3-6 year old all-day Kindergarten
Kingfisher Monday - Friday 8:30am-4:30pm
Dragonfly Tuesday - Friday 8:30am-4:30pm
Our kindergarten program operates 5 days a week from 8:30am to 4:30pm and runs throughout the year (except for public holidays and 4 weeks over the Christmas holidays). Please note that our Kindergarten Teachers like the children to be present by 9am so that they have time to settle in and play freely before circle time commences. Families can choose their child's days of attendance in the program. The kindergarten has a preference for a minimum of two days up to a maximum of four days per week to foster continuity for the child.
The program is provided for children who have turned 3 years of age.
Little Sophia offers a unique Steiner Kindergarten program to children with parents who require or prefer the flexibility offered by a longer kindergarten day operating 48 weeks per year. The program provides an opportunity for children to be a ‘family’ group with children of mixed ages.
Our Kindergarten Teachers design the program and work with the children and Assistants to create an environment that is calm and nurturing for all. At Little Sophia, the teachers lead by example, working with the children.
Daily Rhythm at Little Sophia
A daily rhythm balances periods of ‘in-breathing’, relaxed free play and receptive, quiet activities such as drawing, watercolour painting and listening to stories, with periods of ‘out-breathing’, directed effort and active pursuits such as circle games, ring-games and outside play. Children feel both the pleasure of solitary play and the rewards of being part of a group.
Each day usually begins with a free play period, either outside in the garden or inside the kindergarten room. This may be followed by a more organised activity such as bread baking, painting or finger knitting. The children help to tidy away the wooden animals, stones, stools, cloths and tables that they have used to build towers, farms, shops or houses and other play activities. Morning circle follows this period of free play.
Morning and afternoon tea are focal points for which the children help to prepare food and set the table. Much like at home, cooking is an essential part of our program and of the child's environment. Quality is vital. Whenever possible we use biodynamic and organic produce, prepared each day with love and care. The delicious smells of cooking fill our kindergarten rooms.
Following morning tea, the children spend time outside in the garden, playing in the sand pits, running, climbing, skipping, tending to our chickens, plants and compost bins and creating their own imaginative games. In terms 2 and 3 the children enjoy excursions to local playgrounds or the Collingwood Children's Farm and for walks along the Yarra River. Often they will have a picnic lunch and then walk back to the kinder for a well earned rest.
Our teachers are masterful story tellers and our children watch and listen attentively to the daily story. Stories are told with props rather than being read from a book to inspire the imagination. Lunch and period of rest follow the story.
A quiet activity like drawing is offered to the children as rest time draws to a close. This is followed by afternoon tea and another session of outside play, which is where parents will find their children at the end of the day.
Orientation Process
On commencing kindergarten for the first time children begin with a half day programme. This should ideally be from 9am- 12pm (storytime) and then gradually increase their daily hours. eg. 9am-1pm (beginning of rest time).
By Term 2 all new children (who have commenced at the beginning of the year) should be staying until after rest time.
Parents are welcome to stay with their child at first until midday, but very soon will be leaving them for longer and longer time periods. This gradually increases until your child is able to stay longer without you (usually about 1 month). Parents need to be able to trust their child to the staff at the kindergarten.
Enrolment Process
Families fill in an Enrolment Application Form and are put on the Waitlist for Playgroup/Kindergarten. Children need to be 3 years old before they begin in the kinder program.
Before confirming a child's enrolment at Little Sophia, a teacher will meet with the family to discuss the program. Parents will be asked to provide a letter advising why they would like their child to join a Steiner preschool. An enrolment offer will follow this meeting.
Children must be able to follow the teacher's instructions and need to be fully toilet trained before enrolment at Little Sophia.
Dragonfly Tuesday - Friday 8:30am-4:30pm
Our kindergarten program operates 5 days a week from 8:30am to 4:30pm and runs throughout the year (except for public holidays and 4 weeks over the Christmas holidays). Please note that our Kindergarten Teachers like the children to be present by 9am so that they have time to settle in and play freely before circle time commences. Families can choose their child's days of attendance in the program. The kindergarten has a preference for a minimum of two days up to a maximum of four days per week to foster continuity for the child.
The program is provided for children who have turned 3 years of age.
Little Sophia offers a unique Steiner Kindergarten program to children with parents who require or prefer the flexibility offered by a longer kindergarten day operating 48 weeks per year. The program provides an opportunity for children to be a ‘family’ group with children of mixed ages.
Our Kindergarten Teachers design the program and work with the children and Assistants to create an environment that is calm and nurturing for all. At Little Sophia, the teachers lead by example, working with the children.
Daily Rhythm at Little Sophia
A daily rhythm balances periods of ‘in-breathing’, relaxed free play and receptive, quiet activities such as drawing, watercolour painting and listening to stories, with periods of ‘out-breathing’, directed effort and active pursuits such as circle games, ring-games and outside play. Children feel both the pleasure of solitary play and the rewards of being part of a group.
Each day usually begins with a free play period, either outside in the garden or inside the kindergarten room. This may be followed by a more organised activity such as bread baking, painting or finger knitting. The children help to tidy away the wooden animals, stones, stools, cloths and tables that they have used to build towers, farms, shops or houses and other play activities. Morning circle follows this period of free play.
Morning and afternoon tea are focal points for which the children help to prepare food and set the table. Much like at home, cooking is an essential part of our program and of the child's environment. Quality is vital. Whenever possible we use biodynamic and organic produce, prepared each day with love and care. The delicious smells of cooking fill our kindergarten rooms.
Following morning tea, the children spend time outside in the garden, playing in the sand pits, running, climbing, skipping, tending to our chickens, plants and compost bins and creating their own imaginative games. In terms 2 and 3 the children enjoy excursions to local playgrounds or the Collingwood Children's Farm and for walks along the Yarra River. Often they will have a picnic lunch and then walk back to the kinder for a well earned rest.
Our teachers are masterful story tellers and our children watch and listen attentively to the daily story. Stories are told with props rather than being read from a book to inspire the imagination. Lunch and period of rest follow the story.
A quiet activity like drawing is offered to the children as rest time draws to a close. This is followed by afternoon tea and another session of outside play, which is where parents will find their children at the end of the day.
Orientation Process
On commencing kindergarten for the first time children begin with a half day programme. This should ideally be from 9am- 12pm (storytime) and then gradually increase their daily hours. eg. 9am-1pm (beginning of rest time).
By Term 2 all new children (who have commenced at the beginning of the year) should be staying until after rest time.
Parents are welcome to stay with their child at first until midday, but very soon will be leaving them for longer and longer time periods. This gradually increases until your child is able to stay longer without you (usually about 1 month). Parents need to be able to trust their child to the staff at the kindergarten.
Enrolment Process
Families fill in an Enrolment Application Form and are put on the Waitlist for Playgroup/Kindergarten. Children need to be 3 years old before they begin in the kinder program.
Before confirming a child's enrolment at Little Sophia, a teacher will meet with the family to discuss the program. Parents will be asked to provide a letter advising why they would like their child to join a Steiner preschool. An enrolment offer will follow this meeting.
Children must be able to follow the teacher's instructions and need to be fully toilet trained before enrolment at Little Sophia.
