Our Philosophy

At Mentone Pre School, we believe every child is capable, unique and curious about their world.

Our Program

Kindergarten is a wonderful place for children to interact and learn from one another. It provides countless opportunities to discover, think, plan and play. Each child is encouraged to explore the wide range of educational experiences available through a program developed on the basis of the teacher’s knowledge of the children as individuals.

This knowledge is gained through ongoing observations and the teacher’s interaction with each child. The focus is on enhancing their strengths and recognises that all children are different and should be allowed to develop at their own pace to reach their individual potential.

Aims of the Program

To provide an enjoyable, cooperative and safe environment where children feel valued and supported
For each child’s unique worth to be valued and their self-esteem strengthened
For each child to develop confidence in their own ability to function as a member of a caring and loving group
For each child to be aware of and express his or her own needs, feelings and ideas appropriately and to recognise these rights in others
For each child to be encouraged to develop a sense of independence and responsibility
For parents to be welcomed into the kindergarten and their unique relationship with their child to be recognised and valued
To encourage parents to participate in the Preschool programme
To communicate with parents on an ongoing basis about their child’s development
To have the children and the Preschool community value and respect differences of culture, gender and ability
For the children to be allowed to develop their social, emotional, cognitive, physical and language skills
To foster an enjoyment of discovery and learning about the world

We believe that all children have the right to explore their world and learn through play.
We encourage open-ended, creative play that is child-directed, intentional, and meaningful.
We value a learning environment underpinned by building respectful, reciprocal, and inclusive relationships.
We are committed to protecting children from harm and providing a safe and inclusive environment.
The role of our teachers and educators is to facilitate experiences of discovery for children and to enhance their learning through intentional teaching.
We are committed to developing collaborative and reflective practices to support ongoing professional learning and continuous improvement of our pedagogy.
We appreciate life and living things, sustainable practices, and environmental awareness.
We aim to create and foster a culture that respects and protects our natural environment.

Educational Program

Play dough and clay using hands, rollers, cutters, natural materials, buttons, etc.
Using puzzles to enhance spatial awareness
Building with wooden blocks and construction sets for the development of concepts of size, volume & space
Painting with endless shades of colour, using a wide variety of tools
Printing using stamps, sponges, balloons, corks, buttons, etc.
Creating boxes, streamers, and confetti with paste, sticky tape, and staples to join materials.
Paper tearing & cutting with scissors
Threading & sewing
Drawing using crayons, felt-tip pens, oil pastels, chalk & pencils and a variety of paper types and sizes
Books: big books and conventional books, picture books and story books – to look at, read together and talk about
Puppets and storytelling to enhance imagination, memory and communication skills
Dramatic play: home area, office, hospital, dress-ups etc. and shops, restaurants, etc.
Sand and water play
Running, climbing, and balancing on the outdoor equipment. Throwing, catching balls and bean bags
Group times: singing, games, finger-plays, rhymes, discussing, using musical instruments and movement activities with the teacher and other children
Mother's Day, Grandparents' days, Fathers' sessions, relevant festivities and celebrations
Incursions & excursions: as appropriate and relevant to the program.