Settling In
Make a Gentle Settling Plan
Tailor the Settling Plan
Here at Leigh Community Preschool we are committed to peaceful and respectful settling process for children and families. On enrollment we will discuss your specific needs and plan an appropriate settling process for you and your child.
Set-up your Settling Visits
Your plan may include visits with a family member to preschool, a key teacher to help your child settle or even home visits if required. All parents are welcome to stay with their child while they are attending preschool. We especially encourage this for at least a couple of visits while your child is settling.
Be On Call
We ask parents to be on call for the first two weeks. If your child needs you, we listen to them and we will call you. When we respect your child’s feelings, the trust in us grows.
Get Your Gear Together
A Roomy Bag
Big enough to fit all the child’s belongings and creations for the day.
Dress for the Mess
Bring at least two spare changes of clothes. The nature of play based learning is that it is very hands on and can be wet and messy. Please name all of your child’s clothes so that we can help children to learn to put their belongings away.
Prepare for All Weather
Pack sunhats, rain jackets, beanies and boots. We play in our outdoor learning environment in all sorts of weather so please ensure your child has a jacket, beanie and gumboots in winter and a sunhat in summer. We love nature and the outdoors in all seasons.
Don’t Forget the Nappies
If your child needs them, bring enough for the day and a couple of spares.
Pack Healthy Egg & Nut Free Lunches
Egg and Nut Free
Leigh Community Preschool is an Egg and Nut Free centre. This include all types of nuts, and all egg dishes, including items baked with eggs.
A Big Healthy Lunchbox
Include enough healthy food for morning tea and lunch and a little extra, just in case they are hungry that day.
A Drink Bottle
With fresh water for the day to keep them hydrated.
Make it Litter Free
We encourage litter free lunch boxes and find that glad wrap and prepackaged food wrappers fly away in the wind and get into our gardens. Paper lunch wrap or lunch boxes with dividers in them are preferable. Any litter or food scraps are sorted by the children into labelled bins to be recycled, composted or put in the rubbish.
Kai Rituals
Children are able to access their lunch boxes and sit with small groups of friends and a teacher at any time they are hungry during the day. This is a time where we engage in quiet conversations about our day, chat about what we might do next or any interesting things that children want to discuss. Times that children eat are recorded on the meal chart which can be found on the kai shelf. Cooking, food preparation and sharing is also part of our culture at Leigh Community Preschool. We often share food the children have made at afternoon Korero time.
Learn the Rhythms of the Day
Arrival Rituals
Upon arrival at preschool children are encouraged to put their bag in their cubby and put their lunch box and drink bottle on the Kai shelf. Please sign the ‘Sign in Sheet’ at the reception area as you arrive. If anyone other than the usual caregiver is to pick up your child please tell a teacher or note it on the sign in sheet. You are welcome to spend some time engaging in play with your child as they settle into their day. This can also be a great time to connect with teachers about your child’s learning and to catch up with other parents.
Korero Time
Together time is spontaneous at our preschool.
Kotahitanga (holistic development)
At Leigh Community Preschool play based learning is important to us as we know children learn best through play. The children and teachers create rhythms and rituals based around peaceful, respectful relationships between each other and the wider world around them. Our everyday rituals help children learn about early or emergent literacy and numeracy through unlimited, spontaneous and natural play, through aesthetically beautiful and thought-provoking learning environments and through respectful and warm interactions from the moment they walk through our gates.
Departure
At the end of the session whanau are welcome to discuss your child’s day with teachers. Your child will often have exciting things to show you or to tell you about their day. If you have any problems or concerns please don’t hesitate to talk to us. As you are entering and leaving at this time please be aware of our little learners and make sure the gate is properly closed and school children behave respectfully in our learning environment.