Our philosophy

“Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself.” - John Dewey, 1897
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• We at Warekila Preschool acknowledge and pay respect to the Wurundjeri people as the traditional custodians of the land on which Warekila exists. We’re committed to the ongoing exploration of how to effectively incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander knowledge into our program and practice. We pledge to continually build our cultural competency in facilitating children’s learning and learning alongside them.
  
• We believe that early childhood education and care is the foundation for lifelong learning. At Warekila we provide a rich and varied learning environment which allows long periods of uninterrupted play for both indoor and outdoor settings.
  
• We value children’s parents and family members as they are a child’s first and most influential educator. We strive to build strong relationships with families and incorporate their culture and wisdom into our kindergarten program. Our kindergarten community is of great value, and we strengthen it by promoting respect, connection, kindness, democracy and the celebration of cultural diversity and identity amongst children, families and staff.
  
• Our kindergarten is enriched with each child’s unique and varying interests, skills and backgrounds. We empower children to recognise their strengths, interests and self-worth. Each child is respected for their uniqueness and they are encouraged to voice their needs, and contribute their thoughts and ideas to the program.
  
• Warekila’s learning program is guided by the Learning Outcomes and Practice Principles of the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework. Our emergent curriculum incorporates the input from our children, their families, our community and all educators.  ​
  
• We encourage a strong relationship with our community by going on bush kinders and local walks where our kinders explore the world around them. As our kindergarten is managed by Whitehorse Primary School, we visit the school to use their library and gymnasium. Through this association, we have the opportunity to connect with a Grade 5 buddy, current Prep students and Seedlings Kindergarten students, further strengthening our relationship with the community around us.