Our Programs
Enrolling
Programs
See the programs below
Fees and Timetables
Macleod Preschool currently has a managed partnership with Early Childhood Management Service, ECMS.
Details about our fees and timetables are available from ECMS.
How to Enrol
All initial enrolments go through Banyule City Council.
Enrolments open early March, refer to Banyule City Council website for exact dates.
Places are allocated early July, once accepted, ECMS will contact you in later Term 3 / Early Term 4 to obtain group preferences.
Final allocation occurs during Term 4 from ECMS via email.
Three Year Old Program
Possums and Koalas
Starting kindergarten is an important and special milestone in your child’s life. Our 3 year old program aims to nurture the children’s confidence, expanding their awareness and adventure in learning. It’s a time of discovery; a time for young children to investigate new surroundings, new friends and possibilities. The journey here is all about supporting each child to explore and discover the world around but also the person within.
Encouraging autonomy and independence in small tasks such as placing their bag in their locker or getting their drink bottle at snack time or washing their hands by themselves boosts their wellbeing and overall confidence.
Assisting children to develop a positive self- image and self- worth helps them:
act independently
assume responsibility
take pride in their accomplishments
tolerate frustration
attempt new tasks and challenges
handle positive and negative emotions
offer assistance to others
The group has an emphasis on exploration, inquiry learning and overall having fun, positive interactions through play based learning. Throughout these interactions we learn how to share and co-operate with each other in a happy, safe, relaxed, well-structured educational environment. As well as learning kindergarten rules, routines and fair and un-fair behaviours.
Incursions are a regular feature of the program, as well as traditional activities such as painting, storytelling, dress ups, role play, blocks, construction, crafts and much more. We encourage the children to express themselves through language, art and imaginative play. This allows each child the time, space and support to experience and develop in their own individual way while promoting learning through play, because play is children’s work. This program helps develop their everyday skills as well as a wonderful transition into the 4 year old program.
Four Year Old Program
Bilbies, Kangaroos & Wombats
Here at Macleod Preschool, the dedicated team of educators work closely with one another and other professionals to provide an inclusive, holistic Early Childhood Education program, focusing on supporting children’s learning and development through an Emergent curriculum and play based approach.
Four year old kindergarten is so important for children as it allows for exploration of the world around them, as they learn new skills, attributes and ideas, creating meaning through investigation and inquiry based learning. Children develop these fundamental skills when they are given the opportunity and time to engage in a range of different experiences through un-interrupted periods of play.
All of the four year old groups follow an emergent curriculum, integrating exploration and play as vehicles for teaching and learning. Our families and in particular the children, have embraced this style of teaching and have contributed to our program in many ways. The children are delighted by the opportunity to share their ideas and to have a voice within the program. It gives them a wonderful sense of belonging, independence and empowerment. This style of planning requires constant observation, listening, documentation, creative thinking, flexibility, patience, respect and much humour in order to support and enhance their social, emotional, physical, cognitive and language development.
The kindergarten program reflects the children’s interests, strengths and needs, whilst incorporating teacher initiated experiences and input from families and the wider community. The program is planned in conjunction with co-educators to support, enhance and encourage learning of particular interest avenues. As a four year old educator, it is highly important that children are encouraged to become independent learners, self-determining and responsive to the play choices they make. Setting children up for success by modelling, scaffolding and giving them the opportunity to make thoughtful decisions, allows children to become confident and autonomous learners who are active participants of their own learning journey.
Throughout the year the children explore many different issues, stemming from group interests to individual ideas, which educators can enhance and support learning through more explicit teaching opportunities and the use of educational incursions and excursions. As each group has different learning interests and learning ideals the incursions vary in order to support the individual group interests. Each term each group has between 2 and 3 different incursions to support learning, growth and development.
As we prepare the environment and activities we focus on the following learning areas:
Visual arts and craft
Natural Environment, Science and Math
Language and Literature
Dramatic and Imaginative
Manipulative and Construction
Music and Movement
Sensory Play
Physical Play and Fitness