Cooinda Early Learning Centre
Westmeadows
About Cooinda Early Learning Centre
We are at the end of Bent Street in a wonderful parkland setting full of trees with a creek gently flowing nearby.
We believe our facilities are equal with the very best. It's also convenient, with quick and easy access from Mickleham Road, the Westmeadows township and the freeway.
We match our facilities with the highest level of care for our children provided by our excellent staff. Our centre is rated as Meeting or Exceeding the National Quality Standards.
Cooinda Early Learning Centre is licensed by the State Department of Education and Training to accommodate 91 children. The service operates in accordance with the Children’s Services Act 1996 and the Children's Services Regulations 2009. The centre is also registered with the National Childcare Accreditation Council. This is a Quality Improvement and Accreditation Scheme (QIAS) and relies on the participation of management, parents and staff to facilitate a system of self-assessment, evaluation and improvement.
The centre is approved by the Commonwealth Government Family Assistance Office to receive Child Care Benefit (CCB) payments on behalf of eligible families.
The centre is a registered Food Premises and acts in accordance with the Health and Food Safety Act.
The centre complies with the Privacy Act.
Our fees are also comparable to other centres nearby.
Cooinda is an independent centre developed and run by local people aiming to provide a quality service to our area.
Prospective parents are most welcome to tour our facility, please contact our Centre Director on 9334-2180 to arrange.
Leadership Team - De'arne & Jaime
Hi, we are proud to have both been part of the centre since we opened in 2007 with a combined 35 years experience in the Industry. We are both parents of young children and enjoy spending time with our families. We see Cooinda, its educators, children and their families as an extension of our own and take pride in the service we provide to them and the local community. Our door is always open and we are happy to discuss any needs you may have at any time.
De'arne Devereux
Centre Director
Jaime Isho
Assistant Centre Director
Philosophy
Mission Statement
Cooinda is an aboriginal word meaning “happy place”.
This is the cornerstone of our philosophy; we aim for our centre to be a happy place for all of our children, parents and staff members.
We will achieve this by striving to be the best in everything we do.
Our Children
Foremost we want our children to enjoy their experience at Cooinda by creating a pleasant environment that’s safe, fun, friendly, stimulating and encourages them to develop their full potential.
Our Parents
By providing a superior facility and service, we give our parents peace of mind that their children are in the best care possible. Parent involvement is encouraged; we view this as a partnership where by working together we create the best result for our children.
Our Staff
Our staff members are our business. We aim to attract and retain the best carers and support personnel available through offering superior conditions, a positive friendly environment and encouraging self-development.
Philosophy
Our philosophy focuses on the value of play as the most effective learning strategy for young children, and staff plan and implement developmentally appropriate programs based on the value of play. Play is essential to the healthy development of the young child. It offers a stimulating and naturally motivating way of interacting with people and their environment. Children are encouraged to participate in a variety of play experiences that interest and challenge them, with the focus on the value of the process rather than the end result.
Our objective is to provide the highest possible standards of education through a carefully planned program of appropriate play activities that foster learning and development across the cognitive, social, emotional and physical domains.
At Cooinda Early Learning Centre our philosophy is that social equity is paramount for all children regardless of race, gender, religion or special needs. Our programs therefore recognise, appreciate and respect the individual needs, interests and cultural background of every child. We encourage our children to respect and value differences in others and themselves.
National Quality Standard Rating
Cooinda is rated overall as Meeting the National Quality Standard, and exceeding in Relationships with children and Collaborative partnerships.
Our Rooms
Four Year Old Program
Our four-year-old kindergarten program is run by a qualified kindergarten teacher and experienced educators. We plan and implement a program that fosters the development of each child based on their individual needs and interests. We also plan our program based on the Early Years Learning Framework.
Our program helps to prepare the children for school the following year with an excursion to Westmeadows Primary School and later in the year a lunchbox program. The children learn to be independent learners and are encouraged to try and do things for themselves, such as putting their jacket on and zipping it up for themselves.
Educators support children to become confident and effective communicators as they learn to express themselves and contribute to ideas in group discussions.
Children’s emotional wellbeing is also an important aspect of children’s development and school readiness. Hence the Educators will also support the children in understanding, managing, and regulating their emotions.
Three-Year Old Program
Our three-year old kindergarten program creates opportunities to support children’s confidence and self-esteem, through acknowledging and putting their creations on display.
We have an emergent program which captures children’s evolving and emerging thinking and ideas. This is done using floor books to ensure children’s expressions of wonder and curiosity about the world they live in is catered for. The program also has a scheduled show and tell session which promotes the children to participate in inquiry-based learning. This in turn boots our children’s social development and communication skills.
In the latter part of the year, we slowly change the children’s routine to create a smooth transition to our four-year-old program. The changes that are made consist of longer group times, fine motor activities and scheduled visits to our four-year-old kindergarten room towards the end of the year introducing the children to the four-year-old kindergarten teacher and support Educators.
Two-Year Old Program
This program focuses on simple concepts and developing skills such as learning to take turns, share and cooperate with others, and developing independence appropriate to this age group. The room encourages a wide range of open ended, hands on play experiences such as play-dough, painting and other messy activities to express feelings and frustrations, songs, stories, puppetry, movement to music, construction activities, dress ups and lots of outdoor play to run, jump and climb.
Toddler Program
The toddler program provides a wide range of stimulating, stage appropriate activities that are rotated regularly to meet the interest and concentration levels of this age group. Toddlers are encouraged to explore their world in a safe and secure environment. In this age group, the children enjoy activities such as singing, dancing, stories, puppetry, simple construction activities, cubby houses, tunnel play, climbing and bike riding.
Babies Program
The babies program focuses on the individual needs, routines, feeding and sleeping pattern of each baby. Carers communicate frequently with parents about the child’s development and routines. A variety of safe, yet stimulating sensory experiences will be provided to develop the babies understanding of themselves and the world around them. A separate nursery area is provided with cots. The babies also enjoy a separate closed shaded outdoor play area for their safety and protection.
Zumba at Cooinda
Zumba® Kids, Jr classes at Cooinda with Alycia are rockin', fun dance parties packed with kid-friendly routines. We break down steps, add games, activities and cultural exploration elements into the class structure. Benefits. Helps develop a healthy lifestyle and incorporate fitness as a natural part of children's lives.
Alycia has been a Zumba instructor for 10 years & part of the Cooinda family for the last 6 years.
Opening Hours
Monday - Friday: 6:30am - 6:30pm
Closed Public Holidays
