Learning Environments
Cuddly Bear Templestowe Early Learning centre is divided into 4 rooms based on children’s ages and developmental stages. These rooms are
Babies Room – 6 weeks to 2 years
Toddlers Room – 2 to 3 years
Funded Pre-Kinder Room – 3 & 4 years
Funded Kindergarten – 4 & 5 years
All programs at Cuddly Bear involve planning for all areas of children’s learning and development, including their:
- physical skills (large and small muscles)
- language and literacy skills
- personal and interpersonal skills
- creativity and skills in expressive arts
Babies Room
Our Babies room caters for 10 children aged 6 weeks – 2 years old. Our aesthetically pleasing environment is inviting and calm for all children and families. Our sleeping area is designed to comply with safe sleeping practices.
Many experiences for the children are planned around individual routines such as meal and nappy change times, sleep and settling routines. These plans will be very individualised, and are focused on one to one interactions between your baby and our nurturing educators.
When planning for babies, educators and families need to work together to understand what is seen as being as priorities in assisting their child to settle happily into the service while developing their skills.
Our baby room also has their own separate outdoor play area, where children can explore their natural environment, have fun and feel secure.
Toddlers Room
Our Toddler’s Room caters for 15 children aged 2years old, Our environment is designed to challenge and extend on and promote children’s agency.
Children's art work is displayed around the room in a respectful manner to build on the children’s self-esteem and sense of belonging.
Children share their outdoor environment with the older children.
Planning for toddlers generally has a strong focus on supporting them to develop their language, independence and social skills. Planned experiences will often focus on supporting toddlers to engage in play experiences where they can practice and develop their skills in this area.
Planned experiences also include one-on-one and small groups, and be flexible enough to allow children to engage in each experience in a way that best suits their interests and abilities. Educators will act as guides and role models, helping children to negotiate with others and to express their emotions appropriately
Pre-Kinder and Funded Kindergarten.
Our kindergarten rooms are designed for two groups of 15 children.
Our curriculum revolves around the interests of the children and includes a great deal of learning through hands-on experiences. Your child will be busy exploring the environment, confronting problems and finding solutions, thinking and playing creatively. We believe that children learn best in a social context where peers and adults are viewed as valuable resources and the environment promotes exploration, creativity and a sense of wonder. All this assists children to develop a strong image of themselves and a love of learning.
Read more about the Government Funded Kindergarten Program >
Funded Kindergarten
Cuddly Bear Templestowe Early Learning Centre is a Government funded Kindergarten.
The Victorian Government provides funding to support children to access a high quality kindergarten program in the year before they start school. The funding is a contribution towards meeting the cost of the kindergarten program.
Your child can only be funded for a kindergarten place at one service at any one time and only for one year (unless your child is assessed as being eligible for a second funded year by your child’s kindergarten teacher).
Our kindergarten teachers are Bachelor Qualified in Early Childhood Education, as approved by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. Read more about the Government Funded Kindergarten Program >
What are the eligibility requirements for the funded Kindergarten program?
Your child is eligible for a funded year of kindergarten if they are four by 30 April of that year. The Victorian government provides funding for all eligible children to access a kindergarten program in the year before school entry.
The Kindergarten Fee Subsidy (KFS) is available for some children to attend kindergarten for free or at low cost. Your child is eligible if they are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, are a triplet or quadruplet, or if you (or your child) hold an eligible concession card.
At Cuddly Bear Templestowe, children in our Kindergarten room have the opportunity to learn Chinese (Mandarin), through Australian Government initiative called ELLA. Early Learning Language Australia is a digital, play-based language learning program for preschool children.
This inspires children by driving a genuine interest in a new language and culture. More information can be found at the Ella Website - https://www.ella.edu.au/