Information for our families
To help your children be best prepared for their day with us and to ensure their health and safety, here are some important things to remember.
What your child needs
Everyday your child should arrive at Preschool with a packed lunch, morning tea snack, bottle of water, hat, full change of clothes.
They will need sunscreen applied in the warmer months and have a jumper when it's cooler. All items should be clearly labelled with your child’s name.
If you child has a nap whilst with us, they also require bedding for the small stretcher beds (cot sheet size is perfect).
Pacifiers must also be labelled.
Drop off & pick up
All children must be signed in and out on the iPad at the front door each day.
This is important to ensure we follow the correct policies and procedures and have accurate reporting.
We must also ensure that anyone signing in/out is over the age of 18 and if collecting a child, they must be listed as an authorised person or have otherwise discussed arrangements with staff prior to pick up.
Family involvement
Would you like us to teach something specific to your child? Have some craft ideas? Or do you have something special happening in your child's life you would like them to share?
Please write them down on the notice board or send us an email with any thoughts or suggestions.
We value all family input and are always on the lookout for ideas and interests from the children’s life outside of Preschool.
If your child is sick or away
Please remember to inform the Preschool if your child is not attending due to illness, holidays or other as early as possible.
Please send an email, send us a message via OWNA or give us a quick call.
Funding
The current State Government funding is called ‘Start Strong Funding’.
The Start Strong Fee Relief, currently allows for the two ‘free days’ at our preschool for children 3+.
Fees
As a not-for-profit preschool, we strive to maintain affordable fees. Our fee’s are determined by a balance of government funding and our annual expenses.
Different eligibility criteria and your child's age establish various funding levels.
Policies, Procedures & Accreditation
Detailed information about our Policies and Procedures can be found on OWNA or via a hard copy located on the sign in/out desk.
Every education and care service are assessed and rated by their state and territory authority. In NSW it is the Early Childhood Education Directorate, NSW Department of Education
Services are assessed against the 7 quality areas of the National Quality Standard. Services are assessed and rated by their regulatory authority against the NQS and given a rating for each quality area and an overall rating based on these results.
We are meeting National Quality Standard in all 7 quality areas. Each year we collaborate with staff, families, children and the community to develop and implement a Quality Improvement Plan for continual reflection and improvement of our service.
Our next Assessment and Rating will be in 2025.
The Management Committee
The overall governance of the Preschool is entrusted to a Committee* consisting of parents from the Preschool community who dedicate their time and effort to support and help create an enriching environment for both children and staff.
The Committee is composed of the following roles:
President
The President serves as the head of the Committee and presides over its meetings. This individual holds the same voting rights as other members but possesses the deciding vote in case of a tie. Acting as an executive member, the President has the authority to make decisions on behalf of the Preschool.
Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for overseeing the financial aspects of the Preschool, ensuring its smooth operation. This includes preparing the budget, monitoring income and expenditures, and coordinating the annual audit.
The Preschool then has a part-time Administration Assistant who is responsible for daily financial tasks, including processing payments and collecting revenues. Consequently, the Treasurer’s role focuses on the overall oversight of finances rather than the day-to-day operations. As an executive member, the Treasurer possesses the legal authority to act on behalf of the Preschool.
Secretary
The Secretary oversees the Preschool’s official correspondence, maintains the Register of Committee members, and records the Minutes of Committee meetings. The Secretary can also help with general admin and ad-hoc tasks.
Ordinary Members
There are three Ordinary Members actively participating in the Committee without assigned tasks.
*In accordance with the licensing regulations enforced by the Department of Education, all Committee members are required to complete background checks, which include criminal record screenings and assessments for working with children. Prospective Committee members must consent to these checks and fill out the necessary screening forms.