HOURS OF OPERATION   MONDAY to FRIDAY 9.00AM to 12.30 PM   Enrolment Procedures An enrolment form must be completed prior to your child / children's first visit, or entry into crèche will not be permitted. The information on this form authorizes childcare staff to act in case of an emergency and gives the centre important information regarding medical issues, allergies or custody details. Please notify us of any changes, immunisation or medical details. Your child / children's safety is our highest concern.   Bookings Bookings are essential and can be made in person or by telephoning the centre on 9404 4811.Regulations limit the number of children we can accommodate at any one time, therefore it is necessary for you to ARRIVE and DEPART according to the times you have booked. Should you arrive late, you will only be eligible to stay until you had originally booked. BOOKINGS CAN ONLY BE MADE ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE. Sign In/Out Register It is necessary to sign your child in / out upon each visit. Government Regulations state that you must collect your child prior to physically signing them out. A person collecting your child other than yourself, MUST be registered on your enrolment form. Where the pick up person is not registered formally in writing by the child's parent or guardian, the child will not be released.   Cancellations It is required that a minimum cancellation of ONE HOUR prior to your booking time be adopted. Failure to adhere to this policy may result in restricted bookings. Exclusion Guidelines To protect your child, other children and staff, please keep your child at home if they display any symptoms referred to on the School Exclusions Table as displayed on the notice board.   For example: High temperature Diarrhoea or vomiting in the last 24 hours Conjunctivitis Severe cold or flu Contagious disease   Special Needs Policy Children with special needs will be accepted into the crèche, however their needs will be assessed prior to booking. Booking acceptance will depend upon the availability of suitably qualified and experienced staff. Should a child require “ one on one” attention an additional fee may be necessary to help cover costs. Unless Requested You will only be contacted when your child is distressed or in the case of injury or illness. We advice parents not to re-enter the crèche after leaving their child, as this can be unsettling. If an ambulance needs to be called you will be contacted whereby further details and requests can be discussed. Staff will notify the next emergency contact person if you cannot be contacted. In the case of an Emergency Evacuation no parent is permitted to enter the crèche to collect their child. Children can be collected from the emergency assembly point / soft ball pavilion or lawn area on Morang Drive. Behaviour Management Please refer to the Behaviour Management Policy displayed on the notice board. Feed Back By receiving your feedback we can be sure that we are meeting your needs. So please let us know what you think of our facility and the services provided by speaking to the crèche co-ordinator. If you would like to leave feed back please click here. Nutrition Healthy eating habits are recommended. We discourage junk food such as chips, lollies and soft drinks. If your child is staying over the lunch period a sandwich and a piece of fruit is appropriate. DUE TO ALLERGIC REACTION OF SOME CHILDREN TO PEANUTS / NUTS WE ASK THAT NO FOOD CONTAINING ANY TYPE OF NUTS BE BOUGHT INTO THE CRÈCHE. Sun Smart Policy In order to comply with the Anti-Cancer Sun Smarty Policy all children playing outdoors during Term 1 and Term 4 MUST wear either a LEGIONNAIRES OR WIDE BRIMMED HAT. General Information/What to Bring Parents are advised to leave toys at home, however toys of comfort are acceptable. Parents must ensure that their child arrives in a dry clean nappy. Should your child be in the process of toilet training, please inform the staff of the toileting procedures you have adopted at home and provide changes of clothing. Please pack nappies, nappy wipes and a plastic bag in your child's crèche bag. Pack a nutritious snack. Pack your child's legionnaire or wide brimmed hat and apply sunscreen if required. Please ensure that the emergency contacts listed on your Enrolment Form are current so that you can be contacted immediately in the case of an emergency. Please advice staff if anyone else is collecting your child as ONLY NOMINATED PERSONS ON YOUR ENROLMENT FORM CAN COLLECT YOUR CHILD. If your child has a food allergy please notify staff. ALL ITEMS BOUGHT INTO CRÈCHE MUST BE LABELLED

Playorama is an activity where children meet new friends, find self–confidence and expression through stimulating activities. The classes are a combination of playgroup and educational gymnastics and include songs, art and craft, games, music, painting and a gymnastics circuit. Playorama develops children’s social skills so they are able to co-operatively interact with other children. Our aim is to create an environment in which parents and children can participate in a wide range of activities.

Parent participation and supervision are essential to maintain a safe and pleasurable environment for all participants. Young children work best with individual help. Parents can help their child participate in group activities by recognizing their efforts and achievements in the lesson.

An adult must accompany each child, as supervision is essential in order to maintain a safe and pleasurable environment. It is suggested that children wear comfortable clothing to the class.

An experienced pre-school instructor conducts all classes.

