FAQs

Q. What is a community based Pre-School?

Community-based Pre-School is a not-for-profit service. The profit from trading is re invested in the service and put back into resources and equipment for the Pre-School, while for-profit and corporate services are operated with the intention of profits being returned to the owners or shareholders.

Q. What are your normal hours of operation?

Our regular or licensed hours of operation are between 8.30am to 4.00pm, therefore, children are unable to be on the premises before 8.30 or after 4.00pm (A late fee will be applied if this occurs)

Q. Are you open during the school holidays?

No, please note that our Pre-School does not charge fees during this period, or on public holidays, or gazetted local public holidays.

Q. Is there a charge to be on the waiting list?

No, our office staff will contact you when it is your child’s turn to be placed in the Pre-School. If at any stage you wish to remove your child’s name please contact the Pre-School.

Q. Do you have Trained Staff?

Yes. In total we have 7 qualified educators,  being 1 Qualified Early Childhood Teacher (Director), 3 Diploma Trained staff (who job share), and 3 Certificate 111 Childcare workers ( job share). In total, our team of educators offer over 80 years’ experience in childcare. The Pre-School also has higher staff to children ratios as required by the Department of Education and Care Services, to provide your child with the highest possible quality educational experience. All educators have been verified with their Working with Children Check as well as having First Aid and Child Protection Training. The Pre-School ensures that educators be up to date with all certificates as well as current trends in early childhood.

Q. Do you provide the children with food?

No, families are asked to pack a healthy morning tea and lunch for their child. We are supported by the Good for Kids program that promote healthy eating, upon enrolment you will receive our policies and further information on recommended foods. We also ask that parents provide the child with a drink bottle filled with water. Educators refill it when needed. Please note that our Pre-School has a strict no nuts policy, and recommends that families follow the NSW Health, Good for Kids good for life dietary requirements for children.

Q How soon do I need to put my child’s name down to attend your Pre-School?

Our Pre-School has families on our waiting list, therefore the sooner the better. Please complete our online waiting list form. You will then be placed onto our waiting list and contacted when a position becomes available.

Q. What are your daily fees?

Please contact the Pre-School directly for details of fees.

Q. Is the Pre-School affiliated with the church?

No, Hamilton Community Pre-School is an independent organisation who leases the premises from the church.

Q. How do educators assess children's learning?

Children, during their time at Pre-School are immerse in several learning opportunities that develop and extend a variety of skills. These special moments are recorded on Storypark that you can access at any time.

We complete detailed documentations of the children (please refer to fact sheet; (Planning and Assessment   Cycle)

Our Documentation Overview (minimum requirement): This is an overview of the minimum requirements that educators aim to achieve for each individual child and is subject to change.

• Terms 1 and 4 – One documentation and one Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Inclusion Support Plan (ISP*) entries
• Terms 2 and 3 – Two documentations as well as 2 IEP

They are designed to show the progress that your child has made throughout their time at Pre-School, so it is important that you take the time to read them.

During the year, educators create children’s Individual Education Plans (IEP) which are developed through educators developing relationships with the children and in consultation with families, our knowledge of child development and their experience in the field of early childhood and the use of  the EYLF developmental milestones checklist. The individual objectives target the children’s strengths, interests and areas of need, all educators support the children to meet, excel or work towards achieving their unique goal/s. We make entries on Storypark and the goals and achievements reflect the Early Years Learning Framework.

Educators also complete Summative Assessments (which is an overview of the child's development) incorporating the 5 learning outcomes or Transition to School Statements.

Children can also readily access individual Learning Journals, they are project books that are available for children who want to learn about topics of interest, hold special artwork etc…they are intentionally child initiated or led and educators use resources to further support what the child knows and what has been learnt.

Not all children want to utilise a Learning Journal and it is not compulsory, they are another means of documentation. We place no pressure on the children to use one or what they want to put in it. 

Q. What is the Reflective Daily Journal?

At Pre-School, we program by observing the children both in and outdoors, while they play and write jottings about what the child's doing, who they are playing with, the discoveries they are making and the conversations. This is called “interest-based programming”. 

Our jottings are written into the Reflective Daily Journal (RDJ) and the experience is continued and extended the next time the child is at Pre-School. At the end of each day or as soon as possible the RDJ is scanned and placed onto Storypark for you to read and add a contribution. The RDJ acknowledges children who have been observed for the day, any follow up experiences, children' voices ideas, contributions and requests, wellbeing, group times and transition activities.

Not all children are named daily in the RDJ but it is monitored weekly by the Educational Leader to ensure there is consistency in naming them throughout the term.

Any children not named are noted on the Reflection on Planning document as well as being written in our diary for educators to read. The EL also creates a Programming Audit for an overall view of the number of times each child is named throughout the term.

Q. Can I volunteer at the Pre-School?

Yes, we love parent help. There are many ways you can be involved in the Pre- School, this can be by:-

• Helping on excursions (you must have a Working with Children Check to assist on outings) 
• Helping at the Pre-School
• Visiting the children to talk about a topic
• Being a committee member
• Helping maintain the gardens and vegetable beds
• Helping educators maintain materials for the children
• Coming to our family events

Q. Do you have sleep time throughout the day?

No, but we do provide the children with a quiet area and opportunity to rest if they are tired.

Q. How can I be on the management committee?

The Pre-School has an Annual General Meeting in March this is when you can be nominated to be on the committee

Q. What do I bring on my child’s first day?

It is important that the child can firstly recognise his/her belongings so take the child with you when you buy your Pre-School essentials. You will need:-

• A large back pack – also buy something to hang off the zipper for your child to recognise
• Morning tea box
• Lunch box.
• Spare change of clothes including underwear and socks.
• Broad-rimmed or sensible hat. (Needs to link to Pre-School T-Shirts and Hats)
• Drink bottle filled with water.

Please remember to LABEL everything, including school bag.