Place where children gather
Indigenous Cultures
Goorie (Aboriginal) and Torres Strait Islander cultural knowledge systems and culture are embedded into the foundations of all Gundala’s early education and care planning and programs.
Working alongside our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and staff, and building healthy relationships with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations, enables us to ensure that we have a culturally safe learning space and that our early education curriculum and programs are reflective of the cultural needs and aspirations of the Quandamooka and Goorie and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Having staff who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander is essential to our success, and ensuring that non-Aboriginal and non-Torres Strait Islander staff have a high level of cross-cultural competency is part of our strategic intention Cultural Compass.
Our Kindy Program
Children learn more during their early years than at any other time in their life. Gundala programs embrace this FACT by nurturing children natural curiosity to learn through play-based activities ad experiences. Inspired by your child’s imagination and interests we explore concepts of literacy, numeracy, science, well-being, culture, identity and inclusion in ways which are fun, and light up the hearts, minds and spirits of our children.
Our Kindy program creates diverse and meaningful opportunities for children to learn skills of cooperation, becoming independent, problem solving, managing their own emotions and big behaviours, making friends and resolving conflicts – the everyday skills that are needed to lead happy. healthy resilient lives, which burst with wellbeing.
Our Curriculum
The educational programs at Gundala are unique because they reflect the cultures, values, needs and aspirations of our community. They are based on empowering our families and each child’s individual development.
Our play-based programs are drawn from;
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an emergent curriculum – answering children’s questions and their intrinsic curiosity about their world;
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parent participation – supporting families to share their diverse gifts and talents;
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the Early Years Learning Framework; and
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Queensland kindergarten learning guidelines (in the Kindergarten room)
Our qualified and experienced education team develop programs within best practices in regards to the National Quality Standard. Our curriculum decision-making contributes to each child’s learning and development. Our programs are empowered by the current knowledge, ideas, culture, ability and foundation of our programs.
In 2017 Gundala Kindergarten received an Exceeding National Quality Standard rating as a direct result of the high quality of early childhood education Gundala provides.
The Early Years Framework
Belonging Being Becoming – The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia
The Early Years Learning Framework is an early childhood curriculum framework, which will guide early childhood educators in developing quality, early childhood education programs. The framework describes the principles, practice and outcomes to support and enhance young children’s learning fro birth to five year , as well as their transition to school. This will help ensure consistency in the delivery of learning programs around Australia. You can be confident that the framework supports Gundala’s education team to focus their practice on developing quality learning opportunities for your children. The Early Years Learning Framework underpins universal access to early childhood education and has been included in the National Quality Standard to ensure delivery of nationally-consistent and quality early childhood programs across the county.
The Early Years Learning Framework along with Gundala has a strong emphasis on play-based learning. The Framework also recognises the importance of communication and language (including early literacy and numeracy) ad social and emotional development. In addition, the Framework has a focus on successful transition to formal schooling.
Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline
The Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline is a supporting document for the Early Learning Years Framework/ It was put in place as an extension on the Belonging Being Becoming concept and it recognises that learning happens through play in an environment designed to make the most of spontaneous and planned experiences and relationships.
The learning and teaching relationship is central to the QKLG; it is a collaboration between competent, capable children and their families, their communities and their teachers. By using inclusive, responsive and culturally sensitive practices teachers ensure that each child’s learning experience s one that enables them to make real connections with their wider world. (Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline – pg 4) The most important thing about being engaged with Gundala’s Kindergarten program is that your child has the opportunity to make heaps of friends and have fun while they’re developing a love of learning that they’ll take with them to school.
Principles of the Kindergarten Guidelines are:
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High expectations and equity
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Respect for and response to diversity
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Holistic learning
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Respectful relationships
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Continuity in learning
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Shared decision making
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Intentional teaching Reflective practice
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Reflective practice
