Welcome to the Coleraine and District
Kindergarten in Term Four. Our numbers remain healthy for this term, with 17
enrolled in our Three-year Old Group programme and 10 in our Four-year Old
Group programme. We have sent out ‘Enrolment Packs’ to 21 prospective Three-year
Old Group members and 10 prospective Four-year Old Group members; the steady
numbers are an exciting prospect for 2016. You may have heard of the State
Government’s ‘No Jab, No Play’ immunisation initiative and I ask that you
familiarize yourself with it for 2016, all current information is available on http://www.health.vic.gov.au/immunisation/factsheets/no-jab-no-play.htm.
Another State Government initiative that potentially affects us is the lowering
of the staff: student ratio from 1:15 to 1:11. However, as you can see from the
above numbers, at this stage we remain unaffected. Thank you to all those who
have returned their ‘Enrolment Packs’ as this allows us to confirm staffing,
apply for necessary funding subsidies and remain financially responsible. We
have very gratefully received a $12, 000 Small Rural Grant from the Department
and some of it will shortly be used to replace the deteriorated shade sail and
pay for our advertising costs for 2016, as well as more regular expenses.
On that note, and in this final Newsletter I
wish to inform you a little more of Natalie and Jacqui’s service as valued
educators with the Coleraine and District Kindergarten before they leave us at
the end of the year. Natalie has been a member of our teaching staff for many
years, in an ongoing capacity in the past and currently, having returned to us
from raising a family and duties elsewhere, in a relief and then contract
position. Prior to her current position as a team-teaching Four-year Old Group
teacher and Educational Leader Natalie was running both our Three-year Old
Group and Four-year Old Group programmes. Since returning to the Coleraine and
District kindergarten in mid-2015 Natalie has been a valued mentor for our
Three-year Old Group teacher, Maree, who in recent years achieved her Graduate
Diploma and her team-teacher Jacqui Grimmer, who is Bachelor of Education
trained. Natalie has also facilitated the smooth transition between staff
changeovers, running staff meetings and being responsible for staff
professional development in her role as Educational Leader. Jacqui came on
board our team at a difficult time of the year and, despite her previous lack
of experience in the early childhood sector, has continuously developed her
understanding of kindergarten programming and teaching. Her strategically
planned and wonderfully creative art and craft and literacy activities have
allowed the children to develop their skills to a higher level as is needed at
this stage of the year. I thank her for taking on the great challenge of moving
education sectors, especially at such short notice and, unfortunately due to
our ‘Funding by Exception’ constraints, for such a short period. A huge thank
you to Jo for her valued assistance with the Four-year Old Group for this year
as that ‘Gateways’ funded position comes to an end.
In this last Newsletter for 2015, I’d like to
publically recognise Maree’s length of service as an educator with the
Coleraine and District Kindergarten. She has been a valued member of our
teaching staff for the past fifteen years, a fantastic milestone and one to be
commemorated. Prior to 2013 Maree was working as an Assistant to both out
Three-year Old Group and Four-year Old Group programmes. Since gaining her
Diploma she has been working as our Three-year Old Group teacher under the
quidance of our Educational Leader as well as continuing to assist with the
Four-year Old programme. Maree will continue on in her role in 2016 and I thank
Maree and Jo for their dedication to growing our service and so positively and
ably teaching our Three-year Old Group.
I’d also like to thank those on the Committee
for their assistance for me in my role as President as well as their continued
work fulfilling their own roles. Rhianna, Andrea, Kate, Jana, Sarah, Kara and
Hayley (and Brad) your efforts are all much appreciated and the kindergarten could not
function or exist as a community organization without people such as
yourselves. This has never been more apparent to me than after attending the
Bendigo Bank to represent the kindergarten in thanks for their financial
sponsorship on Tuesday night, where the true meaning of ‘community’ became
apparent after hearing from so many volunteers and their inspiring stories of
appreciation.
Finally, this is a busy term with the Show,
Christmas activities and Parade and transition sessions. I’d like to remind
everyone to sign-up to our blog for email notifications, check your child’s
kindergarten ‘pocket’ and communicate with the staff and Committee if you have
any questions or queries. Our Annual General Meeting will be held in January to
coincide with our financial reporting; please consider coming along and
becoming part of the Committee, its truly worthwhile.
