The moment you walk through the sunlit doors of this purpose built Centre, you cannot help but feel part of something greater…a progressive, loving culture whose sole aim is to achieve the best possible outcomes for your children. The emphasis of community and the collaborative effort for learning and development is a philosophy we live by at Alkira ELC.
The service continues to be recognised by the NSW department of Early Childhood Education and Care as EXCEEDING in all seven quality areas.
Ample space for growth and discovery
Set upon beautiful acreage in Wamberal, a stone’s throw away from Terrigal against a backdrop of native rainforest, the Centre boasts a stunning natural ambience. All rooms open out to an amphitheatre of green trees and expanding skies. The carefully landscaped play space invites open-ended interactions, exploration, discovery and connection with nature. Sensory spaces, vegetable gardens, cubby houses, sand pits, mud kitchen, large steps, pebble creek, amphitheatre, purpose built gross motor area and climbing wall allow children to test their abilities and help build strength and confidence.
Fresh & Healthy Eating
We take a holistic approach to helping children understand how to make healthy food choices. Our numerous vegetable patches provide the stage for learning the importance of food production from seed to table. The children help tend to these gardens from planting, maintaining, and harvesting, using the produce in their cooking activities.
Our in-house chef creates a wholesome and delicious rotating menu that is cooked fresh daily on the premises in our custom-built commercial kitchen. The menu is designed without the use of refined sugars or trans fats, with consideration to minimise the use of preservatives.
To continue teaching the important correlation of optimal health and wholefood eating, our chef is happy to share recipes and knowledge with families for use at home.
Activities
Children’s learning is further enriched with a multitude of experiences including yoga, drama, art, cooking, music, language, Black Belt Martial Arts, Adventures to the Beyond and cultural activities. Diverse creative and artistic play is key in a child’s learning and development.
Sustainable Education
We pride ourselves on being a sustainable community here at Alkira ELC. Children experience this firsthand via activities in the garden – assisting to compost, feed worms and using the worm waste and compost to enrich the garden beds. These activities foster an understanding of the growth cycle and ignite an appreciation of Mother Nature.
We also have our resident chickens at Alkira ELC, the raising of which is assisted by the children as they learn the meaning of responsibility, caring for and protecting other living beings.
These hands-on experiences are a beautiful way for children to connect with nature and to develop an understanding of the cycle of life.
Learning Philosophy
As a reflection of Alkira ELC’s philosophy, current research and the National Early Years Learning Framework, educators provide an environment that gives children an opportunity to learn through play. Research has shown that children learn best through play when the experience is authentic and of meaning to them. Educators provide children with long periods of unhurried self-directed play to learn and develop at their own pace. It is the educator’s role to guide, support and challenge children by using intentional teaching strategies. With the view of the environment as the third teacher, educators plan and implement learning spaces for children to relish in.
Indoor Environment
‘Alkira’ comes from the Aboriginal language meaning ‘place in the sun or bright sunshine’. The sustainable Centre has been intentionally designed to bring natural light to each of the six playrooms named’ Jannali, Alba, Yaringa, Akuna, Kolora and Adoni.
Children enjoy open spaces that welcome the outdoors in with floor to ceiling windows that reduce the need for artificial lighting. Inviting indoor play spaces are filled with natural colours and textures to mirror the outdoor landscape. A diverse range of old, new, and recycled building materials and furniture create a sense of ambience, warmth, and comfort.
Adventures Beyond Alkira ELC
Alkira ELC began with the intention to bring children and families back to nature. It is a place to explore and develop a curiosity about our environment and our connection to the earth.
Beyond the gates of Alkira ELC lies wild bushland with a pond and wide grassy fields that lead into the hills and onto our own bush tracks. Here the children discover caves and learn about how the traditional custodians of the land use the bush. On their adventures, children are provided with plenty of opportunities to assess their own limits, developing self-confidence, independence, and resilience. The emergent curriculum suggests the best way for children to learn is through outdoor and experiential play.
At Alkira ELC, we are passionate about providing our children the best start in life with quality education. Our philosophy encompasses the proverb “It takes a village to raise a child”.
This simply means it takes more than one person to teach a child the ways of life. A child grows from many different experiences and circumstances throughout their life.
Guidance, support and care, along with values, morals and ethics are key to raising a child that feels valued and respected.
“Nurture your child’s growth in the trusted hands of highly qualified and dedicated educators in a welcoming home away from home environment”
“You are all doing a fantastic job with Stella and Savannah. Shane and I are extremely happy with
We get our feedback directly from our observations and from the girls themselves.
Thanks again to everyone at Alkira ELC.”