The Ponds ELC will be hosting its annual Christmas Party where the children will come together to celebrate a wonderful preschool year and farewell some of our dear friends who will be leaving at the end of the year.

Santa Claus will also be dropping by the party for a short period to hand out a small gift to all the children (all gifts will be provided by the centre).

Children who do not normally attend on the set date are welcome to attend for the duration of the party and must be collected promptly at the conclusion.

Dress: Children are welcome to attend in their Christmas or festive attire.

What to bring? A picnic lunch for you and your child.

Time: 10.30am to 11.30am

RSVP by: 29/11/24

RSVP Link

The Ponds ELC is having a Costume Dress Up Day! Children are welcome to come to Preschool dressed as their favourite television, movie, or book character.

Please encourage your child to select a costume that does not promote violence and remember the centre policy on bringing in violent toys such as guns, swords etc.

Children who do not come on a Thursday can dress up on the alternate day that they attend during the week.

This will be a fun day enjoyed by all!

Date: Thursday 31st October, 2024

LUNCH BOX PROGRAM - TERM 4

In preparation for the transition to school, the children in the Green Tree Frog Room who will be attending school in 2025 only will start to bring in their own lunch packed in a lunch box for all of term 4, starting Monday 14th October 2024.

Please see the attached notes for full program information & requirements. All families must complete the below permission form.

Permission Form Link: https://forms.gle/CFwSZY4ybKtCKLjj8

Please note that the centre will be closed for this Public Holiday.

We will be hosting a teddy bears picnic at the centre where all children and parents are invited to attend for a special picnic lunch in the beautiful spring time weather. This is a good opportunity for parents and children to meet with educators and bond with in the centre environment.

Parents will need to bring:

• a picnic blanket to sit on

• picnic lunch for their child & family

• a hat.

Of course, children are welcome to bring their teddy with them too!

Please join us for this special occasion! Please use the link below to RSVP by 22/09.

RSVP Here: Picnic RSVP Link

Date: Wednesday 25th September, 2024

Time: 11am—11.45am All Rooms

When: Thursday 12th September

On this special day we will be wearing a splash of yellow to come together as a community and celebrate R U OK? Day.

It is a great opportunity for all of us to check in with our friends and peers to see if they are okay and also to choose an act of kindness to share with someone. This acknowledgement will help us to be aware of how thoughtful & empathetic behaviour choices can influence and affect others in positive ways.

We invite your child to attend the centre wearing some of the below:
- a yellow shirt
- an item of yellow clothing
- a yellow hat or hair decoration

Thank you for your support & participation! 💛

We are very excited to celebrate Early Childhood Educators’ Day at the centre to raise awareness and support for the valuable work of the early years’ educators in educating and caring for tomorrow's leaders.

The event is held to ensure that educators can receive well deserved recognition and appreciation for their contribution to our centre and community. We will be celebrating with a special in-house lunch for all of our special educators!

We invite all our families to:

• write a message on our ’Appreciation Wall’ by posting a message on our Storypark community space.

• create a “Cut Out Shape” that will be provided by the centre, together with your child along with a message of thanks to our educators.

  As always your support is greatly appreciated! 😃

Date: Wednesday 4th September, 2024

We would like to invite all of the Father's at our centre for a special morning to celebrate Father's Day this year. We will have some fun activities planned for our special guests and then look forward to enjoying a yummy bite to eat together.

Please join us for this special occasion! Please use the link below to RSVP by 23/08.

Click Here to RSVP

Date: Thursday 29th August, 2024

Time: 11am—11.45am All Rooms

We will be celebrating Children’s Book Week at the centre in August!

We would like to invite families and children to bring in their favourite book to read and share with us on your child’s set news day. Please make sure the book is labelled with your child’s name.

Children are also welcome to dress up as their favourite book character or something to do with the 2024 theme if they would like. The theme for this year is ‘Reading is Magic’

We would also like to invite parents to pop into the centre one morning during the week and read a book as a part of a story time session with their child’s group. If you are interested and available please fill out the form below so we can book you in. We will be able to accomodate up to 2 parents each day in a timeframe from 10am to 11am.

When: All week from 19th to 23rd August

If you are interested to join us please Sign Up Here

We are looking forward to a great week of celebrating the wonderful quality of books published by Australian authors and illustrators.

Green & Gold Day is for everyone!

We will be holding this fun event to encourage children & families to show their support for our Olympic Heroes and turn our centre Green and Gold for the day.

This day is all about painting the country in our national colours and celebrating Australia’s sporting achievements on the Olympic stage!!!

Find something green & gold to wear to Preschool.

Date: Wednesday 24th July, 2024

National Pyjama Day - July 2024

National Pyjama Day is all about wearing your favourite pair of PJ’s to help The Pyjama Foundation raise much-needed awareness and funds for children in foster care. The event brings everyone together for a day of fun and celebration.

At The Ponds ELC we will be celebrating the event by coming to preschool wearing our Pyjamas! Children can wear their favourite pyjamas and have some fun being silly for a good cause. Families are welcome to bring in some spare clothes to change into later if needed.

Families can make a gold coin donation on the day that will go to The Pyjama Foundation.

Date: Thursday, 18th July 2024

As part of our Road Safety education topic at the centre we will be talking about:

* Pedestrian safety, such as holding an adults hand when near or crossing the road.
* Passenger safety, such as wearing your seatbelt in the car.
* Bicycle safety, such as wearing your helmet and always riding with an adult near.

To reinforce this topic in a fun and interactive way we will be having a Bring your bike to school week for each Room where the children can bring in their bike, trike, scooter or ride on.

