What our parents say about Fintona

I can't praise the quality of Fintona's ELC staff highly enough.

Early Learning Centre Programs

For children who want to know........... WHY?

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Our Philosophy

Our programs are based on two internationally renowned educational initiatives: the Reggio Emilia philosophy and the Primary Year Program (PYP), the Junior School component of the International Baccalaureate Organisation.

Central to our philosophy is the image of the child as powerful, capable and full of curiosity about his or her world. The Reggio Emilia philosophy recognises that children express themselves using ‘a hundred languages'. At our Centre, the ‘languages' of movement, narrative, negotiation, sculpture, drawing, writing, music and gesture are just some examples of how our students are encouraged to articulate their thoughts and feelings.

The relationship that we build with our young students is based on respect for their knowledge and in our day-to-day planning we consider children's interests, individual learning styles and backgrounds. We immerse our young learners in experiences which enable them to explore, question, collaborate, think critically, problem solve, communicate and discover new knowledge. At the same time they develop social skills, self-confidence as well as a positive disposition to learning.

A further important aspect of our Philosophy is the value we place on developing close relationships between staff, parents and children. Parent participation in the program is encouraged and strongly supported, so that it becomes an integral part of the learning community.

Our staff know how children learn best

At Fintona, we are very proud of our ELC staff. Led by the Director of the ELC, Mrs Lili-Ann Kriegler, a highly respected educator in the field of early childhood education, our fully qualified and experienced staff are committed to ensuring a happy start to your child's early years of schooling. Our staff also facilitate the recording of your child's development through a portfolio which is presented to them at the end of the year. Photographs, drawings and commentaries are combined to create a record of your child's unique learning journey for the year.

Our three- and four-year-old groups spend time with specialist teachers during the week. Our three-year-old groups attend Music and visit the Resource Centre to borrow books. Our four-year old groups also attend Drama and the Perceptual Motor Program (PMP).

Music

Each week, the children enjoy a variety of musical interludes. Through songs, games and activities, concepts of pitch, beat, rhythm and volume are introduced. The children are also introduced to percussion and orchestral instruments.

Drama

Our Drama specialist teacher encourages the children to express themselves spontaneously and creatively through movement, mime and voice. They develop communication skills through listening, acting and speaking. Above all, they have fun, laugh and build a positive self-image.

Art

Children have access to a wide range of beautiful materials, which adds to the joy, self-expression, imagination and creativity discovered through the graphic languages, sculpture and collage.

Perceptual Motor Program (PMP)

Our four-year-old groups and our Young Thinkers have PMP sessions during the year to encourage fine and gross motor development, motor planning, spatial perception and co-operation.

The Day to Day

Fintona's ELC is co-educational and operates three-year-old and four-year-old programs from 8.45 a.m, to 3.00 p.m. We have two, three and five day programs and offer before and after school care. From 2011, your child must turn three by 1 February in the year they attend and must be toilet trained.

For more information on our range of excellent Early Learning Centre programs, contact the Registrar on (03)9830 1388 or request a copy of our new ELC brochure.

To apply for a position, simply download a copy of our ELC Application Form by clicking on the Enrolment button below.