Our History
Canterbury Gardens Kindergarten (formerly known as Canterbury Norwood Baptist Kindergarten) has been in operation for 76 years and this has enabled us to develop a rich history and invaluable links with our local community. At the same time we take pride in the fresh and current learning environment provided to our children and our forward-thinking pre-school program. A testament to our place in the community, coupled with our ability to stay current, is the past Canterbury Norwood students who have now had their own children go through the kindergarten!
With just one group each of three and four year old students, children and their parents are able to foster healthy relationships with our teachers and assistants and, of course, other families within our kinder community. The stability of our teaching staff is a great asset to our kinder and enhances our ability to provide children with the confidence, emotional security and skills to learn positive social interaction and reach their full potential.
Role of the Parents & Carers
Being a community run kindergarten means that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in helping us run and improve our services. This directly benefits our children and you as parents!
Parents can volunteer for various roles within the operations of the Kindergarten.
Things you might expect to do as a parent include:
- participate in our working bees each term, which help to keep the centre and outdoor space looking at their best
- help fundraise, which goes towards buying new equipment and investing in our education program.
- assist with administrative, maintenance or technology based responsibilities.
At Canterbury Gardens Kindergarten, we are managed by a voluntary Committee of Management from parents of children at the kindergarten. By joining the committee, parents can play a crucial role in running our kindergarten and are responsible for financial management, centre operations and employment of staff.
We value the unique skills that each parent brings, and we wouldn’t be able to run without their help.
Our Committee
Our kindergarten is managed by a committee of parents and carers. We’re responsible for the centre operations and maintenance, finances, fundraising, employment of staff and ensuring everyone – children, parents, staff and the broader community – has the best experience of our kindergarten.
We meet once a month, organise lots of social events throughout the year and hold our Annual General Meeting (AGM) every November, where we encourage all families to attend.
If you think you’d like to be involved, please contact us or email our president president@canterburygardenskinder.com.au
Our Philosophy
The kindergarten acknowledges the Wurundjeri people as the traditional custodians of this land. The kindergarten pays its respects to the Elders both past and present of the Kulin Nation and extends that respect to all Aboriginal people. We acknowledge and include indigenous culture in our programs.
Canterbury Gardens Kindergarten’s (CGK) philosophy statement is reflective of the Code of Conduct, United nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, Belonging, Being, and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework (Australia), The Victorian Early Years Development Framework, The National Quality Standards and Child Safe Standards.
CGK is an intimate, community managed kindergarten, where staff and parents work together to provide quality early childhood education for our children. Being a part of the Canterbury Community Precinct, we promote partnerships with our local community and involve them in our learning program to help our children understand the importance of being part of this community.
CGK operates on a custodian mindset, with a strong belief that adults in the community owe it to the next generations to give the best possible platform and opportunities, and to enable them to become responsible citizens able to adapt with the times. We also give utmost care and attention to child protection, keeping in mind each and every child deserves the best possible care in order to get them to develop into what they are meant to be. Our kindergarten celebrates the diversity of Multicultural Australia and children with special needs. Families are encouraged to share their culture and home experiences with the kindergarten to help enrich the knowledge of our children.
We aim to provide a nurturing and safe environment for free play, which we believe is fundamental in enhancing our children’s emotional, physical, intellectual, creative, language and social development.
The pathway of our children’s learning and development is centred on our theme of “belong, grow, blossom”. We aim to make children aware that they belong not only to their family, but also to a community, cultural heritage and social groups outside the family. We also help children grow their sense of identity and self-confidence and blossom from their learning experiences.
The day-to-day program is flexible and allows for each child’s individual needs, abilities and interests. We enable our children to play and experiment at open-ended activities with few interruptions. Our children are encouraged to explore, observe, create and use their imagination. We respect the rights of the children to make choices and participate in decisions that affect, them including their learning. Children are encouraged to choose their preferred activity, spend a reasonable amount of time at the activity and then complete their chosen task. Teachers and staff members scaffold and support individual learning opportunities through this time, enabling students to unlock their prior knowledge, develop relevant language and vocabulary and expand their conceptual understandings in context. The kindergarten also facilitates special guest’s visits, excursions and special occasions as part of the year’s curriculum.
We strive towards best practice in early childhood education and are committed to continuous improvement. The CGK Committee of Management recognises the importance of the expertise of our staff by supporting their ongoing professional development to improve their knowledge and skills, which in turn will contribute to our children’s learning.
Canterbury Gardens Kinder 