The HCCS ELC provides a
positive, secure, accepting and
challenging learning
environment for children
from 3½ years of age .
We are looking forward to
working as a team with you
and sharing this special experience
with your child .
CONTACT DETAILS:
The Hills Christian Community School
Onkaparinga Valley Road
Verdun 5245
www.hccs.sa.edu.au
ELC Direct Line 8388 1369
HCCS 8388 7811
DIRECTOR
Rosie Ferguson
Email : rferguson@hccs.sa.edu.au
ELC TEACHER 2015
Jenny Silver
Email : jsilver@hccs.sa.edu.au
HCCS PRINCIPAL
Chris Riemann
Email : criemann@hccs.sa.edu.au
The Hills Christian Community School is a welcoming, supportive
learning environment in which the Staff members are warm, caring
Christian individuals dedicated to a high standard of teaching. Our
vision is for a Christian school community, helping children learn
and grow to achieve their potential.
Feb 2015
The Early Learning Centre has been established as the
first step towards school life at The Hills Christian
Community School. Limited places are available for children
already enrolled in other schools. HCCS Reception intakes
occur in both Term 1 and Term 3 each year.
The transition from the ELC to school is an important
priority for both parents and children. For those children
attending HCCS, the Orientation Programme involves two
morning visits, late in the term prior to your child starting
school. The children spend time in their new classroom,
getting to know the teacher and other children, as well as
staying to play in the playground area at recess time during
the second visit. The ELC also maintains a close relationship
with the children in the HCCS Reception classes and their
teachers, which promotes a smooth transition to school.
Please let us know if your child will be attending a school
other than HCCS. These schools should inform you of their
own transition programmes when you enrol your child.
All fees are handled by the HCCS Office staff. Invoices are
generated weekly. Fee payments can be put in a clearly marked
envelope and given to staff, or taken directly to the Front
Office. Cheque, Credit Card and EFTPOS payments are
accepted. Alternatively, emailed invoices and/or Direct Debit
payments may also be arranged.
Our Early Learning Centre is a registered and licensed Child
Care Centre and families may be eligible for Child Care Benefit
and Child Care Tax Rebate entitlements. Please contact the
Family Assistance Office on 13 61 50 for further information
about your entitlements.
ELC bookings are set for the coming term and may be reviewed
near the end of each term. Additional sessions may occasionally
be added, where vacancies allow. Please see page 4 of this booklet for further information about the number of days allocated
for each of our educational phases.
Staffing levels are based on the number of children booked in
to a session. Consequently, you will be charged for any bookings,
even if your child is absent. The Child Care Rebate allows for up
to 42 absences in a financial year before full fees are charged.
A pink folder containing the ELC policies on a
wide range of topics is located adjacent to the
inside white boards. Please feel free to read
and/or comment on these at any time.
An Early Learning Centre provides education for children aged
from 3½ years of age until they move on to school. For many
children it is not only their first introduction to formal education
but it is also their first step towards independence.
We recognise that parents are a child’s prime educators, and
therefore our focus is on the child/parent relationship and we
aim to meet the needs of both.
We value the relationship between the child, parent and teacher
and encourage parents to be involved in their child’s experiences
at the ELC. Parents and staff work together to ensure that each
child is enabled to reach their potential and to develop a love of
learning.
Regular communication between parents and the ELC staff,
through informal chats, newsletters, information nights, work
displays, telephone calls, interviews and individual Portfolio
Folders enable us to provide a high quality, individualised
programme for all children.
At The Hills Christian Community School, the ELC is an integral
part of the school and has been purpose built in order to provide
a smooth and secure transition from home to school. The ELC has
been established in a unique combination of an Educational
Programme complemented by a Long Day Care Programme which
enables us to offer care outside of regular school hours.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME PHASES
Orientation Phase
From 3½ years of age
Children are offered one full day per week
Pre-Kindergarten Phase
Approaching 4 yrs old
Extra days may be available if vacancies permit
Kindergarten Phase
From the term after turning 4
Entitled to 15 hours/week under Universal Access scheme
Offered as at least two days/week plus an alternate Friday full day
Other arrangements by negotiation with the Director
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME
SESSION TIMES
ELC Session
8.45 am - 3.15pm
FEE : $86
Please inform the Director:

if your child will be absent (e.g. illness or family events or
holidays). Any absences will be charged as if your child had
attended the session or care programme.

