Rupertswood Kids World Philosophy

Creativity

At Rupertswood Kids World we believe that fostering creativity in children is vital for their holistic development. Whilst being creative, children spend time practicing their concentration skills, fine motor skills and their problem-solving skills whilst creating their masterpieces. Our Educators inspire children to be creative through fun experiences such as messy play and project work, encouraging experimenting, self-expression and working collaboratively with others. Encouraging children to be proud of their creations also enhances their self-confidence.

“Creativity is important in childcare as we help create the children’s play. You can also be creative when involved in the children’s play.” - Hailey (Educator)
“I beleive that children should be given choices, responsibilites and opportunities to initiate their own learning." Abby (Educator)
"I think creativity is a key in life as it encourages one to think outside the box to get the most out of a range of experiences." - Rebecca A (Lead Educator)
"Being creative fulfills the mind with all kinds of ideas of creativity! Each child expresses their creativity in their own way." - Paige (Educator)
"I believe all children need to feel safe, secure & loved. In return this is where they will grow & develop their confidence & achieve their own personal goals & grow into independent individuals'. - Kimberly (Educator)
"I believe trust is important in childcare as it is the fundamental building blocks for all relationships." - Tahlia (Educator)
“Creativity in childcare allows children to discover hobbies which can help them grow into who they want to be one day.” - Sarah (Educator)

Compassion

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” – Dalai Lama.

Compassion is to be keenly aware of the moods and emotions in others. It is an emotional projection of oneself and the ability to understand others. When we are compassionate, we are showing people that we care about them. We do this at Rupertswood Kids World through taking others needs into account involving values of caring, compassion and acceptance of others. We encourage children to share their feelings and emotions and care for their friends, environment and belongings. Compassion shows children the joy of reaching out to others and contributing to making the world a better place. We work closely with families and the community to support educators with developing self-regulation tools for children in our care.

“Showing compassion towards children and teaching them to be compassionate will help them develop social and civic identities in later life. It is important to nurture caring, considerate and empathetic behaviours in children, so they can cope better with frustration and learn to self-regulate.” - Karin (ECT)
Kindness is a silent smile, a friendly word, a nod of encouragement, or showing compassion. Kindness is the signle most powerful thing we can teach children. - Bek (Centre Manager)
"Teaching children compassion is such an essential core foundation. We first must show the children repect and model empathetic behavior if we wish for them to do the same. This will encourage stronger bonds and healthy relationships throughout their lives." - Rebecca M (Educator)
"Promoting equality throughout our communities to create better balance in our world. " - Sherrie (Educator)

Patience

“With love and patience, nothing is impossible.” – Daisaku Ikeda

Patience is an important part of the Early Years Learning Frameworks, helping children to begin to think critically about fair and unfair behaviour and remain accessible to others at times of distress, confusion and frustration. Patience is not simply the ability to wait, it’s how we behave while we’re waiting. Through flexible routines at Rupertswood Kids World, we are able to allow children all the time they need to learn at their own pace rather than being dictated by the clock, living in the here and now. Throughout our life we all come across frustration and stress and it is about how we role model through this process that gives the children the ability to see and learn. Children learn a lot by imitating the actions of adults around them, as Educators we know that all children’s needs and learning are different. Some children need more attention and care to feel safe, secure and supported in their environment and having patience throughout this process helps support the children and families, especially during sleep and rest time, as children need extra patience and care during this transition.

“Teaching children patience helps them develop control of their emotions and actions, especially when they are anxious, eager or tired. I believe showing patience teaches patience.” - Dakota (Educator)
"Having patience with little people is the most important trait to have in childcare. Every child develops at their own pace." - Alyssa (Educator)
"Patience is a skill that is acheived through the learning and development of a child's life. As an educator, I will show patience to help children discover their own strengths & knowledge." - Karen (Educator)
"Being patient with every child in care is very important as each child is uniquee and are different. Not all children are the same." - Mary (Educator)

Playfullness

“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” – O. Fred Donaldson

A creative mind is a playful mind, and play is an important part of life at Rupertswood Kids World. Through play, children develop a sense of belonging, being and becoming which relates directly to the principle and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework (our curriculum). Rupertswood Kids World was founded on the belief that every child deserves the right to high quality early childhood education. We believe that children are successful, capable and confident learners, and we strive to empower children to lead their own learning journey alongside loving, warm and dedicated educators. Our high expectations and reflective practice allow our staff to create inviting, engaging and exciting learning environments that encourage open ended play, foster creativity and build a sense of homeliness within our centre. Learning through play, free play and guided play approach promotes children’s holistic development and helps build a strong foundation for lifelong success.

