Since 1994, Rainbow Child Care Centre has been providing high quality education and care for preschool children. The community we have built continues to grow each year, and our commitment will always be to provide a safe, welcoming, caring and engaging environment for the children and families in our community.
“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much. ”
Our Philosophy
THRIVING ABOVE SURVIVING
We strive to ensure that each and every child is set up to THRIVE in life, not just survive within a classroom.
As Maria Montessori explains “the goal of Early Childhood Education should be to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn”. Our program and daily interactions aim to ensure each child continues to be curious and enthusiastic about learning, has the skills and tools to engage positively in social and learning situations, and are strong and capable.
We believe their are multiple ways a child, or adult, can be “smart”, adopting a programming system that ensures that all learning styles are catered for. We utilise Howard Gardner’s Theory on Multiple Intelligences to ensure that we are adapting our teaching practices to the way each child learns best.
“MANGIA MANGIA”
At Rainbow, our meals times are about much more than food! They are about connections, learning and listening.
We provide a nutritious, child-friendly menu, which encourages children to try a wide range of different foods, while still providing “safe” options as well. On our menu you will notice meals such as chicken fajitas, zucchini slice and pasta salad, beef and lentil burgers, and penne bosciaola, to name a few.
Meal times are opportunities for educators to model conversation skills, prompting topics of conversation for the children to engage with in small groups at the tables. Turn taking, using manners, and understanding fairness are among the other skills that children develop during meal times.
We also use these times as an opportunity to build knowledge on how the body works, and the benefits of different foods for our bodies. Children are encouraged to listen to their bodies as to whether they are full, need a little more food, or a lot more food.
COMMUNITY
Rainbow aims to provide a sense of an extended “family” within the centre, especially with the Centre’s strong Italian surrounding. We believe the meaning of family is to have a great number of people who love, cherish and support you for exactly who you are.
The old African Proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child”, is not wrong, and in the 21st century we are slowly losing this concept of a ‘village’. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s theory proves that every aspect of life has an impact on how a child develops and shapes a view on the world. An educators relationships should not solely be focused on just the enrolled child, but the whole family, developing a strong knowledge for each family’s individualities, morals and beliefs, as well as their goals and aspirations for their child. We often have a number of grandparents, aunties, uncles and family friends who visit the centre during the year as well, and we cherish and encourage the relationships that our Rainbow children have with the multiple adults in their life.
We believe each child must have at least a handful of people they can approach for help, or to “fill their bucket” in times they need it - and we strive for our educators to be a part of each child’s community of safe adults for years after their enrolment at Rainbow.
Our Program
At Rainbow Child Care, our play-based learning program is guided by children's interests, strengths, and abilities. We believe children learn best through meaningful experiences that encourage curiosity, creativity, exploration, and a love of learning.
Our preschool program operates across two rooms: Possums (3–4 years) and Wombats (4–5 years). Both programs support children's development across all learning areas, including language and literacy, early numeracy, problem-solving, social and emotional wellbeing, creativity, and independence. Learning experiences are tailored to each age group and build on children's individual interests, knowledge, and skills.
Through a balance of child-led play and intentional teaching, our educators create engaging opportunities for children to explore, discover, and grow in a supportive and inclusive environment.
At Rainbow Child Care, we value strong partnerships with families and the community. By working together, we create meaningful learning experiences that reflect children's lives, cultures, and interests while fostering a strong sense of belonging and connection.
