Serrell Street Uniting Kindergarten

Children thrive in our natural and unique environment which includes a fairy garden and water pump-fed river bed enclosed in natural rock. Pear trees adorned with woollen covers provide a textured sensory area for children to play in. Light-filled indoor space provides for a range of sheltered activities, complete with a view of outside through the expansive glass wall.

Every element of our space inspires the imagination and offers opportunity for learning and adventure.

Our kindergarten features:

• Planned and intentional indoor spaces
• Large outdoor space
• 2 sandpits
• Mud pit
• Trees and natural shade
• Vegetable and herb gardening beds
• Shade sail
• Play area with climbing equipment
• Swings
• Cubby house
• Gross motor play equipment for activities such as climbing, skipping, throwing and catching
• Worm farm.

We make learning about the world around us and sustainability fun! Children are responsible for looking after the plants, worm farm and vegetable garden, and are encouraged to compost food scraps and recycle paper, plastics and water.

Educational excursions are often focused on nature, conservation, and indigenous environmental culture.

We have had some amazing excursions to:

• The Melbourne Aquarium
• The Melbourne Zoo
• Chesterfield Farm
• Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
• Botanical Gardens
• Werribee Zoo
• Local Community Walks
• Arcare Aged Care Facility.

We’ve also participated in great community programs including:

• The Responsible Pet Program which teaches children how to approach dogs safely. Families visit the kinder with their animals on a regular basis.
• Wild Action Program featuring native Australian animals
• Local Government Sustainability Program.

And had visits from:

• Jo the drummer, who teaches about percussion instruments and focuses on beat, pitch and rhythm. This program includes three music sessions with the children.
• The local dentist, doctor, and vet
• The Museum.

And extra special guests: baby chicks and rabbits.

Learning about their bodies, active living and nutritious food helps children develop healthy habits for life. Our curriculum alongside visits from medical professionals provides children with basic wellness education and teaches them how to be responsible for their own health.

They learn about health and wellbeing by:

• Eating together to experience the social aspects of healthy eating
• Observing and trying foods from other cultures
• Growing produce in the garden (e.g. herbs, vegetables, fruit)
• Practising food safety
• Learning about special dietary and cultural food standards
• Deciding what they want to eat and when (progressive snack time).

We celebrate all families at kinder with special visitor days and events. Parents are invited daily to spend time with the children and are encouraged to participate in fundraising, festivals, talk about their jobs, bring in their animals, cook together and read to the children. Fundraising by the Serrell Street

Parent Committee has helped pay for our many wonderful play spaces and equipment.

Parents are welcome to:

• Celebrate significant cultural events with the children
• Volunteer their time to provide support and resources for our programs
• Nominate for the Serrell Street Parent Committee
• Get together for social events in school holidays and after kinder (organised by the committee)
• Contribute to the Tree Yarning Project.

We regularly engage with:

• The local primary school (with visits from teachers and excursions to school)
• Local service people (e.g. police, fire and emergency services, etc.)
• Wellbeing practitioners
• Indigenous community members or groups
• Animal trainers or handlers
• Farms or farmers.

Serrell Street Kindergarten visits the local nursing home each fortnight to spend time with residents, read to them, and sometimes stay for morning tea.

At Serrell Street Kindergarten there is a lot of diversity among the families and staff, some of whom speak Polish, Greek, Italian and German. Translators are available when needed. Though most communication is written in English, we are sensitive to families’ needs and can provide translated information.

Our educators are experienced in working with children who live with a range of physical and intellectual disability or have experienced challenges and trauma. We also engage with many support services, including:

• Connections (the Preschool Field Officer service)
• Noah’s Ark
• Various speech pathologists
• Various occupational therapists.

4-year-old kindergarten

$2,772 per term for 30 hour session

Purple - Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 8.30am to 4.00pm

$1,455 per term for 20.25 hour session

Yellow - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 8.30am to 3.45pm

$772 per term for 15 hour session

Red – Thursday and Friday 8.30am to 4.00pm

Blue – Monday and Wednesday 8.30am to 4.00pm

3-year-old kindergarten

$1,818 per term for 17 hour session

Pink - Tuesdays 8.30am to 1.30pm, Thursday and Friday 8.30am - 2.30pm

$1,168 per term for 12 hour session

Green - Thursday and Friday 8.30am - 2.30pm

$258 per term for 5 hour session

Orange - Tuesdays 8.30am to 1.30pm