Inspiring Our Citizens of Tomorrow
At Oxanda Education we are dedicated to helping create responsible and caring new leaders of the 21st Century. As such, we have incorporated a range of community-based projects into our curriculum, that are designed to nurture personal qualities including empathy, integrity, respect, responsibility and tolerance.
These programs include Kindy Of Kindness, and Forest School, through which our children are given the opportunity to form a personal and very positive connection with their local community groups and the natural environment.
Forest School
This internationally renowned program enables our children to freely explore and experience the wonders of nature while developing a strong sense of respect and understanding for our environment and the importance of its sustainability.
Each week the children will travel to a local national park or bushland area, where they will be able to play and explore freely, under the discreet observation of our educators. This richly resourced ‘natural classroom’ will offer our children the unique opportunity to develop a deep and personal connection to nature, while fostering invaluable life skills including resilience, leadership, independence and creative problem solving.
The Kindy Of Kindness
Unique to Oxanda Education, our Kindy Of Kindness has been established as a core pillar of our curriculum, providing every child with the opportunity to make a personal and very positive difference in the lives of people living within their own community.
Initiatives may include visits to aged care facilities, baking for the local emergency services, and fund-raising projects to assist charity groups.
In addition, Oxanda’s Kindy of Kindness supports national events across all of our services, including The Nappy Collective, children’s book collections in support of literacy programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, as well as numerous national fund-raising causes such as “Red Nose Day.”
Sustainability
At Oxanda Education, we understand that role-modelling sustainable practices is paramount to helping our children become environmentally aware and responsible citizens of the future. By taking part in daily sustainable living practices including recycling, composting, worm farming, energy and water saving, our children develop a working understanding of how they can play a vital role in protecting our environment. All of our centres take part in the national Small Green Steps sustainability program, and compete in regular Oxanda Sustainability Challenges, as well as working with local gardening and conservation groups to help foster a deep sense of community connection and care.
Community Connections
While the saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ may have become a cliché, the meaning behind this statement, is one that we deeply value and strive to uphold. By forging strong community ties we enable our children to develop a deep sense of belonging and connection to the world around them, construct an understanding of how society works, and begin to recognise and respect the shared values that unite us.
We achieve these important objectives by immersing our children in a wide range of community initiatives including local excursions, participating in and contributing to community events as well as inviting community members and organisations into our centres on a regular basis.
Technology within our studios:
The new information age requires a different set of thinking skills and abilities to the past. Children cannot be left behind, they must start developing the fundamental skills from an early age. This will prepare them for their schooling years. At Oxanda Education we believe in introducing technology through our play based approach. Educators role model and assist children to gain new knowledge and to better understand concepts through our designated computer programs. We ensure the safety of the children by having pre-loaded software and monitor screen time to ensure it is only being used for educational purposes.
Acknowledgment of Country
At the start of each day, our educators support children through an Acknowledgement of Country ritual which is an opportunity to acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners and ongoing custodians of the land- the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Importantly, we recognise, celebrate and embrace cultural diversity and inclusion, and actively acknowledge and honour our Aboriginal and Torres Straight people as the custodians of our land. Underpinning our curriculum of equity, integrity and respect are purposeful learning experiences that embrace the Aboriginal Dreamtime, as well as the exploration of various cultural viewpoints and practices.