Trips and Excursions:
We believe that it is important for children to experience and contribute to the wider community as part of their learning and development journey. From time to time we will plan trips outside of the Centre. You will be notified of these planned trips and written permission will be requested. We may also request a small fee and parent help for some trips.
From time to time we may also take small groups of children for a walk outside the Centre to explore the local environment, to the local library, or to the supermarket with a staff member. You have been asked to provide written permission for these excursions on your child’s enrolment forms. We consider that these everyday experiences are an important part of the early childhood curriculum, and as such are valuable learning opportunities.
What to bring:
At Mt Royal ELC we believe that children learn best when they are able to experiment and explore with all their senses. We will provide aprons for paint and messy activities, but your child may still get wet and dirty from time to time. We therefore ask that you provide your child with at least 3 full changes of clothing every day so that we can keep them warm and dry.
We suggest that you send old clothes that you don’t mind being stained so that your child can become involved in messy activities without fear of damaging their clothes. All wet or soiled clothing will be sent home for washing in a plastic bag.
In the warm months:
Please provide a sun hat and apply sun block before coming to the Centre in the morning. We will apply more sun block throughout the day. Children will not be permitted to play outdoors without a sun hat during summer.
In the cooler months:
Please provide a warm hat that covers your child’s ears. We also recommend your child bring a pair of gumboots, a rain coat, water proof pants and plenty of warm clothing. We will play outdoors in winter (weather dependent) and your child may get wet. They may also like to have their slippers to wear inside.
For children who require nappies, please provide enough nappies each day to ensure we are able to change your child at appropriate intervals. Most families bring a whole packet to the Centre each week, and we will advise you when these are almost gone. We advise that you provide at least 4 nappies per day to allow for bowel movements and unexpected use of nappies e.g. water play.
Communication:
Open communication is vital to ensure high standards of care for children and their families. We will endeavour to talk to you every day as well as inviting you for a parent/teacher discussion at least once a year. We aim to build relationships with children, their parents, family and whanau that enable us to provide the best possible care and education for all children.
In addition to this we will:
- Send home a monthly newsletter
- Display incidental information on the board at the front of the Centre
- Make Centre policies and funding information available at the parent information Centre
- Provide a complaints procedure that ensures your concerns can be heard and addressed as much as possible.
Please talk to us informally every day, but if you have any questions or would like to discuss your child’s care privately please talk to a staff member and we will make time to meet with you.
If you require any further information please call in at the Centre or phone us on 09 8497440