PLAYGROUP SESSIONS 2008

Tuesday Playorama
9.30am – 10.45am
Age:18mths – 3yrs
Price: $ 8.80 Per Session
( BYO SNACK )

11.00am – 12.15pm
Age:15mths – 2 1/2yrs
Price: $ 8.80 Per Session
( BYO SNACK )

Thursday Playorama
9.30am – 10.45am
Age:18mths – 3yrs
Price: $ 8.80 Per Session
(BYO SNACK)

11.00am – 12.15pm
Age: 18mths - 3yrs
Price: $ 8.80 Per Session
(BYO SNACK)

Enrolment Procedures

Payment of term fees are to paid in FULL when enrolling for pre-school classes. Customer Service staff can assist you with your enrolment and payment. Enrolment cannot be made over the phone as an enrolment form needs to be completed on payment. Classes operate as per a school term.

Having Fun at Playgroup

Welcome to Playorama 2008. The YMCA playgroups are loads of fun, where both children and adults come to enjoy an environment of play and social interaction. So that your time at Playorama is regarding, listed below are a few simple suggestions that your playgroup may wish to follow.

General Information

Only one child should be on the trampoline at one time.

When you hear the tambourine everyone must stop and listen.

Please help your child to respect other children and their space.

Feel free to bring a cake for your child’s birthday – we love making a fuss of them.

After each class, you and your child are entitled to free use of the pool.

Please call reception if you cannot attend playgroup.

Your instructor is always eager to receive feedback or discuss matters of concern, so please do not hesitate to approach her at any time. BYO snack and drink.

Important Notice

The Mill Park Leisure & Services Centre is a “Nut Free Centre”. This means that no food containing traces of nuts is permitted into any pre-school programs.  Our records indicate that several children have life threatening allergies to nuts and so your assistance is appreciated in this matter.

Food Snack Suggestions:

Sandwiches / cheese sticks / muffins / dry biscuits / dry fruit / fruit bars / fruit / vegetable sticks. Please avoid packing “Junk Food”, a healthy snack encourages good eating habits.

Session Format

10 – 15 min: Greeting of children and parents

40 min: Activity and play time

5 min: Pack away time

10 – 15min: Lunch and final activity

As a courtesy to all the participants in your Playgroup class  please do try to arrive on time as late comers can cause disruptions to the class.

Donations Please

Wool, cotton wool, cylinders, toys, cardboard, patty pans, old wrapping paper, material, dress up clothes, egg cartons, cereal boxes. All donations are appreciated.

Safety First

For the safety of all participants in playgroup only the supervising adult and enrolled child are permitted into the session. As Playgroup is a one on one parent / child activity, families with older or younger siblings can book their children into the centre creche. For both the safety of babies and to ensure a safe environment, no prams, strollers or bassinets are allowed in the program area. Bookings can be made at reception.

NO HOT FOOD OR DRINKS ARE PERMITTED INTO THE PROGRAM ROOM.

Parents role

Parent supervision is required throughout the playgroup session. Children are eager to explore all areas of Playgroup and this of course is encouraged, however they are not aware of the difficulties that they encounter, especially on the gym circuit. We therefore ask parents to watch their children at all times.

The environment that is created in our playgroup is through children involvement and parent input. Children learn from example and will participate if they are encouraged to do so from adults. DURING SINGING TIME PLEASE ALL JOIN IN, many hands make light work during pack up time and assisting your children with the craft activities are some of the ways that make your playgroup a special time.

What to Expect

You may be surprised with your child’s behaviour during their first classes. Children who are little tigers often become hesitant and shy in a group with unfamiliar adults or children. Please do not become discouraged until you have brought your child to 3 or 4 lessons, until they have a good idea of what to expect each time. You child may refuse to participate in activities and this is very common. Children learn best when they are allowed to take things at their own pace. We use this method to encourage children to become involved.

Feedback

Your Playorama instructor is always more than eager to hear your feedback. Families are encouraged to take ownership of their groups and build relationships with other children and parents. If you have suggestions as to how you would like your playgroup class to operate share these ideas with your instructor as all thoughts are valuable and where practical considered. Please remember that all playgroup classes are different, even though a similar format is followed, the participants are the main players developing their personal touches. To leave your feed back please click here.

Excursions:

During the course of the year we do organise at least one excursion outside of your normal scheduled time slot. If there are any suggestions please forward your thoughts on.                                                         

WHO DO I CONTACT?

Helen Dusting
At Mill Park Leisure and Services Centre.

Phone: (03) 9404 4811

helen.dusting@ymca.org.au

If Carol is unavailable, the Reception staff should be able to help with most enquiries