Specialised Programs
At HEY we offer a number of specialised programs to enrich our educational program. The specialised programs run during school terms and are delivered across all classrooms. A summary of these programs is captured and documented fortnightly on the adjacent page of the Educational Program.
These specialised programs are designed to enhance opportunities for children to learn and engage in a variety of intentional experiences, which can provide children with additional skill sets. These skills are then built on and strengthened within the educational program and beyond.
Music with Lynda
Lynda is our external Music Teacher and runs her program across a fortnightly timetable which alternates between Tuesdays and Wednesdays for both the junior and senior early learners’ classrooms. Unlike a traditional music program, Lynda’s music program is not simply about learning to sing in tune or dance the right steps. It is a respectful and inclusive program based on cutting edge, progressive, neuroscientific and educational research. Teaching teams work alongside Lynda to promote and extend the children’s current curiosities within the music program.
Fundamental Movement Program (FMP)
At HEY we understand the link between movement and brain development. Robyn Papworth, a Melbourne based exercise physiologist, has created a Fundamental Movement Program for HEY. It focuses on the acquisition of important foundational movement skills, such as core strength, crossing the mid-line, fine motor strength and dexterity, that build upon one another to support learning in the early years and into school. Our teams, through Robyn’s training and program, understand how learning is supported through movement and why each skill is required. The Fundamental Movement Program is embedded within the classrooms Educational Program and run by the HEY teaching teams.
Kitchen Garden/Sustainability
The Kitchen Garden and Sustainability Program is designed to give children the tools and knowledge to grow their own food, learn positive eating habits and create a more sustainable world. Our permanent educator, Rachel, plans and implements fortnightly sessions with each classroom and it is also embedded throughout the Educational Program. It is through this program that educators guide and support children’s understandings of sustainable practices, healthy eating (as they explore a variety of recipes), as well as guiding children, educators, and families to establish and maintain sustainable garden areas at HEY and at home.
Mental Wellness
At HEY we understand the important role that early childhood experiences have in supporting children to develop life-long positive social, emotional and mental wellness. With this in mind, the educators at HEY draw on multiple resources and tools to support children’s wellbeing. Some of these include, Be You initiatives, the PALS social skill program, and the Resilience Project. We also have a range of books and resources across the Service that support children as they navigate and manage the normal stresses of life. This program is embedded through the Educational Program and each classrooms’ current focus can be viewed in their Educational Program folder.