How it works
In addition to providing nurturing care for children, St Mark’s aims to make them socially, physically and academically confident. This builds a strong basis for their future education.
Our program uses a play-based curriculum to develop children’s capabilities while valuing their strengths, skills and knowledge. Learning is balanced by rest periods for relaxation and reflection.
Empowering children to make choices
When children feel in control of their lives and actions, and can make real choices and decisions, they learn more. Self-discipline and self-esteem are natural outcomes of making choices.
At St Mark’s, children can choose to participate in a range of spontaneous and intentional activities. These allow physical, social, cognitive, emotional and spiritual learning and development at the child’s own speed. We encourage independence, and challenge children to take responsibility for their own learning by giving them credit for the things they do.
Activities that build on skills and knowledge
Using language, drawing, modelling, construction and pretence, children can organise their thinking in ways that make sense to them and which represent their ideas and meaning. These fun and interesting activities build upon children’s skills and knowledge by provoking thoughts and imagination, stimulating more sophisticated thinking and expression of their own ideas.
Fostering friendships
A key part of learning is building meaningful relationships. We encourage children to learn from one another, and to work collaboratively in groups. This also enables them to develop a sense of social awareness and responsibility.
Providing a caring environment
St Mark’s safe and secure environment aims to ensure all the children feel happy and content within our centre. A strong sense of wellbeing stimulates thinking and offers children the opportunity to explore and create with confidence. The centre is well resourced, giving children access to a variety of materials and investigative tools.
Communicating and sharing ideas
Children are encouraged to explore and expand their use of language through group discussions and one-to-one chats. We offer them a range of shared and individual reading activities, and provide opportunities for them to engage with numeracy. Educators observe and listen to the children, questioning their ideas and suggesting new possibilities. This encourages children to search and investigate meaning in whatever they do.