About Us

Davis Street Kindergarten turns 65 this year. We opened in 1959 and have been serving the community by providing quality kindergarten educational programs ever since. We are operated by a parent run Committee of Management. We have the largest gardens of any kinder in the area and have the greatest range of four year old programs. Our Pre-Prep program has been available for over 20 years. We believe that children:

• Should be celebrated and have fun.
• Are capable and competent.
• Can think creatively, think independently.
• Learn best in a social context.
• Should be respected.

Families

• Are primary educators of children.
• Are a valued resource of the Davis Street community.

Child Safety

At Davis Street Kindergarten we want children to be safe, happy and empowered. We support and respect all children, as well as our staff and volunteers. We are committed to the safety, participation and empowerment of all children. We have zero tolerance of child abuse, and all allegations and safety concerns will be treated very seriously and consistently with our robust policies and procedures. We have legal and moral obligations to contact authorities when we are worried about a child’s safety, which we follow rigorously. Our kindergarten is committed to preventing child abuse and identifying risks early, and removing and reducing these risks. Our kindergarten has robust human resources and recruitment practices for all staff and volunteers. Our kindergarten is committed to regularly training and educating our staff and volunteers on child abuse risks. We support and respect all children, as well as our staff and volunteers. We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children, the cultural safety of children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe environment for children with a disability. We have specific policies, procedures and training in place that support our committee, staff and volunteers to achieve these commitments. For a full copy of our Child Safety policy please visit the policies section of our website. If you believe a child is at immediate risk of abuse phone 000.

As of July 1st 2022, The Commission for Children and Young People implemented the eleven child safety standards. The Standards aim to promote the safety of children, prevent child abuse and ensure organisations and businesses have effective processes in place to respond to and report all allegations of child abuse.

1. Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.

2. Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.

3. Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.

4. Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.

5. Equity is upheld, and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.

6. People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.

7. Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused.

8. Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.

9. Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.

10. Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.

11. Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

Davis Street Kindergarten is committed to the rights of all children to feel safe, and to be safe at all times.

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Our Philosophy

Davis Street Kindergarten acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the original custodians of this land and we pay our respects to the elders, past and present for their care of the land on which we meet, wonder and learn. The Davis Street Kindergarten programs are inspired by the educational projects of Reggio Emilia. Reggio Emilia is recognised worldwide for its innovative approach to education, where children are seen as competent and are valued for what they bring.
Children are encouraged to investigate and explore as they make sense of their world. Davis Street Kindergarten embraces this philosophy by recognising the uniqueness of each person and the importance of building a learning community. We are committed to:

• Recognising the potential of every child and the need to provide opportunities for growth in all areas of intellectual, social, emotional and physical development, promoting the rights of all children..
• A belief that parents are an integral part of the educational community.
• A belief that children can find their own solutions in a co-operative and supportive environment as well as develop independence and responsibility for their learning.
• Developing children’s sense of wonder and curiosity, and a belief that exploration and investigation lead to knowledge and understanding.
• The belief that children are born with multiple languages with which they make sense of their world; expressive, communicative, symbolic, cognitive, ethical, logical, imaginative and relational. Giving children opportunity to develop all these is vital..
• Empowering children with a sense of what is possible and cultivating imagination.
• Celebrating the richness of different cultures and value and appreciate the individual nature of each child.
• A belief that children’s learning occurs in a social context where they learn to work in a group which values everyone’s contribution and develop respect for others rights and beliefs.
• Valuing the indoor and outdoor environments as integral components of knowledge building and supporting the learning taking place, to invite participation, research, respect and values between children, families and educators.
• A belief in our role to embed First Nations perspectives, celebrating and exploring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, including truth telling and injustices in age appropriate ways.

“We make projects with our teachers, it’s really fun. The teachers are lovely because they help us learn.” Greta

Click here to find out more.

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Our Committee

Davis Street Kindergarten is a not-for-profit Incorporated Association owned by Boroondara City Council, but operated by a Committee of Management. The Committee is comprised of volunteers from our parent community and is responsible for all financials and operations of the kindergarten. Our Committee meets each  month, except in January. If you would like to contact a committee member, please place a note in their pocket or refer to the contact list in the foyers.

Davis Street Kindergarten Committee of Management

President: Susie and Tas Fleming
Vice President: Hugh Bastiaan
Secretary: David Lee Lewes
Treasurer: Vivian Yao
Maintenance: Jules Malseed-Harris
IT Support: Michael Sidrak
Grants: Vacant
Social and Fundraising: Irene Camelleri
Newsletter & Communications: Kate Perry
OHS: Vacant
Marketing: Nick O’Halloran

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Our Policies

We have an extensive number of policies which guide the day to day operation of our kindergarten.  Our policies have a review cycle which ensures we keep up-to-date with changes in legislation, learning and practises.  Hard copies of our policies can be sourced in our Policy Folder in our foyer.