if someone different is picking up your child, via the
Sign In Book.
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of any change of information since enrolment (eg change of
contact phone number, diagnosis of any medical condition).
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if there is any other important information which you feel
may help us in dealing with your child.
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if your child contracts an infectious disease (eg chicken
pox, measles, school sores, etc).
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if you find head lice in your child’s hair.
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if you have any concerns about your child, questions about
the programme, etc.
LONG DAY CARE
PROGRAMME OPTIONS
LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE - BOOKINGS REQUIRED
Before School Care
from 7.30am
FEE : $10
Short After School Care 3.15pm - 4.00pm
FEE : $10
Long After School Care
FEE : $23
3.15pm - 6.00pm
VACATION CARE
Provided by HCCS OHSC, for bookings call 8388 1688
Full day
FEE : $50
Half day
FEE : $25
Parents are always welcome in the the ELC and there are a
variety of ways in which you can give your support. A voluntary
Parent Committee meets to discuss issues of importance and
plan for social events, information and fun nights and any
pastoral care needs in the ELC community.
If you would like to cook with the children, share your skills or
help in any way, please let one of the staff members know. Any
offer of help is always appreciated. Parent support for both
ELC and HCCS fundraising activities are also invaluable forms
of contribution.
Our Behaviour Management Policy aims to:
 maintain a safe, caring and happy centre in which respect

and care is shown for our equipment, our environment and
other people
support children in accepting responsibility for their own
behaviour and understanding its consequences
The children contribute to establishing the rules and we are
consistent with our expectations. The rules are displayed in the
classroom and we revisit them often. We acknowledge, encourage and
reward responsible behaviour, with our focus being on positive
behaviour management strategies.
Central to our ELC philosophy at HCCS is the belief that
children’s learning is based on strong positive foundations of
secure, trusting relationships with caring adults. Our ELC
reflects the School’s ongoing focus of catering for families
throughout their children’s school lives through respectful
interactions, encouraging high
parental involvement, and by
both supporting and nurturing each individual child and their
family.
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We visit the School Library each week to enable children
to borrow a book to take home. A HCCS Library Bag,
which includes their borrowing barcode, will be provided
for them. The $8.00 cost for these bags will be invoiced
as part of the usual Fee Invoice system.
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Children are required to bring their snack, bottle, hat
and other belongings in a suitable bag. It is important
for children to be responsible for choosing a place for
their bags themselves, so that they know where to
find them when they need to get things out or put
things away. Please write your child’s name clearly on
the outside of the bag so that it is easily identifiable.
We ask that children do not bring toys or treasures
from home in case they become lost or broken.
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We believe that:
The ELC is an extension of the home, where parents and
teachers work together to support the children in their
experiences away from home
Stimulating play and meaningful conversation are the
main ways by which children learn about themselves,
other people and the world around them
Children are individuals and develop at different rates
and in a wide variety of ways
Children are curious, active learners
Children are motivated to learn best when learning is
relevant, meaningful and fun
Nature Play is a vital component of a child’s education
Technology is a part of children’s everyday life and is
important for their future
Children should be independent learners
The role of the educator is to facilitate and support
children’s learning, providing an environment that offers
encouragement, success, challenge and stimulation
Children have the right to be in a safe, caring, supportive
learning environment that reflects the cultural diversity
of the community
Children learn best when their strengths are
acknowledged and their self-concept is enhanced
Learning is continuous and that the experiences children
bring from home should be valued and built upon
Play is an essential aspect of learning for young children. It is
the young child’s ‘work’. Through play experiences children are
involved in active learning. They learn about themselves and the
world around them. They are able to construct, test and apply
their own understanding and knowledge of the world. Play is a
creative process and it is through free play
that children control and master what they
have learnt. They are able to express their
thoughts and feelings as well as developing
decision making skills. With free play, it is
the process that is important. Play is
seen as the central component in developing
a curriculum that integrates all areas of the
child’s
development.
Play
represents
children’s learning and work as well as
providing fun.
We aim to foster in children:

a Christian faith
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a positive self concept
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a love of learning
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independence and responsibility
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co-operation and a sense of caring
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respect for self and others
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equality
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effective communication and sharing
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individuality and creativeness
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problem solving and risk taking
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confidence and self-motivation
There are several ways that we inform you about what is happening
in the ELC.
 Your child’s NOTICES POCKET: Please check this daily for
notes, invoices and fee payment receipts.
 The PARENT WHITEBOARD: Daily information is written on
this board. Interesting articles, events, community
information and our programme are also on display .
 NEWSLETTERS: ELC and HCCS newsletters are generally
emailed unless a hard copy is requested.
 DISPLAYS, POSTERS and PHOTOGRAPHS also show and
explain what is happening in the centre.
Each of the children has a Portfolio Folder in which samples of
their work and photographs are kept to show their experiences,
growth and development during their time at the ELC. These
show experimentation, exploration and development of skills in
cutting, pasting, writing, drawing, literacy, numeracy, painting
and creative expression. A brief explanation of any formal tasks
will be attached to the work samples. These will also detail the
Learning Outcomes and any relevant skills focused on in these
tasks.
Parents and children are welcome to look through their own
Portfolio at any time and they will be sent home at the end of
each year. At the end of their time in the ELC, each child is
presented with their Portfolio to keep.
Please ensure that you complete all the
necessary sections of the SIGN IN BOOK when
your child arrives for or leaves their ELC
Session or Care Programme.
Each session will begin with a short period of free play
during which the children may use any of the equipment
inside the ELC room. Please feel free to stay and spend
some time with your child enjoying the activities on offer
and helping them to settle happily.
If your child is experiencing difficulties separating from
you, please alert the staff and we will assist you. Please
make sure that you :
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Always say “Goodbye” to your child
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Assure them that you love them
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Inform them of who will be collecting them
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Avoid bribery, which can create a bad habit