Children must bring in a helmet in order to take part. Sorry no helmet, no play!

Dates for each Room:

GTF Room: Monday 3rd June to Friday 7th June
Rosella Room: Tuesday 11th June to Friday 14th June
Sugar Glider Room: Monday 17th June to Friday 21st June

* Bikes can be brought in the morning and left at the centre for the day/s your child attends. All bikes must be safe and in good repair.

We would like to invite Grandparents of The Ponds ELC to join us for the morning to spend some time with us in our rooms and share what we have been learning about at preschool. We will then invite Grandparents to join us for a lovely morning tea afterwards.

Grandparents Day celebrates the vital role that grandparents play in our community and society. They are custodians of individual and cultural memories. Most importantly, grandparents are also providers of care and love to their children and grandchildren.

Time: 10am (45 minutes)

Date: Thursday 20th June, 2024

Click Here to RSVP

As part of our Road Safety education topic at the centre we will be talking about:

* Pedestrian safety, such as holding an adults hand when near or crossing the road.
* Passenger safety, such as wearing your seatbelt in the car.
* Bicycle safety, such as wearing your helmet and always riding with an adult near.

To reinforce this topic in a fun and interactive way we will be having a Bring your bike to school week for each Room where the children can bring in their bike, trike, scooter or ride on.

Children must bring in a helmet in order to take part. Sorry no helmet, no play!

Dates for each Room:

GTF Room: Monday 3rd June to Friday 7th June
Rosella Room: Tuesday 11th June to Friday 14th June
Sugar Glider Room: Monday 17th June to Friday 21st June

* Bikes can be brought in the morning and left at the centre for the day/s your child attends. All bikes must be safe and in good repair.

Please note that the centre will be closed for this Public Holiday.

The Preschool Photo Day will be coming up during May with several packages available for families to order and purchase.

All families planning on purchasing photos must return their orders and the correct payment by Friday 24th May, 2024.

All children planning to participate must be at Preschool by 9am. The photographer requests the support of all parents on the day by suggesting that children who do not normally attend on the day are dropped off & picked up shortly after (approx. 1 hour).

* Please hand your envelope in to the office. Payments must be cash only!

The Preschool Photo Day will be coming up during May with several packages available for families to order and purchase.

All families planning on purchasing photos must return their orders and the correct payment by Friday 24th May, 2024.

All children planning to participate must be at Preschool by 9am. The photographer requests the support of all parents on the day by suggesting that children who do not normally attend on the day are dropped off & picked up shortly after (approx. 1 hour).

* Please hand your envelope in to the office. Payments must be cash only!

The StEPS program is an initiative of NSW Health and offers all 4 years old children free vision screening. NSW Health advises all children to have their vision screened before they start school and strongly recomme​nds that all four year old children participate in the vision screening program.

Statewide Eyesight Preschooler Screening

A school readiness meeting has been organised for the parents of children who will be turning four years prior to August 2024.
The meeting will cover a range of issues related to the transition from Preschool to school.
Attending this meeting is highly recommended even for those parents who already have children attending school or are still deciding on whether children will attend in 2025 or not.

Please RSVP using the link below so we know whether you will be attending the event. This is a parent only event and is not suitable for children to attend.

RSVP HERE

Date: Tuesday 30th April, 2024
Time: 9.30AM to 10.30AM
Location: The Ponds ELC, Green Tree Frog Room

Please note that the centre will be closed for this Public Holiday.

Please note that the centre will be closed for this Public Holiday.

Please note that the centre will be closed for this Public Holiday.

We invite The Ponds ELC families to join us for an Easter picnic lunch to be held outdoors at the centre. We will be having a special guest during the picnic who will be giving out some yummy treats!

* Everyone is welcome, we ask that all families please RSVP to this event using the link below.

RSVP HERE

What to bring:

• - Picnic lunch for you & your child (nut free)

• - Picnic mat & hat

Time: 11am to 11.40am - All Rooms

Holi – The Festival of Colours – March 2024

On Monday (25th of March 2024) we will be celebrating Holi at the centre. Holi signifies the victory of good over evil and is celebrated as a day of spreading happiness and love. The festival is also celebrated as thanksgiving for good harvest.

Children will be able to explore the culture, background and tradition of their peers. They will have different activities such as creating arts with different colours and being active through a fun activity of dancing with colours.

These activities can get messy. Please be sure to send your child with preschool clothing that can get dirty, wet, or stained. Spare clothes for getting changed are also essential, please place all items inside your child's bag. A plastic bag will also be helpful.

The coloured powder is made out of natural food dye and corn flour.

The Ponds ELC will be taking part in the Leukemia Foundation’s Crazy Hair Day!

World's Greatest Shave raises funds for the Leukaemia Foundation's important work – providing free practical and emotional support to people with blood cancer and their families, as well as investing millions in research.

Since 1998, over a million people have shaved or coloured their hair, raising in excess of $120 million.

So join in the fun for a good cause & encourage your children to colour their hair or create a crazy hairstyle!

We will be collecting donations from Monday 4th March to Friday 8th March, 2024.

Thank you for your support!

Leukemia Foundation - World’s Greatest Shave

The Healthy Harold Early Years Learning Program supports children’s learning and development to live a safe and healthy life. The play-based incursion is fun, interactive and designed to help build healthy, safe and mentally resilient little people. The program is designed for children aged 3-5 years.

Super Safe Harold

Super Safe Harold is one of Life Ed’s modules covering all areas of safety. It teaches children about the idea of connections, including people who keep us safe and building help seeking skills, developing children’s agency to ensure the safety of themselves and others.

Download Permission Form