Meraki Early Learning Centre Philosophy
Love, Acceptance and Security
At Meraki Early Learning Centre, we live up to our name and take on each day with creativity and love, being present and in the moment. We provide a nurturing play-based learning environment with sibling buddy programs as we always strive to be an extension of the children’s homes. It is a place where friends feel like family and children can truly be themselves. We celebrate and advocate for all family structures and are committed to ensuring all children feel loved, included, and secure in and outside of the service. We focus on the children’s health and wellbeing as a whole and strongly believe the best outcomes for children are achieved when we work together as a team. Our team value ongoing learning and regularly attend professional development sessions.
At Meraki ELC, we are unwavering in our commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all children, team members and their families through our Child Safety policies.
Relationships with families
Building relationships with families is our priority and something we treasure. Having a culture built on respect for the diverse approaches, knowledge and expertise in our team and the families of Meraki ELC. We acknowledge that children learn best when educators and family members work collaboratively and have a close and professional relationship. Parents and care givers are greeted by their name and familiar faces are always available to inform the parent about their child’s day.
Inclusion and Diversity at Meraki Early Learning Centre
Inclusion and cultural diversity are thoughtfully incorporated through our program to reflect the neurodiversity and uniqueness of each child who attends our service. This is achieved through careful planning, scaffolded learning, and intentional teaching. Children are given opportunities to develop their knowledge of the world they live in with an emphasis to teach them how to be sustainable, to recycle and to create change for future generations. Natural resources are offered in the learning environments, adult furniture is upcycled throughout the service and we have a resident therapy dog, fish and lizard to further create an environment that has a homely feel.
Empowering Children
We empower children to have agency by making decisions about their body and their environment. Providing opportunities for them to be involved in the decision-making process throughout the day as they contribute to the program. Parent involvement is encouraged at drop off, pick up and through our online learning and communication platforms.
Nutritious meals
Meals are all made on site with fresh ingredients and are provided by our chef and her team, catering for all dietary requirements that meet the child’s daily nutrient intake as directed by the Australia Government Health Department. Favourite recipes from the children’s homes are incorporated into our seasonal menus and shared with families. From an early age, self-help skills are taught for all children encouraging them to have agency over their portion size. As we know research shows that this creates better habits going into adulthood.
Meraki Early Learning Centre Community Connections
Being a part of the local community that children live in promotes belonging, a sense of identity and supports active participation in their world, further building strong connections and supportive relationships. Community is strongly embedded into everything we do and as we are situated at the base of the Yarra Valley, we have nature on our doorstep. We are also fortunate to be a short stroll from the local library and community shops where we regularly visit and invite into our service.