About
Gymea Community Preschool is licensed by the NSW Department of Education and Care and are a non- profit organisation. The preschool is licensed for 60 children per day and operates between the hours of 8:00am to 3:30pm. Gymea Community Preschool has a long history, first established in 1946 and moved into a new building in 2007.
We are committed to the continual improvement and development of our environment and resources to provide an enriching learning experience for all children.
Our Philosophy
- We believe that play is essential to children’s learning and that children learn most effectively within an unhurried environment with meaningful, authentic experiences, allowing children to achieve success without pressure.
- We believe that play should be fun, hands-on, child- centred, spontaneous, stimulating and challenging, which provides opportunities for children to experiment, discover, explore, create, investigate, practice skills, take risks, learn through achievements and mistakes, solve problems, make choices, decisions and express ideas with the support of their peers and staff.
- We provide children with opportunities to discover and learn about themselves, their peers and the environment in an atmosphere that encourages harmonious and meaningful life enhancing relationships.
- We believe a sense of wonder, belonging to and love of the natural environment and living things is critical for young children to develop lifelong respectful, positive and proactive attitudes towards protecting our environment, caring for all living creatures and creating a sustainable environment.
- Gymea Community Preschool’s greatest resource is its staff, who are enthusiastic and dedicated to early childhood education, working cohesively as a professional team.
- We believe in respecting knowledge, training and experience of individual staff members and the importance of providing opportunities for further professional development within a dynamic industry.
- We believe in supporting and developing partnerships with families and the local community, to share the nurturing and care of young children.
- We encourage each family to participate in the preschool community, welcoming and supporting their interest and involvement as we believe the family is the most important and powerful influence on children’s learning and behaviour.
At Gymea Community Preschool we RECOGNISE:
- The Dharawal people, the traditional owners of the land on which we learn and play. We acknowledge our responsibility to learn from the local Aboriginal community to implement practices and policies that are respectful of their land, language, culture and traditions.
- We are all advocates for a sustainable future, and we build knowledge, attitudes and understanding by role modeling and implementing achievable actions that protect our environment and care for all living creatures.
- Children’s wellbeing and needs will best be met through a partnership with families and community so that expertise and experience from all can be used to direct and inform a high quality program.
- The value of community collaboration and the role the Board of Management play in ensuring that decisions are in the best interests of all stakeholders.
- Ensuring multiple ways of communicating and collaborating is vital to meet diverse needs and build connections.
- We are guided by the Early Years Learning Framework, The National Quality Standards, The United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child and The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
At Gymea Community Preschool we KNOW:
- Children learn best when they feel a sense of belonging, safety and value.
- Every child has a right to experience belonging. Our practices will foster belonging to our preschool, cultures and community through continuity and genuine and meaningful relationships that nourish children’s learning and development.
- When children, families and educators feel safe and supported, they are confident participants in our preschool.
- Relationships are always evolving, and continual reflection is required to maintain these relationships and improve our practices.
- Positive mental health in the early years creates a solid foundation for the future.
- Continual Professional Development will support staff to be competent, achieve goals, learn new skills, increase expertise and contribute more to our preschool community.
- Deeper understanding and genuine attachments are formed when educators follow children’s lead and tailor their approaches.
At Gymea Community Preschool we BELIEVE:
- In a holistic approach where children experience the joy of an unhurried childhood whilst meeting challenges and transitions with self belief and resilience.
- Every child is unique, significant and worthy of being listened to and treated with fairness, kindness and respect.
- A considered and supervised program that supports risky play in all weather conditions will provide children with opportunities to challenge their skills, learn about injury risk and make informed judgments.
- Children learn best in environments that are designed for inclusion, invite them to play, inspire them to create and challenge them to develop.
- Children can build relationships, learn and share their expertise with their peers when educators provide empowering environments that support small group interactions, collaborative play and autonomy.
- Our educators and staff are the foundation of our preschool and their continuity, diversity, strength, expertise, spirit and passions are valued and recognised.
- Working as a team helps us to combine our diversities to achieve common goals, critically reflect and learn from each other.
- Supporting high quality educators to apply expertise and focus on specific programs and environments will result in high quality outcomes for all of our community.
- Acknowledging days that are meaningful and relevant to our community helps us build connections.
- Critical reflection engaging all stakeholders is key to continual improvement and considered decisions.
At Gymea Community Preschool we UNDERSTAND:
- The importance of having a program and practices that is dynamic and responsive to children’s innate sense of curiosity, continuous growth and change.
- That we have guidelines, policies and procedures that need to be followed and updated regularly in order to provide the best care, support and environment.
- The importance of working in partnership with families and the community, particularly our local Aboriginal community, to build and offer environments that are an extension of where we come from and what we know.
- A positive and energized work environment is influenced by the provision of an organised, effective and appropriate leadership team who shares their knowledge and support staff to succeed.
- Caring for and educating children will be multifaceted. As well as embedding developmental outcomes, we will also encompass approaches to health, inclusion, spirituality and relationships.
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What Parents say about Gymea Community Preschool
Acknowledgement of Country. We at Gymea Community Preschool learn to walk lightly on Country and take care of the possums and birds with their soft paws and tiny claws. We acknowledge the Dharawal speaking people as traditional custodians of this special place.
At Gymea Community Preschool we believe that our philosophy will encourage and promote belonging, being and becoming in each child.