Columbia Park Preschool

🌿 Columbia Park Preschool Open Night

We warmly invite families and members of our community to come and see our preschool.

📅 Tuesday 18 March
⏰ 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Meet our educators, explore our learning spaces, and discover how children learn through play, nature, and connection at Columbia Park Preschool.

We’d love to welcome you and your family! 💚

Please feel free to share this invite with potential families in our community that may be looking for 3 & 4YO sessional Kinder.

🌿 Learning On Country in nature 🌿

At Columbia Park Preschool, our On Country Nature Program (Bush Kinder) provides children with meaningful opportunities to connect with the land, explore nature, and learn through play in the natural environment.

Each session invites children to slow down, listen, and notice the world around them — from watching ants at work and discovering tiny minibeasts, to building with sticks, climbing logs, and creating imaginative games together. Through these experiences, children develop confidence, resilience, and a deep sense of belonging in nature.

Our program also supports children to develop respect and care for the land. By learning on Country, we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land and embed Indigenous perspectives that encourage children to see themselves as part of the natural world, with a responsibility to care for it.

These outdoor adventures nurture curiosity, wellbeing, and a lifelong connection to nature 🌱

Today the children drew pictures of their families. Each child wrote their name on a framed page and then took their time thinking about who lives in their home. Using black marker, they carefully drew each family member and often shared stories about them as they worked. The children showed focus, pride, and a strong sense of connection to their families.

I was honoured to be invited to the 2025 Sir John Monash Awards held at Monash University. This event celebrates people who lead with heart — those who give selflessly, make others feel seen, supported, and valued, and help make Monash a vibrant, compassionate, and connected community.

It was humbling to be nominated for the work we do at Columbia Park Kindergarten in the space of Reconciliation. Our ongoing journey is reflected through frameworks such as our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), daily Acknowledgment of Country, and our On Country Nature Program, which authentically embeds Indigenous perspectives into children’s learning. These practices aim to foster understanding, respect, and connection — contributing to a more just, equitable, and unified Australia.

I was nominated in the category of 'Reconciliation Champion' and I receive a High Commendation Award, presented by Paul Klisaris, Mayor of the City of Monash.

Thank you to Lenny’s family, Jamil and Alicia, for the nomination and attending the presentation to share this moment. I feel privileged and proud to be part of this journey — one grounded in a deep belief in the power of inclusion, cultural responsiveness, and a drive for continuous improvement to create lasting change.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Gdx2HX2PE/?mibextid=wwXIfr

We’re proud to share our 5 newly refreshed organisational values! Say hi to Emily, who will introduce our new value of Excellence.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1GjAbyLVvj/?mibextid=wwXIfr

We’re proud to share our 5 newly refreshed organisational values! Say hi to Tom, who will introduce the value of Respect.

Join us in giving a huge congrats to Columbia Park Preschool, receiving an outstanding "Exceeding" rating in all seven Quality Areas of their Assessment and Rating! 👏😍

Upon receiving their result, the team were so excited and even emotional, sharing "It’s such meaningful recognition of the work we do".

The kinder has a rich, inclusive, and thoughtfully designed approach to early childhood education, with a focus on meaningful play-based learning.

Well done to the team for all your hard work - a deserved effort and it's always rewarding to see results paying off!

Read more here: https://ow.ly/70H850W8PEP