Overview

Centre Philosophy

Welcome to Merriwa Kindergarten, located next door to Kingsville Primary School in Yarraville.

• We believe that every child matters and every moment matters.
• We respect the original inhabitants of our land, the Wurundjeri people, and honour and acknowledge them as Australia’s first people.
• We have high expectations for everyone, viewing children as capable learners, and believe they should be empowered to drive their own learning.
• We believe all members of the Merriwa community have a responsibility to each other and to our environment – that along with the right to Belong comes the responsibility to treat each other and our environment with respect.
• We believe that reciprocal partnerships with families are essential, and that collaborating with families provides the best outcomes for children.
• We believe children have a right to uninterrupted time to experiment, explore and discover; to develop at their own pace. They have a right to ‘be’.
• We value and celebrate diversity.
• We believe the environment is the third teacher, and take pride in creating an environment that is aesthetically pleasing and inspires wonder and exploration.
• We encourage the promotion and use of natural and recycled materials in the environment and program.
• We believe children learn best when they and their families are respected and their backgrounds embraced – when they have a sense of Belonging.
• We know that the development of a healthy self-esteem is essential to the development of all areas of learning.
• We believe intentional teaching is an integral part of the program.
• We believe that learning is an on-going process for children, parents and educators alike.
• We believe as educators we should constantly reflect critically on our practice.