The Anne Sgro Philosophy

The Anne Sgro Children’s Centre believes in:

Respect- We value respect as an integral part of our centre & it underlies all interactions, procedures & policies of the centre. It also underlies all of the following principles.

A sense of belonging- We believe that children, families & staff develop a sense of belonging to the centre. The centre also actively encourages the involvement of families in all aspects of their child’s care.

The Value of Play- We acknowledge the importance of the early childhood years & our role in a young child’s development. We believe that children learn through play. Staff provides a developmentally appropriate program that caters for all children’s abilities & needs, both as individuals & as a group. We encourage open-ended play experiences that enable children to develop their problem solving skills & physical abilities. The program will also be flexible & stimulating, offering challenges in new experiences & enabling children to develop to their full potential. (Also refer to Program Handbook).

Cultural Diversity- We recognise & respect the importance of the cultural backgrounds of our children, families, staff & our community. The Centre encourages all children, families & staff to share their culture, as well as incorporating cultural diversity into our program. We also encourage the use of home languages & employing bilingual staff where possible.

Communication- We value & encourage open & sincere/respectful communication between children, families & staff. Staff also model positive relationships through good communication that encourages children to form positive relationships with their peers. Various communication strategies are used in order to ensure that open communication is developed & maintained between children, families & staff. This is also reflected in encouraging the employment of bilingual staff. Greater understanding comes from positive communication.

Teamwork- Co-operation & team work are vital aspects of providing quality care for children & a fulfilling workplace for staff. We encourage children, staff & families to work together as a team to the enhancement of our centre.

Equality- We believe that all children, families & staff should be able to access our service, regardless of gender, country of origin, religion or physical ability. This is also reflected in our program planning, ensuring that all have access to all parts of the program.

The Environment- We respect & appreciate the strain on the world’s environmental resources & work towards minimizing our impact. Educating children on the conservation of our environment is an important part of this process & will be incorporated into our program. Using natural resources will also encourage an appreciation of the environment & lower our impact.

Objectives of the Centre

The Anne Sgro Children’s Centre aims to:

Children

• Meet the needs of children whose families live, work, or study in Moreland.
• To provide an environment that respects and maintains the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of the children.
• Enable children to develop to their full potential taking into account their individual needs.

Parents

• Provide support for the family as a whole.
• Involve parents in the management of the service.
• Provide an environment where parental concerns can be addressed.
• Encourage parent/family involvement in the day-to-day functioning of the Centre.

Staff

• Develop and maintain optimum working conditions, allowing opportunities for staff support and training.
• Involve staff in the decision making processes and to involve staff in the ongoing evaluation of the Centre’s policies and development of the service.
• Provide an atmosphere in which staff can work as a team and where levels of training and personal skills are respected, valued and utilised.

To read more about our philosophy, policies and procedures, please download the parent handbook here.