Make a clean break and leave quickly, with support
from a staff member if necessary
Generally, children can be distracted by involving them in an
interesting activity and soon settle. If your child continues
to be distressed, however, the Director will ring you and
other strategies may need to be implemented.
At the end of each session, the children
will be involved in an educational Whole
Group time. We would appreciate it if you
could wait quietly so as not to distract the
group. The staff will farewell the children
individually to ensure that they go home
with the person nominated to collect them.
Our Programme is based on each child’s developmental needs which
are observed and catered for, through a variety of learning
experiences. There is a balance between creative play and
structured activities. Children are encouraged to develop their
independence and thinking skills through an Inquiry approach. Our
Educational Programme Phases operate during school terms.
We use The Early Years Learning Framework - ” Belonging, Being &
Becoming”, which is the National curriculum document used in both
Child Care and Educational settings, as a basis for our planning,
programming and reporting.
As Early Childhood Educators we are committed to providing
quality learning programmes that support and stimulate children’s
growth and development and work towards the Frameworks’ five
Learning Outcomes :
1. Children have a strong sense of community
2. Children are connected with and contribute to
their world
3. Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
4. Children are confident and involved learners
5. Children are effective communicators
We aim to provide experiences in all of the following areas to
broaden the children’s attitudes, knowledge and skills through:
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Christian Education
Nature Play
Literacy
Health and Physical Development
Music, Dance and Drama
Social Skills
Science and Technology
Arts and Crafts
Numeracy
Environmental Studies
HEALTHY SNACKS
Children need to bring a healthy snack, such as a piece of fruit
or vegetable, yoghurt, dry biscuits, cheese or a sandwich each
session.
Our ELC has a healthy eating policy so we
ask that you do not send sweet biscuits,
cakes, lollies or chips. As children will be
eating their own food, we ask that, if you
send fruit, please prepare it the way your
child prefers (eg peeled, sliced etc). This
helps your child become more independent
with his/her eating.
Please bring separate, clearly labelled
snacks for both morning and afternoon, as
well as lunch.
ALLERGY AWARE
As there is a growing number of children in both
the ELC and School who have severe nut
allergies, all children are asked not to bring
food which contains any form of nut product (e.g.
peanut butter, Nutella, nut muesli bars, etc).
DRINKS
Children are asked to bring their own clearly
named water bottle. A filtered drinking fountain
is located near the ELC’s front door and there is
also a “Pura Tap“ inside the building. Drink
bottles are to be placed on the table inside the
Front Door on arrival to allow for easy access
throughout the day.
Please do not send any fruit boxes or drinks other
than water!
To coincide with the HCCS Uniform Policy, children in the ELC
are asked to wear either the official ELC uniform (see below for
our supplier) or colour coded clothes to match. The official ELC
tops have both the ELC and HCCS embroidered logos, as seen at
the bottom of this page.
UNIFORM  Navy Blue polo shirts, either short or long sleeved
 Navy Blue polar fleece jumper (with half zip at neck)
 Plain Navy Blue shorts/skorts or leggings/track pants
FOOTWEAR Closed in shoes, sneakers and sandals are appropriate
footwear for ELC activities. NO THONGS OR CROCS PLEASE !
Sneakers are preferred footwear for PE lessons and Nature
Play visits to the Property.
HATS The School hat is a Navy Blue broad brimmed hat with the
HCCS logo. Children must wear a hat during Terms 1 and 4 (or
whenever the UV rating is 3 or over) for outside play.
We advise that parents send a spare change of clothes, in their
children’s bag, as a precaution at this age, due to messy play or
toileting accidents.
Please ensure that all items are clearly named!
Official ELC uniforms may be purchased from:
The Uniform Shop
Mount Barker Homemaker
Centre
8398 3983