Lords Little Wonders Kindergarten

Dear Parents,

Thank you for your interest in LORDS Little Wonders. We are pleased to welcome you to Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School’s Kindergarten. Whether you are enrolling with us or you are a potential family for the future, we trust that your time with us will be a satisfying and rewarding one as we journey together with you and your child in the LORDS community. At the Kindergarten, we are at the very foundation of the LORDS motto of ‘Growing Side by Side’. Here we want the children to experience growth through play, through encounters with nature, through laughter, through character building and through the many facets of experiences in learning. These challenges and adventures will form the basis on which leadership, opportunities, respect, diligence and service will grow during the schooling years. Kindergarten is your child’s first step into formal education and we plan to ensure it is an enjoyable and rewarding year.

Kindy children are able to attend Outside School Hours Care through LORDS OSHC, before and after Kindy.  Vacation Care is also available.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is my child eligible for Kindy?

Your child must turn 4 by June 30 in the year that they attend Kindergarten:

Can my child attend if he/she is not in this age group?

If the Kindergarten does not receive an enrolment of two full groups or pre-prep age children, we are able to consider accepting those children whose birthdays are in the next year. These children would then be enrolled for two years of Kindergarten. The eldest children on the ‘early entry’ waiting list would be enrolled first.

How does LORDS Little Wonders operate?

LORDS is a single unit, sessional Kindergarten and a Queensland Government ‘Approved Kindergarten Program Provider’. We operate 2 Kindy classes per week. Each class will have 22 children and will operate on a 5 day fortnight, comprising of one group attending Monday, Tuesday and alternate Wednesday and the other group attending alternate Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. School Holidays and Public Holidays are taken into account and the full dates of your child’s attendance will be provided at the beginning of the school year.

What hours does the Kindy operate?

Kindy hours are 8:30am to 2:45pm, Monday to Friday.

LORDS Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) is available to Kindergarten families. Please contact the LORDS Administration Staff on to discuss.

How is the Kindy governed?

The kindergarten is governed in partnership by a committee (which is a sub-committee of LORDS Council) and QLECS (Qld Lutheran Early Childhood Services). As the Central Governing Body, QLECS has the following commitments to us:

• To administer state government funding
• To report to Government that centres continue to deliver an approved program
• Support their associated services to provide a quality inclusive program
• Work with associated services to increase enrolments, manage waiting lists and the enrolment prioritisation process
• Responsible for ensuring services cater for additional needs e.g. cultural

The process of decision making and overview of program planning, communication and evaluation of teaching and learning, along with staff development, is the responsibility of the Director.

Who is teaching Kindy?

Kindy programs are taught by a qualified Early Childhood Teacher/Service Leader and an Educator (Teacher Assistant). The Service Leader and Early Childhood Teacher, Miss Sarah Matjac, has 15 years experience teaching in Kindy, Preschool and Prep and holds a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education qualification.

The Teacher Assistant/Educator, Mrs Belinda Rose has over 20 years experience working with children in Early Childhood services and holds a Diploma of Children’s Services.

What does it cost to send my child to Kindy?

In 2018:

• $11 waiting list fee—non-refundable (payable with completed waiting list application form)
• $50 enrolment fee—non-refundable (payable on confirmation of enrolment)
• $925 per term (4 terms @ $925 = $3700 for the year)
• $10 incursion/excursion levy per term (4 terms @ $10 = $40 for the year) (payable with term fees)
• $25 Xplor levy per term (4 terms @ $25 = $100 for the year) (payable with term fees) - Xplor is an online, app based program that allows parents to sign-in/out digitally and access information about their child’s learning and development whilst away from the Kindy environment.

Please note that fees are scheduled on a per term basis, NOT a per day basis. Full fees are payable even if your child is absent due to ill health of holidays. Fees can be paid weekly, fortnightly, monthly or per term.

If you are Health Care Card holder and have presented a copy of your card to staff at the Kindergarten, you are entitled to a generous rebate on fees. You will be invoiced for the amount minus the rebate for each term.

There will be a ‘Registered Care Provider’ number listed on all fee receipts. Families can take these receipts to the Family Assistance Office and may receive a rebate. This rebate is means tested and therefore we are unable to suggest an approximate sum that families may receive.

What do I do next to enroll my child in the Kindergarten program at LORDS?

1. Return a waiting list form with your contact details and the $11 waiting list fee

2. Your child’s details will be added to the Kindy waiting list for the year they will be attending Kindy

3. The Service Leader of the Kindy will contact you via e-mail, phone or mail early in Term 3 the year before your child is due to begin their Kindergarten year and invite you to enroll your child. This will involve filling out and returning ‘Acceptance of Kindergarten Place Offer’ form along with the $50 Booking Fee.

4. Parents will be invited to attend a Parent Information Evening in Term 4 to meet staff and other parents and find out more about our Kindergarten program.