to develop resilience, optimism, skills, confidence and social responsibility for them to achieve their full potential. Our values are respect, responsibility and learning.

As part of the School, the Principal, Director and the Governing Council lead the Centre. The Principal, with the Early Learning Centre teacher, oversee the day to day running of the educational programmes. The Governing Council, in consultation with the staff, is responsible for the governance of the centre.

The Early Years Learning Framework, (2009) describes play as a ‘context for learning through which children organise and make sense of their social worlds, as they engage actively with people, objects and representations.’

We are a play centred preschool. Play is as vital to the child’s development as nutrition, health and shelter. Play provides children with the opportunities to investigate their world and to test their knowledge, skills and understanding. Play allows children to be active and interactive learning how to form and maintain relationships. During play, children are regularly using higher order thinking skills as they imagine, create, negotiate, problem solve and experiment.

The program is developed from professional observations and the national curriculum document, The Early Years Learning Framework. Our program is displayed on the notice board each week.

In order to give our children every opportunity to extend their learning we are fortunate enough to be able to access the school resources and facilities. Some of the resources and facilities we may access are:

  • Working with specialist teachers and having access to their skills and knowledge – the Resource Centre teacher and the Italian and Instrumental Music teachers.
  • Working with an older class on a vast range of learning activities. They become our friends and mentors.
  • Working in the Resource Centre with its extensive library of fiction and non-fiction books and math equipment
  • Participating in lunchtime play with the older students in our outdoor learning area.

These experiences help promote an authentic transition between the Early Learning Centre and school.

Group Times

Blue Group: Monday and Tuesday 8.30am – 3:15pm and Friday (fortnightly) 8:30am – 11:30am
Gold Group: Wednesday and Thursday 8.30am – 3:15pm and Friday (fortnightly) 8:30am – 11:30am

What to bring

Children need to bring these items each day:

  • bag
  • hat
  • change of clothes
  • drink bottle containing water
  • healthy snack
  • packed lunch.

Please write your child’s name on all their belongings.

What not to bring

Children should not bring these things:

  • food containing nuts (some children have nut allergies that can be dangerous)
  • unhealthy food or drink (lollies, chocolate, chips, fizzy drinks)
  • toys from home.