Centre Philosophy

Lollipops Educare Albany - Philosophy Statement

• Children feel and sense love; warmth, belonging and enjoyment in being part of our environment.  There is fun, laughter and playfulness visible, we feel that these are strong values which help to build trusting, meaningful relationships.

• Be treated with respect,   where their needs are listened to and they are given support.  We demonstrate respect in sharing with our children routines that are taking place; they are asked before their nappies/toileting occurs and given choice.

• Children are acknowledged as competent capable learners, they are encouraged to take risks and build ownership of their learning. Educators have a strong commitment to nurturing the self esteem of children creating an environment where they feel confident to express themselves knowing that they will be valued.

• Educators are committed to listening with our children, showing trust and value in their voice. We encourage our children to be active participants in their learning.

• Educators demonstrate through their practice a sense of calmness and patience; we recognise that providing an unrushed and calm environment creates a sense of time and value that contributes to positive interactions within our centre.

• Children have clear consistent boundaries which are realistic and familiar, they are given time to make decisions which contribute to a safe and nurturing environment.

• Building strong relationships with children their families and our community are present; time is taken to build trusting, reciprocal relationships as we acknowledge their contribution is valuable and they are encouraged to be involved in our programme and other centre life.

• Have educators that are committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the uniqueness of Aoteaora New Zealand as well as seeing our families and their cultures reflected in the centre.

• Our environments do have a reflection and influence from the Reggie Emilio philosophy and RIE approach, we have adapted these to the context within our centre where through our teaching practices and physical environments there are visible connections.