"Play is an activity where children show their remarkable ability for exploration, imagination and decision making. While play is often described as ‘children’s work’, it is intensely enjoyable for them. The type of play children engage in and its purposes change over the course of childhood from infancy to adolescence." - Rachael (Centre Cook)
"Play is part of growing up! We all have fun and enjoy being playful. We should respect each child’s ideas and play." - Sarah V (Educator)
"Being apart of a child’s play is part of our role as an early childhood educator. We should recognise each child’s efforts and join in on their fun when we can." - Kara (Educator)
"Children learn through play. I will ensure children have the upmost fun whilst learning to ensure they have the confidence to grow." - Tayla (Educator)

Respect

“Children have the right to say what they think should happen when adults are making decisions that affect them and to have their opinions taken into account.”

We would like to acknowledge the Wulgurukaba and Bindal peoples as Traditional Owners of the land on which our centre is located. We honour and respect the cultural heritage, customs and beliefs of all Aboriginal and Torre Strait Islander people. We pay respect to Elders past, present and future and value the traditions, culture and aspirations of the first Australians of this land. We acknowledge the First Peoples styles of teaching and learning that has developed over thousands of generations and incorporate the Aboriginal 8 Ways of Learning pedagogy into our daily practices and documentation. We believe that respect is essential for building strong relationships with children, families and our community. Everyone who comes through our doors is treated with the utmost respect and acceptance, teaching our children that we treat others as we wish to be treated. We are inclusive of all children, respect and welcome diversity, the right to education and respect those who may require extra support. We welcome professionals from across our community to support and develop children’s learning and also assist our educators with developing further knowledge on early childhood development and education. We believe that working closely, and building partnerships with families is vital, so children feel like we are an extension of their family home. We respect and support the role of our parents and families at all times. We respect and believe that the articles of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child are paramount.

“Respect in relationships builds feelings of trust, safety and wellbeing. Receiving respect supports us to express ourselves whilst feeling both safe and supported.” - Wendy (Educator)
“Having respect for children and staff helps to build trusting relationships and makes for a more relaxed and stress free environment.' - Bella (Educator)
"Showing respect towards each other will encourage the children to have respect also. Always role model positive behaviour & guidance infront of the children to gain the trust." - Charlotte (Educator)
"Respect each child and families uniqueness and diversity, support children to express themselves while feeling safe and supported." - Emily (Educator)

Trust

“If children feel safe, they can take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, learn to trust, share their feelings and grow.” – Alfie Kohn.

Reciprocal and trusting relationships are at the heart of our philosophy and are grounded in mutual respect and the creation of a supportive and loving environment where everyone can reach their full potential. It can be a daunting experience trusting strangers to care for your precious little one, that’s why we take the time to get to know your family to establish a trusting relationship, so children feel comfortable and safe attending our centre and spending time with our educators every day. Children need to feel the sense of belonging, see themselves as human beings, learn that working together is a good way of generating new ideas, making progress, being creative and solving problems. Our educators also have great trust and high expectations within each other to ensure the best outcomes for our children, families and the team. '

"Trust should be built and maintained between Educators and children to help creat comfort for children's learning. Trust between staff, children, families and community is also important'. -Teoni (Educator)
Children need to feel the sense of belonging, see themselves as human beings, learn that working together is a good way of generating new ideas, making progress, being creative and solving problems." - Becca (Educator)
It can be a daunting experience trusting strangers to care for your precious little one, that’s why we take the time to get to know your family to establish a trusting relationship, so children feel comfortable and safe attending our centre and spending time with our educators every day." - Kiona (Educator)

Honesty

“If children feel safe, they can take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, learn to trust, share their feelings and grow.” – Alfie Kohn.

Honesty is an important aspect of growing up to be a responsible adult- - but explaining honesty to kids can be difficult. When we are being honest, it means we are telling the truth, based on what really happened, and we are acting in a way that isn’t trying to trick people. When we are honest, we speak the truth, which means we say what something really is and we say how things really happened. The truth is about real facts and events. If we say that something is true when we know it’s not, or we leave important parts out about what happened, then we are not being honest. Telling lies is not honest. Being honest means we aren’t trying to hide the truth, cheat, or trick others. Acting honestly means we aren’t pretending to do one thing when we’re really doing something else.

"Honesty should be built and maintained between Educators and families to help create comfort for children's learning. Honesty between staff, children, families and community is also important." - Paige (Educator)
"Children have to see their educators being honest. Showing them how to be honest with each other and with their family. Families want to see the educarors being honest with thm in regards to their children at care." - Charni (Educator)