Lake Park Kindergarten is nestled amongst the beautiful natural environment of the Merri Creek and Coburg Lake Parklands. We are a community-based, not-for-profit organisation managed by Merri-bek Early Years Management and have served the Coburg community since 1969. We offer kindergarten programs for both 3 and 4 year olds. We nurture our children in a secure, happy and caring environment as they explore, discover and grow through play-based learning. At Lake Park Kindergarten, we make the most of our beautiful, natural outdoor setting as much as our indoor classroom. Our tall and beautiful evergreen trees provide an abundance of shade in our large, well-equipped outdoor play area which includes a boat, sand pit, amphitheatre, forest corner, cubby house, climbing fort, mud pit with water channel, sealed bike track and fruit trees and veggie garden. Our spacious room provides a variety of activity zones for our children to work and play in, either independently or in groups. We have a huge array of materials and educational toys which present unique learning opportunities as the children investigate, create, build and engage in imaginative play.
Nature Program for both 3 & 4yo Programs
Lake Park Kindergarten are extremely lucky to have Coburg Lake Parklands close to our kindergarten and as such we offer a wonderful nature program where children learn about nature and the seasons, having room to explore, climb and run, collect natural objects, discussions on what changes happen in nature and about the different things we find there, learning about the Wurundjeri people and the first inhabitants of the land.
Philosophy
WOMINJEKA! (WELCOME)
At Lake Park Kindergarten, we would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation as the traditional custodians of the land where we work, learn, and play. We extend this gratitude to all Indigenous People, past, present and future, for sharing their knowledge, wisdom and their ways of being.
We as a community have such a rich mixture of cultures and traditions amongst our teachers, educators and families, and we strongly believe that this diversity enriches our lives. It teaches us to celebrate our similarities and learn from our differences. We encourage involvement, feedback and open communication from families and the community to help us provide reflective practices and continuous improvement.
Lake Park Kindergarten values and fosters an environment that empowers children to express their voice, advocate for themselves and others, be curious, confident, involved and engaged learners. Fostering meaningful relationships within our community of learners is paramount.
We base our programs on the National Quality Standards and The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF). These are play-based and embed a combination of child-initiated and teacher-led experiences and interactions.
We are surrounded by beautiful, natural settings, with abundant native wildlife, flora and fauna. We utilise our proximity to Merri Creek and Coburg Lake parklands to support children’s learning through regular nature program outings as well as nature based experiences extended to the kinder environment. Our focus is to encourage children to build on their unique strengths, interests, and abilities by exploring the world around them. We recognise that the environment is integral to the quality of life for all and endeavour to reduce our ecological footprint through adopting sustainable practices in collaboration with our community.
Parent Involvement
We encourage families to participate in and enrich their child’s kindergarten experience by joining the parent helper roster, assisting with excursions and incursions, becoming involved in working bees and joining the Parent Group. Lake Park Kindergarten wouldn’t be the same without the team of committed volunteer parents who make up our Parent Fundraising Group. All parents are encouraged to join to contribute their time and skills to keep this important service to the community. It’s also a great way to meet new friends in the local area.
Parents are encouraged to participate in Kinder Duty from Term 2 onwards. There is a roster available in the foyer and parents are encouraged to sign up for one session per term. Your child will love having you there and you can see them in their kinder environment and get to know their friends. You are welcome to bring younger siblings and if you can’t stay for the entire session that’s fine. You can also share your skills or knowledge with the children – in the past parents have celebrated their culture with the children, or ran sessions with music, craft and cooking to name but a few. Just talk to your child’s teacher to arrange ahead of time.
There will be working bees held throughout the year, with dates announced in our newsletters (via the SkoolBag app). It is expected that every family come and pitch in for a 2 hour session at least once per year. Again please let us know of any special skills you can contribute in this area.
Our staff
We have a team of committed, experienced and kind staff who always put the needs of the children first. The aim of our staff is to maximise the benefit of the kindergarten experience for each child by creating a relationship based on trust and respect. Each group has two teaching staff – a qualified teacher with a teaching degree specialising in early childhood and a co- educator with a diploma or certificate in children’s services. Our highly experienced staff recognise stages of child development and create and facilitate a learning environment that is responsive to the children’s interests, learning and needs.
Please click to view our timetable and Q&A’s
Lake Park Appointment
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